Hiperplasia prostática benigna gigante: reporte de un caso

La hiperplasia prostática benigna una entidad compleja aún no bien definida. Está caracterizada comúnmente como un aumento del volumen de la glándula prostática que ocasiona una obstrucción al flujo de orina en el tracto urinario inferior; lo que es potencialmente subsanable con la resección quirúrgica de la porción glandular redundante. Una variedad de esta patología lo constituye la hiperplasia prostática benigna gigante, definida como aquellas con un peso mayor de 200g, según algunos autores; o mayor de 500g, según otros. En total, hasta la fecha, son 18 las hiperplasias prostáticas benignas gigantes mayores a 500g en la literatura y nuestro caso, con 530g, ocupa el puesto 15. El caso corresponde al Servicio de Urología del Hospital Militar Central de Asunción, Paraguay

HYDROLOGICAL VARIABILITY IN WESTERN TROPICAL SOUTH AMERICA: CLIMATIC DRIVERS, MODEL SIMULATION, AND SUBSEASONAL FORECAST.

Western Tropical South America (WTSA) is a bioclimatic and topographic diverse region whose socio-economic development heavily depends on rainfall variability. Given this vulnerability, there is a significant need for more detailed studies of climate variability and predictability in this region. For this reason, this thesis aims to examine the possible drivers of subsesonal to subsesonal (S2S) rainfall variability in WTSA and to implement a modeling framework for an S2S hydrological prediction for the region. The thesis consists of four specific inquiries: (1) diagnostic investigation of atmospheric mechanisms associated with subsesonal precipitation variability; (2) development and implementation of a customized land surface model (Noah-MP) for hydrological simulation; (3) quantification of the sensitivity of hydrological simulations with the modeling system developed in (2), with a focus on vegetation parameterization; and (4) the development and evaluation of a hydrological sub-seasonal to seasonal hindcast system (S2S-HSF) which is based on (2) and (3). In the first investigation, we look specifically at the temporal and spatial evolution of Madden-Julian Oscillation (MJO) and the Rossby and Kelvin wave dynamics. We find that the migration of the MJO convective core is the main driver of rainfall variability across WTSA. In the second study we find that satellite-derived rainfall products offer reasonably reliable performance to support hydrological simulation, while hydrological simulation of runoff, soil moisture, and evapotranspiration vary across WTSA. In the third, we establish significant discrepancies in the representation of vegetation across different input datasets and parameterizations. Yet, simulated hydrological surface fluxes across are not significantly impacted by the representation of the vegetation on the model. Finally, in the fourth, we observe that S2S-HSF has a good skill performance for up to one month for meteorological fields, with longer skill horizons for hydrological variables such as soil moisture and evapotranspiration that benefit from persistent influence of initial conditions alongside meteorological forecasts. The work in this dissertation provides better understanding of tropical modes of seasonal-to-seasonal predictability and contributes to S2S hydrological systems that can aid in future development of operational hydrological S2S models for rainfall, evapotranspiration, and runoff to support early warnings systems in WTSA

Nikolai Luzin and the problem of existence in mathematics

This paper presents excerpts of the discussion about the problem of existence for functions in each one of Baire’ s classes. First, it sets up the historical problem, introducing four existential categories, and then it shows Luzin’ s position and reframes it in terms of Cavaillès and Gardies’ theory of thematization. MSC2010: 00A30, 26A21, 03E15

Executive functions and their relationship with intellectual capacity and age in schoolchildren with intellectual disability

Background: There is certain empirical evidence of, on the one hand, a positive correlation between executive functions (EFs) and intelligence in people with intellectual disability (ID) and, on the other hand, a slower rate of development of EFs in these people relative to people without ID. This evidence is not, however, unequivocal, and further studies are required. Methods: We analysed the relationship between development of EFs and both age and intellectual capacity, in a sample of 106 students with either ID or borderline intellectual functioning (BIF) at a special education centre [63 boys and 43 girls, 11-18 years old, mean total intelligence quotient (TIQ) of 59.6]. We applied nine instruments to evaluate both neuropsychological development (working memory, inhibitory control, cognitive flexibility, planning, processing speed and verbal fluency) and behavioural development [teachers' perceptions of the EFs of their students by Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function - Second Edition (BRIEF-2) School]. ID and BIF groups were statistically compared in terms of mean performance measures in EF tests. We looked at the correlation between EFs and age, and correlations between EFs and intelligence: TIQ, fluid intelligence [measured by the perceptual reasoning (PR) sub-index of Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-IV (WISC-IV)] and crystallised intelligence (measured by the verbal comprehension (VC) sub-index of WISC-IV). Regression models were built for variables with strong correlation. Results: In most of the tests used to evaluate EFs, the ID subgroup performed significantly worse than the subgroup with BIF. In general, teachers' thought that participants had 'medium-low' levels of EFs. TIQ, by WISC-IV scale, correlated significantly with scores in all tests for all EFs. The PR sub-index correlated significantly with 14 of the tests for EFs; 35% of the variation in PR can be explained by variation in performance in Picture Span (working memory) and Mazes (planning). The VC sub-index correlated weakly with seven of the EF tests. We found significant correlations in the ID group between age and scores in all tests of working memory and inhibitory control. Age - considering all participants - did not correlate with any of the variables of teachers' perception except for working memory, and this correlation was not strong. Conclusions: The results of our study are consistent with descriptions of the typical population: (1) fluid intelligence is more related to EFs than crystallised intelligence is; and (2) working memory capacity is the EF most strongly related with general, fluid and crystallised forms of intelligence. The results suggest that as children and adolescents with ID/BIF get older, their capacities for working memory and inhibitory control increase; development of the other EFs studied was less evident. Teachers' perceptions of the EFs of children with ID or BIF were independent of intellectual capacity and age. More research is needed to delve further into the development of EFs in people with ID/BIF

