An Alternative Method to Achieve Metrological Confirmation in Measurement Processes

Metrological confirmation process must be designed and implemented to ensure that metrological characteristics of the measurement system meet metrological requirements of the measurement process. The aim of this paper is to present an alternative method to the traditional metrological requirements about the relationship between tolerance and measurement uncertainty, to develop such confirmation processes. The proposed way to metrological confirmation considers a given inspection task of the measurement process into the manufacturing system, and it is based on the Index of Contamination of the Capability, ICC. Metrological confirmation process is then developed taking into account the producer risks and economic considerations on this index. As a consequence, depending on the capability of the manufacturing process, the measurement system will be or will not be in adequate state of metrological confirmation for the measurement process

Necesidades de información en las empresas: estudio de un caso

The study of information needs in companies is a complex and urgent task, undertaken in different ways, in arder to have a good knowledge on this type of information user. In this way, the information needs of the American companies of the Indiana State are studied in this article, from severa) meetings with local librarians and persons in charge of different services which assist development of the local companies. In the study, a survey performed by the Indiana State University, which analyzed the information use and the types of information more frequently required by the companies was also used.El estudio de las necesidades de información en las empresas es una tarea compleja y urgente que se está acometiendo desde distintas vertientes, con el fin de ir completando el conocimiento que se tiene de este tipo de usuario de información. En este sentido, en el trabajo se estudian las necesidades de información de las empresas norteamericanas del estado de Indiana, a partir de una serie de entrevistas con responsables de centros de información y servicios de desarrollo, que atendían las distintas demandas de las empresas. Asimismo, en el trabajo se ha utilizado una encuesta realizada por la Universidad del Estado de Indiana sobre el uso y los tipos de información más demandados por las empresas

Extracellular vesicles from airway secretions: New insights in lung diseases

Lung diseases (LD) are one of the most common causes of death worldwide. Although it is known that chronic airway inflammation and excessive tissue repair are processes associated with LD such as asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) or idiopathic pulmonary fibro-sis (IPF), their specific pathways remain unclear. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are heterogeneous na-noscale membrane vesicles with an important role in cell-to-cell communication. EVs are present in general biofluids as plasma or urine but also in secretions of the airway as bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF), induced sputum (IS), nasal lavage (NL) or pharyngeal lavage. Alterations of airway EV cargo could be crucial for understanding LD. Airway EVs have shown a role in the pathogenesis of some LD such as eosinophil increase in asthma, the promotion of lung cancer in vitro models in COPD and as biomarkers to distinguishing IPF in patients with diffuse lung diseases. In addition, they also have a promising future as therapeutics for LD. In this review, we focus on the importance of airway secretions in LD, the pivotal role of EVs from those secretions on their pathophysiology and their potential for biomarker discovery

Calidad de visión y satisfacción del paciente usuario de pantallas de visualización de datos tras cirugía

Función visual[ES] dad de vida y satisfacción de los trabajadores usuarios de pantallas de visualización de datos (PVD) que se asocia a la mejora de la función visual tras queratomileusis in situ con láser excimer (LASIK). MÉTODOS: Estudio observacional y longitudinal en una población de 96 pacientes intervenidos de cirugía refractiva con láser excimer según técnica LASIK mediante aplicación de un cuestionario construído al efecto aplicado antes y después de cirugía por un observador independiente. RESULTADOS: Agudeza visual y refracción ocular han mejorado tras LASIK, siendo el índice de eficacia de 1.1. La sensibilidad al contraste tras cirugía mejora en todas las frecuencias (6 c/g, 3 c/g y 1 c/g) en el ojo derecho. Mientras que en el ojo izquierdo no hay diferencias significativas. La calidad de visión con y sin corrección es mejor tras LASIK (significativa p < 0.05). Volverían a intervenirse y recomendarían este procedimiento quirúrgico a otros pacientes el 84.38 % de pacientes. CONCLUSIONES: Los resultados muestran que el LASIK mejora la a función visual y la calidadde vida de estos pacientes.[EN] PURPOSE: To evaluate the influence in quality of vision and satisfaction of video display terminal (VDT) users related to improvement of visual functions following excimer laser in situ keratomileusis (LASIK). METHODS: Longitudinal and observational study in a population of 96 patients that underwent LASIK using a questionnaire made for that, applied before and after surgery by an independent observer. RESULTS: Visual acuity and ocular refraction have improved after LASIK, being the efficiency index 1.1. Contrast sensitivity postoperative improved at all spatial frequencies in the right eye (6 c/g, 3 c/g and 1 c/). While in the left eye there were no significant differences. Quality of vision with and without correction is also better after LASIK (p < 0.05). And 84.38 % of patients would repeat themselves and recommend this surgery to other patients. CONCLUSIONS: The results show that LASIK improves visual function and quality of life of patients.N

4,5-Dibromo-2,7-di-tert-butyl-9,9-dimethyl-9H-thioxanthene

In the title compound, C23H28Br2S, the thioxanthene unit is twisted, showing a dihedral angle of 29.3 (5)° between the benzene rings. When projected along [001], the packing shows two types of channels. The crystal studied was a racemic twin

Alignment of Palladium Complexes into Columnar Liquid Crystals Driven by Peripheral Triphenylene Substituents

