The Development and deployment of a remote virtual lab based on Amazon Cloud for networking courses

Remote virtual laboratories had been implemented using different approaches. Universities have adopted such model mostly for the distance learners. Furthermore, such systems have been implemented internally and used in conjunction with their physical hands-on labs. Nevertheless, the introduction of Cloud Computing and the virtual platform environment offered by it can serves for the creation of new type of services. This thesis aims to use this new technology and develop a remote virtual laboratory that can be used by students for doing their hands-on lab in the networking courses at PUCMM. For this purpose the services used were the Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud (Amazon EC2) as an infrastructure provider and the VMLogix Lab Manager as the management software for the use of the laboratory. The paper includes the development and deployment of two labs one in Windows and the other in Linux. Furthermore, the problems encountered and the outcomes are documented to serve as a base implementation guide for future laboratories using the Amazon Cloud Computing platform

Gas-phase formation of glycolonitrile in the interstellar medium

Our automated reaction discovery program, AutoMeKin, has been utilized to investigate the formation of glycolonitrile (HOCH$_{2}$CN) in the gas phase under the low temperatures of the interstellar medium (ISM). The feasibility of a proposed pathway depends on the absence of barriers above the energy of reactants and the availability of the suggested precursors in the ISM. Based on these criteria, several radical-radical reactions and a radical-molecule reaction have been identified as viable formation routes in the ISM. Among the radical-radical reactions, OH+CH$_{2}$CN appears to be the most relevant, considering the energy of the radicals and its ability to produce glycolonitrile in a single step. However, our analysis reveals that this reaction produces hydrogen isocyanide (HNC) and formaldehyde (CH$_{2}$O), with rate coefficients ranging from (7.3-11.5)$\times$10$^{-10}$ cm$^3$ molecule$^{-1}$ s$^{-1}$ across the temperature range of 10-150 K. This finding is particularly interesing given the persistently unexplained overabundance of hydrogen isocyanide in the ISM. Among the radical-molecule reactions investigated, the most promising one is OH+CH$_{2}$CNH, which forms glycolonitrile and atomic hydrogen with rate coefficients in the range (0.3-6.6)$\times$10$^{-10}$ cm$^3$ molecule$^{-1}$ s$^{-1}$ within the 10-150 K temperature range. Our calculations indicate that the formation of both hydrogen isocyanide and glycolonitrile is efficient under the harsh conditions of the ISM

All for One and One for All: Voluntary Physicians in the Intensive Medicine Units During the COVID-19 Outbreak in Spain

COVID-19; Intensive care medicine; Hospital organizationCOVID-19; Medicina intensiva; Organització hospitalàriaCOVID-19; Medicina Intensiva; Organización hospitalariaObjectives: Our purpose was to determine the intensive care units' (ICU's) medical staff surge capacity during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak in Spring 2020 in Spain. Methods: A multicenter retrospective survey was performed addressing the medical specialties present in the ICUs and the increase in bed capacity during this period. Results: Sixty-seven centers (62.04%) answered the questionnaire. The ICU bed capacity during the pandemic outbreak increased by 160% (95% confidence interval [CI], 128.97-191.03%). The average number of beds per intensive care medicine (ICM) specialist was 1.5 ± 0.60 and 3.71 ± 2.44 beds/specialist before and during the COVID-19 outbreak, respectively. Non-ICM specialists and residents were present in 50 (74.63%) and 23 (34.3%) ICUs during the outbreak, respectively. The number of physicians (ICM and non-ICM residents and specialists) in the ICU increased by 89.40% (95% CI, 64.26114.53%). The increase in ICM specialists was, however, 4.94% (95% CI, -1.35-11.23%). Most non-ICM physicians were anesthetists, followed by pediatricians and cardiologists. Conclusions: The majority of ICUs in our study were able to rapidly expand critical care capacity by adapting areas outside of the normal ICU to manage critically ill patients, and by extending the critical care staff with noncritical care physicians working as force multipliers

Reaction of OH radicals with CH3NH2 in the gas phase: experimental (11.7–177.5 K) and computed rate coefficients (10–1000 K)

