The use of direct boundary element method for gaining insight into complex seismic site response

The boundary element method is specially well suited for the analysis of the seismic response of valleys of complicated topography and stratigraphy. In this paper the method’s capabilities are illustrated using as an example an irregularity stratified (test site) sedimentary basin that has been modelled using 2D discretization and the Direct Boundary Element Method (DBEM). Site models displaying different levels of complexity are used in practice. The multi-layered model’s seismic response shows generally good agreement with observed data amplification levels, fundamental frequencies and the high spatial variability. Still important features such as the location of high frequencies peaks are missing. Even 2D simplified models reveal important characteristics of the wave field that 1D modelling does not show up

Parameterization of historical earthquakes in Switzerland

Macroseismic earthquake parameters of historical events have been reassessed in the framework of the update of the Earthquake Catalogue of Switzerland ECOS-09. The Bakun and Wentworth method (Bakun and Wentworth 1997) has been used to assess location, magnitude, and, when possible, focal depth. We apply a two-step procedure. Intensity attenuation is assessed first by fitting a model with a logarithmic and a linear term, using a set of 111 earthquakes. The magnitude range is 3 and 5.8. Then, intensity to magnitude relation is developed. A subset of the 111 events, all having an instrumental moment magnitude, was used to perform this intensity to magnitude calibration. Five final calibration strategies were developed based on different intensity calibration datasets, regionalized or non-regionalized models, and fixed or variable source depth. The final assessment of the macroseismic earthquake parameters is based on an expert judgment procedure, using the results derived from all five strategies, and taking into consideration the historical knowledge available for the particular earthquake. A bootstrap procedure has been applied to assess the uncertainty of parameters. Indicative lower and upper bounds of uncertainty are derived from distributions of location and magnitude for a number of events, obtained through bootstrap sampling of the intensity field and of the single intensity values. The final uncertainties are given in terms of parameter uncertainty classes already used in previous versions of the earthquake catalogue of Switzerlan

The direct boundary element method: 2D site effects assessment on laterally varying layered media (methodology)

The Direct Boundary Element Method (DBEM) is presented to solve the elastodynamic field equations in 2D, and a complete comprehensive implementation is given. The DBEM is a useful approach to obtain reliable numerical estimates of site effects on seismic ground motion due to irregular geological configurations, both of layering and topography. The method is based on the discretization of the classical Somigliana's elastodynamic representation equation which stems from the reciprocity theorem. This equation is given in terms of the Green's function which is the full-space harmonic steady-state fundamental solution. The formulation permits the treatment of viscoelastic media, therefore site models with intrinsic attenuation can be examined. By means of this approach, the calculation of 2D scattering of seismic waves, due to the incidence of P and SV waves on irregular topographical profiles is performed. Sites such as, canyons, mountains and valleys in irregular multilayered media are computed to test the technique. The obtained transfer functions show excellent agreement with already published results

Educación inclusiva: Aportes desde el saber pedagógico para la educación del siglo XXI

134 páginas. Libro ElectrónicoDesde la edad antigua hasta la época contemporánea la escuela ha tenido numerosos cambios, hasta llegar a los objetivos y propósitos que se contemplan para la educación de las personas que pueden acceder a ella; en su mayoría, menores de edad. En el recuento histórico que presenta Salas (2012), se ve cómo la educación estuvo limitada por la estratificación social, las condiciones sociales y en ocasiones, por las condiciones físicas de las personas; posteriormente, en la época moderna –luego del siglo XIX– se evidencia una apertura de la educación sin distinción de clases, o por lo menos es lo que se comienza a promover con el advenimiento de modelos educativos, económicos y de organización política que actualmente se dan en diferentes países. Una pregunta importante para que se plantee, querido lector, es si, ¿verdaderamente hemos roto las barreras de la educación?Primera edició

Genome-wide association analysis of dementia and its clinical endophenotypes reveal novel loci associated with Alzheimer's disease and three causality networks : The GR@ACE project

Introduction: Large variability among Alzheimer's disease (AD) cases might impact genetic discoveries and complicate dissection of underlying biological pathways. Methods: Genome Research at Fundacio ACE (GR@ACE) is a genome-wide study of dementia and its clinical endophenotypes, defined based on AD's clinical certainty and vascular burden. We assessed the impact of known AD loci across endophenotypes to generate loci categories. We incorporated gene coexpression data and conducted pathway analysis per category. Finally, to evaluate the effect of heterogeneity in genetic studies, GR@ACE series were meta-analyzed with additional genome-wide association study data sets. Results: We classified known AD loci into three categories, which might reflect the disease clinical heterogeneity. Vascular processes were only detected as a causal mechanism in probable AD. The meta-analysis strategy revealed the ANKRD31-rs4704171 and NDUFAF6-rs10098778 and confirmed SCIMP-rs7225151 and CD33-rs3865444. Discussion: The regulation of vasculature is a prominent causal component of probable AD. GR@ACE meta-analysis revealed novel AD genetic signals, strongly driven by the presence of clinical heterogeneity in the AD series

