Resina epóxica en la creación de simuladores del campo arterial para prácticas de paso de catéter y guía

Introducción: se realizó un estudio en desarrollo tecnológico sobre utilidad de la resina epóxica en la creación de un simulador del campo arterial, para prácticas de paso de catéter y guía. Método: el estudio se realizó en dos fases: Exploratoria, por medio de ensayos se determinó la cantidad de polímero, catalizadores, condiciones de temperatura, con el fin de lograr la homogeneidad, factibilidad, elasticidad, transparencia, consistencia y su proceso para la manipulación. Experimental, se pusieron a prueba las variables transparencia, resistencia de polímero, la visualización del campo arterial y el paso de catéter y guía. Resultados: por ensayo y error se realizó una muestra de las propiedades y características de la resina epóxica para la creación de un simulador del campo arterial con la evidencia del paso de catéter y guía. Conclusión: la resina epóxica cuenta con las características y propiedades para la realización del simulador del campo arterial para el paso de catéter y guía. AbstractEpoxy Resin Creation of Blood to Simulat ors Field Practices Step Cat heter and Guide13FUNDACIÓN UNIVERSITARIA DEL ÁREA ANDINA No. 4 Vol. 4 - 72 p. Introduction: a study in technological development of the epoxy resin useful in creating a field simulator to practice step arterial catheter and guide. Method: the study was conducted in two phases: exploratory, by testing it was determined the amount of polymer, catalyst temperature conditions to achieve consistency, feasibility, flexibility, transparency, consistency and process handling. Experimental, were tested variables transparency, strength polymer, the display of the field pressure, the passage of catheter and guide. Results: by trial and error is an exhibit of the properties and characteristics of the epoxy resin to create a simulator of the field with evidence of arterial catheter and guide step. Conclusion: the epoxy resin has the characteristics and properties for the realization of the field simulator for the passage of arterial catheter and guide.Keywords: Biopolymers; Simulation; Catheterization

Proteomic analysis of plasma proteins of high-flux haemodialysis and on-line haemodiafiltration patients reveals differences in transthyretin levels related with anaemia.

A large proportion of end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients under long-term haemodialysis, have persistent anaemia and require high doses of recombinant human erythropoietin (rhEPO). However, the underlying mechanisms of renal anaemia have not been fully elucidated in these patients. In this study, we will be focusing on anaemia and plasma proteins in ESRD patients on high-flux haemodialysis (HF) and on-line haemodiafiltration (HDF), to investigate using two proteomic approaches if patients undergoing these treatments develop differences in their plasma protein composition and how this could be related to their anaemia. The demographic and biochemical data revealed that HDF patients had lower anaemia and much lower rhEPO requirements than HF patients. Regarding their plasma proteomes, HDF patients had increased levels of a protein highly similar to serotransferrin, trypsin-1 and immunoglobulin heavy constant chain alpha-1, and lower levels of alpha-1 antitrypsin, transthyretin, apolipoproteins E and C-III, and haptoglobin-related protein. Lower transthyretin levels in HDF patients were further confirmed by transthyretin-peptide quantification and western blot detection. Since ESRD patients have increased transthyretin, a protein that can aggregate and inhibit transferrin endocytosis and erythropoiesis, our finding that HDF patients have lower transthyretin and lower anaemia suggests that the decrease in transthyretin plasma levels would allow an increase in transferrin endocytosis, contributing to erythropoiesis. Thus, transthyretin could be a critical actor for anaemia in ESRD patients and a novel player for haemodialysis adequacy.This work was supported by Grants (to A.A.) from the Instituto de Salud Carlos III and cofinanced by the European Development Regional Fund (FEDER) (PI14/00705 and PI18/00255). E.M-A. is a recipient of a research.S

Tumor necrosis factor alpha drugs in rheumatoid arthritis: systematic review and metaanalysis of efficacy and safety

