Comparative study of tall building response to synoptic and non-synoptic wind action

Until the beginning of the 21st Century, the characteristics of wind for purposes of structural analysis and design, as reflected in wind codes worldwide, were based on the behavior of wind currents in the vicinity of the ground surface observed in so-called synoptic events. It was only recently recognized that the latter are not the only cause of wind damage to buildings and structures, not even its main cause. In view of the absence of any reference to non-synoptic winds in most South American wind codes, their urgent revision to include the effects on non-synoptic winds is badly needed. The downburst is a relevant meteorological phenomenon that causes extreme winds in the lower atmospheric boundary layer. The present article briefly describes an introduction to an simplified approach recently proposed by the second author to describe the wind velocity field in this type of meteorological phenomenon, that is, downbursts within instability lines. The method is examined by a comparative study of tall building response to synoptic and non-synoptic wind action

Probabilistic assessment of the seismic Peak Ground Acceleration (PGA) at seven Colombian cities

This paper presents a probabilistic assessment of peak ground acceleration (PGA) observations at seven Colombian cities located in regions with intermediate and high seismic activity. Frequency histograms of the annual exceedance rates were determined using historical data of the annual rate of exceedance for pre-established values of PGA. After determining distribution parameters by means of the method of moments, several probability density functions were examined in order to evaluate the performance of each function. In most sites, the maximum annual PGA appears to be best modeled by a lognormal distribution, which led to its adoption as parent distribution for the entire group of cities. Once the lognormal function is selected as parent distribution, series of PGA values for arbitrary periods of time may be generated through random simulation. Next, series of maximum values in fifty years of observation were simulated for the seven cities, assuming a Lognormal parent distribution. Analytical solutions for extreme values of different sample sizes of lognormal random variables are not known to the authors. However, since extreme values for large samples of lognormal random variables tend asymptotically to a Type I (Gumbel) probability distribution, the latter was adopted as a possible model for the 50 years PGA distributions suggested in the paper for several Colombian cities, as a useful tool for engineering design, whenever the PGA is regarded as an appropriate seismic intensity measure

Solución informática de acceso ciudadano, para el registro de la ubicación de baches en la ciudad de Quito DM, utilizando comandos de voz y geolocalización

La problemática planteada es la presencia de baches en las vías del Distrito Metropolitano de Quito, siendo esta una de las causas del malestar en la ciudadanía ya que estos provocan accidentes, muertes, congestiones de tránsito, ausentismo y atrasos en los lugares de trabajo, así como también daños vehiculares, tal como menciona un artículo del Diario El Comercio. (COMERCIO, 2017) Este proyecto se ha propuesto para brindar una solución informática mediante la cual se realizará un registro de la ubicación de baches, utilizando un comando de voz y geolocalización, esta información será generada por cada uno de los usuarios. El documento presente se compone de la definición de la problemática, los objetivos, marco metodológico, marco teórico, la descripción del análisis y diseño, y la construcción de las dos aplicaciones con sus respectivas pruebas además de conclusiones y recomendaciones, mismo que se encuentra conformado por un aplicativo móvil que funciona con un sistema operativo Android que al detectar el comando de voz puede registrar la ubicación del bache, misma que podrá ser vista por todos los usuarios (conductores y transeúntes) en la página web. Con este proyecto se pretende ofrecer una ayuda al usuario para que los vehículos no caigan en agujeros, prevenir accidentes y otro tipo de peligros que podrían causar los baches.The problem raised is the presence of potholes in the roads of the Metropolitan District of Quito, this being one of the causes of the discomfort in the citizenry since these cause accidents, deaths, traffic congestion, absenteeism and delays in the workplace, as well as well as vehicular damage, as mentioned in an article in the El Comercio newspaper. (COMERCIO, 2017) This project has been proposed to provide a computer solution through which a record of the location of potholes will be made, using a voice command and geolocation, this information will be generated by each of the users. The present document is made up of the definition of the problem, the objectives, the methodological framework, the theoretical framework, the description of the analysis and design, and the construction of the two applications with their respective tests, as well as conclusions and recommendations, which is made up by a mobile application that works with an Android operating system that when detecting the voice command can register the location of the pothole, which can be seen by all users (drivers and passers-by) on the website. This project aims to offer help to the user so that vehicles do not fall into holes, prevent accidents and other types of dangers that potholes could cause

HIV-Infected Subjects With Poor CD4 T-Cell Recovery Despite Effective Therapy Express High Levels of OX40 and α4β7 on CD4 T-Cells Prior Therapy Initiation