Socio-Demographic Health Determinants Are Associated with Poor Prognosis in Spanish Patients Hospitalized with COVID-19

Introduction Social vulnerability is a known determinant of health in respiratory diseases. Our aim was to identify whether there are socio-demographic factors among COVID-19 patients hospitalized in Spain and their potential impact on health outcomes during the hospitalization. Methods A multicentric retrospective case series study based on administrative databases that included all COVID-19 cases admitted in 19 Spanish hospitals from 1 March to 15 April 2020. Socio-demographic data were collected. Outcomes were critical care admission and in-hospital mortality. Results We included 10,110 COVID-19 patients admitted to 18 Spanish hospitals (median age 68 (IQR 54–80) years old; 44.5% female; 14.8% were not born in Spain). Among these, 779 (7.7%) cases were admitted to critical care units and 1678 (16.6%) patients died during the hospitalization. Age, male gender, being immigrant, and low hospital saturation were independently associated with being admitted to an intensive care unit. Age, male gender, being immigrant, percentile of average per capita income, and hospital experience were independently associated with in-hospital mortality. Conclusions Social determinants such as residence in low-income areas and being born in Latin American countries were associated with increased odds of being admitted to an intensive care unit and of in-hospital mortality. There was considerable variation in outcomes between different Spanish centers.JPA is under contract within the Ramón y Cajal Program (RYC-2016-20155, Ministerio de Economía, Industria y Competitividad, Spain). Investigators of Spanish Social-Environmental COVID-19 Register: Steering Committee: F. Javier Martín-Sánchez, Adrián Valls Carbó, Carmen Martínez Valero, Juan de D. Miranda, Juan Pedro Arrebola, Marta Esteban López, Annika Parviainen, Òscar Miró, Pere Llorens, Sònia Jiménez, Pascual Piñera, Guillermo Burillo, Alfonso Martín, Jorge García Lamberechts, Javier Jacob, Aitor Alquézar, Juan González del Castillo, Amanda López Picado and Iván Núñez. Participating centers: Oscar Miró y Sonia Jimenez. Hospital Clinic de Barcelona. José María Ferreras Amez. Hospital Clínico Universitario Lozano Blesa. Rafael Rubio Díaz. Complejo Hospitalario de Toledo. Julio Javier Gamazo del Rio. Hospital Universitario de Galdakao. Héctor Alonso. Hospital Universitario Miguel de Valdecilla. Pablo Herrero. Hospital Universitario Central de Asturias. Noemí Ruiz de Lobera. Hospital San Pedro de Logroño. Carlos Ibero. Complejo Hospitalario de Navarra. Plácido Mayan. Hospital Clínico Universitario de Santiago. Rosario Peinado. Complejo Hospitalario Universitario de Badajoz. Carmen Navarro Bustos. Hospital Universitario Virgen de la Macarena. Jesús Álvarez Manzanares. Hospital Universitario Rio Hortega. Francisco Román. Hospital Universitario General de Alicante. Pascual Piñera. Hospital Universitario Reina Sofia de Murcia. Guillermo Burillo. Hospital Universitario de Canarias de Tenerife. Javier Jacob. Hospital Universitario de Bellvitge. Carlos Bibiano. Hospital Universitario Infanta Leonor.Peer reviewe

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

Clonal chromosomal mosaicism and loss of chromosome Y in elderly men increase vulnerability for SARS-CoV-2

The pandemic caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2, COVID-19) had an estimated overall case fatality ratio of 1.38% (pre-vaccination), being 53% higher in males and increasing exponentially with age. Among 9578 individuals diagnosed with COVID-19 in the SCOURGE study, we found 133 cases (1.42%) with detectable clonal mosaicism for chromosome alterations (mCA) and 226 males (5.08%) with acquired loss of chromosome Y (LOY). Individuals with clonal mosaic events (mCA and/or LOY) showed a 54% increase in the risk of COVID-19 lethality. LOY is associated with transcriptomic biomarkers of immune dysfunction, pro-coagulation activity and cardiovascular risk. Interferon-induced genes involved in the initial immune response to SARS-CoV-2 are also down-regulated in LOY. Thus, mCA and LOY underlie at least part of the sex-biased severity and mortality of COVID-19 in aging patients. Given its potential therapeutic and prognostic relevance, evaluation of clonal mosaicism should be implemented as biomarker of COVID-19 severity in elderly people. Among 9578 individuals diagnosed with COVID-19 in the SCOURGE study, individuals with clonal mosaic events (clonal mosaicism for chromosome alterations and/or loss of chromosome Y) showed an increased risk of COVID-19 lethality

