Ampliación de la capacidad de almacenamiento de hidrocarburos en la planta San Fernando

El proyecto de ampliación de la capacidad de almacenamiento de hidrocarburos en planta San Fernando se encuentra ubicado en el departamento del Meta, es la primera estación del segmento de transporte, lo cual la convierte en una planta estratégica para toda la cadena de valor de la organización, está ubicada en un corredor estratégico, sobre el oleoducto San Fernando Monterrey por donde se evacua el 30% de la producción nacional de hidrocarburos. Dentro de su desarrollo industrial la planta tiene como proyecto a corto plazo la entrada en servicio del recibo de crudo de la estación Castilla3, la última con una capacidad de despacho de 152 KBDO. La planta San Fernando aparte de sus procesos normales de recibo, almacenamiento y despacho de crudos, realiza otros procesos como, dilución, blending entre otros, para cumplir con las necesidades de los clientes, teniendo en cuenta el incremento de producción y la entrada de nuevos sistemas de recibo, se crea la oportunidad de incorporar la construcción de un tanque de 200Kbls que soporte los volúmenes incrementales asociados a los campos de producción y los nuevos sistemas como lo es la dilución y la entrada en funcionamiento de la estación Castilla3. El tanque se sumará como un eslabón dentro de la cadena de generación de valor para el Grupo Empresarial GEE, brindando flexibilidad a la operación para manejar los volúmenes incrementales de producción, mayor tiempo de residencia para el manejo y tratamiento de crudos fuera de especificaciones y medición volumétrica, además, aumentará la autonomía de almacenamiento para no afectar los recibos de los clientes cuando se realicen mantenimientos de línea (programados o por contingencia) o hayan fallas en el sistema de despacho que no permita la evacuación del producto.The project to expand the hydrocarbon storage capacity at the San Fernando plant is located in the department of Meta, the San Fernando plant receives crude oil from the Castilla and Chichimene fields, it is the first station in the department's transportation segment, which makes it a strategic plant for the entire value chain of the organization, it is located in a strategic corridor, on the San Fernando Monterrey oil pipeline where 30% of the national hydrocarbon production is evacuated. Within the new investment plan of the GE Business Group 2020-2022, it is estimated that between USD 9,000 and USD 10,000 million will be allocated, in the exploration and production area of Colombia, taking into account that part of this investment is destined to the Chichimene fields and Castilla, an increase in the production of heavy crude oil is expected in the area, in addition to this, within its industrial development the plant has as a short-term project the entry into service of the receipt of crude from the Castilla3 station, the latter with a 152 KBDO dispatch capacity. The San Fernando plant, apart from its normal crude receipt, storage and dispatch processes, carries out other processes such as dilution, blending and receipt of non-conforming or out-of-specification products (high BSW), to meet customer needs ( VRO), taking into account the increase in production and the entry of new receipt systems, the construction of a 200Kbls tank should be incorporated to support the incremental volumes associated with the production fields and new systems such as dilution and the entry into operation of Castilla3 station. The tank will be added as a link within the value generation chain for the Business Group, providing flexibility to the operation to handle the incremental production volumes, longer residence time for the handling and treatment of crude oils outside of specifications and measurement. In addition, it will increase storage autonomy so as not to affect customer receipts when line maintenance is carried out (scheduled or by contingency) or there are failures in the dispatch system that does not allow the evacuation of the product

Clonal chromosomal mosaicism and loss of chromosome Y in elderly men increase vulnerability for SARS-CoV-2

The pandemic caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2, COVID-19) had an estimated overall case fatality ratio of 1.38% (pre-vaccination), being 53% higher in males and increasing exponentially with age. Among 9578 individuals diagnosed with COVID-19 in the SCOURGE study, we found 133 cases (1.42%) with detectable clonal mosaicism for chromosome alterations (mCA) and 226 males (5.08%) with acquired loss of chromosome Y (LOY). Individuals with clonal mosaic events (mCA and/or LOY) showed a 54% increase in the risk of COVID-19 lethality. LOY is associated with transcriptomic biomarkers of immune dysfunction, pro-coagulation activity and cardiovascular risk. Interferon-induced genes involved in the initial immune response to SARS-CoV-2 are also down-regulated in LOY. Thus, mCA and LOY underlie at least part of the sex-biased severity and mortality of COVID-19 in aging patients. Given its potential therapeutic and prognostic relevance, evaluation of clonal mosaicism should be implemented as biomarker of COVID-19 severity in elderly people. Among 9578 individuals diagnosed with COVID-19 in the SCOURGE study, individuals with clonal mosaic events (clonal mosaicism for chromosome alterations and/or loss of chromosome Y) showed an increased risk of COVID-19 lethality

Evolution over Time of Ventilatory Management and Outcome of Patients with Neurologic Disease∗

OBJECTIVES: To describe the changes in ventilator management over time in patients with neurologic disease at ICU admission and to estimate factors associated with 28-day hospital mortality. DESIGN: Secondary analysis of three prospective, observational, multicenter studies. SETTING: Cohort studies conducted in 2004, 2010, and 2016. PATIENTS: Adult patients who received mechanical ventilation for more than 12 hours. INTERVENTIONS: None. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Among the 20,929 patients enrolled, we included 4,152 (20%) mechanically ventilated patients due to different neurologic diseases. Hemorrhagic stroke and brain trauma were the most common pathologies associated with the need for mechanical ventilation. Although volume-cycled ventilation remained the preferred ventilation mode, there was a significant (p < 0.001) increment in the use of pressure support ventilation. The proportion of patients receiving a protective lung ventilation strategy was increased over time: 47% in 2004, 63% in 2010, and 65% in 2016 (p < 0.001), as well as the duration of protective ventilation strategies: 406 days per 1,000 mechanical ventilation days in 2004, 523 days per 1,000 mechanical ventilation days in 2010, and 585 days per 1,000 mechanical ventilation days in 2016 (p < 0.001). There were no differences in the length of stay in the ICU, mortality in the ICU, and mortality in hospital from 2004 to 2016. Independent risk factors for 28-day mortality were age greater than 75 years, Simplified Acute Physiology Score II greater than 50, the occurrence of organ dysfunction within first 48 hours after brain injury, and specific neurologic diseases such as hemorrhagic stroke, ischemic stroke, and brain trauma. CONCLUSIONS: More lung-protective ventilatory strategies have been implemented over years in neurologic patients with no effect on pulmonary complications or on survival. We found several prognostic factors on mortality such as advanced age, the severity of the disease, organ dysfunctions, and the etiology of neurologic disease