System identification and nonlinear model predictive control with collision avoidance applied in Hexacopters UAVs

Accurate trajectory tracking is a critical property of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) due to system nonlinearities, under-actuated properties and constraints. Specifically, the use of unmanned rotorcrafts with accuracy trajectory tracking controllers in dynamic environments has the potential to improve the fields of environment monitoring, safety, search and rescue, border surveillance, geology and mining, agriculture industry, and traffic control. Monitoring operations in dynamic environments produce significant complications with respect to accuracy and obstacles in the surrounding environment and, in many cases, it is difficult to perform even with state-of-the-art controllers. This work presents a nonlinear model predictive control (NMPC) with collision avoidance for hexacopters’ trajectory tracking in dynamic environments, as well as shows a comparative study between the accuracies of the Euler–Lagrange formulation and the dynamic mode decomposition (DMD) models in order to find the precise representation of the system dynamics. The proposed controller includes limits on the maneuverability velocities, system dynamics, obstacles and the tracking error in the optimization control problem (OCP). In order to show the good performance of this control proposal, computational simulations and real experiments were carried out using a six rotary-wind unmanned aerial vehicle (hexacopter—DJI MATRICE 600). The experimental results prove the good performance of the predictive scheme and its ability to regenerate the optimal control policy. Simulation results expand the proposed controller in simulating highly dynamic environments that showing the scalability of the controller

Non-song vocalizations of pygmy blue whales in Geographe Bay, Western Australia.

Non-song vocalizations of migrating pygmy blue whales (Balaenoptera musculus brevicauda) in Western Australia are described. Simultaneous land-based visual observations and underwater acoustic recordings detected 27 groups in Geographe Bay, WA over 2011 to 2012. Six different vocalizations were recorded that were not repeated in a pattern or in association with song, and thus were identified as non-song vocalizations. Five of these were not previously described for this population. Their acoustic characteristics and context are presented. Given that 56% of groups vocalized, 86% of which produced non-song vocalizations and 14% song units, the inclusion of non-song vocalizations in passive-acoustic monitoring is proposed

Defective chaperone-mediated autophagy is a hallmark of joint disease in patients with knee osteoarthritis

[Abstract] Objective: Defects in autophagy contribute to joint aging and Osteoarthritis (OA). Identifying specific autophagy types could be useful for developing novel treatments for OA. Design: An autophagy-related gene array was performed in blood from non-OA and knee OA subjects from the Prospective Cohort of A Coruña (PROCOAC). The differential expression of candidate genes was confirmed in blood and knee cartilage and a regression analysis was performed adjusting for age and BMI. HSP90A, a chaperone mediated autophagy (CMA) marker was validated in human knee joint tissues, as well as, in mice with aging-related and surgically-induced OA. The consequences of HSP90AA1 deficiency were evaluated on OA pathogenesis. Finally, the contribution of CMA to homeostasis was studied by assessing the capacity to restore proteostasis upon ATG5-mediated macroautophagy deficiency and genetic HSP90AA1 overexpression. Results: 16 autophagy-related genes were significantly down-regulated in blood from knee OA subjects. Validation studies showed that HSP90AA1 was down-regulated in blood and human OA cartilage and correlated with risk incidence of OA. Moreover, HSP90A was reduced in human OA joints tissues and with aging and OA in mice. HSP90AA1 knockdown was linked to defective macroautophagy, inflammation, oxidative stress, senescence and apoptosis. However, macroautophagy deficiency increased CMA, highlighting the CMA-macroautophagy crosstalk. Remarkably, CMA activation was sufficient to protect chondrocytes from damage. Conclusions: We show that HSP90A is a key chaperone for chondrocyte homeostasis, while defective CMA contributes to joint damage. We propose that CMA deficiency is a relevant disease mechanism and could represent a therapeutic target for OA.Instituto de Salud Carlos III; PI17/02059Instituto de Salud Carlos III; PI20/0064