Resultados del tratamiento de la inestabilidad postdisectomia mediante artrodesis posterolateral lumbar

El mecanismo fisiopatológico por el cual, tras una discectomia en columna lumbar, se puede producir inestabilidad en este segmento de la columna, ha sido establecido en múltiples estudios y se encuentra en la bibliografía actual. Sin embargo, hay pocas publicaciones en la literatura que hagan referencia a los resultados de la artrodesis posterolateral lumbar en inestabilidad clínico-radiológica generada tras una discectomia lumbar. El propósito del presente estudio es valorar los resultados obtenidos en mejora de calidad de vida, en pacientes sometidos a artrodesis lumbar con tornillos pediculares en inestabilidad postdisectomía. La población estudiada se trató de 15 pacientes, 10 hombres y 5 mujeres con edades comprendidas entre los 27 y 65 años, la selección de los pacientes además del antecedente de cirugía discal, se basó en la presencia de un cuadro clínico de inestabilidad unido a pruebas radiológicas estáticas, dinámicas y resonancia magnética, y por último la ausencia de problemas de tipo laboral o psicológico, los datos se obtuvieron por entrevista personal y llamada telefónica, utilizando la escala de Oswestry y la escala analógica de Scott. Los resultados obtenidos fueron buenos ya que más del 90% de los pacientes refirieron mejoría en su calidad de vida. Se puede concluir que la artrodesis posterolateral con tornillos pediculares en inestabilidad postdisectomia, es una buena opción quirúrgica, con la cual se puede obtener mejoría del cuadro clínico del paciente.The present study has the aime, the evaluation of results of posterolateral lumbar arthrodesis in patients who had undergone lumbar discal surgery failed because of appearance of instability. Retrospective study in 15 patients with diagnosis instability postdiskectomy made by: clinical, static and dynamic x-ray and MRI, treated with posterolateral lumbar arthrodesis using pedicular screw. Ten males and five female of 27-65 years and average 46, we used the life quality scale Oswestry and Scott scale. The shortest follow up 3 years and longest 6 years. Our results were: time between diskectomy and arthrodesis variated from 1 to 10 years, average 5 years, about: pain intensity, patients need analgesic because pain, help for activities, deambulation, sexual activity all of them improve. We had 3 cases with clinical symptoms, the other one pain free. One case of deep infection of wound where surgical debridement was necessary. Finally Scott¿s scale prior to surgery punctuation was between 1-4. after between 8-10. Excepting 1 case with bad evolution. Conclusion: posterolateral lumbar arthrodesis with pedicular screew can be a good option of treatment in instability postdikectomy

Detection of Catecholamines Produced in Planktonic P. aeruginosa and S. aureus Treated with Adult Bovine Serum

Bacterial biofilms play a critical role in inducing and sustaining chronic wounds that are serious health threats. Bacterial biofilms can also be found on medical prosthetics and implants that sustain infections in patients and cause life threatening situations. Bacteria self-produce these sticky extracellular substances termed a biofilm which help them to adhere to each other forming a community of microorganisms. One of the major issues is that biofilms have antimicrobial characteristics and provide protection from the immune system; biofilms are found in over 80% of human bacterial infections. Formation of a bacterial biofilm occurs when an individual (planktonic) bacterial cell attaches to a surface such as collagen exposed in a wound. The planktonic bacterial cell then converts into a biofilm phenotype which allows it to grow and divide on the surface thereby forming layers of microcolonies. After maturation, which is characterized by the production of an extracellular matrix, cells detach from the biofilm and disperse to re-enter the planktonic mode and repeat the biofilm cycle. Under conditions of stress, namely injury or disease, the human body releases adrenaline-like hormones called catecholamines such as epinephrine (adrenaline) and norepinephrine (noradrenaline). Many studies have indicated a close relationship between the presence of catecholamine hormones in a human host and the growth, formation, and virulence of bacterial biofilms. Furthermore, studies from Dr. Isseroff’s dermatology lab at UC Davis confirm that the presence of these catecholamines at dermal wound sites impair the healing process by generating a cellular response through activation of beta-adrenergic receptors. However, few species of bacterial biofilms have been shown to produce catecholamines independently, and none have been shown to produce epinephrine. We examined two species of bacteria commonly found in chronic wounds, Pseudomonas aeruginosa(Gram negative) and Staphylococcus aureus (Gram positive), to determine whether they can produce catecholamines in eukaryotic cell growth conditions. We examined the supernatants of the media after the bacteria were cultured with 0% and 10% concentrations of Adult Bovine Serum (ABS) and then detected for the presence of catecholamines by High Pressure Liquid Chromatography Electrochemical Detection (HPLC-ED)