Nitrogen-bearing molecules, like methylamine (CH3NH2), can be the building blocks of amino acids in the interstellar medium (ISM). At the ultralow temperatures of the ISM, it is important to know its gas-phase reactivity towards interstellar radicals and the products formed. In this work, the kinetics of the OH + CH3NH2 reaction was experimentally and theoretically investigated at low- and high-pressure limits (LPL and HPL) between 10 and 1000 K. Moreover, the CH2NH2 and CH3NH yields were computed in the same temperature range for both pressure regimes. A pulsed CRESU (French acronym for Reaction Kinetics in a Uniform Supersonic Flow) apparatus was employed to determine the rate coefficient, k(T), in the 11.7–177.5 K range. A drastic increase of k(T) when the temperature is lowered was observed in agreement with theoretical calculations, evaluated by the competitive canonical unified statistical (CCUS) theory, below 300 K in the LPL regime. The same trend was observed in the HPL regime below 350 K, but the theoretical k(T) values were higher than the experimental ones. Above 200 K, the calculated rate coefficients are improved with respect to previous computational studies and are in excellent agreement with the experimental literature data. In the LPL, the formation of CH3NH becomes largely dominant below ca. 100 K. Conversely, in the HPL regime, CH2NH2 is the only product below 100 K, whereas CH3NH becomes dominant at 298 K with a branching ratio similar to the one found in the LPL regime (≈70%). At T > 300 K, both reaction channels are competitive independently of the pressure regimeLas moléculas que contienen nitrógeno, como la metilamina (CH 3 NH 2 ), pueden ser los componentes básicos de los aminoácidos en el medio interestelar (ISM). A las temperaturas ultrabajas del ISM, es importante conocer su reactividad en fase gaseosa hacia los radicales interestelares y los productos formados. En este trabajo se investigó experimental y teóricamente la cinética de la reacción OH + CH 3 NH 2 a límites de baja y alta presión (LPL y HPL) entre 10 y 1000 K. Además, las reacciones CH 2 NH 2 y CH 3Los rendimientos de NH se calcularon en el mismo rango de temperatura para ambos regímenes de presión. Se empleó un aparato CRESU (acrónimo francés de Reaction Kinetics in a Uniform Supersonic Flow) pulsado para determinar el coeficiente de velocidad, k ( T ), en el rango de 11,7–177,5 K. De acuerdo con los cálculos teóricos, evaluados por la teoría de la estadística unificada canónica competitiva (CCUS), se observó un aumento drástico de k ( T ) cuando se baja la temperatura, por debajo de 300 K en el régimen LPL. La misma tendencia se observó en el régimen HPL por debajo de 350 K, pero el k teórico ( T) los valores fueron superiores a los experimentales. Por encima de 200 K, los coeficientes de velocidad calculados mejoran con respecto a estudios computacionales previos y están en excelente acuerdo con los datos de la literatura experimental. En el LPL, la formación de CH 3 NH se vuelve mayoritariamente dominante por debajo de ca. 100 K. Por el contrario, en el régimen HPL, CH 2 NH 2 es el único producto por debajo de 100 K, mientras que CH 3 NH se vuelve dominante a 298 K con una relación de ramificación similar a la encontrada en el régimen LPL (≈70%). A T > 300 K, ambos canales de reacción son competitivos independientemente del régimen de presión

CD209 in inflammatory bowel disease: a case-control study in the Spanish population

