Effects of exercise modalities on arterial stiffness and wave reflection: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials

Background and Objectives: Physical activity is associated with lower cardiovascular and all-cause mortality. However, the effects of different exercise modalities on arterial stiffness are currently unclear. Our objectives were to investigate the effects of exercise modalities (aerobic, resistance or combined) on pulse wave velocity (PWV) and augmentation index (AIx), and to determine whether the effects on these indices differed according to the participants' or exercise characteristics. Methods: We searched the Medline, Embase and Cochrane Library databases from inception until April 2014 for randomized controlled trials lasting ≥4 weeks investigating the effects of exercise modalities on PWV and AIx in adults aged ≥18 years. Results: Forty-two studies (1627 participants) were included in this analysis. Aerobic exercise improved both PWV (WMD: −0.63 m/s, 95% CI: −0.90, −0.35) and AIx (WMD:−2.63%, 95% CI: −5.25 to −0.02) significantly. Aerobic exercise training showed significantly greater reduction in brachial-ankle (WMD: −1.01 m/s, 95% CI: −1.57, −0.44) than in carotid-femoral (WMD: -0.39 m/s, 95% CI: −0.52, −0.27) PWV. Higher aerobic exercise intensity was associated with larger reductions in AIx (β: −1.55%, CI −3.09, 0.0001). In addition, aerobic exercise had a significantly larger effect in reducing PWV (WMD:−1.0 m/s, 95% CI: −1.43, −0.57) in participants with stiffer arteries (PWV ≥8 m/s). Resistance exercise had no effect on PWV and AIx. There was no significant effect of combined exercise on PWV and AIx. Conclusions: We conclude that aerobic exercise improved arterial stiffness significantly and that the effect was enhanced with higher aerobic exercise intensity and in participants with greater arterial stiffness at baseline. Trial Registration PROSPERO: Database registration: CRD42014009744,

Estado del arte sobre Frameworks de infraestructura para Big Data

En la actualidad, el análisis Big Data se ha convertido en un gran reto para las organizaciones educativas, gubernamentales y comerciales, esto debido a la gran cantidad de datos procesados, por lo tanto resulta muy difícil llevar a cabo los diferentes procesos de análisis con herramientas de bases de datos y analíticas convencionales. Las tendencias Big Data traen consigo una gran cantidad de herramientas y aplicaciones que han sido desarrolladas específicamente para el apoyo al crecimiento de dicha tecnología para el análisis de datos, algunas de éstas trabajan en conjunto en soluciones de arquitecturas ya implementadas en las que se fundamenta gran parte de este trabajo monográfico, sintetizando la información necesaria para generar una propuesta de una arquitectura Big Data. Este trabajo pretende mostrar los componentes necesarios de infraestructura para brindar soporte al análisis Big Data basados en soluciones implementadas por los proveedores más conocidos, tomando como referencia modelos, diagramas y herramientas de software, enfocadas a los distintos despliegues que se puedan generar con base a unos requerimientos específicos, obteniendo como resultado una solución para una arquitectura Big Data utilizando las características de los escenarios propuestos en este trabajo

Instruments for assessing the risk of falls in acute hospitalized patients: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Background Falls are a serious problem for hospitalized patients, reducing the duration and quality of life. It is estimated that over 84% of all adverse events in hospitalized patients are related to falls. Some fall risk assessment tools have been developed and tested in environments other than those for which they were developed with serious validity discrepancies. The aim of this review is to determine the accuracy of instruments for detecting fall risk and predicting falls in acute hospitalized patients. Methods Systematic review and meta-analysis. Main databases, related websites and grey literature were searched. Two blinded reviewers evaluated title and abstracts of the selected articles and, if they met inclusion criteria, methodological quality was assessed in a new blinded process. Meta-analyses of diagnostic ORs (DOR) and likelihood (LH) coefficients were performed with the random effects method. Forest plots were calculated for sensitivity and specificity, DOR and LH. Additionally, summary ROC (SROC) curves were calculated for every analysis. Results Fourteen studies were selected for the review. The meta-analysis was performed with the Morse (MFS), STRATIFY and Hendrich II Fall Risk Model scales. The STRATIFY tool provided greater diagnostic validity, with a DOR value of 7.64 (4.86 - 12.00). A meta-regression was performed to assess the effect of average patient age over 65 years and the performance or otherwise of risk reassessments during the patient’s stay. The reassessment showed a significant reduction in the DOR on the MFS (rDOR 0.75, 95% CI: 0.64 - 0.89, p = 0.017). Conclusions The STRATIFY scale was found to be the best tool for assessing the risk of falls by hospitalized acutely-ill adults. However, the behaviour of these instruments varies considerably depending on the population and the environment, and so their operation should be tested prior to implementation. Further studies are needed to investigate the effect of the reassessment of these instruments with respect to hospitalized adult patients, and to consider the real compliance by healthcare personnel with procedures related to patient safety, and in particular concerning the prevention of falls

