Passive Thermal Coating Observatory Operating in Low-Earth Orbit (PATCOOL) Cubesat Design to Test Passive Thermal Coatings in Space

The PATCOOL is a NASA sponsored, University of Florida developed 3U Cu-beSat meant to investigate the feasibility of using a cryogenic selective surface coating as a new, more efficient way of passively cooling components in space. Initial tests on the ground demonstrate that this coating should provide a much higher reflectance of the Suns irradiant power than any existing coating, while still providing far-infrared power emission. The ultimate validation of this tech-nology requires on-orbit testing. PATCOOL hosts a 4-sample housing, with the samples shaped as thin cylinders (coin-like). Two samples are coated with state-of-the-art material, while the other pair uses the new coating to be evaluated. The temperatures of all samples during the mission (minimum 72 hours of data col-lection) are measured via thermistors. The samples are connected via thin Kevlar strings to the housing, to minimize heat transfer. The housing is designed to shield the samples from Earths thermal radiation, and the CubeSat is attitude stabilized and controlled via a gravity gradient boom, magnetorquers and a reaction wheel set. Thermal Desktop simulations show PATCOOLs ability to thermally isolate the samples from heat exchanges other than with Sun and deep space, thanks to its thermal design and the chosen attitude profile

PAssive Thermal Coating Observatory Operating in Low Earth Orbit (PATCOOL)

The PATCOOL is a NASA sponsored, University of Florida developed 3U CubeSat meant to investigate the feasibility of using a cryogenic selective surface coating as a new, more efficient way of passively cooling components in space. Initial tests on the ground demonstrate that this coating should provide a much higher reflectance of the Sun's irradiant power than any existing coating, while still providing far-infrared power emission. The ultimate validation of this technology requires on-orbit testing. PATCOOL hosts a 4-sample housing, with the samples shaped as thin cylinders (coin-like). Two samples are coated with state-of-the-art material, while the other pair uses the new coating to be evaluated. The temperatures of all samples during the mission (minimum 72 hours of data collection) are measured via thermistors. The samples are connected via thin Kevlar strings to the housing, to minimize heat transfer. The housing is designed to shield the samples from Earth's thermal radiation, and the CubeSat is attitude stabilized and controlled via a gravity gradient boom, magnetorquers and a reaction wheel set. Thermal Desktop simulations show PATCOOL's ability to thermally isolate the samples from heat exchanges other than with Sun and deep space, thanks to its thermal design and the chosen attitude profil

Factores de innovación en las plataformas digitales E-commerce para la satisfacción de los consumidores en el mercado piurano - 2022

La investigación titulada Factores de innovación de las plataformas digitales ecommerce para la satisfacción de los consumidores en el mercado piurano, 2022, se desarrolló a través de la problemática planteada, en la que el objetivo general fue, determinar el nivel de los factores de innovación en las plataformas digitales ecommerce para la satisfacción de los consumidores en el mercado piurano, 2022, la muestra fue de 202 personas de 20 a 45 años, la técnica fue la encuesta, el instrumento de recolección de datos fue el cuestionario que consta de 12 preguntas, la investigación fue de enfoque cuantitativo, de nivel descriptivo y con un diseño no experimental de corte transversal. Con respecto a los resultados que se obtuvieron, demostraron que hay un grado alto de satisfacción por parte de los consumidores y pequeños empresarios, ya que los consumidores se sienten satisfechos por los productos que hay en las plataformas digitales e-commerce. En conclusión, los consumidores consideraron que los factores de innovación son de nivel alto equivalente al 100%, donde fueron indispensables para la innovación ya que esto genera un crecimiento en las plataformas digitales e-commerce para la satisfacción de los consumidores en el mercado piurano, 2022

Percepción del Personal de la Municipalidad Distrital de Yanahuara Respecto al Clima Laboral. Arequipa, 2016