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The etiology of Ulcerative Colitis (UC) and Crohn's Disease (CD), considered together as Inflammatory Bowel Diseases (IBD), involves environmental and genetic factors. Although some genes are already known, the genetics underlying these diseases is complex and new candidates are continuously emerging. The <it>CD209 </it>gene is located in a region linked previously to IBD and a <it>CD209 </it>functional polymorphism (rs4804803) has been associated to other inflammatory conditions. Our aim was to study the potential involvement of this <it>CD209 </it>variant in IBD susceptibility.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>We performed a case-control study with 515 CD patients, 497 UC patients and 731 healthy controls, all of them white Spaniards. Samples were typed for the <it>CD209 </it>single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) rs4804803 by TaqMan technology. Frequency comparisons were performed using χ²tests.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>No association between <it>CD209 </it>and UC or CD was observed initially. However, stratification of UC patients by <it>HLA-DR3 </it>status, a strong protective allele, showed that carriage of the <it>CD209</it>_G allele could increase susceptibility in the subgroup of <it>HLA-DR3</it>-positive individuals (p = 0.03 OR = 1.77 95% CI 1.04–3.02, <it>vs. </it>controls).</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>A functional variant in the <it>CD209 </it>gene, rs4804803, does not seem to be influencing Crohn's disease susceptibility. However, it could be involved in the etiology or pathology of Ulcerative Colitis in <it>HLA-DR3</it>-positive individuals but further studies are necessary.</p

Effect of the Mediterranean diet on blood pressure in the PREDIMED trial: results from a randomized controlled trial

BackgroundHypertension can be prevented by adopting healthy dietary patterns. Our aim was to assess the 4-year effect on blood pressure (BP) control of a randomized feeding trial promoting the traditional Mediterranean dietary pattern.MethodsThe PREDIMED primary prevention trial is a randomized, single-blinded, controlled trial conducted in Spanish primary healthcare centers. We recruited 7,447 men (aged 55 to 80 years) and women (aged 60 to 80 years) who had high risk for cardiovascular disease. Participants were assigned to a control group or to one of two Mediterranean diets. The control group received education on following a low-fat diet, while the groups on Mediterranean diets received nutritional education and also free foods; either extra virgin olive oil, or nuts. Trained personnel measured participants’ BP at baseline and once yearly during a 4-year follow-up. We used generalized estimating equations to assess the differences between groups during the follow-up.ResultsThe percentage of participants with controlled BP increased in all three intervention groups (P-value for within-group changes: P<0.001). Participants allocated to either of the two Mediterranean diet groups had significantly lower diastolic BP than the participants in the control group (−1.53 mmHg (95% confidence interval (CI) −2.01 to −1.04) for the Mediterranean diet supplemented with extra virgin olive oil, and −0.65 mmHg (95% CI -1.15 to −0.15) mmHg for the Mediterranean diet supplemented with nuts). No between-group differences in changes of systolic BP were seen.ConclusionsBoth the traditional Mediterranean diet and a low-fat diet exerted beneficial effects on BP and could be part of advice to patients for controlling BP. However, we found lower values of diastolic BP in the two groups promoting the Mediterranean diet with extra virgin olive oil or with nuts than in the control group.Trial registrationCurrent Controlled Trials ISRCTN3573963

Evolutionary Heritage Influences Amazon Tree Ecology

Lineages tend to retain ecological characteristics of their ancestors through time. However, for some traits, selection during evolutionary history may have also played a role in determining trait values. To address the relative importance of these processes requires large-scale quantification of traits and evolutionary relationships among species. The Amazonian tree flora comprises a high diversity of angiosperm lineages and species with widely differing life-history characteristics, providing an excellent system to investigate the combined influences of evolutionary heritage and selection in determining trait variation. We used trait data related to the major axes of life-history variation among tropical trees (e.g. growth and mortality rates) from 577 inventory plots in closed-canopy forest, mapped onto a phylogenetic hypothesis spanning more than 300 genera including all major angiosperm clades to test for evolutionary constraints on traits. We found significant phylogenetic signal (PS) for all traits, consistent with evolutionarily related genera having more similar characteristics than expected by chance. Although there is also evidence for repeated evolution of pioneer and shade tolerant life-history strategies within independent lineages, the existence of significant PS allows clearer predictions of the links between evolutionary diversity, ecosystem function and the response of tropical forests to global change