Background HIV-infected subjects with suboptimal CD4 restoration despite suppressive combined antiretroviral treatment (cART) (immunodiscordant subjects) have been classically characterized after a variable period of time under cART. Recently, we have reported that an increased frequency of proliferating CD4 T-cells in these subjects is already present before the cART onset. The potential contribution of peripheral compensatory homeostatic proliferation (HP) is yet unknown. We aimed to analyze the expression of HP-related cellular markers on CD4 T-cells of immunodiscordant subjects before cART. Go to: Methods We analyzed the expression of OX40 and α4β7 on peripheral CD4 T-cells from immunodiscordant and control subjects (n = 21 each group) before cART initiation, and also on available follow-up samples (after 24 month of suppressive cART). Additionally, we tested the expression of these markers in an in vitro system for the study of human HP processes. Go to: Results Immunodiscordant subjects showed increased levels of OX40 and α4β7 on CD4 T-cells before cART initiation. While the cART tended to reduce these levels, immunodiscordant subjects still maintained comparatively higher levels of OX40 and α4β7 after 24 months under suppressive cART. These HP-related markers were upregulated in vitro during the human HP, especially during the fast HP. Go to: Conclusion Our results are compatible with exacerbated HP processes in immunodiscordant subjects, already before the cART onset.Fondo de Investigación Sanitaria FIS PI14/01693 PI13/0796 PI16/0503Fondos Europeos para el Desarrollo Regional (FEDER) CTS2593Junta de Andalucía. Consejería de Economía, Innovación, Ciencia y Empleo CTS2593AGAUR 2017SGR948GILEAD GLD14/293The Spanish AIDS Research Network of Excellence RD12/0017/0029 RD16/0025/0019 RD16/0025/0006Junta de Andalucía. Consejería de Salud y Bienestar Social C-0013-201

Fooled by the cycle: Permanent versus cyclical improvements in social indicators

This paper studies the time series behavior of a set of widely-used social indicators and uncovers two important stylized facts. First, not all social indicators are created equal in terms of the importance of cyclical fluctuations. While some social indicators such as the unemployment rate and monetary poverty show large cyclical fluctuations, other social measures such as the Human Development Index are, by construction, dominated by long-run trends. Second, interestingly, yet not surprisingly, a large part of the cyclical fluctuations in social indicators can be explained by cyclical changes in income (proxied by real GDP per capita). For this reason, countries with large cyclical income volatility exhibit, in turn, large cyclical changes in some of these social indicators (particularly in those indicators that are more prone to cyclical fluctuations). Since cyclical income volatility is much larger in the developing world, these two critical stylized facts raise fundamental issues regarding the duration of improvements in social indicators (like the ones observed in many developing countries during the last commodity super-cycle). After a detailed conceptual and methodological discussion of these issues, and relying on a global sample of industrial and developing countries, we dig deeper into the importance of cyclical versus permanent components by extending the seminal contribution of Datt and Ravallion (1992). In particular, we show that more than 40 percent of the fall in monetary poverty observed in Latin America and the Caribbean during the so-called Golden Decade can be attributed to cyclical changes in income. While in principle universal, our concerns are particularly relevant in the developing world where, compared to developed countries, output volatility is larger and driven, to a large extent, by external factors (such as commodity prices)

HIV-Infected Subjects With Poor CD4 T-Cell Recovery Despite Effective Therapy Express High Levels of OX40 and α4β7 on CD4 T-Cells Prior Therapy Initiation

BackgroundHIV-infected subjects with suboptimal CD4 restoration despite suppressive combined antiretroviral treatment (cART) (immunodiscordant subjects) have been classically characterized after a variable period of time under cART. Recently, we have reported that an increased frequency of proliferating CD4 T-cells in these subjects is already present before the cART onset. The potential contribution of peripheral compensatory homeostatic proliferation (HP) is yet unknown. We aimed to analyze the expression of HP-related cellular markers on CD4 T-cells of immunodiscordant subjects before cART.MethodsWe analyzed the expression of OX40 and α4β7 on peripheral CD4 T-cells from immunodiscordant and control subjects (n = 21 each group) before cART initiation, and also on available follow-up samples (after 24 month of suppressive cART). Additionally, we tested the expression of these markers in an in vitro system for the study of human HP processes.ResultsImmunodiscordant subjects showed increased levels of OX40 and α4β7 on CD4 T-cells before cART initiation. While the cART tended to reduce these levels, immunodiscordant subjects still maintained comparatively higher levels of OX40 and α4β7 after 24 months under suppressive cART. These HP-related markers were upregulated in vitro during the human HP, especially during the fast HP.ConclusionOur results are compatible with exacerbated HP processes in immunodiscordant subjects, already before the cART onset

Strategies to reengage patients lost to follow up in HIV care in high income countries, a scoping review

