Carbon nanotube filters for removal of air pollutants from mobile sources

The aim of this work was the assessment of the removal of air pollutants from mobile sources by commercial carbon nanotubes (CNTs). For this, the nanomaterial was characterized by different techniques: SEM, EDS, TEM, XRD, BET, and Raman. Subsequently, the CNTs were packed in a stainless steel filters which was designed from different prototypes that were developed during the investigation.The aim of this work was the assessment of the removal of air pollutants from mobile sources by commercial carbon nanotubes (CNTs). For this, the nanomaterial was characterized by different techniques: SEM, EDS, TEM, XRD, BET, and Raman. Subsequently, the CNTs were packed in a stainless steel filters which was designed from different prototypes that were developed during the investigation

ESTUDIO CLÍNICO Y ELECTROFORÉTICO DE LA LEISHMANIASIS TEGUMENTARIA EN CAVIDAD ORAL EN ZONA ENDÉMICA DEL VALLE DE LA CONVENCIÓN, CUSCO

The work was accomplished in Convention Valley in Cuzco, a community home for field workers called Prodein-Union Lumen Dei and in Quillabamba, in the villages of Maranura, the stopping places of Alto Curibiñe, Chaco y Quetene. Thirty leishmaniásicos cases were studied with vegetating lesions on the palate and thirty control cases. In the vegetative lesion cases with pockets deeper than 5 millimeters, forming "mamelons or moluscos carnosos" which, after the end of the specific treatment, sclerotic scars were left on the palate that hindered swallowing and talking 46.7 % or fourteen cases were found to be serious with this condition. In the electrophoretic study with non-hemolized frozen saline agreed with the histopathalogic study that there was a dropped 30% a 40% in the inmunoglobulins IgA, IgG, and IgM, which hninder the formation of glucosaminoglycogens. The purpose of the work, by means of clinical, histopathologic, and electrophoretic studies, is to apply a proper therapeutic method that contains a larger portion of inmunoglobulin type proteins 60 % a 70 % and at the same time a nutrient that will allow formation on glucosaminoglycogens arriving to correct the sclerotic scaring of the palate.El trabajo se realizó en el Valle de la Convención en el Cusco, en la Casa Hogar del Campesino PRODEIN-UNIÓN LUMEN DEI y en Quillabamba, en los caseríos de Maranura, Estación Alto Curibiñe, Estación del Chaco y Quetene. Se investigaron 30 casos leishmaniásicos con lesión vegetante en paladar y 30 casos de control. En la mayoría de casos se halló lesión vegetante con surcos profundos de más de 5 mm, formando "mamelones o moluscos carnosos" que al término del tratamiento específico dejaron cicatrices esclerosantes en el paladar que impedían deglutir y hablar; en estos casos graves se encontraron 14 casos, 46,7 %. La investigación electroforética con suero no hemolizado y congelado concordó con el estudio histopatológico, se presentó baja 30 % a 40 %, de inmunoglobulinas IgA, IgG y IgM que impiden la formación de glucosaminoglucanos. El propósito del trabajo es que, por los estudios clínicos, histopatológicos y electroforéticos, se logre aplicar un medio terapéutico indicado que contenga un mayor incremento de proteínas 60 % a 70 % en la variedad de inmunoglobulinas IgA, IgG y IgM y a la vez un nutriente, para que se formen glucosaminoglucanos llegando a corregir las cicatrices esclerosantes del paladar

Evaluation of an integrated system for classification, assessment and comparison of services for long-term care in Europe: the eDESDE-LTC study

The harmonization of European health systems brings with it a need for tools to allow the standardized collection of information about medical care. A common coding system and standards for the description of services are needed to allow local data to be incorporated into evidence-informed policy, and to permit equity and mobility to be assessed. The aim of this project has been to design such a classification and a related tool for the coding of services for Long Term Care (DESDE-LTC), based on the European Service Mapping Schedule (ESMS). Methods. The development of DESDE-LTC followed an iterative process using nominal groups in 6 European countries. 54 researchers and stakeholders in health and social services contributed to this process. In order to classify services, we use the minimal organization unit or "Basic Stable Input of Care" (BSIC), coded by its principal function or "Main Type of Care" (MTC). The evaluation of the tool included an analysis of feasibility, consistency, ontology, inter-rater reliability, Boolean Factor Analysis, and a preliminary impact analysis (screening, scoping and appraisal). Results: DESDE-LTC includes an alpha-numerical coding system, a glossary and an assessment instrument for mapping and counting LTC. It shows high feasibility, consistency, inter-rater reliability and face, content and construct validity. DESDE-LTC is ontologically consistent. It is regarded by experts as useful and relevant for evidence-informed decision making. Conclusion: DESDE-LTC contributes to establishing a common terminology, taxonomy and coding of LTC services in a European context, and a standard procedure for data collection and international comparison

