Spaceship Earth. Space-driven technologies and systems for sustainability on ground

As awareness towards the problem is growing, eco-friendliness is today a paramount requirement for all space activities and in particular for the ground segment, fully comparable to other industrial sectors. The present work focuses on the assessment and the sustainable development enhancement of a ground-based space facility, the European Astronaut Centre (EAC), located in Germany. The project is framed within the European Space Agency development of an environmental outlook, which aims not only at the full compliance with the legislation and at assessing the impact of its activities, but also at laying the foundation for future evolution through innovation. Indeed, ESA promotes the sustainable use of space as a necessity and duty for Europe. As history teaches us, technical knowledge emerged within the space sector serves as innovation driver in other industrial branches: the goal of the project is to transform the EAC building into a spaceship integrated with the territory through the conscious management of this spontaneous process, fostering the combination between the space sector and the architecture and civil engineering fields. The work explores the potential of space technologies, processes and systems applied on ground and presents a range of space-driven innovative concepts which may improve the sustainability of the EAC building, focusing on different aspects of its resource demand – energy, water and waste management – and defining the integration with the pre-existing compound, the limitation of the impact on the surrounding landscape and the participation of the local community as additional fundamental requirements. Indeed, the project embraces the full concept of sustainability, which considers not only eco-friendliness but also its balance with economic and social aspects. Two factors – a certain urgency for action, which leaves little space for research and experimentation, and a call for ground-breaking solutions – guided the design activity: taking advantage of these conflicting requirements, a comparison between standard technologies and innovative space-related concepts was performed. When dealing with complex and uncertain scenarios, decision among the possible solutions is not straightforward and needs to be supported by appropriate methodologies: a multi-criteria and quantitative decision-making tool, able to concentrate on the main goal while considering all other relevant aspects – environmental, economic, social sustainability – was therefore developed. Furthermore, the project promotes local community participation in the decisional process, as a way to enhance knowledge, generate understanding and promote towards the EAC redesign, space activities and their potential innovative impact on sustainability

Adaptive control with neural networks-based disturbance observer for a spherical UAV

This paper develops a control scheme for a Spherical Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) which can be used in complex scenarios where traditional navigation and communications systems would not succeed. The proposed scheme is based on the nonlinear control theory combined with Adaptive Neural-Networks Disturbance Observer (NN-DOB) and controls the attitude and altitude of the UAV in presence of model uncertainties and external disturbances. The NN-DOB can effectively estimate the uncertainties without the knowledge of their bounds and the control system stability is proven using Lyapunov’s stability theorems. Numerical simulation results demonstrate the validity of the proposed method on the UAV under model uncertainties and external disturbances

Difusión de mensajes para favorecer la adherencia a la vacunación contra la COVID 19: Un estudio cualitativo en el seguro social de salud del Perú

Letter to the Editor (without abstract)Carta al Editor (sin resumen

Navegación de pacientes con sospecha de cáncer de mama: Un estudio cualitativo en Lima, Perú

