Evaluation of hydraulic mixing performance in a full-scale anaerobic digester with an external liquid recirculation system using CFD and experimental validation

Anaerobic digestion (AD) has become an essential process for sludge treatment and its optimum performance is related to its mixing degree. In this study, a full-scale Anaerobic Digester (ADer) with an external recirculation mixing system was studied via single-phase 3D-CFD simulations to assess the influence of recirculation flow and a 3-blade propeller. The model was validated with inert tracer tests. The design and mixing parameters were studied to characterise the mixing efficiency in different scenarios. The design parameters were assessed first, but wide deviations from the recommended values were found. Local mixing parameters were found to be useful for defining the degree and type of mixing, and are highly recommended in the CFD studies of ADers. A second-order statistical moment was proposed as a global mixing parameter to describe geometrical and local mixing, and to state a reliable homogenisation time.Funding for open access charge: CRUE-Universitat Jaume

Association between a Mediterranean lifestyle and growth differentiation factor 15: The seniors ENRICA-2 cohort

Background: Growth Differentiation Factor 15 (GDF-15) is a marker of inflammation and oxidative stress that has been associated with multiple age-related chronic diseases. Since lifestyle is key for preventing these adverse health outcomes, we examined the association between a Mediterranean lifestyle and GDF-15 serum concentrations in Spanish older adults. Methods: We used cross-sectional data from 2502 older adults participating in the Seniors ENRICA-2 cohort. Adherence to the Mediterranean lifestyle was assessed with the 27-item MEDLIFE index, divided into three blocks: 1) "Mediterranean food consumption, 2) Mediterranean dietary habits, 3) Physical activity, rest, social habits, and conviviality". Analyses of the association between the MEFLIFE index and GDF-15 concentrations were performed using multivariable linear regression models adjusting for the main potential confounders. Results: The MEDLIFE index was inversely associated with GDF-15. Compared with participants in the lowest quartile of the MEDLIFE score, GDF-15 mean percentage differences (95% CI) were -3.0% (-8.0, 2.3) for the second quartile, -8.7% (-13.0, -4.1) for the third quartile, and -10.1% (-15.0, -4.9) for the fourth quartile (p-trend<0.001). Block 3 of MEDLIFE, and particularly doing sufficient physical activity, adequate sleep duration, and participating in collective sports, was individually linked to lower concentrations of GDF-15. Results remained similar after excluding participants with cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, or obesity. Conclusions: A Mediterranean lifestyle was associated with reduced levels of GDF-15, suggesting that a combination of multiple lifestyles may be an integral approach to reduce chronic inflammation and disease burden in older adults.This work was supported by the Institute of Health Carlos III; the Secretary of R+D+I; the European Regional Development Fund/European Social Fund (FIS grants 19/319, 20/00896); the National Plan on Drugs (grant 2020/17); Fundación Soria Melguizo (MITOFUN project); Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities (RYC 2018-02069I to MSP); Universidad Autonóma de Madrid (FPI contract to JMR); FACINGLCOVID-CM project, Funding REACT EU Program (Comunidad de Madrid, European Regional Development Fund). Reagents for measuring Growth Differentiation Factor 15 have been provided by Roche Diagnostics International through a Research Agreement with the FUAM (Fundación de la Universidad Autonóma de Madrid). The funding agencies had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, interpretation of results, manuscript preparation or the decision to submit this manuscript for publication.S

