Elbow extensor muscles in humans and chimpanzees: adaptations to different uses of the upper extremity in hominoid primates

The anatomical and functional characteristics of the elbow extensor muscles (triceps brachii and anconeus) have not been widely studied in non-human hominoid primates, despite their great functional importance. In the present study, we have analyzed the muscle architecture and the expression of the myosin heavy chain (MHC) isoforms in the elbow extensors in humans and chimpanzees. Our main objective was to identify differences in these muscles that could be related to the different uses of the upper extremity in the two species. In five humans and five chimpanzees, we have analyzed muscle mass (MM), muscle fascicle length (MFL), and the physiological cross-sectional area (PCSA). In addition, we have assessed the expression of the MHC isoforms by RT-PCR. We have found high MM and PCSA values and higher expression of the MHC-IIx isoform in the triceps brachii of chimpanzees, while in humans, the triceps brachii has high MFL values and a higher expression of the MHC-I and MHC-IIa isoforms. In contrast, there were no significant differences between humans and chimpanzees in any of the values for the anconeus. These findings could be related to the participation of the triceps brachii in the locomotion of chimpanzees and to the use of the upper extremity in manipulative functions in humans. The results obtained in the anconeus support its primary function as a stabilizer of the elbow joint in the two species

Meta-heuristic improvements applied for steel sheet incremental cold shaping

In previous studies, a wrapper feature selection method for decision support in steel sheet incremental cold shaping process (SSICS) was proposed. The problem included both regression and classification, while the learned models were neural networks and support vector machines, respectively. SSICS is the type of problem for which the number of features is similar to the number of instances in the data set, this represents many of real world decision support problems found in the industry. This study focuses on several questions and improvements that were left open, suggesting proposals for each of them. More specifically, this study evaluates the relevance of the different cross validation methods in the learned models, but also proposes several improvements such as allowing the number of chosen features as well as some of the parameters of the neural networks to evolve, accordingly. Well-known data sets have been use in this experimentation and an in-depth analysis of the experiment results is included. 5 × 2 CV has been found the more interesting cross validation method for this kind of problems. In addition, the adaptation of the number of features and, consequently, the model parameters really improves the performance of the approach. The different enhancements have been applied to the real world problem, an several conclusions have been drawn from the results obtained

Alineamiento de competencias, actividades y evaluación continuada en grupos grandes. Una propuesta desde el Derecho penal

El presente estudio expone la reflexión realizada por la Unidad de Derecho penal y Criminología de la UAB frente a la exigencia normativa de incrementar hasta el 50% de la nota final con la evaluación continuada. El reto era visto como una oportunidad para desarrollar resultados de aprendizaje mucho más prácticos; para diseñar e implementar un modelo de evaluación continuada sin que, en contextos de grupos grandes, necesariamente desbordara la capacidad de corrección de los profesores y de retorno de los resultados al alumnado; y, finalmente, para implementar una propuesta colectiva de alineamiento constructivo entre competencias, actividades propuestas a los alumnos dentro y fuera del aula y las actividades de evaluación continuada y final. La propuesta docente fue sometida a una encuesta de los alumnos y un grupo de discusión con los profesores dando como resultado una valoración positiva de los objetivos propuestos, así como de la necesidad de limitar el número de actividades evaluables para mejorar el rendimiento académico de los alumnos

Walking family: Programme of parental skills during foster care and reunification. Summary of main findings of the Project I+D EDU2014-52921-C2. [Infographics]

Podeu consultar la versió castellana, francesa i portuguesa al recurs relacionat.Walking Family is a support programme for specific parenting skills in foster care and reunification. Its main aim is to promote the acceptance and involvement of the welfare measure and to foster and strengthen reunification. One of the most relevant aspects of the programme is its group methodology, as it can be used to convey effective coping strategies for everyday problems. Walking Family is characterised by three cornerstones of innovation: positive parenting and child welfare, child participation and family resilience. The programme is developed over 5 modules, each containing 3 sessions. Each session offers activities to do with the children, with the parents and with the family as a unit

Extracellular vesicles from pristane-treated CD38-deficient mice express an antiinflammatory neutrophil protein signature, which reflects the mild lupus severity elicited in these mice

In CD38-deficient (Cd38-/-) mice intraperitoneal injection of pristane induces a lupus-like disease, which is milder than that induced in WT mice, showing significant differences in the inflammatory and autoimmune processes triggered by pristane. Extracellular vesicles (EV) are present in all body fluids. Shed by cells, their molecular make-up reflects that of their cell of origin and/or tissue pathological situation. The aim of this study was to analyze the protein composition, protein abundance, and functional clustering of EV released by peritoneal exudate cells (PECs) in the pristane experimental lupus model, to identify predictive or diagnostic biomarkers that might discriminate the autoimmune process in lupus from inflammatory reactions and/or normal physiological processes. In this study, thanks to an extensive proteomic analysis and powerful bioinformatics software, distinct EV subtypes were identified in the peritoneal exudates of pristane-treated mice: 1) small EV enriched in the tetraspanin CD63 and CD9, which are likely of exosomal origin; 2) small EV enriched in CD47 and CD9, which are also enriched in plasma-membrane, membrane-associated proteins, with an ectosomal origin; 3) small EV enriched in keratins, ECM proteins, complement/coagulation proteins, fibrin clot formation proteins, and endopetidase inhibitor proteins. This enrichment may have an inflammation-mediated mesothelial-tomesenchymal transition origin, representing a protein corona on the surface of peritoneal exudate EV; 4) HDL-enriched lipoprotein particles. Quantitative proteomic analysis allowed us to identify an anti-inflammatory, Annexin A1- enriched pro-resolving, neutrophil protein signature, which was more prominent in EV from pristane-treated Cd38-/- mice, and quantitative differences in the protein cargo of the ECM-enriched EV from Cd38-/- vs WT mice. These differences are likely to be related with the distinct inflammatory outcome shown by Cd38-/- vs WT mice in response to pristane treatment. Our results demonstrate the power of a hypothesis-free and data-driven approach to transform the heterogeneity of the peritoneal exudate EV from pristanetreated mice in valuable information about the relative proportion of different EV in a given sample and to identify potential protein markers specific for the different small EV subtypes, in particular those proteins defining EV involved in the resolution phase of chronic inflammation.Proyecto del plan estatal, Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovacion PT13/0001/011CSIC PT17/0019/0010 PID2020-119567RB-I0

