Treatment with tocilizumab or corticosteroids for COVID-19 patients with hyperinflammatory state: a multicentre cohort study (SAM-COVID-19)

Objectives: The objective of this study was to estimate the association between tocilizumab or corticosteroids and the risk of intubation or death in patients with coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19) with a hyperinflammatory state according to clinical and laboratory parameters. Methods: A cohort study was performed in 60 Spanish hospitals including 778 patients with COVID-19 and clinical and laboratory data indicative of a hyperinflammatory state. Treatment was mainly with tocilizumab, an intermediate-high dose of corticosteroids (IHDC), a pulse dose of corticosteroids (PDC), combination therapy, or no treatment. Primary outcome was intubation or death; follow-up was 21 days. Propensity score-adjusted estimations using Cox regression (logistic regression if needed) were calculated. Propensity scores were used as confounders, matching variables and for the inverse probability of treatment weights (IPTWs). Results: In all, 88, 117, 78 and 151 patients treated with tocilizumab, IHDC, PDC, and combination therapy, respectively, were compared with 344 untreated patients. The primary endpoint occurred in 10 (11.4%), 27 (23.1%), 12 (15.4%), 40 (25.6%) and 69 (21.1%), respectively. The IPTW-based hazard ratios (odds ratio for combination therapy) for the primary endpoint were 0.32 (95%CI 0.22-0.47; p < 0.001) for tocilizumab, 0.82 (0.71-1.30; p 0.82) for IHDC, 0.61 (0.43-0.86; p 0.006) for PDC, and 1.17 (0.86-1.58; p 0.30) for combination therapy. Other applications of the propensity score provided similar results, but were not significant for PDC. Tocilizumab was also associated with lower hazard of death alone in IPTW analysis (0.07; 0.02-0.17; p < 0.001). Conclusions: Tocilizumab might be useful in COVID-19 patients with a hyperinflammatory state and should be prioritized for randomized trials in this situatio

El Derecho del Trabajo y de la Seguridad Social en España en 2016. Sección Juvenil de la Asociación Española de Derecho del Trabajo y de la Seguridad Social

En su quinta edición, el Informe “El Derecho del Trabajo y de la Seguridad Social en España 2018” le ofrece una síntesis, que por concreta no es menos rigurosa, de los principales hitos por los que ha transitado el iuslaboralismo a lo largo del último año. En concreto, en las páginas que siguen, los expertos integrantes de la Sección Juvenil de la Asociación Española de Derecho del Trabajo y de la Seguridad Social (AEDTSS) analizan para usted, en primer lugar, las principales resoluciones europeas y nacionales en materia de igualad y no discriminación, acoso en sus más diversas manifestaciones, liberad religiosa y libertad de expresión. Asimismo, se abordan también las cuestiones relativas al empleo y la contratación, casi monopolizadas por el impacto de las plataformas y las consecuencias del caso de Diego. En materia de vicisitudes, sin perder importancia el despido colectivo, observará un cierto auge de los casos relativos a sucesión empresarial, movilidad funcional y empleo público. En el ámbito del derecho colectivo, además de analizarse el IV AENC, encontrará un estudio pormenorizado de las principales resoluciones en materia de libertad sindical, representación unitaria y ultraactividad. La sección relativa a conciliación y corresponsabilidad incluye este año como novedad un apartado relativo a violencia de género, al hilo de los avances normativos derivados del Real Decreto-ley 9/2018. Los epígrafes concernientes a la protección social y la prevención de riesgos laborales crecen de forma significativa en esta edición, lo que ha permitido abordar la evolución jurisprudencial para buena parte de las prestaciones y riesgos previstos en la Ley. Por último, las expertas del apartado de derecho procesal se han encargado de revisar a fondo los casos más significativos en el marco de las modalidades procesales especiales, con especial hincapié en el ámbito concursal. También han abordado la jurisprudencia constitucional más reciente sobre el de recurso de reposición. En suma, tienen ante usted un trabajo científico consolidado en el tiempo y sólido en cuanto al contenido, fiel reflejo de, a pesar del difícil contexto, el buen hacer de la joven doctrina iuslaboralista española. The fifth edition of the report, "Labour and Social Security Law in Spain in 2018" analyses the key issues in the changing scenario of Labour Law and Social Security during last year. Elaborated by the Young Scholars’ Section of the Spanish Association of Labour and Social Security Law focuses on the following thematic blocks: non-specific fundamental rights; employment contracts and employment; issues related to employment relationship; collective rights; equality and co-responsibility; occupational risks prevention; and procedural law. In conclusion, you may find here a concrete but detailed analysis of the the main legal and case law novelties of Spanish Social Law