Modeling of wastewater treatment processes with hydrosludge

The pressure for Water Resource Recovery Facilities (WRRF) operators to efficiently treat wastewater is greater than ever because of the water crisis, produced by the climate change effects and more restrictive regulations. Technicians and researchers need to evaluate WRRF performance to ensure maximum efficiency. For this purpose, numerical techniques, such as CFD, have been widely applied to the wastewater sector to model biological reactors and secondary settling tanks with high spatial and temporal accuracy. However, limitations such as complexity and learning curve prevent extending CFD usage among wastewater modeling experts. This paper presents HydroSludge, a framework that provides a series of tools that simplify the implementation of the processes and workflows in a WRRF. This work leverages HydroSludge to preprocess existing data, aid the meshing process, and perform CFD simulations. Its intuitive interface proves itself as an effective tool to increase the efficiency of wastewater treatment. Practitioner points This paper introduces a software platform specifically oriented to WRRF, named HydroSludge, which provides easy access to the most widespread and leading CFD simulation software, OpenFOAM. Hydrosludge is intended to be used by WRRF operators, bringing a more wizard-like, automatic, and intuitive usage. Meshing assistance, submersible mixers, biological models, and distributed parallel computing are the most remarkable features included in HydroSludge. With the provided study cases, HydroSludge has proven to be a crucial tool for operators, managers, and researchers in WRRF

Identificación morfológica y molecular de Cysticercus fasciolaris aislado de un roedor (Rattus norvegicus) de la provincia de Buenos Aires (Argentina).

En un estudio exploratorio de roedores de la especie Rattus norvegicus de la provincia de Buenos Aires, se observó que ciertos metacestodos de tenias se encontraban enquis- tados en el hígado del hospedador. Nuestro objetivo fue identificar esta forma larval, basándonos en estudios morfológicos y moleculares. Para la caracterización molecular del parásito, se amplificó y secuenció el ADN ribosomal (28S) y mitocondrial (COI). Sobre la base de los datos tanto morfológicos como moleculares, y utilizando herramientas bio- informáticas, el metacestodo se identificó como Cysticercus fasciolaris. La forma adulta (Taenia taeniaeformis) comúnmente infecta hospedadores mamíferos félidos y cánidos. Esta es la primera vez que se caracteriza molecularmente este helminto, aislado de roe- dores de la provincia de Buenos Aires.Fil: Martinez, Mara Leila. Instituto Nacional de Tecnologia Agropecuaria. Centro Nacional de Inv. Agropecuarias. Centro de Invest.de Cs.veterinarias y Agronomicas. Instituto de Patobiologia; Argentina;Fil: Dominguez, Mariana Gabriela. Instituto Nacional de Tecnologia Agropecuaria. Centro Nacional de Inv. Agropecuarias. Centro de Invest.de Cs.veterinarias y Agronomicas. Instituto de Patobiologia; Argentina;Fil: Morici, Gabriel E.. Instituto Nacional de Tecnologia Agropecuaria. Centro Nacional de Inv. Agropecuarias. Centro de Invest.de Cs.veterinarias y Agronomicas. Instituto de Patobiologia; Argentina;Fil: Cavia, Regino. Consejo Nacional de Invest. Científ.y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Ciudad Universitaria. Instituto de Ecología, Genética y Evolución de Bs. As; Argentina; Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Cs.exactas y Naturales. Departamento de Ecologia, Genetica y Evolución; Argentina;Fil: Montes de Oca, Daniela Paula. INSTITUTO DE ECOLOGIA, GENETICA Y EVOLUCION DE BS. AS; ecologia;Fil: Lovera, Rosario. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Cs.exactas y Naturales. Departamento de Ecologia, Genetica y Evolución; Argentina; Consejo Nacional de Invest. Científ.y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Ciudad Universitaria. Instituto de Ecología, Genética y Evolución de Bs. As; Argentina;Fil: Schapiro, Javier Hernan. Instituto Nacional de Tecnologia Agropecuaria. Centro Nacional de Inv. Agropecuarias. Centro de Invest.de Cs.veterinarias y Agronomicas. Instituto de Patobiologia; Argentina;Fil: Caracostantogolo, Jorge Luis. Consejo Nacional de Invest.cientif.y Tecnicas. Ultraestructura, Microanalisis y Espectroscopia; Arggentina

A Spanish Consensus on the Use of Safinamide for Parkinson's Disease in Clinical Practice