A comparative study on the passivation and localized corrosion of α, β, and α + β brass in borate buffer solutions containing sodium chloride—I. Electrochemical data

The passivation and localized corrosion of α-, β-, and (α + β)-brass in borate-boric acid buffer solutions (pH 9) containing different NaCl concentrations (cNaCl) were studied comparatively using conventional electrochemical techniques at 25 °C. The passivation of brass in borate-boric acid buffer was due to the electroformation of a complex passive layer consisting of ZnO · xH2O and Cu2O—CuO. In NaCl-containing borate-boric acid buffer the breakdown of the passive layer occurs leading to pitting corrosion when the applied potential exceeds a certain critical value, Eb. For a given type of brass, the value of Eb is shifted negatively as cNaCl is increased. At a constant cNaCl the localized corrosion resistance of brass increases in the following order (α + β)-brass ≅ β-brass < α-brass. For all brass the localized corrosion resistance was lower than that of polycrystalline Cu, but considerably greater than that of polycrystalline Zn. Passive film composition and de-alloying can account for the localized corrosion resistance of these alloys.Instituto de Investigaciones Fisicoquímicas Teóricas y AplicadasFacultad de Ciencias Exacta

A comparative study on the passivation and localized corrosion of α, β, and α + β brass in borate buffer solutions containing sodium chloride—I. Electrochemical data

The passivation and localized corrosion of α-, β-, and (α + β)-brass in borate-boric acid buffer solutions (pH 9) containing different NaCl concentrations (cNaCl) were studied comparatively using conventional electrochemical techniques at 25 °C. The passivation of brass in borate-boric acid buffer was due to the electroformation of a complex passive layer consisting of ZnO · xH2O and Cu2O—CuO. In NaCl-containing borate-boric acid buffer the breakdown of the passive layer occurs leading to pitting corrosion when the applied potential exceeds a certain critical value, Eb. For a given type of brass, the value of Eb is shifted negatively as cNaCl is increased. At a constant cNaCl the localized corrosion resistance of brass increases in the following order (α + β)-brass ≅ β-brass < α-brass. For all brass the localized corrosion resistance was lower than that of polycrystalline Cu, but considerably greater than that of polycrystalline Zn. Passive film composition and de-alloying can account for the localized corrosion resistance of these alloys.Instituto de Investigaciones Fisicoquímicas Teóricas y AplicadasFacultad de Ciencias Exacta

Long-term persistence of Mediterranean pine forests in the Duero Basin (central Spain) during the Holocene: The case of Pinus pinaster Aiton

In the southern Duero Basin of central Spain, there are vast areas of aeolian sand sheets and dune fields. A comprehensive survey of the sand quarries in this area identified a number of palaeosols in sedimentary sequences. The identification and AMS radiocarbon dating of soil charcoal fragments collected in these palaeosols indicate the persistence of Pinus pinaster in this area throughout most of the Holocene. Although potential natural vegetation models have usually considered the Pinus pinaster forests in this inland area of artificial origin, soil charcoal analysis provides firm evidence of a natural origin. Our data fit perfectly with the pattern of Holocene vegetation development for inland areas of Iberia, which are characterised by stability of pine forests throughout the Holocene. Finally, the growing body of palaeobotanical evidence from Iberia (macrofossils and pollen) is contributing to improve our knowledge of P. pinaster ecology, showing that this species has been present in most Iberian regions during the Holocene, where it has inhabited areas characterised by a very diverse set of climatic and soil conditions

Late Holocene vegetation dynamics in response to human activities in the Teleno Mountain Range (NW Iberia)

Teleno Mountains are a good area to address these questions. Today are almost completely deforested, and it is commonly assumed that Romans were the culture responsible of this situation, as they developed important mining activities all over this mountains. Our main aim has been to track human impact on the landscape of this Iberian mountainous area along the second half of the Holocene and confirm the role of Roman culture in this process. For this purpose, we have obtained a new palaeoecological record from the Teleno Mountain

Robust and Cooperative Image-Based Visual Servoing System Using a Redundant Architecture

The reliability and robustness of image-based visual servoing systems is still unsolved by the moment. In order to address this issue, a redundant and cooperative 2D visual servoing system based on the information provided by two cameras in eye-in-hand/eye-to-hand configurations is proposed. Its control law has been defined to assure that the whole system is stable if each subsystem is stable and to allow avoiding typical problems of image-based visual servoing systems like task singularities, features extraction errors, disappearance of image features, local minima, etc. Experimental results with an industrial robot manipulator based on Schunk modular motors to demonstrate the stability, performance and robustness of the proposed system are presented

Automatización Web del Proceso de Votación de las Elecciones de la EPN Utilizando Esquema de Seguridad de Firma Ciega