Producción CientíficaMono- and dinuclear ortho-palladated complexes based on a triphenylene-imine ligand that display columnar mesophases (Col) at temperatures close to ambient have been isolated. The mesophase stability is large, and their structures consist of Pd-containing columnar zones supported by fully organic columns formed by the triphenylene moieties.Ministerio de Economía, Industria y Competitividad (CTQ2011-25137)Ministerio de Economía, Industria y Competitividad (MAT2012-38538-C03-02)Junta de Castilla y León (programa de apoyo a proyectos de investigación – Ref. VA302U13

Functional and expression analysis of the metal-inducible dmeRF system from Rhizobium legumionosarum bv. viciae

A gene encoding a homolog to the cation diffusion facilitator protein DmeF from Cupriavidus metallidurans has been identified in the genome of Rhizobium leguminosarum UPM791. The R. leguminosarum dmeF gene is located downstream of an open reading frame (designated dmeR) encoding a protein homologous to the nickel- and cobalt-responsive transcriptional regulator RcnR from Escherichia coli. Analysis of gene expression showed that the R. leguminosarum dmeRF genes are organized as a transcriptional unit whose expression is strongly induced by nickel and cobalt ions, likely by alleviating the repressor activity of DmeR on dmeRF transcription. An R. leguminosarum dmeRF mutant strain displayed increased sensitivity to Co(II) and Ni(II), whereas no alterations of its resistance to Cd(II), Cu(II), or Zn(II) were observed. A decrease of symbiotic performance was observed when pea plants inoculated with an R. leguminosarum dmeRF deletion mutant strain were grown in the presence of high concentrations of nickel and cobalt. The same mutant induced significantly lower activity levels of NiFe hydrogenase in microaerobic cultures. These results indicate that the R. leguminosarum DmeRF system is a metal-responsive efflux mechanism acting as a key element for metal homeostasis in R. leguminosarum under free-living and symbiotic conditions. The presence of similar dmeRF gene clusters in other Rhizobiaceae suggests that the dmeRF system is a conserved mechanism for metal tolerance in legume endosymbiotic bacteria

Varespladib and cardiovascular events in patients with an acute coronary syndrome: the VISTA-16 randomized clinical trial

IMPORTANCE: Secretory phospholipase A2(sPLA2) generates bioactive phospholipid products implicated in atherosclerosis. The sPLA2inhibitor varespladib has favorable effects on lipid and inflammatory markers; however, its effect on cardiovascular outcomes is unknown. OBJECTIVE: To determine the effects of sPLA2inhibition with varespladib on cardiovascular outcomes. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: A double-blind, randomized, multicenter trial at 362 academic and community hospitals in Europe, Australia, New Zealand, India, and North America of 5145 patients randomized within 96 hours of presentation of an acute coronary syndrome (ACS) to either varespladib (n = 2572) or placebo (n = 2573) with enrollment between June 1, 2010, and March 7, 2012 (study termination on March 9, 2012). INTERVENTIONS: Participants were randomized to receive varespladib (500 mg) or placebo daily for 16 weeks, in addition to atorvastatin and other established therapies. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: The primary efficacy measurewas a composite of cardiovascular mortality, nonfatal myocardial infarction (MI), nonfatal stroke, or unstable angina with evidence of ischemia requiring hospitalization at 16 weeks. Six-month survival status was also evaluated. RESULTS: At a prespecified interim analysis, including 212 primary end point events, the independent data and safety monitoring board recommended termination of the trial for futility and possible harm. The primary end point occurred in 136 patients (6.1%) treated with varespladib compared with 109 patients (5.1%) treated with placebo (hazard ratio [HR], 1.25; 95%CI, 0.97-1.61; log-rank P = .08). Varespladib was associated with a greater risk of MI (78 [3.4%] vs 47 [2.2%]; HR, 1.66; 95%CI, 1.16-2.39; log-rank P = .005). The composite secondary end point of cardiovascular mortality, MI, and stroke was observed in 107 patients (4.6%) in the varespladib group and 79 patients (3.8%) in the placebo group (HR, 1.36; 95% CI, 1.02-1.82; P = .04). CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: In patients with recent ACS, varespladib did not reduce the risk of recurrent cardiovascular events and significantly increased the risk of MI. The sPLA2inhibition with varespladib may be harmful and is not a useful strategy to reduce adverse cardiovascular outcomes after ACS. TRIAL REGISTRATION: clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT01130246. Copyright 2014 American Medical Association. All rights reserved

Increased cortical surface area and gyrification following long-term survival from early monocular enucleation

AbstractPurposeRetinoblastoma is typically diagnosed before 5 years of age and is often treated by enucleation (surgical removal) of the cancerous eye. Here, we sought to characterize morphological changes of the cortex following long-term survival from early monocular enucleation.MethodsNine adults with early right-eye enucleation (≤48 months of age) due to retinoblastoma were compared to 18 binocularly intact controls. Surface area, cortical thickness, and gyrification estimates were obtained from T1 weighted images and group differences were examined.ResultsEarly monocular enucleation was associated with increased surface area and/or gyrification in visual (i.e., V1, inferior temporal), auditory (i.e., supramarginal), and multisensory (i.e., superior temporal, inferior parietal, superior parietal) cortices compared with controls. Visual cortex increases were restricted to the right hemisphere contralateral to the remaining eye, consistent with previous subcortical data showing asymmetrical lateral geniculate nucleus volume following early monocular enucleation.ConclusionsAltered morphological development of visual, auditory, and multisensory regions occurs subsequent to long-time survival from early eye loss