Objetives: To identify and to describe the main benefits of the navigation system from the perspective of patients with suspected breast cancer. Identify and describe the barriers at the personal level of the users and those that they face institutionally until the definitive diagnosis is obtained. Material and Methods: A qualitative study was carried out between January and March 2020. Observation and in-depth interviews were the information gathering tools used. The experiences of five patients and three members of the health personnel were collected in one hospital of Lima. Results: The patients who were accompanied by the navigators state that their support allowed them to go through their stage of illness with greater ease, both emotionally and bureaucratically. The main perceived institutional barriers are i) infrastructure and hospital processes ii) inefficient follow-up and monitoring of patients. From the user side i) family and domestic obligations ii) fears and ignorance of the disease iii) previous experiences in the health system. Conclusions: Patient navigation allows logistical and emotional support that favours the experience of the patient. The difficulties encountered at the hospital level, far from disappearing, manage to be reduced, thus lightening the bureaucratic burden that patients must carry. There is an emotional bond between the patients and the navigators. The level of these affective relationships is mainly related to the reality of the patient, specifically to her social support network.Introducción: Identificar y describir los beneficios del sistema de navegación de las pacientes con sospecha de cáncer de mama. Identificar y describir las barreras a nivel personal de las usuarias y a las que se enfrentan institucionalmente hasta la obtención del diagnóstico definitivo. Material y Métodos: Estudio cualitativo fenomenológico. Se emplearon guías de observación y se realizaron entrevistas a profundidad para el recojo de información. Se recopilaron las experiencias de ocho personas, tres fueron personal de salud, y cinco pacientes. El personal de salud incluyo dos médicos varones y una ex ­navegadora en un hospital de la seguridad social de Lima. Resultados: Las pacientes que fueron acompañadas por la navegadora manifiestan que su apoyo les permitió transitar su etapa de enfermedad con mayor facilidad, tanto a nivel emocional como en lo relacionado a procesos institucionales. Las principales barreras percibidas institucionales son i) infraestructura y procesos hospitalarios ii) ineficiente seguimiento y monitoreo de pacientes. Desde el lado de la usuaria i) obligaciones familiares y domésticas ii) miedos y desconocimiento de la enfermedad iii) experiencias previas en el sistema de salud. Conclusiones: La navegación de pacientes permite un acompañamiento logístico y emocional que favorece la experiencia de la paciente. Las dificultades halladas a nivel hospitalario, lejos de desaparecer, logran ser reducidas, aligerando así el peso de algunos procesos institucionales que deben cargar las pacientes

Piperidine Azasugars Bearing Lipophilic Chains: Stereoselective Synthesis and Biological Activity as Inhibitors of Glucocerebrosidase (GCase)

We report a straightforward synthetic strategy for the preparation of trihydroxypiperidine azasugars decorated with lipophilic chains at both the nitrogen and the adjacent carbon as potential inhibitors of the lysosomal enzyme glucocerebrosidase (GCase), which is involved in Gaucher disease. The procedure relies on the preparation of C-erythrosyl N-alkylated nitrones 10 through reaction of aldehyde 8 and primary amines 13 followed by oxidation of the imines formed in situ with the methyltrioxorhenium catalyst and urea hydrogen peroxide. The addition of octylMgBr to nitrone 10e provided access to both epimeric hydroxylamines 21 and 22 with opposite configuration at the newly created stereocenter in a stereodivergent and completely stereoselective way, depending on the absence or presence of BF3·Et2O. Final reductive amination and acetonide deprotection provided compounds 14 and 15 from low-cost d-mannose in remarkable 43 and 32% overall yields, respectively, over eight steps. The C-2 R-configured bis-alkylated trihydroxypiperidine 15 was the best ligand for GCase (IC50 = 15 µM), in agreement with MD simulations that allowed us to identify the chair conformation corresponding to the best binding affinity