Es reproducción del documento publicado en http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/1471-2474-9-52Background: To analyse available evidence on the efficacy and safety of anti-TNF alpha drugs (infliximab, etanercept and adalimumab) for treating rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Methods: We searched systematically for randomised controlled clinical trials on treatment of RA with anti-TNF alpha drugs, followed by a systematic review with metaanalysis. Trials were searched from MEDLINE, EMBASE and Cochrane Library databases. The American College of Rheumatology (ACR) efficacy response criteria were used. Safety parameters provided by the trials were also assessed. Positive and undesired effects were estimated using combined relative risks (RR), number needed to treat (NNT) and number needed to harm (NNH). Heterogeneity was evaluated by Cochrane's Q and I-2 statistics. Results: Thirteen trials (7087 patients) met the inclusion criteria. The combined RR to achieve a therapeutic response to treatment with recommended doses of any anti-TNF alpha drug was 1.81 (95% CI 1.43 - 2.29) with a NNT of 5 (5 - 6) for ACR20. NNT for ACR50 [5 (5 - 6)] and ACR70 [7 (7 - 9)] were similar. Overall therapeutic effects were also similar regardless of the specific anti-TNF alpha drug used and when higher than recommended doses were administered. However, lower than recommended doses elicited low ACR70 responses (NNT 15). Comparison of anti-TNF alpha drugs plus methotrexate (MTX) with MTX alone in patients with insufficient prior responses to MTX showed NNT values of 3 for ACR20, 4 for ACR50 and 8 for ACR70. Comparison of anti-TNF alpha drugs with placebo showed a similar pattern. Comparisons of anti-TNF alpha drugs plus MTX with MTX alone in patients with no previous resistance to MTX showed somewhat lower effects. Etanercept and adalimumab administered as monotherapy showed effects similar to those of MTX. Side effects were more common among patients receiving anti-TNF alpha drugs than controls (overall combined NNH 27). Patients receiving infliximab were more likely to drop out because of side effects (NNH 24) and to suffer severe side effects (NNH 31), infections (NNH 10) and infusion reactions (NNH 9). Patients receiving adalimumab were also more likely to drop out because of side effects (NNH 47) and to suffer injection site reactions (NNH 22). Patients receiving etanercept were less likely to drop out because of side effects (NNH for control versus etanercept 26) but more likely to experience injection site reactions (NNH 5). Conclusion: Anti-TNF alpha drugs are effective in RA patients, with apparently similar results irrespective of the drug administered. Doses other than those recommended are also beneficial. The main factor influencing therapeutic efficacy is the prior response to DMARD treatment. The effect of treatment with etanercept or adalimumab does not differ from that obtained with MTX. The published safety profile for etanercept is superior but the fact that no patients are treated with higher than recommended doses requires explanation

Assessment of Relative Technical Efficiency of Small Mental Health Areas in Bizkaia (Basque Country, Spain)

Mental disorders cause an enormous burden to society. Considering the current economic context, an efficient use of scarce inputs, with an appropriate outcome production, is crucial. This situation defines a classical Relative Technical Efficiency (RTE) problem. A well-known methodology to assess RTE is the Data Envelopment Analysis, although it presents some limitations. These may be overcome through a hybrid strategy that integrates Monte-Carlo simulation and artificial intelligence. This study aims to (1) design of a Decision Support System for the assessment of RTE of Small Mental Health Areas based on DEA; and (2) analyse 19 mental health areas of the Bizkaian Healthcare System (Spain) to classify them and to identify potential management improvements. The results have showed higher global RTE in the output-oriented orientation than in the input-oriented one. This suggests that a decision strategy based on improving the input management, within the ranges of the expert-driven model of community healthcare, could be appropriate. A future research line will focus our attention on the validation process through the analysis of micromanagement interventions and their potential impacts in the real system

ARTE: Automated Generation of Realistic Test Inputs for Web APIs

Automated test case generation for web APIs is a thriving research topic, where test cases are frequently derived from the API specification. However, this process is only partially automated since testers are usually obliged to manually set meaningful valid test inputs for each input parameter. In this article, we present ARTE, an approach for the automated extraction of realistic test data for web APIs from knowledge bases like DBpedia. Specifically, ARTE leverages the specification of the API parameters to automatically search for realistic test inputs using natural language processing, search-based, and knowledge extraction techniques. ARTE has been integrated into RESTest, an open-source testing framework for RESTful APIs, fully automating the test case generation process. Evaluation results on 140 operations from 48 real-world web APIs show that ARTE can efficiently generate realistic test inputs for 64.9% of the target parameters, outperforming the state-of-the-art approach SAIGEN (31.8%). More importantly, ARTE supported the generation of over twice as many valid API calls (57.3%) as random generation (20%) and SAIGEN (26%), leading to a higher failure detection capability and uncovering several real-world bugs. These results show the potential of ARTE for enhancing existing web API testing tools, achieving an unprecedented level of automationJunta de Andalucía APOLO (US-1264651)Junta de Andalucía EKIPMENT-PLUS (P18-FR-2895)Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades RTI2018-101204-B-C21 (HORATIO)Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades RED2018-102472-

Effect of Phenolic Extract from Red Beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) on T-2 Toxin-Induced Cytotoxicity in HepG2 Cells

Red beans contain human bioactive compounds such as polyphenols. Several in vitro studies have proposed the natural compounds as an innovative strategy to modify the toxic effects produced by mycotoxins. Hence, in this work, a complete investigation of the polyphenolic fraction of red beans was performed using a Q-Orbitrap high-resolution mass spectrometry analysis. Notably, epicatechin and delphinidin were the most detected polyphenols found in red bean extracts (3.297 and 3.108 mg/Kg, respectively). Moreover, the red bean extract was evaluated against the T-2 toxin (T-2) induced cytotoxicity in hepatocarcinoma cells (HepG2) by direct treatment, simultaneous treatment, and pre-treatment assays. These data showed that T-2 affected the cell viability in a dose-dependent manner, as well as observing a cytotoxic effect and a significant increase in ROS production at 30 nM. The simultaneous treatment and the pre-treatment of HepG2 cells with red bean extract was not able to modify the cytotoxic T-2 effect. However, the simultaneous treatment of T-2 at 7.5 nM with the red bean extract showed a significant decrease in ROS production, with respect to the control. These results suggest that the red bean extract could modulate oxidative stress on HepG2 cells