Background: Despite remarkable achievements in antiretroviral therapy (ART), losses to follow-up (LTFU) might prevent the long-term success of HIV treatment and might delay the achievement of the 90-90-90 objectives. This scoping review is aimed at the description and analysis of the strategies used in high-income countries to reengage LTFU in HIV care, their implementation and impact. Methods: A scoping review was done following Arksey & O'Malley's methodological framework and recommendations from Joanna Briggs Institute. Peer reviewed articles were searched for in Pubmed, Scopus and Web of Science; and grey literature was searched for in Google and other sources of information. Documents were charted according to the information presented on LTFU, the reengagement procedures used in HIV units in high-income countries, published during the last 15 years. In addition, bibliographies of chosen articles were reviewed for additional articles. Results: Twenty-eight documents were finally included, over 80% of them published in the United States later than 2015. Database searches, phone calls and/or mail contacts were the most common strategies used to locate and track LTFU, while motivational interviews and strengths-based techniques were used most often during reengagement visits. Outcomes like tracing activities efficacy, rates of reengagement and viral load reduction were reported as outcome measures. Conclusions: This review shows a recent and growing trend in developing and implementing patient reengagement strategies in HIV care. However, most of these strategies have been implemented in the United States and little information is available for other high-income countries. The procedures used to trace and contact LTFU are similar across reviewed studies, but their impact and sustainability are widely different depending on the country studied

ECMO for COVID-19 patients in Europe and Israel

Since March 15th, 2020, 177 centres from Europe and Israel have joined the study, routinely reporting on the ECMO support they provide to COVID-19 patients. The mean annual number of cases treated with ECMO in the participating centres before the pandemic (2019) was 55. The number of COVID-19 patients has increased rapidly each week reaching 1531 treated patients as of September 14th. The greatest number of cases has been reported from France (n = 385), UK (n = 193), Germany (n = 176), Spain (n = 166), and Italy (n = 136) .The mean age of treated patients was 52.6 years (range 16–80), 79% were male. The ECMO configuration used was VV in 91% of cases, VA in 5% and other in 4%. The mean PaO2 before ECMO implantation was 65 mmHg. The mean duration of ECMO support thus far has been 18 days and the mean ICU length of stay of these patients was 33 days. As of the 14th September, overall 841 patients have been weaned from ECMO support, 601 died during ECMO support, 71 died after withdrawal of ECMO, 79 are still receiving ECMO support and for 10 patients status n.a. . Our preliminary data suggest that patients placed on ECMO with severe refractory respiratory or cardiac failure secondary to COVID-19 have a reasonable (55%) chance of survival. Further extensive data analysis is expected to provide invaluable information on the demographics, severity of illness, indications and different ECMO management strategies in these patients

Treatment with tocilizumab or corticosteroids for COVID-19 patients with hyperinflammatory state: a multicentre cohort study (SAM-COVID-19)

Objectives: The objective of this study was to estimate the association between tocilizumab or corticosteroids and the risk of intubation or death in patients with coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19) with a hyperinflammatory state according to clinical and laboratory parameters. Methods: A cohort study was performed in 60 Spanish hospitals including 778 patients with COVID-19 and clinical and laboratory data indicative of a hyperinflammatory state. Treatment was mainly with tocilizumab, an intermediate-high dose of corticosteroids (IHDC), a pulse dose of corticosteroids (PDC), combination therapy, or no treatment. Primary outcome was intubation or death; follow-up was 21 days. Propensity score-adjusted estimations using Cox regression (logistic regression if needed) were calculated. Propensity scores were used as confounders, matching variables and for the inverse probability of treatment weights (IPTWs). Results: In all, 88, 117, 78 and 151 patients treated with tocilizumab, IHDC, PDC, and combination therapy, respectively, were compared with 344 untreated patients. The primary endpoint occurred in 10 (11.4%), 27 (23.1%), 12 (15.4%), 40 (25.6%) and 69 (21.1%), respectively. The IPTW-based hazard ratios (odds ratio for combination therapy) for the primary endpoint were 0.32 (95%CI 0.22-0.47; p < 0.001) for tocilizumab, 0.82 (0.71-1.30; p 0.82) for IHDC, 0.61 (0.43-0.86; p 0.006) for PDC, and 1.17 (0.86-1.58; p 0.30) for combination therapy. Other applications of the propensity score provided similar results, but were not significant for PDC. Tocilizumab was also associated with lower hazard of death alone in IPTW analysis (0.07; 0.02-0.17; p < 0.001). Conclusions: Tocilizumab might be useful in COVID-19 patients with a hyperinflammatory state and should be prioritized for randomized trials in this situatio