Barreras para la implementación del Método Mamá Canguro

Objetives: Analyse and discuss the barriers to the implementation of the Kangaroo Mother Method (KMC) in a social security hospital in Lima, Peru. Material and Methods: Qualitative study with ethnographic design carried out between October 2019 and January 2020. Observation and in-depth interviews were the information collection tools used, conducted with mothers, family members, and health personnel (HCP). Results: The most outstanding barriers to the application of the KMC were those related to the humane treatment and knowledge about the KMC by health personnel. On the part of kangaroo mothers, it is the economic and family aspects that negatively influence their involvement in the MMC. Conclusions: Despite the limitation of hospital resources, the mothers stated that carrying out the KMC is challenging mainly due to the weak relationship with some members of the health personnel. It is important to invest, as a priority, in the human capital involved to contribute to the sustainable transfer and effective care of the premature baby at a household level.Objetivo: Analizar y discutir las barreras de implementación del Método Mamá Canguro en un hospital del seguro social de Lima, Perú. Material y Métodos. Estudio cualitativo con diseño etnográfico realizado entre los meses de octubre 2019 y enero 2020. Observación y entrevistas a profundidad fueron las herramientas de recojo de información empleadas con madres, familiares y personal de salud (PS). Se entrevistaron a diez madres y ocho miembros del personal de salud de un hospital de la seguridad social en Lima, Perú. Resultados: Las barreras para la aplicación del método mamá canguro más resaltantes fueron las vinculadas al trato humano y al conocimiento del método por parte del personal de salud. De parte de las madres canguro son los aspectos económicos y familiares los que influyen negativamente en el involucramiento del método mamá canguro. Conclusiones: A pesar de la limitación de recursos hospitalarios, las madres manifestaron que llevar a cabo el método mamá canguro se dificulta principalmente por la débil relación con algunos miembros del personal de salud. Es importante invertir, como prioridad, en el capital humano involucrado para contribuir al traslado sostenible y efectivo del cuidado del bebé prematuro a un nivel domiciliario

Clinical outcomes and predictors of success with Impella weaning in cardiogenic shock: a single-center experience

Introduction: Cardiogenic shock (CS) is a severe syndrome with poor prognosis. Short-term mechanical circulatory support with Impella devices has emerged as an increasingly therapeutic option, unloading the failing left ventricle (LV) and improving hemodynamic status of affected patients. Impella devices should be used for the shortest time necessary to allow LV recovery because of time-dependent device-related adverse events. The weaning from Impella, however, is mostly performed in the absence of established guidelines, mainly based on the experience of the individual centres. Methods: The aim of this single center study was to retrospectively evaluate whether a multiparametrical assessment before and during Impella weaning could predict successful weaning. The primary study outcome was death occurring during Impella weaning and secondary endpoints included assessment of in-hospital outcomes. ResultsOf a total of 45 patients (median age, 60 [51-66] years, 73% male) treated with an Impella device, 37 patients underwent impella weaning/removal and 9 patients (20%) died after the weaning. Non-survivors patients after impella weaning more commonly had a previous history of known heart failure (p = 0.054) and an implanted ICD-CRT (p = 0.01), and were more frequently treated with continuous renal replacement therapy (p = 0.02). In univariable logistic regression analysis, lactates variation (%) during the first 12-24 h of weaning, lactate value after 24 h of weaning, left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) at the beginning of weaning, and inotropic score after 24 h from weaning beginning were associated with death. Stepwise multivariable logistic regression identified LVEF at the beginning of weaning and lactates variation (%) in the first 12-24 h from weaning beginning as the most accurate predictors of death after weaning. The ROC analysis indicated 80% accuracy (95% confidence interval = 64%-96%) using the two variables in combination to predict death after weaning from Impella. Conclusions: This single-center experience on Impella weaning in CS showed that two easily accessible parameters as LVEF at the beginning of weaning and lactates variation (%) in the first 12-24 h from weaning begin were the most accurate predictors of death after weaning

A matter of sex—persistent predictive value of MECKI score prognostic power in men and women with heart failure and reduced ejection fraction: a multicenter study