El derecho del trabajo y de la seguridad social en españa en 2018

En su quinta edición, el Informe “El Derecho del Trabajo y de la Seguridad Social en España 2018” le ofrece una síntesis, que por concreta no es menos rigurosa, de los principales hitos por los que ha transitado el iuslaboralismo a lo largo del último año. En concreto, en las páginas que siguen, los expertos integrantes de la Sección Juvenil de la Asociación Española de Derecho del Trabajo y de la Seguridad Social (AEDTSS) analizan para usted, en primer lugar, las principales resoluciones europeas y nacionales en materia de igualad y no discriminación, acoso en sus más diversas manifestaciones, liberad religiosa y libertad de expresión. Asimismo, se abordan también las cuestiones relativas al empleo y la contratación, casi monopolizadas por el impacto de las plataformas y las consecuencias del caso de Diego. En materia de vicisitudes, sin perder importancia el despido colectivo, observará un cierto auge de los casos relativos a sucesión empresarial, movilidad funcional y empleo público. En el ámbito del derecho colectivo, además de analizarse el IV AENC, encontrará un estudio pormenorizado de las principales resoluciones en materia de libertad sindical, representación unitaria y ultraactividad. La sección relativa a conciliación y corresponsabilidad incluye este año como novedad un apartado relativo a violencia de género, al hilo de los avances normativos derivados del Real Decreto-ley 9/2018. Los epígrafes concernientes a la protección social y la prevención de riesgos laborales crecen de forma significativa en esta edición, lo que ha permitido abordar la evolución jurisprudencial para buena parte de las prestaciones y riesgos previstos en la Ley. Por último, las expertas del apartado de derecho procesal se han encargado de revisar a fondo los casos más significativos en el marco de las modalidades procesales especiales, con especial hincapié en el ámbito concursal. También han abordado la jurisprudencia constitucional más reciente sobre el de recurso de reposición. En suma, tienen ante usted un trabajo científico consolidado en el tiempo y sólido en cuanto al contenido, fiel reflejo de, a pesar del difícil contexto, el buen hacer de la joven doctrina iuslaboralista española

New Sizing Methodology and Efficiency Analysis of Satellite’s Electrical Power Subsystem

This paper describes a novel methodology to improve the preliminary design and efficiency analysis of the satellite’s electrical power subsystem. Several studies have addressed this issue by proposing a solar array sizing method based on the use of fixed efficiency paths during sunlight and eclipse periods. Indeed, these studies restrict the use of the battery for eclipse periods, and thus the solar array is sized to support the peak power loads on its own. To the authors’ knowledge, no one has so far deeply and jointly analyzed the influence of the power profile demand, the use of the battery during sunlight periods, and the architecture on the efficiency paths to size the electrical power subsystem. This work offers a methodology that takes into account these variables to better estimate the global efficiency of the electrical power subsystem and, consequently, to refine the first design iterations of a satellite. This methodology is particularized for the most common architectures based on power and voltage bus regulation, although it can be implemented in more complex architectures. A case study involving a real space mission, the UPMSat-2 (a 50 kg satellite launched in September 2020), is conducted to test this methodology

Coverage analysis of remote sensing satellites in concurrent design facility

This paper presents a new, accurate, and fast methodology, remote sensing satellites coverage analysis (RSS-CA) for determining the coverage area of Earth observation satellites in concurrent design facilities (CDFs) devoted to space mission analysis. The Earth observation areas of interest are discretized by grid points and the coverage surface is computed from the intersection between the grid and the satellite viewing geometry. This geometry is modeled for off-nadir pointing conical and rectangular field-of-view (FOV) sensors and considering a perfectly spherical Earth. To test the RSS-CA methodology, the MARTINLARA mission analysis was selected as a case study. This mission analysis was carried out at the CDF of the Instituto de Microgravedad “Ignacio Da Riva” (IDR/UPM Institute). The results were compared to the ones obtained with the well-known AGI System Tool Kit (STK) software. The high accuracy of the results shows that the developed methodology (RSS-CA) can be simply and effectively applied in CDFs designed for space mission analysis, representing the possibility of a more open and user-friendly environment in relation to other commercial tools