El presente trabajo de investigación fue titulado como “PERCEPCIÓN DEL PERSONAL DE LA MUNICIPALIDAD DISTRITAL DE YANAHUARA RESPECTO AL CLIMA LABORAL. AREQUIPA, 2016” Se realizó formulando como objetivos, conocer la percepción del personal de la Municipalidad Distrital de Yanahuara respecto al clima laboral, identificar la opinión del personal sobre los métodos de mando, conocer la percepción sobre la comunicación dentro de la institución, detectar la importancia que le presta la institución a la motivación del personal, precisar la relevancia en la toma de decisiones, detectar como es percibido el trabajo en equipo en la municipalidad e identificar la opinión sobre las características del espacio físico dentro de la institución edil. Utilizando el método científico se empleó como técnica la encuesta, y como instrumento de recolección de datos un cuestionario. El universo estuvo conformado por 324 trabajadores y la muestra estuvo calculada considerando el 5% de margen de error y 95% de nivel de confianza, lo que equivale a 202 trabajadores, a quienes se aplicó el cuestionario. Entre las conclusiones encontramos que la opinión del personal sobre los métodos de mando que utiliza la Municipalidad Distrital de Yanahuara es variada, mostrándose desfavorable en la mayoría de aspectos, tales como el comportamiento del jefe con sus subordinados, quien exhibe poca flexibilidad y tolerancia, y brinda un nivel medio de confianza a sus trabajadores; asimismo está dividida en al nivel de exigencia, y por último es favorable sólo respecto al estilo de liderazgo. Asimismo, esta institución edil no le ha dado la misma importancia a todos los componentes motivacionales del trabajador, ya que se ha preocupado por su identificación con la institución y la equivalencia entre trabajo y sueldos/salarios, pero ha descuidado los reconocimientos y ofrecimiento de oportunidades de carrera del personal. El personal percibe una comunicación interna accesible, suficiente, oportuna que utiliza tanto medios tradicionales como electrónicos; pero con problemas en la comunicación informal, los flujos de comunicación vertical y el incumplimiento adecuado de su objetivo integrador. La relevancia que tiene el personal en la toma de decisiones en su área de trabajo se limita con la presencia de centralización y carencia de autonomía, pues a pesar de otorgar iniciativa y participación al trabajador, éstas no son tomadas en cuenta dentro de la institución. Por otra parte, en la Municipalidad a pesar que existe satisfacción del trabajador con el trabajo en equipo, no se valora su utilidad para el alcance de metas, generándose problemas de competitividad y compromiso institucional. Se ha cuidado la ambientación y asignación de mobiliario de trabajo, pero se ha descuidado la funcionalidad del espacio de las diferentes áreas; así como el estado de las herramientas, material y equipos de oficina. Finalmente, podemos afirmar que en líneas generales la percepción del personal de la Municipalidad Distrital de Yanahuara respecto al clima laboral es parcialmente positiva. Se presentan las sugerencias planteadas en base a la problemática detectada, así como los respectivos anexos. Palabras Claves: Clima Laboral, Municipalidad, Percepcion, Persona

Nitric Oxide-Releasing Nanoparticles Prevent Propionibacterium acnes-Induced Inflammation by Both Clearing the Organism and Inhibiting Microbial Stimulation of the Innate Immune Response.

Propionibacterium acnes induction of IL-1 cytokines through the NLRP3 (NLR, nucleotide oligomerization domain-like receptor) inflammasome was recently highlighted as a dominant etiological factor for acne vulgaris. Therefore, therapeutics targeting both the stimulus and the cascade would be ideal. Nitric oxide (NO), a potent biological messenger, has documented broad-spectrum antimicrobial and immunomodulatory properties. To harness these characteristics to target acne, we used an established nanotechnology capable of generating/releasing NO over time (NO-np). P. acnes was found to be highly sensitive to all concentrations of NO-np tested, although human keratinocyte, monocyte, and embryonic zebra fish assays revealed no cytotoxicity. NO-np significantly suppressed IL-1β, tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), IL-8, and IL-6 from human monocytes, and IL-8 and IL-6 from human keratinocytes, respectively. Importantly, silencing of NLRP3 expression by small interfering RNA did not limit NO-np inhibition of IL-1 β secretion from monocytes, and neither TNF-α nor IL-6 secretion, nor inhibition by NO-np was found to be dependent on this pathway. The observed mechanism by which NO-np impacts IL-1β secretion was through inhibition of caspase-1 and IL-1β gene expression. Together, these data suggest that NO-np can effectively prevent P. acnes-induced inflammation by both clearing the organism and inhibiting microbial stimulation of the innate immune response