Background: A sex-based evaluation of prognosis in heart failure (HF) is lacking. Methods and results: We analyzed the Metabolic Exercise test data combined with Cardiac and Kidney Indexes (MECKI) score registry, which includes HF with reduced ejection fraction (HFrEF) patients. A cross-validation procedure was performed to estimate weights separately for men and women of all MECKI score parameters: left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), hemoglobin, kidney function assessed by Modification of Diet in Renal Disease, blood sodium level, ventilation vs. carbon dioxide production slope, and peak oxygen consumption (peakVO2). The primary outcomes were the composite of all-cause mortality, urgent heart transplant, and implant of a left ventricle assist device. The difference in predictive ability between the native and sex recalibrated MECKI (S-MECKI) was calculated using a receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve at 2 years and a calibration plot. We retrospectively analyzed 7,900 HFrEF patients included in the MECKI score registry (mean age 61 ± 13 years, 6,456 men/1,444 women, mean LVEF 33% ± 10%, mean peakVO2 56.2% ± 17.6% of predicted) with a median follow-up of 4.05 years (range 1.72–7.47). Our results revealed an unadjusted risk of events that was doubled in men compared to women (9.7 vs. 4.1) and a significant difference in weight between the sexes of most of the parameters included in the MECKI score. S-MECKI showed improved risk classification and accuracy (area under the ROC curve: 0.7893 vs. 0.7799, p = 0.02) due to prognostication improvement in the high-risk settings in both sexes (MECKI score >10 in men and >5 in women). Conclusions: S-MECKI, i.e., the recalibrated MECKI according to sex-specific differences, constitutes a further step in the prognostic assessment of patients with severe HFrEF

Barreras y facilitadores en la implementación de un sistema de tele-triaje para la identificación remota de casos sospechosos de COVID-19 por estudiantes voluntarios

Introduction. In Peru, the tele-triage system (TTS) led by volunteer students allowed for the remote identification of suspected COVID-19 cases. However, the barriers and facilitators of its implementation are still unknown. Objectives. To describe the barriers and facilitators regarding the implementation of a tele-triage system for the identification of suspected COVID-19 cases in Peru. Methods. A mixed-methods study was developed that described the characteristics of the users who participated in the TTS (quantitative). It also explored the perceptions of users and volunteers regarding the barriers and facilitators of implementing this service (qualitative). Results. Among the 4,317 users evaluated by the TTS, the average age was 36.2 years (standard deviation: 13.2), 58.6% were women, and only 41.4% were classified as suspected cases of COVID-19. Volunteers highlighted that their participation was facilitated by their availability of time and desire to help, although they noted problems with organization and a lack of equipment available for calls. Users valued the emotional support and clarity of the information provided but expressed mistrust about the remote COVID-19 assessment, and a limited understanding of the volunteers’ role. Conclusions. The TTS led by volunteer students allowed for the identification of suspected COVID-19 cases in Peru, and also served as a means to share information. However, aspects of disorganization and a lack of knowledge on the part of users were perceived as barriers to its implementation.Introducción. En el Perú el sistema de tele-triaje (STT) conducido por estudiantes voluntarios permitió la identificación remota de casos sospechosos de COVID-19. Sin embargo, aun no se conocen las barreras y facilitadores de su implementación. Objetivos. Describir las barreras y facilitadores sobre la implementación de un sistema de tele-triaje para la identificación de casos sospechosos de COVID-19 en el Perú. Métodos. Se desarrolló un estudio de métodos mixtos que describió las características de los usuarios que participaron en el STT (cuantitativo). También se exploró las percepciones de usuarios y voluntarios respecto a las barreras y facilitadores sobre la implementación de este servicio (cualitativo). Resultados. Entre los 4317 usuarios evaluados por el STT, la edad media fue 36,2 años (desviación estándar: 13,2), 58,6% fueron mujeres y solo el 41,4% fueron clasificados como casos sospechosos de COVID-19. Los voluntarios destacaron que su participación fue facilitada por su disponibilidad de tiempo y deseos de ayudar, aunque señalaron problemas de organización y falta de equipos disponibles para las llamadas. Los usuarios valoraron el apoyo emocional y la claridad de la información brindada, pero expresaron desconfianza sobre la evaluación de COVID-19 de forma remota, y un conocimiento limitado sobre el rol de los voluntarios. Conclusiones. El STT conducido por estudiantes voluntarios pemitió la identificación de casos sospechosos de COVID-19 en el Perú, además sirvió como medio para compartir información. Sin embargo, aspectos de desorganización y desconocimiento por parte de los usuarios fueron percibidos como barreras para su implementación