Analytical modelling and sizing of supercapacitors for spacecraft hybrid energy storage systems

The vast majority of Earth-orbiting satellites carry an electrical power subsystem (EPS) which main components are solar panels and secondary batteries. During eclipse periods, satellites are powered only by rechargeable batteries which have a large energy density but a limited power density. This fact limits the power capabilities of small satellites during eclipse periods. Due to the large power density of Supercapacitors (SCs), ground and on-orbit tests have been conducted to verify their applicability on satellite EPSs. At the moment, no studies are underway on the issue of sizing SCs for eclipse operations. Hybrid configuration could reduce the mass and volume of EPS or maintain those reference values but increasing peak power capabilities. This paper deals with this issue. On the one hand, novel analytical expressions of a variable capacitance SCs are derived, including time–voltage dependence in constant power applications. Also an equivalent formulation for a SCs bank (SCsB) is derived. On the other hand, a SCsB sizing procedure is presented, considering the energy and power requirements of a particular space mission as an input. Finally, a simple mission is analysed, the results showing an improvement on the hybrid EPS design with respect to the traditional, being the mass reduction of 36%

Numerical and Experimental Characterization of a Coanda-Type Industrial Air Amplifier

The performance of an industrial air amplifier is assessed through experimental and numerical characterization, with a focus on examining the influence of various operating conditions (isolated, “blowing,” and “suction” modes) and direct geometric scaling of the device within the specified range of the injection gap (δ) and the inlet pressure characteristic values. The findings underscore the presence of a linear trend of the entrained mass flow and a nonlinear decay of the amplification factor, both with notable sensitivity to the gap width. Numerical RANS simulations validate the experimental data, characterize the asymmetric flow downstream from the device, and facilitate the exploration of more complex scenarios. In this regard, scaling the device’s dimensions reveals an optimal aspect ratio between the minimum diameter (Dm) and δ to maximize the entrained mass flow. This research provides valuable insights into the behavior of air amplifiers, offering guidance for their design and application across various industrial contexts

Mathematical modelling and performance analysis of supercapacitors with variable capacitance under constant power loads

In this paper, the performance of a supercapacitor (SC) under constant power loads is studied. The equivalent electrical circuit of a SC considered in this study takes advantage of its simplicity to obtain analytical solutions. The mathematical model of the SC neglects the transient response but, due to the consideration of a variable capacitance, it accurately reproduces the steady-state response for a wide range of charging/discharging power. The integration of the governing differential equation of the SC leads to a complex relationship between SC voltage and time. From this equation several explicit expressions (i.e., charging and discharging times, ohmic losses, efficiency, etc.) as a function of the SC voltage are derived. These variables are useful to size and define the energy management strategy of a SC or a bank of SCs in many constant power applications. The performance of a commercial supercapacitor that has been previously tested and modelled is analysed

On the modeling and simulation of a stratospheric experiment power subsystem

This paper describes an accurate model of the Electrical Power Subsystem (EPS) of the Thermal Analysis Support and Environment Characterization Laboratory (TASEC-Lab), a university experiment developed for using in high-altitude balloon missions to measure and analyze the convection heat transfer. A Li-ion battery and two high efficient DC–DC converters have been characterized through laboratory tests and fitting to the experimental results. The developed mathematical models described in this paper are used to carry out accurate EPS simulations and are validated by comparison with the experimental data

Design and first simulations of the TASEC-Lab power subsystem

This paper describes the modelling and simulation of the Electrical Power Subsystem (EPS) of the Thermal Analysis Support and Environment Characterization Laboratory (TASEC-Lab). TASEC-Lab is a university experiment on board a sub-orbital platform. It is designed to measure the convection heat transfer in high-altitude balloon missions. The EPS provides, regulates, and distributes electric power to the different systems, parts, and sensors that compose the TASEC-Lab (e.g., On Board Computer (OBC), temperature and pressure sensors, cup anemometer, GPS, heaters...). It mainly consists of a Li-ion battery and two DC-DC converters, and they have been characterized by conducting laboratory tests and fitting to experimental data. A real power consumption profile of the first TASEC-Lab’s mission (designed by Universidad Politécnica de Madrid) is used as input to simulate the EPS. The mathematical model is validated by comparison with experimental results