Aportaciones al conocimiento de la orquidoflora palentina (España)

En este trabajo se comentan hallazgos de orquídeas poco conocidas en el territorio palentino, se aportan algunas novedades para la provincia y se comentan algunos datos de provincias limítrofes. Puesto que el grupo de orquidáceas ha suscitado un especial interés en los estudios concernientes a flora rara y amenazada, se detalla el estatus de conservación de aquellos táxones incluidos en documentos técnicos y listados ofi ciales de protección de flora

Urban and Territorial Planning plans from the logic of sustainable food systems

Diversas propuestas internacionales promueven sistemas alimentarios sostenibles, como por ejemplo el Pacto de Milán, la iniciativa de C40, el ICLEI (Gobiernos locales por la sostenibilidad) Food System, la Declaración de Glasgow o la propia estrategia europea “De la granja a la mesa”. Pero aún no se aplican con claridad en el urbanismo, a pesar de que puede jugar un papel clave en la transición hacia sistemas agroecológicos y sostenibles. Para dar ese salto cualitativo, planteamos la necesidad de sistematizar el conocimiento sobre las experiencias que aprovechan de manera innovadora los mecanismos de ordenación. Por ello presentamos dos ejemplos significativos con diferente grado de desarrollo: el Plan Director Urbanístico del Área Metropolitana de Barcelona y el Plan de Biodistritos en Andalucía. En ellos se han tenido en cuenta la dimensión ecológica: el manejo sostenible de agua y suelo y la interacción con estrategias de mitigación y adaptación al cambio climático; la dimensión económica por el potencial de generación de empleo y reactivación local; y la dimensión social relacionada entre otros aspectos con la cohesión social y el refuerzo de vínculos urbano rurales. De estos planes se extraen lecciones críticas que permitirían hacer operativas las recomendaciones de reorganización espacial adaptada a las especificidades de los sistemas agroecológicos.Several international proposals promote sustainable food systems, such as the Milan Urban Food Policy Pact, the C40 initiative, the ICLEI (Local Governments for Sustainability) Food System, the Glasgow Declaration or Europe’s own “Farm to Fork” strategy. But they are not yet clearly applied in urban planning, even though they can play a key role in the transition to agroecological and sustainable systems. In order to make this qualitative leap, we raise the need to systematize knowledge about several experiences that take advantage of innovative management mechanisms. For this reason, we present two significant examples with different degrees of development: the Urban Master Plan of the Metropolitan Area of Barcelona and the Biodistricts Plan in Andalusia. These plans have taken into account the ecological dimension: sustainable water and soil management and interaction with climate change mitigation and adaptation strategies; the economic dimension considering the potential for employment generation and local reactivation; and the social dimension related, among other aspects, to social cohesion and the strengthening of urban-rural links. Critical lessons can be drawn from these plans that would make it possible to operationalize the recommendations for spatial reorganization adapted to the specificities of agroecological systems

Standard comparison of local mental health care systems in eight European countries

Sistema de Salut Mental; Comparació d'atenció a la salut mentalMental Health System; Mental health care comparisonSistema de Salud Mental; Comparación de atención a la salud mentalAims: There is a need of more quantitative standardised data to compare local Mental Health Systems (MHSs) across international jurisdictions. Problems related to terminological variability and commensurability in the evaluation of services hamper like-with-like comparisons and hinder the development of work in this area. This study was aimed to provide standard assessment and comparison of MHS in selected local areas in Europe, contributing to a better understanding of MHS and related allocation of resources at local level and to lessen the scarcity in standard service comparison in Europe. This study is part of the Seventh Framework programme REFINEMENT (Research on Financing Systems' Effect on the Quality of Mental Health Care in Europe) project. Methods: A total of eight study areas from European countries with different systems of care (Austria, England, Finland, France, Italy, Norway, Romania, Spain) were analysed using a standard open-access classification system (Description and Evaluation of Services for Long Term Care in Europe, DESDE-LTC). All publicly funded services universally accessible to adults (≥18 years) with a psychiatric disorder were coded. Care availability, diversity and capacity were compared across these eight local MHS. Results: The comparison of MHS revealed more community-oriented delivery systems in the areas of England (Hampshire) and Southern European countries (Verona - Italy and Girona - Spain). Community-oriented systems with a higher proportion of hospital care were identified in Austria (Industrieviertel) and Scandinavian countries (Sør-Trøndelag in Norway and Helsinki-Uusimaa in Finland), while Loiret (France) was considered as a predominantly hospital-based system. The MHS in Suceava (Romania) was still in transition to community care. Conclusions: There is a significant variation in care availability and capacity across MHS of local areas in Europe. This information is relevant for understanding the process of implementation of community-oriented mental health care in local areas. Standard comparison of care provision in local areas is important for context analysis and policy planning.The REFINEMENT project has received funding from the European Commission under the Seventh Framework Programme (7FP) and lies within the Specific Programme ‘Cooperation’ – Theme ‘Health’: HEALTH.2010.3.2–1: Financing systems’ effect on quality of health care. Duration: 1 January 2011 to 31 December 2013. 7FP. Project number: 261459