Standardised description of health and social care:A systematic review of use of the ESMS/DESDE (European Service Mapping Schedule/Description and Evaluation of Services and DirectoriEs)

Background: Evidence-informed planning and interpretation of research results both require standardised description of local care delivery context. Such context analysis descriptions should be comparable across regions and countries to allow benchmarking and organizational learning, and for research findings to be interpreted in context. The European Service Mapping Schedule (ESMS) is a classification of adult mental health services that was later adapted for the assessment of health and social systems research (Description and Evaluation of Services and DirectoriEs - DESDE). The aim of the study was to review the diffusion and use of the ESMS/DESDE system in health and social care and its impact in health policy and decision-making. Method: We conducted a systematic review following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines (1997–2018). Results: Out of 155 papers mentioning ESMS/DESDE, 71 have used it for service research and planning. The classification has been translated into eight languages and has been used by seven international research networks. Since 2000, it has originated 11 instruments for health system research with extensive analysis of their metric properties. The ESMS/DESDE coding system has been used in 585 catchment areas in 34 countries for description of services delivery at local, regional and national levels. Conclusions: The ESMS/DESDE system provides a common terminology, a classification of care services, and a set of tools allowing a variety of aims to be addressed in healthcare and health systems research. It facilitates comparisons across and within countries for evidence-informed plannin

Role of vascular mechanisms involved in the acute gastric mucosal injury induced by droxicam and piroxicam in rats

We describe the formation of severe gastric erosions produced in fasted rats by intragastric administration of droxicam and its active species piroxicam, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs of the oxicam group. The time course of gastric damage and the possible role of mucus secretion, changes of gastric vascular permeability, and neutrophil activation in the development of droxicam- and piroxicam-induced astric lesions, were also investigated. Both drugs dose-dependently (1-25-20 mg kg - ) caused acute gastric haemorrhagic erosions in the rat. These lesions were significantly greater with piroxicam treatment 6 h after dosing. Only the lower doses of droxicam and piroxicam (1.25 mg kg-') induced a significant increase of mucus gel production at different times (3 and 6 h). However, there was no increase in the concentration of its components. Oral pretreatment of the animals with either agent did not induce any changes on the values of mucosal vascular permeability. In contrast, myeloperoxidase activity as an index of neutrophil infiltration was significantly increased. A marked relationship was found between the lesion index and myeloperoxidase activity. These results suggest that neutrophil infiltration could play an important role in the pathogenesis of gastric mucosal injury induced by these oxicam agent

Sublittoral soft bottom communities and diversity of Mejillones Bay in northern Chile (Humboldt Current upwelling system)

The macrozoobenthos of Mejillones Bay (23°S; Humboldt Current) was quantitatively investigated over a 7-year period from austral summer 1995/1996 to winter 2002. About 78 van Veen grab samples taken at six stations (5, 10, 20 m depth) provided the basis for the analysis of the distribution of 60 species and 28 families of benthic invertebrates, as well as of their abundance and biomass. Mean abundance (2,119 individuals m-2) was in the same order compared to a previous investigation; mean biomass (966 g formalin wet mass m-2), however, exceeded prior estimations mainly due to the dominance of the bivalve Aulacomya ater. About 43% of the taxa inhabited the complete depth range. Mean taxonomic Shannon diversity (H', Log e) was 1.54 ± 0.58 with a maximum at 20 m (1.95 ± 0.33); evenness increased with depth. The fauna was numerically dominated by carnivorous gastropods, polychaetes and crustaceans (48%). About 15% of the species were suspensivorous, 13% sedimentivorous, 11% detritivorous, 7% omnivorous and 6% herbivorous. Cluster analyses showed a significant difference between the shallow and the deeper stations. Gammarid amphipods and the polychaete family Nephtyidae characterized the 5-mzone, the molluscs Aulacomya ater, Mitrella unifasciata and gammarids the intermediate zone, while the gastropod Nassarius gayi and the polychaete family Nereidae were most prominent at the deeper stations. The communities of the three depth zones did not appear to be limited by hypoxia during non-El Niño conditions. Therefore, no typical change in community structure occurred during El Niño 1997–1998, in contrast to what was observed for deeper faunal assemblages and hypoxic bays elsewhere in the coastal Humboldt Current system

Gas monitoring methodology and application to CCS projects as defined by atmospheric and remote sensing survey in the natural analogue of Campo de Calatrava