Safinamide is an approved drug for the treatment of motor fluctuations in Parkinson's disease (PD). Scarce data are available on its use in clinical practice. A group of Spanish movement disorders specialists was convened to review the use of safinamide across different clinical scenarios that may guide neurologists in clinical practice. Eight specialists with recognized expertise in PD management elaborated the statements based on available evidence in the literature and on their clinical experience. The RAND/UCLA method was carried, with final conclusions accepted after a 2-round modified Delphi process. Higher level of agreement between panellists was reached for the following statements. Safinamide significantly improves mean daily OFF time without troublesome dyskinesias. Adjunctive treatment with safinamide is associated with motor improvements in patients with mid-to-late PD. The efficacy of safinamide on motor fluctuations is maintained at long-term, with no increase over time in dyskinesias severity. The clinical benefits of safinamide on pain and depression remain unclear. Safinamide presents a similar incidence of adverse events compared with placebo. The efficacy and safety of safinamide shown in the pivotal clinical trials are reproduced in clinical practice, with improvement of parkinsonian symptoms, decrease of daily OFF time, control of dyskinesias at the long term, and good tolerability and safety.This study was funded by Zambon S.A.U. Medical writing services were funded by Zambon S.A.U

El desarrollo del pensamiento lógico a través del proceso de aprendizaje en los estudiantes universitarios

Logical thinking is a fundamental cognitive skill for the intellectual development of university students. This article examines the importance of the learning process in the development of students' logical thinking. In addition, empirical research evidence supports the positive effects of training that focuses on logical thinking on academic performance and the development of more competent and informed future professionals. The objective that is intended to be developed in our article is to analyze and understand the role of the teaching and learning process in the development of logical thinking in university students. Logical thinking is the ability to analyze information, establish cause-and-effect relationships, recognize patterns, and argue effectively. Furthermore, this is a horizontal skill that helps all areas of knowledge to be enriched. The sample consisted of 80 students of the experimental sciences pedagogy career belonging to the sixth to eighth semester, from the technical university of Babahoyo. According to the results obtained according to our question 3, if they considered that teachers are sufficiently trained to promote thought, and 47% said that they did consider themselves sufficiently trained, and 30% said no, and 23% told us they were in doubt. It was concluded that the majority of those surveyed believe that logical thinking is very important in the academic training process. This suggests a growing awareness of the importance of this cognitive ability in the university environment.El pensamiento lógico es una habilidad cognitiva fundamental para el desarrollo intelectual de los estudiantes universitarios. Este artículo examina la importancia del proceso de aprendizaje en el desarrollo del pensamiento lógico de los estudiantes. Además, la evidencia de la investigación empírica respalda los efectos positivos de la formación que se centra en el pensamiento lógico sobre el rendimiento académico y el desarrollo de futuros profesionales más competentes y fundamentados. El objetivo que se pretende desarrollar en nuestro artículo es analizar y comprender el papel del proceso de enseñanza y aprendizaje en el desarrollo del pensamiento lógico en estudiantes universitarios. El pensamiento lógico es la capacidad de analizar información, establecer relaciones causa y efecto, reconocer patrones y argumentar con eficacia. Además, esta es una habilidad horizontal que ayuda a todas las áreas de conocimiento a enriquecerse. La muestra estuvo compuesta por 80 estudiantes de la carrera de pedagogía de las ciencias experimentales pertenecientes al semestre de sexto a octavo, de la universidad técnica de Babahoyo. Según los resultados obtenidos de acuerdo a nuestra pregunta 3 si consideraba que los docentes están suficientemente capacitados para promover el pensamiento, y un 47% dijeron que si es consideraban suficientemente capacitados, y un 30% dijeron que no, y en un 23% nos manifestaron que estaban en duda. Se concluyó que la mayoría de los encuestados cree que el pensamiento lógico es muy importante en el proceso de formación académica. Esto sugiere una creciente conciencia de la importancia de esta habilidad cognitiva en el entorno universitario