Hyperdominance in Amazonian Forest Carbon Cycling

While Amazonian forests are extraordinarily diverse, the abundance of trees is skewed strongly towards relatively few ‘hyperdominant’ species. In addition to their diversity, Amazonian trees are a key component of the global carbon cycle, assimilating and storing more carbon than any other ecosystem on Earth. Here we ask, using a unique data set of 530 forest plots, if the functions of storing and producing woody carbon are concentrated in a small number of tree species, whether the most abundant species also dominate carbon cycling, and whether dominant species are characterized by specific functional traits. We find that dominance of forest function is even more concentrated in a few species than is dominance of tree abundance, with only ≈1% of Amazon tree species responsible for 50% of carbon storage and productivity. Although those species that contribute most to biomass and productivity are often abundant, species maximum size is also influential, while the identity and ranking of dominant species varies by function and by region

The Gaia-ESO Public Spectroscopic Survey: Motivation, implementation, GIRAFFE data processing, analysis, and final data products

Context. The Gaia-ESO Public Spectroscopic Survey is an ambitious project designed to obtain astrophysical parameters and elemental abundances for 100 000 stars, including large representative samples of the stellar populations in the Galaxy, and a well-defined sample of 60 (plus 20 archive) open clusters. We provide internally consistent results calibrated on benchmark stars and star clusters, extending across a very wide range of abundances and ages. This provides a legacy data set of intrinsic value, and equally a large wide-ranging dataset that is of value for the homogenisation of other and future stellar surveys and Gaia's astrophysical parameters. Aims. This article provides an overview of the survey methodology, the scientific aims, and the implementation, including a description of the data processing for the GIRAFFE spectra. A companion paper introduces the survey results. Methods. Gaia-ESO aspires to quantify both random and systematic contributions to measurement uncertainties. Thus, all available spectroscopic analysis techniques are utilised, each spectrum being analysed by up to several different analysis pipelines, with considerable effort being made to homogenise and calibrate the resulting parameters. We describe here the sequence of activities up to delivery of processed data products to the ESO Science Archive Facility for open use. Results. The Gaia-ESO Survey obtained 202 000 spectra of 115 000 stars using 340 allocated VLT nights between December 2011 and January 2018 from GIRAFFE and UVES. Conclusions. The full consistently reduced final data set of spectra was released through the ESO Science Archive Facility in late 2020, with the full astrophysical parameters sets following in 2022. A companion article reviews the survey implementation, scientific highlights, the open cluster survey, and data products

The Gaia-ESO Public Spectroscopic Survey: Implementation, data products, open cluster survey, science, and legacy

Context. In the last 15 years different ground-based spectroscopic surveys have been started (and completed) with the general aim of delivering stellar parameters and elemental abundances for large samples of Galactic stars, complementing Gaia astrometry. Among those surveys, the Gaia-ESO Public Spectroscopic Survey, the only one performed on a 8m class telescope, was designed to target 100 000 stars using FLAMES on the ESO VLT (both Giraffe and UVES spectrographs), covering all the Milky Way populations, with a special focus on open star clusters. Aims. This article provides an overview of the survey implementation (observations, data quality, analysis and its success, data products, and releases), of the open cluster survey, of the science results and potential, and of the survey legacy. A companion article reviews the overall survey motivation, strategy, Giraffe pipeline data reduction, organisation, and workflow. Methods. We made use of the information recorded and archived in the observing blocks; during the observing runs; in a number of relevant documents; in the spectra and master catalogue of spectra; in the parameters delivered by the analysis nodes and the working groups; in the final catalogue; and in the science papers. Based on these sources, we critically analyse and discuss the output and products of the Survey, including science highlights. We also determined the average metallicities of the open clusters observed as science targets and of a sample of clusters whose spectra were retrieved from the ESO archive. Results. The Gaia-ESO Survey has determined homogeneous good-quality radial velocities and stellar parameters for a large fraction of its more than 110 000 unique target stars. Elemental abundances were derived for up to 31 elements for targets observed with UVES. Lithium abundances are delivered for about 1/3 of the sample. The analysis and homogenisation strategies have proven to be successful; several science topics have been addressed by the Gaia-ESO consortium and the community, with many highlight results achieved. Conclusions. The final catalogue will be released through the ESO archive in the first half of 2022, including the complete set of advanced data products. In addition to these results, the Gaia-ESO Survey will leave a very important legacy, for several aspects and for many years to come