CO2 capture and storage (CCS) projects are presently developed to reduce the emission of anthropogenic CO2 into the atmosphere. CCS technologies are expected to account for the 20% of the CO2 reduction by 2050. Geophysical, ground deformation and geochemical monitoring have been carried out to detect potential leakage, and, in the event that this occurs, identify and quantify it. This monitoring needs to be developed prior, during and after the injection stage. For a correct interpretation and quantification of the leakage, it is essential to establish a pre-injection characterization (baseline) of the area affected by the CO2 storage at reservoir level as well as at shallow depth, surface and atmosphere, via soil gas measurements. Therefore, the methodological approach is important because it can affect the spatial and temporal variability of this flux and even jeopardize the total value of CO2 in a given area. In this sense, measurements of CO2 flux were done using portable infrared analyzers (i.e., accumulation chambers) adapted to monitoring the geological storage of CO2, and other measurements of trace gases, e.g. radon isotopes and remote sensing imagery were tested in the natural analogue of Campo de Calatrava (Ciudad Real, Spain) with the aim to apply in CO2 leakage detection; thus, observing a high correlation between CO2 and radon (r=0,858) and detecting some vegetation indices that may be successfully applied for the leakage detection

A Semiautomated Classification System for Producing Service Directories in Social and Health Care (DESDE-AND): Maturity Assessment Study

Background: DESDE-LTC (Description and Evaluation of Services and DirectoriEs for Long-Term Care) is an international classification system that allows standardized coding and comparisons between different territories and care sectors, such as health and social care, in defined geographic areas. We adapted DESDE-LTC into a computer tool (DESDE-AND) for compiling a directory of care services in Andalucia, Spain. Objective: The aim of this study was to evaluate the maturity of DESDE-AND. A secondary objective of this study is to show the practicality of a new combined set of standard evaluation tools for measuring the maturity of health technology products. Methods: A system for semiautomated coding of service provision has been co-designed. A panel of 23 domain experts and a group of 68 end users participated in its maturity assessment that included its technology readiness level (TRL), usability, validity, adoption (Adoption Impact Ladder [AIL]), and overall degree of maturity [implementation maturity model [IMM]). We piloted the prototype in an urban environment (Seville, Spain). Results: The prototype was demonstrated in an operational environment (TRL 7). Sixty-eight different care services were coded, generating fact sheets for each service and its geolocation map. The observed agreement was 90%, with moderate reliability. The tool was partially adopted by the regional government of Andalucia (Spain), reaching a level 5 in adoption (AIL) and a level 4 in maturity (IMM) and is ready for full implementation. Conclusions: DESDE-AND is a usable and manageable system for coding and compiling service directories and it can be used as a core module of decision support systems to guide planning in complex cross-sectoral areas such as combined social and health care

COVID-19 in hospitalized HIV-positive and HIV-negative patients: A matched study

Objectives: We compared the characteristics and clinical outcomes of hospitalized individuals with COVID-19 with [people with HIV (PWH)] and without (non-PWH) HIV co-infection in Spain during the first wave of the pandemic. Methods: This was a retrospective matched cohort study. People with HIV were identified by reviewing clinical records and laboratory registries of 10 922 patients in active-follow-up within the Spanish HIV Research Network (CoRIS) up to 30 June 2020. Each hospitalized PWH was matched with five non-PWH of the same age and sex randomly selected from COVID-19@Spain, a multicentre cohort of 4035 patients hospitalized with confirmed COVID-19. The main outcome was all-cause in-hospital mortality. Results: Forty-five PWH with PCR-confirmed COVID-19 were identified in CoRIS, 21 of whom were hospitalized. A total of 105 age/sex-matched controls were selected from the COVID-19@Spain cohort. The median age in both groups was 53 (Q1-Q3, 46-56) years, and 90.5% were men. In PWH, 19.1% were injecting drug users, 95.2% were on antiretroviral therapy, 94.4% had HIV-RNA < 50 copies/mL, and the median (Q1-Q3) CD4 count was 595 (349-798) cells/μL. No statistically significant differences were found between PWH and non-PWH in number of comorbidities, presenting signs and symptoms, laboratory parameters, radiology findings and severity scores on admission. Corticosteroids were administered to 33.3% and 27.4% of PWH and non-PWH, respectively (P = 0.580). Deaths during admission were documented in two (9.5%) PWH and 12 (11.4%) non-PWH (P = 0.800). Conclusions: Our findings suggest that well-controlled HIV infection does not modify the clinical presentation or worsen clinical outcomes of COVID-19 hospitalization.This work was supported by the Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCII) (grant no. COV20/00108) and the Spanish AIDS Research Network (RD16/0025), which is included in the Spanish I+D+I Plan and is co- funded by ISCIII- Subdirección General de Evaluación and European Funding for Regional Development (FEDER)S