Currently, the Escuela Politécnica Nacional has an electoral process that is done manually. Therefore, it represents considerable management work when it comes to being carried out. Also, given the nature of manual processes, it is subject to human errors. As a solution to these and other problems of the electoral process in force in the institution, the present work proposes its automation through an electronic voting system. The proposed system implements a blind signing security scheme to control both the privacy of the voter and the validity of the votes. The development was carried out under the SCRUM framework, due to its adaptation to small development teams and its focus on delivering functional software in short periods of time. The system implements a Model-View-Controller architecture, having the development of the view in the JavaScript framework, Angular, the controller in Microsoft .NET Framework and finally the model in SQL Server. On the other hand, the system has been subjected to usability and functionality tests, so it was determined that it is excellently usable and satisfactorily meets 100% of the user requirements obtained.En la actualidad, la Escuela Politécnica Nacional tiene un proceso electoral que se lo realiza de manera manual. Por lo tanto, representa un trabajo de gestión considerable a la hora de ser llevado a cabo. Además, dado la naturaleza de los procesos manuales, está sujeto a errores humanos. Como solución a estas y otras problemáticas del proceso electoral vigente en la institución, el presente trabajo plantea su automatización a través de un sistema web de votación electrónica. El sistema propuesto implementa un esquema de seguridad de firmado ciego, para controlar tanto la privacidad como la validez de los votos. El desarrollo se lo realizó bajo el marco de trabajo de SCRUM, debido a su ajuste a equipos de desarrollo pequeños y a su enfoque en la entrega de software funcional en cortos periodos de tiempo. El sistema implementa una arquitectura Modelo-Vista-Controlador, teniendo el desarrollo de la vista en el framework de JavaScript, Angular; el controlador en la plataforma .NET Framework de Microsoft y, finalmente, el modelo en SQL Server. Por otra parte, el sistema ha sido sometido a pruebas de usabilidad y funcionalidad, con lo que se determinó que es excelentemente usable y cumple satisfactoriamente con el 100 % de los requisitos de usuario obtenidos

Diseño estructural de un edificio multifamiliar de muros de concreto armado de 6 niveles en Lince

El proyecto a desarrollar consiste en un edificio multifamiliar de muros de concreto armado de 6 niveles, ubicado en el Jr. Manco Segundo 2680, distrito de Lince, provincia de Lima, Perú. El primer piso albergará la recepción y estacionamiento, mientras que los pisos superiores albergarán 7 departamentos simples y 2 dúplex El territorio peruano se encuentra ubicado en el denominado “Cinturón del fuego del Pacifico”, lugar donde convergen y se originan procesos de subducción entre la placa oceánica de Nazca y la placa continental Sudamericana. Esta convergencia da lugar a la ocurrencia de eventos sísmicos, por lo que las ciudades de la costa peruana se encuentran en permanente exposición al peligro sísmico. Por este motivo, el análisis y diseño del edificio será realizado considerando las especificaciones establecidas en la norma E.030 de diseño sismorresistente, de tal forma que el edificio pueda presentar un correcto desempeño frente a un evento sísmico. Se realizará el predimensionamiento, la estructuración, y el diseño de los elementos estructurales que conforman la edificación, siguiendo la normativa y lineamientos establecidos en el Reglamento Nacional de Edificaciones (RNE). Para complementar estos resultados, se realizará el modelamiento y análisis del edificio con ayuda del software ETABS. Con los resultados obtenidos, se realizará el diseño, memoria de cálculo y planos de los elementos estructurales de la edificación, siguiendo la norma E.060 de diseño en concreto armado. Como tema de investigación, se realizará el análisis estático no lineal de la edificación diseñada, aplicando el procedimiento basado en el empuje incremental de cargas (Pushover), obteniendo así, el desempeño sísmico de la estructura frente a un sismo frecuente y un sismo muy raro.The project to be developed consists of a 6-story multi-family building with reinforced concrete walls, located at Jr. Manco Segundo 2680, Lince district, Lima province, Peru. The first floor will house the reception and parking, while the upper floors will house 7 single apartments and 2 duplexes. The Peruvian territory is located in the so-called "Pacific Ring of Fire", a place where subduction processes converge and originate between the Nazca oceanic plate and the South American continental plate. This convergence gives rise to the occurrence of seismic events, which is why the cities of the Peruvian coast are permanently exposed to seismic danger. For this reason, the analysis and design of the building will be carried out taking into account the specifications established in the E.030 standard for seismic resistant design, in such a way that the building can present a correct performance in the face of a seismic event. The pre-dimensioning, structuring, and design of the structural elements that make up the building will be carried out, following the regulations and guidelines established in the National Building Regulations (RNE). To complement these results, the modeling and analysis of the building will be carried out with the help of the ETABS software. With the results obtained, the design, calculation memory and plans of the structural elements of the building will be carried out, following the E.060 norm of reinforced concrete design. As a research topic, the nonlinear static analysis of the designed building will be carried out, applying the procedure based on the incremental thrust of loads (Pushover), thus obtaining the seismic performance of the structure against a frequent earthquake and a very rare earthquake