Mortalidad y recurrencia de la enfermedad tromboembólica venosa en pacientes adultos: cohorte prospectiva

INTRODUCCIÓN: La enfermedad tromboembólica venosa (ETV) es una patología que aumenta con la edad. Objetivo: comparar la sobrevida de los ancianos y los jóvenes con un primer episodio de ETV aguda y sintomática. MATERIALES Y MÉTODOS: Cohorte prospectiva de casos incidentes de ETV incluidos en el Registro Institucional de Enfermedad Tromboembólica venosa (NCT01372514) del Hospital Italiano de Buenos Aires entre 2012-2014, dividido en grupos jóvenes (17-64 años) y ancianos (≥ 65 años). Todos los pacientes fueron seguidos anualmente para evaluar el tiempo a la recurrencia (progresión o nuevo evento sintomático de ETV) como eventos competitivos en contexto de muerte y sangrado mayor. Se presentaron los riesgos crudos (c) y ajustados (a). RESULTADOS: se incluyeron 446 pacientes, el 63% (292) fueron mayores de 65 años. La sobrevida fue menor en los ancianos comparados con los jóvenes (p 0.007), a los 3 meses 87% vs 95% y al año 73% vs 87%, respectivamente. Los ancianos presentaron un HRc1,71 y HR a 1.68. La recurrencia global fue 5% (IC 95% 3-8) al mes, 6% (IC 95% 4-9) a los 3 meses, 8% (IC 95% 6-11) al año y 13% (IC 95% 9-18) a los dos años. No se encontró asociación entre la edad y la recurrencia sub hazard 0.8(IC 0,34-1,86). El sangrado ocurrió en un 9% (39) de los pacientes. CONCLUSIONES: La mortalidad global en pacientes con ETV confirmada es mayor en la población anciana. No hubo diferencias en relación a la recurrencia de ETV, ni el sangrado y tampoco con la edad.INTRODUCTION: Venous thromboembolic disease (VTE) is a pathology that increases with age. OBJECTIVE: to compare the survival of the elderly and the young with a first episode of acute and symptomatic VTE. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Prospective cohort of incident VTE cases included in the Institutional Registry of Venous Thromboembolic Disease (NCT01372514) of the Italian Hospital of Buenos Aires between 2012-2014, divided into young groups (17-64 years old) and elderly (65 years old). All the patients were followed annually to assess the time to recurrence (progression or new symptomatic event of VTE) as competitive events in the context of death and major bleeding. Raw (c) and adjusted (a) risks were presented. RESULTS: 446 patients were included, 63% (292) were older than 65 years. Survival was lower in the elderly compared to the young (p 0.007), at 3 months 87% vs. 95% and at one year 73% vs. 87%, respectively. The elderly had a HRc1.71 and HR at 1.68. The overall recurrence was 5% (95% CI 3-8) at one month, 6% (95% CI 4-9) at 3 months, 8% (95% CI). 6-11) at one year and 13% (95% CI 9-18) at two years. No association was found between age and recurrence sub hazard 0.8 (CI 0.34- 1.86). Bleeding occurred in 9% (39) of the patients. CONCLUSIONS: The overall mortality in patients with confirmed VTE is higher in the elderly population. There were no differences in relation to the recurrence of VTE, or bleeding, and neither with age.INTRODUÇÃO: A doença tromboembólica venosa (TEV) é uma patologia que aumenta com a idade. OBJETIVO: comparar a sobrevida de idosos e jovens com um primeiro episódio de TEV agudo e sintomático. MATERIAIS E MÉTODOS:Coorte prospectiva de casos de TEV incidentes incluídos no Registro Institucional de Doença Tromboembólica Venosa (NCT01372514) do Hospital Italiano de Buenos Aires entre 2012-2014, divididos em grupos jovens (17 a 64 anos) e idosos (65 anos) velho). Todos os pacientes foram acompanhados anualmente para avaliar o tempo de recorrência (progressão ou novo evento sintomático de TEV) como eventos competitivos no contexto de morte e sangramento grave. Os riscos brutos (c) e ajustados (a) foram apresentados. RESULTADOS:446 pacientes foram incluídos, 63% (292) tinham idade superior a 65 anos. A sobrevida foi menor nos idosos em comparação aos jovens (p 0,007), aos 3 meses 87% vs. 95% e aos um ano 73% vs. 87%, respectivamente. Os idosos apresentaram HRc1.71 e FC em 1,68. A recorrência geral foi de 5% (IC95% 3-8) em um mês, 6% (IC95% 4-9) em 3 meses, 8% (IC95%). 6-11) em um ano e 13% (IC95% 9-18) em dois anos. Não foi encontrada associação entre idade e recorrência sub-risco 0,8 (IC 0,34-1,86). Ocorreu sangramento em 9% (39) dos pacientes. CONCLUSÕES: A mortalidade geral em pacientes com TEV confirmado é maior na população idosa. Não houve diferenças em relação à recorrência de TEV ou sangramento e nem com a idade.Fil: Posadas Martinez, Maria Lourdes. Hospital Italiano. Departamento de Medicina. Servicio de Clínica Médica; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Pagotto, Vanina Laura. Hospital Italiano. Departamento de Medicina. Servicio de Clínica Médica; ArgentinaFil: Grande Ratti, Maria Florencvia. Hospital Italiano. Departamento de Medicina. Servicio de Clínica Médica; ArgentinaFil: Alfie, Veronica. Hospital Italiano. Departamento de Medicina. Servicio de Clínica Médica; ArgentinaFil: Andresik, Diego. Hospital Italiano. Departamento de Medicina. Servicio de Clínica Médica; ArgentinaFil: Torres Gomez, Felipe. Hospital Italiano. Departamento de Medicina. Servicio de Clínica Médica; ArgentinaFil: Giunta, Diego Hernan. Hospital Italiano. Departamento de Medicina. Servicio de Clínica Médica; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Luxardo, Rosario. Hospital Italiano. Departamento de Medicina. Servicio de Clínica Médica; ArgentinaFil: Scolnik, Marina. Hospital Italiano. Departamento de Medicina. Servicio de Clínica Médica; ArgentinaFil: Vazquez, Fernando Javier. Hospital Italiano. Departamento de Medicina. Servicio de Clínica Médica; Argentin