Evaluación de la seguridad de productos cosméticos

ilustracionesLa Organización de las Naciones Unidas para el Desarrollo Industrial (onudi), a través del programa Safe+, coordinó varias estrategias de cooperación internacional para apoyar el crecimiento de la industria cosmética colombiana, entre ellas la capacitación en evaluación de la seguridad de productos cosméticos. En este contexto, en 2018, una de las acciones que emprendió la Universidad Nacional de Colombia, fue ofertar el Curso de Formación de Consultores en Evaluación de Seguridad de Productos Cosméticos, a través del Departamento de Farmacia de la Facultad de Ciencias, con la asesoría y el diseño del consultor internacional Dr. Philippe Masson. En 2022, esta capacitación fue ampliada en número de horas impartidas, lo que permitió realizar el Diplomado en Evaluación de la Seguridad de Productos Cosméticos (Safety Assessor Training), en la modalidad telepresencial, el cual contó con la participación de más de 30 expertos. Este documento presenta los resúmenes de 53 conferencias, que hicieron parte de seis módulos: 1) contexto regulatorio de las materias primas y cosméticos; 2) aspectos de seguridad relacionados con ingredientes y productos cosméticos; 3) fundamentos de fisiología, inmunología y toxicología; 4) herramientas de evaluación toxicológica; 5) gestión del riesgo y gestión documental en la evaluación de seguridad de cosméticos; y 6) asuntos de interés en la actualidad. Esperamos con este diplomado contribuir con los fines misionales de la Universidad Nacional de Colombia, a través de la educación continua y permanente con carácter científico y tecnológico dirigida a profesionales de la industria cosmética. (Texto tomado de la fuente)Introducción -- Importancia de la formación en evaluación de seguridad para el sector cosmético -- Evaluación de calidad de productos cosméticos: introducción -- Bibliografía recomendadaMódulo 1. Contexto regulatorio de las materias primas y cosméticos -- Situación normativa en Latinoamérica con relación a la seguridad de cosméticos -- Legislación de cosméticos en la Comunidad Andina de Naciones (can) y su influencia en Colombia -- Referencias regulatorias con relación a la seguridad de cosméticos: Unión Europea y Estados Unidos -- Referencias regulatorias con relación a la seguridad de cosméticos: Asia -- Normas técnicas internacionales en seguridad de productos cosméticos -- Bibliografía recomendadaMódulo 2: aspectos de seguridad relacionados con ingredientes y productos cosméticos -- Seguridad de productos cosméticos – Quality by Design -- Origen de los ingredientes cosméticos -- Ingredientes cosméticos obtenidos por síntesis química -- Ingredientes cosméticos de origen natural -- Ingredientes cosméticos de origen biológico y biotecnológico -- Disposiciones particulares relativas a las fragancias -- Clasificación de ingredientes cosméticos y restricciones -- Estabilidad a lo largo del ciclo de vida del producto -- Estabilidad fisicoquímica -- Estabilidad microbiológica -- Envase seguro: ingeniería de envases -- Envase seguro: extractables y lixiviados de envases -- Bibliografía recomendadaMódulo 3. Fundamentos de fisiología, inmunología y toxicología -- Fundamentos: sistema inmune y piel -- Fundamentos: piel y mucosas, organización y funciones -- Evolución de la piel con la edad -- Irritación cutánea, ocular y mucosas -- Alergenicidad y sensibilización cutánea -- Fotosensibilidad cutánea y fotoirritación -- Conceptos generales en toxicología: evaluación del riesgo toxicológico -- Penetración y absorción percutánea -- Toxicidad general por vía oral y tópica -- Toxicidad de la reproducción -- Genotoxicidad, mutagenicidad y cáncer -- Bibliografía recomendadaMódulo 4. Herramientas de evaluación toxicológica -- Métodos experimentales in vivo y sus límites -- Metodologías in vitro para la evaluación de seguridad de ingredientes cosméticos -- Métodos in vitro. Experiencias en el laboratorio -- Evaluación de la penetración cutánea -- Métodos in silico como fuentes adicionales de información -- Estudios clínicos para la evaluación de cosméticos -- Cálculo del margen de seguridad -- Umbral de preocupación toxicológica (ttc) -- Bibliografía recomendadaMódulo 5. Gestión del riesgo y gestión documental en la evaluación de la seguridad de cosméticos -- Buenas prácticas de laboratorio -- Calidad de los datos experimentales -- Dossier, pif o expediente de información de producto -- Gestión del riesgo -- Caracterización y gestión del riesgo -- Acceso a los datos de ingredientes cosméticos a través de los comités científicos sccs, cir -- Claims / proclamas -- Claims vs. Soportes -- Bibliografía recomendadaMódulo 6. Asuntos de interés en la actualidad -- Uso de nanomateriales en productos cosméticos: ¿es un riesgo? -- Disrupción endocrina -- Impacto de los cosméticos en el ambiente – Cosmetovigilancia -- Pieles sensibles: consideraciones generales y aspectos reglamentarios -- Ética y estudios de seguridad -- Nuevas aproximaciones metodológicas (nam) -- Bibliografía recomendad

Innovaciones y mejoras en el proyecto tutoría entre compañeros. Curso 2015-2016

Memoria ID-0137. Ayudas de la Universidad de Salamanca para la innovación docente, curso 2015-2016