Configuración Software de la directividad de arrays lineales

A line array can be defined as a column of loudspeakers that is designed so that these work together to achieve a higher directivity. This paper presents an application that enables a user to rotate the wavefront of uniform line arrays. Theoretical background and details of the implementation are provided. The validity of the application is tested with measurements of the directivity that are also compared with simulations.Este trabajo ha sido financiado Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech y el grupo de investigación Aplicación de las Tecnologías de la Información y Comunicaciones (PAI TIC-208)

A framework of practices influencing IS/business alignment and IT governance

The alignment of information systems (IS) strategies with business strategies has been a managerial priority in modern organisations. Information Technology (IT) governance is an alternative perspective that has recently been used as a management solution that can drive to desired levels of IS/business alignment. From a pragmatic perspective, both IS/business alignment and IT governance appear to be managerial solutions that corporations desire to implement in order to get the most of the business and IT relationship. Empirical research has addressed the idea that effective designs of IT governance enable IS/business alignment, however, the extent of such impact and related interactions are still unclear. This research is focused on those claims to contribute with pragmatic solutions towards IS/business alignment and IT governance by means of collective management practices. This research explored challenges, assumptions and conceptualisations around IS/business alignment and focused on the assessment process of IS-business alignment to identify management practices for both IS/business alignment and IT governance. First, a quantitative analysis from data collected of an international survey was performed. This survey was conducted to identify extreme outcomes of relevant management practices in the IS/business alignment dynamics and links with IT governance. Second, a qualitative analysis from data collected of two leading large companies, one in the manufacturing and other in the financial sector, was performed by using a three-level (strategic, tactical and operational) assessment method. This case research aimed to identify how common relevant management practices interact across strategic, tactical and operational organisational levels. Results of both analyses were integrated to elaborate the constructors of the framework derived from this research, namely ALIS-G. The results from this research can be summarised as follows: First, ALIS-G exhibits four core management practices (IT investment management, budgetary control, strategic and tactical program management, strategic and tactical understanding of IT-business) and four supportive (IT-business planning, IT projects prioritisation, sponsorship & championship and change readiness) to show collective and compelling influence over the IS-business alignment dynamics and the effectiveness of IT governance arrangements. Second, a well-established IT investment management process holds the most substantial positive impact in the IS-business alignment dynamics and design of IT governance arrangements. Finally, results highlights the fact, perhaps obvious, that the arrangement of IT governance and the dynamics of IS/business alignment are very much conditioned by the resilient assignment, allocation and administration of budgetsEThOS - Electronic Theses Online ServiceGBUnited Kingdo

Late Quaternary sediment dynamics in the Gulf of San Jorge (Patagonia): A multi-proxy approach

The Patagonian coast of the Argentine Continental Shelf (ACS) extends along a relatively stable continental margin at the intersection of the present Antarctic ice sheet and the relic of the former Patagonian ice sheet. Since the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM), the sedimentation on the Atlantic shore of Patagonia has changed significantly due to the marine transgression at first, but also because of the decrease of glacial meltwater flows to the Atlantic derived from the Northern Patagonian Ice Field (NPIF) 1. The Patagonian shore of the ACS thus provides a preferential area to study the impact of post-LGM sea-level fluctuations and ice extent variations on sedimentary processes. In this context, we investigate Late Quaternary marine sediments from the Gulf of San Jorge (GSJ) to characterize the sedimentation in the central part of the Argentine Patagonian margin since the LGM. The GSJ is a semicircular basin forming an encroachment of the South Atlantic Ocean between latitudes 45°and 47° S, in which the sedimentation is presently controlled by oceanic and aeolian inputs, and inner Gulf erosion/runoffs 2. The post-glacial evolution of the sedimentary environments as well as the climatic and oceanographic variations were reconstructed using paleomagnetic parameters, major and trace elements, bulk and clay mineralogy, multi-sensor core logging and radiocarbon dating, coupled with the interpretation of seismic lines. The ~2000 km of geophysical data (subbottom profiler and sparker) and the 15 sediment cores (gravity and piston cores) used in this study were collected on board the R/V Coriolis II during the MARGES (Marine Geology of the Gulf of San Jorge) expedition in the GSJ and continental shelf in 2014. The base of the lithostratigraphy identified in the Gulf is characterized by a decametric-thick highly-indurated sediment layer corresponding to a high amplitude and laterally continuous seismic reflection extending through the entire GSJ. This facies most likely reflects both the sea-level lowstand and absence of seawater in this part of the GSJ during the LGM. Furthermore, our results illustrate two main sedimentary sequences: a Late glacial sequence with relatively high sedimentation rates (>65 cm/kyr) and an Early Holocene to present sequence with lower sedimentation rates (<25 cm/kyr). The former is associated with the marine transgression (e.g., tidal flat environment) coupled with the influence of the NPIF drainage system prior to 13 700 cal yr BP. The latter corresponds to the end of the marine transgression with a progressive decrease of energy to reach contemporary conditions between 10 250 and 7400 cal yr BP.Fil: Desiage, P. A.. Institut des Sciences de la Mer de Rimouski; CanadáFil: Onge, G.. Institut des Sciences de la Mer de Rimouski; CanadáFil: Montero Serrano, J. C.. Institut des Sciences de la Mer de Rimouski; CanadáFil: Haller, Miguel Jorge F.. Universidad Nacional de la Patagonia "San Juan Bosco"; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Centro Nacional Patagónico. Instituto Patagónico de Geología y Paleontología; Argentina20th International Sedimentological CongressQuebecCanadáInternational Association of SedimentogistsSociety for Sedimentary Geolog

