Estudi per la implantació de la realitat virtual en la construcció

Aquest projecte descriu els diferents mètodes per a la representació gràfica tant d’un objecte com d’un establiment industrial amb l’objectiu principal de realitzar una comparativa entre els mètodes principals utilitzats en l’actualitat en l’àmbit de la construcció i veure’n la possible inclusió de la realitat virtual en aquest món, ja que es tracta d’una tecnologia innovadora que pot permetre veure’n els resultats que s’obtindran prèviament a la construcció i poder-ne fer canvis en cas que sigui necessari. Per tal de fer-ho, s’ha realitzat un estudi teòric dels diferents mètodes que hi han, s’ha dissenyat un establiment industrial i a partir d’aquest s’han pogut observar els resultats obtinguts mitjançant plànols, imatges, vídeos i vistes panoràmiques per a realitat virtual, extraient-ne les conclusions pertinents. En quant a l’establiment, se’n ha fet el disseny d’aquest explicant-ne la implantació, el mètode constructiu i els materials a utilitzar per a fer-lo. A més, també se’n ha fet el disseny i càlculs de les instal·lacions de contra incendis, baixa tensió, climatització i fontaneria a col·locar-hi tant en l’interior com en l’exterior. Com a documents d’aquest projecte, se’n ha realitzat la memòria principal del projecte, l’annex I on hi ha els plànols de l’establiment dissenyat, l’annex II on hi ha la memòria descriptiva de construcció, l’annex III on hi ha la memòria descriptiva de les instal·lacions, el pressupost tècnic del projecte, la llista de verificació de qualitat i la declaració d’honor, a més d’imatges, vídeos i imatges panoràmiques de l’establimen

Effect of statin therapy on SARS-CoV-2 infection-related mortality in hospitalized patients

COVID-19; Cardiovascular risk; MortalityCOVID 19; Risc cardiovascular; MortalitatCOVID-19; Riesgo cardiovascular; MortalidadAim: Assessing the effect of statin therapy (ST) at hospital admission for COVID-19 on in-hospital mortality. Methods and results: Retrospective observational study. Patients taking statins were 11 years older and had significantly more comorbidities than patients who were not taking statins. A genetic matching (GM) procedure was performed prior to analysis of the mortality risk. A Cox proportional hazards model was used for the cause-specific hazard (CSH) function, and a competing-risks Fine and Gray (FG) model was also used to study the direct effects of statins on risk. Data from reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction-confirmed 2157 SARS-CoV-2-infected patients [1234 men, 923 women; age: 67 y/o (IQR 54-78)] admitted to the hospital were retrieved from the clinical records in anonymized manner. Three hundred and fifty-three deaths occurred. Five hundred and eighty-one patients were taking statins. Univariate test after GM showed a significantly lower mortality rate in patients on ST than the matched non-statin group (19.8% vs. 25.4%, χ2 with Yates continuity correction: P = 0.027). The mortality rate was even lower in patients (n = 336) who maintained their statin treatments during hospitalization compared with the GM non-statin group (17.4%; P = 0.045). The Cox model applied to the CSH function [HR = 0.58(CI: 0.39-0.89); P = 0.01] and the competing-risks FG model [HR = 0.60 (CI: 0.39-0.92); P = 0.02] suggest that statins are associated with reduced COVID-19-related mortality. Conclusions: A lower SARS-CoV-2 infection-related mortality was observed in patients treated with ST prior to hospitalization. Statin therapy should not be discontinued due to the global concern of the pandemic or in patients hospitalized for COVID-19

Lipoprotein hydrophobic core lipids are partially extruded to surface in smaller HDL : "Herniated" HDL, a common feature in diabetes