Tumor microenvironment gene expression profiles associated to complete pathological response and disease progression in resectable NSCLC patients treated with neoadjuvant chemoimmunotherapy

Background Neoadjuvant chemoimmunotherapy for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) has improved pathological responses and survival rates compared with chemotherapy alone, leading to Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval of nivolumab plus chemotherapy for resectable stage IB-IIIA NSCLC (AJCC 7th edition) without ALK or EGFR alterations. Unfortunately, a considerable percentage of tumors do not completely respond to therapy, which has been associated with early disease progression. So far, it is impossible to predict these events due to lack of knowledge. In this study, we characterized the gene expression profile of tumor samples to identify new biomarkers and mechanisms behind tumor responses to neoadjuvant chemoimmunotherapy and disease recurrence after surgery. Methods Tumor bulk RNA sequencing was performed in 16 pretreatment and 36 post-treatment tissue samples from 41 patients with resectable stage IIIA NSCLC treated with neoadjuvant chemoimmunotherapy from NADIM trial. A panel targeting 395 genes related to immunological processes was used. Tumors were classified as complete pathological response (CPR) and non-CPR, based on the total absence of viable tumor cells in tumor bed and lymph nodes tested at surgery. Differential-expressed genes between groups and pathway enrichment analysis were assessed using DESeq2 and gene set enrichment analysis. CIBERSORTx was used to estimate the proportions of immune cell subtypes. Results CPR tumors had a stronger pre-established immune infiltrate at baseline than non-CPR, characterized by higher levels of IFNG, GZMB, NKG7, and M1 macrophages, all with a significant area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) >0.9 for CPR prediction. A greater effect of neoadjuvant therapy was also seen in CPR tumors with a reduction of tumor markers and IFN gamma signaling after treatment. Additionally, the higher expression of several genes, including AKT1, BST2, OAS3, or CD8B; or higher dendritic cells and neutrophils proportions in post-treatment non-CPR samples, were associated with relapse after surgery. Also, high pretreatment PD-L1 and tumor mutational burden levels influenced the post-treatment immune landscape with the downregulation of proliferation markers and type I interferon signaling molecules in surgery samples. Conclusions Our results reinforce the differences between CPR and non-CPR responses, describing possible response and relapse immune mechanisms, opening the possibility of therapy personalization of immunotherapy-based regimens in the neoadjuvant setting of NSCLC