The synzootic potential of common epidemics in chamois populations

Altres ajuts: acords transformatius de la UABSouthern chamois (Rupicapra pyrenaica) is a medium-sized and gregarious mountain ungulate with populations affected by periodic outbreaks of border disease virus (BD), infectious keratoconjunctivitis (IKC), and sarcoptic mange (SM). Even though the impact of each disease on chamois populations has been described in detail, there is a lack of information about the potential impact of concomitant epidemics and the synzootic potential (co-occurring enzootic or epizootic processes producing worse health outcomes in wildlife) on chamois populations. Furthermore, whether a specific order of apparition of epidemics is more or less harmful for the host population is practically unknown not only for chamois but also for most mammal populations. Using a population viability analysis (PVA), we studied the consequences of multiple disease outbreaks with synzootic potential on growth rates and probabilities of extinction of virtual populations exposed to hard winters, density dependence, and co-occurring BD, IKC, and SM outbreaks. Such infections are not under cross-immunity nor density-dependent processes and thus are supposed to affect population demography independently. Heavy snowfalls are also likely to occur in our simulated populations. Our simulations showed that a second outbreak, even caused by a low virulent pathogen, causes an increase in the probability of extinction of the host population with regard to the first outbreak. IKC-BD- and SM-BD-affected populations had a higher risk of becoming extinct in 50 years confirming the extra risk of multiple outbreaks on the viability of the affected populations

Adquisición de datos digitales con protocolo VME sobre FPGA

En este artículo se presenta la realización sobre FPGA de un circuito con 16 filtros digitales. Un cambio en la entrada es validado cada vez que tres muestras consecutivas toman el mismo valor. El dato muestreado es accesible mediante protocolo VME estándar, incluyendo daisy-cbain para la gestión de interrupciones. El circuito de acceso VME se ha descrito en lenguaje de comportamiento VERILOG-XL, y sintetizado usando SYNERGY. El resto del circuito ha sido capturado y simulado empleando el entorno de diseño Framework II de Cadence. El circuito ha sido programado en una FPGA 1020A de Texas Instrument. Como resultado se ha obtenido una tarjeta de adquisición de datos con una densidad de componentes muy baja, y que está siendo actualmente empleada en sistemas de control industriales

Mixed Ionic-Electronic Conductivity, Redox Behavior and Thermochemical Expansion of Mn-Substituted 5YSZ as an Interlayer Material for Reversible Solid Oxide Cells

Manganese-substituted 5 mol.% yttria-stabilized zirconia (5YSZ) was explored as a prospective material for protective interlayers between electrolyte and oxygen electrodes in reversible solid oxide fuel/electrolysis cells. [(ZrO2)0.95(Y2O3)0.05]1−x[MnOy]x (x = 0.05, 0.10 and 0.15) ceramics with cubic fluorite structure were sintered in air at 1600 °C. The characterization included X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM)/energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), thermogravimetry and dilatometry in controlled atmospheres, electrical conductivity measurements, and determination of oxygen-ion transference numbers by the electromotive force (EMF) technique. Mn-substituted 5YSZ solid solutions exhibit variable oxygen nonstoichiometry with manganese cations in a mixed 2+/3+ oxidation state under oxidizing conditions. Substitution by manganese gradually increases the extent of oxygen content variation on thermal/redox cycling, chemical contribution to thermal expansion and dimensional changes on reduction. It also deteriorates oxygen-ionic conductivity and improves p-type electronic conductivity under oxidizing conditions, leading to a gradual transformation from predominantly ionic to prevailing electronic transport with increasing x. Mn2+/3+→Mn2+ transformation under reducing atmospheres is accompanied by the suppression of electronic transport and an increase in ionic conductivity. All Mn-substituted 5YSZ ceramics are solid electrolytes under reducing conditions. Prolonged treatments in reducing atmospheres, however, promote microstructural changes at the surface of bulk ceramics and Mn exsolution. Mn-substituted 5YSZ with 0.05 ≤ x < 0.10 is considered the most suitable for the interlayer application, due to the best combination of relevant factors, including oxygen content variations, levels of ionic/electronic conductivity and thermochemical expansion