Recent studies have shown that pharmacological increases in HDL cholesterol concentrations do not necessarily translate into clinical benefits for patients, raising concerns about its predictive value for cardiovascular events. Here we hypothesize that the size-modulated lipid distribution within HDL particles is compromised in metabolic disorders that have abnormal HDL particle sizes, such as type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM2). By using NMR spectroscopy combined with a biochemical volumetric model we determined the size and spatial lipid distribution of HDL subclasses in a cohort of 26 controls and 29 DM2 patients before and after two drug treatments, one with niacin plus laropiprant and another with fenofibrate as an add-on to simvastatin. We further characterized the HDL surface properties using atomic force microscopy and fluorescent probes to show an abnormal lipid distribution within smaller HDL particles, a subclass particularly enriched in the DM2 patients. The reduction in the size, force cholesterol esters and triglycerides to emerge from the HDL core to the surface, making the outer surface of HDL more hydrophobic. Interestingly, pharmacological interventions had no effect on this undesired configuration, which may explain the lack of clinical benefits in DM2 subjects

APOA5 genetic and epigenetic variability jointly regulate circulating triacylglycerol levels

Abstract Apolipoprotein A5 gene (APOA5) variability explains part of the individual's predisposition to hypertriacylglycerolaemia (HTG). Such predisposition has an inherited component (polymorphisms) and an acquired component regulated by the environment (epigenetic modifications). We hypothesize that the integrated analysis of both components will improve our capacity to estimate APOA5 contribution to HTG. We followed a recruit-by-genotype strategy to study a population composed of 44 individuals with high cardiovascular disease risk selected as being carriers of at least one APOA5 SNP (-1131T>C and/or, S19W and/or 724C>G) compared against 34 individuals wild-type (WT) for these SNPs. DNA methylation patterns of three APOA5 regions [promoter, exon 2 and CpG island (CGI) in exon 3] were evaluated using pyrosequencing technology. Carriers of APOA5 SNPs had an average of 57.5 % higher circulating triacylglycerol (TG) levels (P = 0.039). APOA5 promoter and exon 3 were hypermethylated whereas exon 2 was hypomethylated. Exon 3 methylation positively correlated with TG concentration (r = 0.359, P = 0.003) and with a lipoprotein profile associated with atherogenic dyslipidaemia. The highest TG concentrations were found in carriers of at least one SNP and with a methylation percentage in exon 3 82 % (P = 0.009). In conclusion, CGI methylation in exon 3 of APOA5 acts, in combination with -1131T>C, S19W and 724C>G polymorphisms, in the individual's predisposition to high circulating TG levels. This serves as an example that combined analysis of SNPs and methylation applied to a larger set of genes would improve our understanding of predisposition to HTG

Evolution of Serum Acute-Phase Glycoproteins Assessed by 1H-NMR in HIV Elite Controllers

Elite controllers (ECs) are an exceptional group of people living with HIV (PLWH) who maintain undetectable viral loads (VLs) despite not being on antiretroviral therapy (ART). However, this phenotype is heterogeneous, with some of these subjects losing virological control over time. In this longitudinal retrospective study, serum acute-phase glycoprotein profile assessed by proton nuclear magnetic resonance (1H-NMR) was determined in 11 transient controllers (TCs) who spontaneously lost virological control and 11 persistent controllers (PCs) who persistently maintained virological control over time. Both PCs and TCs showed similar acute-phase glycoprotein profiles, even when TCs lost the virological control (GlycB, p = 0.824 and GlycA, p = 0.710), and the serum acute-phase glycoprotein signature in PCs did not differ from that in HIV-negative subjects (GlycB, p = 0.151 and GlycA, p = 0.243). Differences in serum glycoproteins A and B were significant only in ECs compared to HIV-typical progressors (TPs) with < 100 CD4+ T-cells (p < 0.001). 1H-NMR acute-phase glycoprotein profile does not distinguish TCs form PCs before the loss of viral control. ECs maintain a low-grade inflammatory state compared to TPs. PCs revealed a closer serum signature to HIV-negative subjects, reaffirming this phenotype as a closer model of functional control of HIV.This research was funded by the Fondo de Investigacion Sanitaria [PI16/00503, PI19/01337 and PI20/00326]-ISCIII-FEDER (co-funded by the European Regional Development Fund/European Social Fund; “A way to make Europe”/“Investing in your future”); Programa de Suport als Grups de Recerca AGAUR (2017SGR948); the SPANISH AIDS Research Network [RD12/0017/0005, RD12/0025/0001, RD16/0025/0006]-ISCIII-FEDER (Spain) and Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de Enfermedades Infecciosas-ISCIII [CB21/13/00015, CB21/13/00020, CB13/21/00086], Madrid, Spain. JM is supported by the Universitat Rovira i Virgili under grant agreement “2019PMF-PIPF-18,” through the call “Martí Franquès Research Fellowship Programme”. FV is supported by grants from the Programa de Intensificación de Investigadores (INT20/00031)-ISCIII. AR is supported by a grant from IISPV through the project “2019/IISPV/05” (Boosting Young Talent), by GeSIDA through the “III Premio para Jóvenes Investigadores 2019” and by the Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII) under grant agreement “CP19/00146” through the Miguel Servet Program.S