Guia per a la prevenció i el control de la legionel·losi

Malaltia dels legionaris; Pneumònia; EpidemiologiaLegionnaires disease; EpidemiologyEnfermedad de los legionariosLa Guia per a la prevenció i el control de la legionel·losi actualitza la informació sobre la malaltia, integra la normativa vigent sobre el control de les instal·lacions relacionades amb la legionel·losi i aposta pel futur amb capítols relacionats amb la prevenció primària als hospitals o els mètodes de desinfecci

Subcutaneous anti-COVID-19 hyperimmune immunoglobulin for prevention of disease in asymptomatic individuals with SARS-CoV-2 infection : a double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomised clinical trial

Anti-COVID-19 hyperimmune immunoglobulin (hIG) can provide standardized and controlled antibody content. Data from controlled clinical trials using hIG for the prevention or treatment of COVID-19 outpatients have not been reported. We assessed the safety and efficacy of subcutaneous anti-COVID-19 hyperimmune immunoglobulin 20% (C19-IG20%) compared to placebo in preventing development of symptomatic COVID-19 in asymptomatic individuals with SARS-CoV-2 infection. We did a multicentre, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial, in asymptomatic unvaccinated adults (≥18 years of age) with confirmed SARS-CoV-2 infection within 5 days between April 28 and December 27, 2021. Participants were randomly assigned (1:1:1) to receive a blinded subcutaneous infusion of 10 mL with 1 g or 2 g of C19-IG20%, or an equivalent volume of saline as placebo. The primary endpoint was the proportion of participants who remained asymptomatic through day 14 after infusion. Secondary endpoints included the proportion of individuals who required oxygen supplementation, any medically attended visit, hospitalisation, or ICU, and viral load reduction and viral clearance in nasopharyngeal swabs. Safety was assessed as the proportion of patients with adverse events. The trial was terminated early due to a lack of potential benefit in the target population in a planned interim analysis conducted in December 2021. registry: . 461 individuals (mean age 39.6 years [SD 12.8]) were randomized and received the intervention within a mean of 3.1 (SD 1.27) days from a positive SARS-CoV-2 test. In the prespecified modified intention-to-treat analysis that included only participants who received a subcutaneous infusion, the primary outcome occurred in 59.9% (91/152) of participants receiving 1 g C19-IG20%, 64.7% (99/153) receiving 2 g, and 63.5% (99/156) receiving placebo (difference in proportions 1 g C19-IG20% vs. placebo, −3.6%; 95% CI -14.6% to 7.3%, p = 0.53; 2 g C19-IG20% vs placebo, 1.1%; −9.6% to 11.9%, p = 0.85). None of the secondary clinical efficacy endpoints or virological endpoints were significantly different between study groups. Adverse event rate was similar between groups, and no severe or life-threatening adverse events related to investigational product infusion were reported. Our findings suggested that administration of subcutaneous human hyperimmune immunoglobulin C19-IG20% to asymptomatic individuals with SARS-CoV-2 infection was safe but did not prevent development of symptomatic COVID-19.

Caminhar em família: Programa de competências parentais durante o acolhimento e a reunificação familiar. Resumo dos principais resultados do Projeto I+D EDU2014-52921-C2. [Infográficos]

Podeu consultar la versió castellana, anglesa i francesa al recurs relacionat.Caminhar em familia é um programa de apoio às competências parentais específicas aos processos de acolhimento e de reunificação familiar. O seu principal objetivo é promover a aceitação e o envolvimento com a medida de proteção, bem como o de favorecer e consolidar a reunificação familiar. Um dos aspetos mais relevantes do programa é a sua metodologia grupal, já que através da mesma se transmitem estratégias eficazes para dar resposta aos problemas quotidianos. O Caminhar em família carateriza-se por três linhas de inovação: Parentalidade positiva e proteção à infância, participação infantil e resiliência familiar. O Programa desenvolve-se em 5 módulos e cada um deles inclui 3 sessões. Cada sessão apresenta atividades para realizar com filhos e filhas, com pais e mães e com a família em conjunto

Marcher en famille: Programme de compétences parentales pendant l'accueil et la réunification familiale. Résumé des principaux résultats du Projet I+D EDU2014-52921-C2. [Infographie]

Podeu consultar la versió castellana, anglesa i portuguesa al recurs relacionat.Marcher en famille est un programme de soutien aux compétences parentales spécifiques dans un processus d’accueil et de réunification familiale. Son objectif principal est de promouvoir l’acceptation et l’implication de la mesure de protection, ainsi que de favoriser et de garantir la réunification familiale. L’un des aspects les plus importants du programme est sa méthodologie groupale, puisque l’on peut au travers d’elle transmettre des stratégies effectives d’affrontement des problèmes quotidiens. Le Marcher en famille se caractérise par trois axes d’innovation: Parentalité positive et protection de l’enfance, participation infantile et résilience familiale. Le programme se développe en 5 modules et chacun d’entre eux comprend 3 séances. Chaque séance présente des activités à réaliser avec les fils