Prospective Follow-up of Adolescents with and at Risk for Depression::Protocol and Methods of the Identifying Depression Early in Adolescence Risk Stratified Cohort (IDEA-RiSCo) Longitudinal Assessments

Objective: To present the protocol and methods for the prospective longitudinal assessments — including clinical and digital phenotyping approaches — of the Identifying Depression Early in Adolescence Risk Stratified Cohort (IDEA-RiSCo) study, which comprises Brazilian adolescents stratified at baseline by risk of developing depression or presence of depression. Method: Of 7,720 screened adolescents aged 14-16, we recruited 150 participants (75 boys, 75 girls) based on a composite risk score: 50 with low risk for developing depression (LR), 50 with high risk for developing depression (HR), and 50 with an active untreated major depressive episode (MDD). Three annual follow-up assessments were conducted, involving clinical measures (parent and adolescent-reported questionnaires and psychiatrist assessments), active and passive data sensing via smartphones, and neurobiological measures (neuroimaging and biological material samples). Retention rates were 96% (Wave 1), 94% (Wave 2), and 88% (Wave 3), with no significant differences by sex or group (p &gt; 0.05). Participants highlighted their familiarity with the research team and assessment process as a motivator for sustained engagement.Discussion: This protocol relied on novel aspects, such as the use of a WhatsApp bot, which is particularly pertinent for low-to-middle-income countries, and the collection of information from diverse sources in a longitudinal design, encompassing clinical data, self-reports, parental reports, GPS data, and ecological momentary assessments. The study engaged adolescents over an extensive period and demonstrated the feasibility of conducting a prospective follow-up study with a risk-enriched cohort of adolescents in a middle-income country, integrating mobile technology with traditional methodologies to enhance longitudinal data collection. <br/

Genome sequencing reveals Zika virus diversity and spread in the Americas

Although the recent Zika virus (ZIKV) epidemic in the Americas and its link to birth defects have attracted a great deal of attention, much remains unknown about ZIKV disease epidemiology and ZIKV evolution, in part owing to a lack of genomic data. Here we address this gap in knowledge by using multiple sequencing approaches to generate 110 ZIKV genomes from clinical and mosquito samples from 10 countries and territories, greatly expanding the observed viral genetic diversity from this outbreak. We analysed the timing and patterns of introductions into distinct geographic regions; our phylogenetic evidence suggests rapid expansion of the outbreak in Brazil and multiple introductions of outbreak strains into Puerto Rico, Honduras, Colombia, other Caribbean islands, and the continental United States. We find that ZIKV circulated undetected in multiple regions for many months before the first locally transmitted cases were confirmed, highlighting the importance of surveillance of viral infections. We identify mutations with possible functional implications for ZIKV biology and pathogenesis, as well as those that might be relevant to the effectiveness of diagnostic tests

Advancing schizophrenia drug discovery : optimizing rodent models to bridge the translational gap

Although our knowledge of the pathophysiology of schizophrenia has increased, treatments for this devastating illness remain inadequate. Here, we critically assess rodent models and behavioural end points used in schizophrenia drug discovery and discuss why these have not led to improved treatments. We provide a perspective on how new models, based on recent advances in the understanding of the genetics and neural circuitry underlying schizophrenia, can bridge the translational gap and lead to the development of more effective drugs. We conclude that previous serendipitous approaches should be replaced with rational strategies for drug discovery in integrated preclinical and clinical programmes. Validation of drug targets in disease-based models that are integrated with translationally relevant end point assessments will reduce the current attrition rate in schizophrenia drug discovery and ultimately lead to therapies that tackle the disease process