Cocoa, Hazelnuts, Sterols and Soluble Fiber Cream Reduces Lipids and Inflammation Biomarkers in Hypertensive Patients: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Cocoa, mixed with other food ingredients, intake can have beneficial effects on cardiovascular disease (CVD) biomarkers. We compared the effects of 4 cocoa cream products on some of these biomarkers.In this multi-centered, randomized, controlled, double-blind, parallel trial, volunteers (n = 113; age range: 43-65 years) who were pre-hypertensive, stage-1 hypertensive and hypercholesterolemic received one of 4 cocoa cream products (13 g/unit; 1 g cocoa/unit, 6 units/d; 465 Kcal/d) added to a low saturated fat diet for 4 weeks. The groups were: A) (n = 28), cocoa cream considered as control; B) (n = 28), cocoa+hazelnut cream (30 g/d hazelnuts); C) (n = 30), cocoa+hazelnuts+phytosterols (2 g/d); and D) (n = 27), cocoa+hazelnuts+phytosterols+soluble fiber (20 g/d) the patented "LMN product". Primary outcome measures were BP, LDL-c, apolipoprotein B-100 (Apo B), ApoB/ApoA ratio, oxidized LDL (oxLDL) and high-sensitive C-reactive protein (hsCRP) determined at baseline and post-cocoa cream product intake. Statistical analysis used was ANCOVA or mixed models (in case of repeated measurements), with baseline observation included as a covariate. After 4 weeks, compared to product A, product C reduced LDL-c by 11.2%, Apo B by 8.1% and ApoB/ApoA ratio by 7.8% (P = 0.01). LMN decreased LDL-c by 9.2%, Apo B-100 by 8.5%, ApoB/ApoA ratio by 10.5%, hsCRP by 33.4% and oxLDL by 5.9% (P = 0.01). Surprisingly, even "control" product A reduced systolic BP (-7.89 mmHg; 95%CI: -11.45 to -4.3) and diastolic BP (-5.54 mmHg; 95%CI: -7.79 to -3.29). The BP reductions were similar with the other 3 products. Limitations of the study are that the trial period was relatively short and that a better "BP control" product would have been preferable.The creams (particularly the LMN) have anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects in addition to lowering LDL-c, Apo B and ApoB/ApoA ratio. Thus, the soluble fiber effects amplified with sterols (as contained in the cocoa creams) provide new dietary therapeutic perspectives.Clinicaltrials.gov NCT00511420

Disseny i implantació d'una instal·lació industrial

Aquest projecte descriu el procediment a realitzar per tal de dissenyar i implantar una instal·lació industrial, en aquest cas que es dedica a la producció i emmagatzematge de mobles d’oficina. En primer lloc se’n ha realitzar el disseny arquitectònic, és a dir, el disseny de l’establiment, on s’han definit els diferents elements estructurals que la formen i se’n ha fet una distribució dels espais; i el disseny dels exteriors, buscant una ubicació on situar la nau i distribuint-ne els diferents espais. Per altre banda, també s’ha realitzat el disseny, càlculs i dimensionat de les instal·lacions a col·locar en l’interior de l’establiment. Aquestes instal·lacions son les de contra incendis, baixa tensió, climatització i ventilació, fontaneria, intrussió i CCTV i solar fotovoltaica. Finalment, se’n han realitzat plànols tècnic on es mostren tant del disseny arquitectònic com de les diverses instal·lacions, a més d’un document de pressupost tècnic i d’amidaments necessaris per tal de realitzar-ne aquestes instal·lacions