Creación de Prácticas Virtuales de Protección Radiológica

La situación creada por la pandemia debida a la COVID-19 plantea un modelo de enseñanza distinto al que se ha venido desarrollando hasta ahora, ya que implica una docencia semipresencial o incluso completamente virtual. Esta situación es aún más drástica para aquellas titulaciones que requieren de prácticas clínicas que se realizan en hospitales. En este contexto las tecnologías de la información y la creación de material multimedia juegan un papel cada vez más importante para proveer herramientas de enseñanza virtual que permitan conseguir los objetivos docentes, y que además cuenten con el apoyo del docente. En este ámbito planteamos en este proyecto la creación de un conjunto de prácticas virtuales que permitirán cumplir con las exigencias docentes del módulo de protección radiológica dentro de la asignatura Odontología Legal, Profesión y Ética y que a su vez cumplan con los posibles escenarios de semipresencialidad o virtual. Para ello se crearán un conjunto de videos cortos demostrativos elaborados por el personal docente del grupo en los que se mostrará cómo sería la realización de la práctica. Junto con la visualización de dichos videos se proponen una serie de actividades interactivas que el alumno deberá realizar bajo la supervisión del personal docente. La realización de estas prácticas es también esencial para obtener el título correspondiente al curso de Protección Radiológica para Dirigir Instalaciones de Rayos X con fines de Diagnóstico Médico emitido por Consejo de Seguridad Nuclear, de modo que es necesario proveer de una alternativa a la realización de las prácticas y que por tanto se puede seguir obteniendo el título correspondiente que es tan importante para los alumnos del Grado de Odontología. Así mismo la metodología desarrollada permitirá la creación de material nuevo que podrá ser utilizado en otras asignaturas

Definition of the viral targets of protective HIV-1-specific T cell responses

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The efficacy of the CTL component of a future HIV-1 vaccine will depend on the induction of responses with the most potent antiviral activity and broad HLA class I restriction. However, current HIV vaccine designs are largely based on viral sequence alignments only, not incorporating experimental data on T cell function and specificity.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Here, 950 untreated HIV-1 clade B or -C infected individuals were tested for responses to sets of 410 overlapping peptides (OLP) spanning the entire HIV-1 proteome. For each OLP, a "protective ratio" (PR) was calculated as the ratio of median viral loads (VL) between OLP non-responders and responders.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>For both clades, there was a negative relationship between the PR and the entropy of the OLP sequence. There was also a significant additive effect of multiple responses to beneficial OLP. Responses to beneficial OLP were of significantly higher functional avidity than responses to non-beneficial OLP. They also had superior in-vitro antiviral activities and, importantly, were at least as predictive of individuals' viral loads than their HLA class I genotypes.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>The data thus identify immunogen sequence candidates for HIV and provide an approach for T cell immunogen design applicable to other viral infections.</p