A computational framework for informing decision in relation to environmental impact of wastewater discharges

Multi-objective optimization combined with numerical simulation are useful tools for environmental sciences. Using these methods, the treatment and discharge of wastewater in large waterbodies (estuaries, rivers, lakes. . . ) - one of the essential problems in environmental management - can be analyzed in order to avoid the usual controversy between economic and ecological interests. In this article we present a decision support software system referred to as Simulating Optimal Solutions (SOS). Software SOS is a Matlab toolbox (interfaced with Fortran codes for mathematical computation of hydro- dynamics and contaminant dispersion) to assess in decision making related to treatment intensity in different purifying plants. The program allows a flexible analysis both from a cooperative viewpoint (Pareto optimality) and a non-cooperative one (Nash equilibria). A realistic example posed in Arousa estuary (NW Spain) helps us to show its capabilities

Optimal location of exit doors for efficient evacuation of crowds at gathering places

This work deals with the optimal design for the location of the exit doors at meeting places (such as sports centers, public squares, street markets, transport stations, etc.) to guarantee a safer emergency evacuation in events of a sporting, social, entertainment or religious type. This problem is stated as an optimal control problem of nonlinear partial differential equations, where the state system is a reformulation of the Hughes model (coupling the eikonal equation for a density-weighted walking velocity of pedestrians and the continuity equation for conservation of the pedestrian density), the control is the location of the exit doors at the domain boundary (subject to several geometric constraints), and the cost function is related to the evacuation rate. We provide a full numerical algorithm for solving the problem (a finite element technique for the discretization and a gradient-free procedure for the optimization), and show several numerical results for a realistic case.Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación | Ref. TED2021-129324B-I00Sistema Nacional de Investigadores, México | Ref. SNI-52768Programa para el Desarrollo Profesional Docente (México) | Ref. PRODEP/103.5/16/8066CONACyT | Ref. 21755

Towards a more efficient evacuation of crowds by means of an optimal location of exit doors

In this work we present a new strategy, employing optimal control techniques of partial differential equations, to automate the optimization of locations for a given number of exit doors at gathering places, so that the evacuation of crowds takes place in a safer and faster way. Once given a detailed mathematical formulation of the problem, in order to solve the constrained optimal control problem numerically, we propose its full discretization, with a space semi-discretization via the finite element method over a family of triangular meshes of the domain under study, and a time semi-discretization via the Euler algorithm. Finally, for the resulting discretized minimization problem, we try its optimization by means of a derivative-free algorithm. Numerical examples, corresponding to different scenarios for a real-world study case posed on “Plaza de la Liberacion” (Guadalajara, Mexico), are presented and discussed to assess the effectiveness of our approach

Mathematics for optimal design of sustainable infrastructures

Abstract The central aim of this paper is to show that mathematical sciences—in particular a smart combination of modeling, numerical simulation and optimization—can be seen as a useful tool in the design of sustainable infrastructures. Thus, in the first part of this work, we clarify what we mean by systems optimization and suggest how to apply these techniques to improve sustainability. Then, in the second part, we present three interesting environmental problems—all of them involving sustainable infrastructures—that we have studied in the last decade and fit well within this framework: (a) the design of a river fishway to help migratory fish to climb a dam, (b) the design of an irrigation channel to minimize sedimentation and erosion, and (c) the management of an urban road network from an environmental perspective. Based on our experiences, we believe that this innovative use of non-trivial mathematical tools is destined to play a leading role in achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals by helping stakeholders develop the best scientifically informed strategies.Agencia Estatal de Investigación | Ref. TED2021-129324B-I00Universidade de Santiago de Compostela/CISU

Aortic disease in Marfan syndrome is caused by overactivation of sGC-PRKG signaling by NO

AbstractThoracic aortic aneurysm, as occurs in Marfan syndrome, is generally asymptomatic until dissection or rupture, requiring surgical intervention as the only available treatment. Here, we show that nitric oxide (NO) signaling dysregulates actin cytoskeleton dynamics in Marfan Syndrome smooth muscle cells and that NO-donors induce Marfan-like aortopathy in wild-type mice, indicating that a marked increase in NO suffices to induce aortopathy. Levels of nitrated proteins are higher in plasma from Marfan patients and mice and in aortic tissue from Marfan mice than in control samples, indicating elevated circulating and tissue NO. Soluble guanylate cyclase and cGMP-dependent protein kinase are both activated in Marfan patients and mice and in wild-type mice treated with NO-donors, as shown by increased plasma cGMP and pVASP-S239 staining in aortic tissue. Marfan aortopathy in mice is reverted by pharmacological inhibition of soluble guanylate cyclase and cGMP-dependent protein kinase and lentiviral-mediated Prkg1 silencing. These findings identify potential biomarkers for monitoring Marfan Syndrome in patients and urge evaluation of cGMP-dependent protein kinase and soluble guanylate cyclase as therapeutic targets.</jats:p

Latino Communities in the United States: Place-Making in the Pre-World War II, Postwar, and Contemporary City

Scholarship on Latino communities in the United States has yet to catch up with the rapid growth of this ethnic population in the country. Understanding the Latino urban experience and developing plans to better respond to both the needs of Latino communities and their integration within society is not only relevant, but also urgently necessary. Using the city of Los Angeles as a main lens, in addition to a general look at the urban Southwest, we contribute to the scholarship on the subject with a review of literature on Latino communities. We structure the review as an assessment of the various challenges and opportunities for urban Latinos in the pre-war, postwar, and contemporary city. Focusing on space, culture, economy, and governance, we chart the various roles both the private and public sectors play in meeting these challenges. Our reading of the literature shows that particular government actions in the economic and governance domains in the past had positive impacts on Latino integration, and we call for a similar effort today in addressing contemporary challenges. We conclude by suggesting that future planning scholarship on Latino communities engage the wider urban studies literature, focus on emerging forms of urbanization, and call on planners to sustain increased academic and practical interest in the topic

Role of age and comorbidities in mortality of patients with infective endocarditis

Purpose: The aim of this study was to analyse the characteristics of patients with IE in three groups of age and to assess the ability of age and the Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI) to predict mortality. Methods: Prospective cohort study of all patients with IE included in the GAMES Spanish database between 2008 and 2015. Patients were stratified into three age groups:<65 years, 65 to 80 years, and = 80 years.The area under the receiver-operating characteristic (AUROC) curve was calculated to quantify the diagnostic accuracy of the CCI to predict mortality risk. Results: A total of 3120 patients with IE (1327 < 65 years;1291 65-80 years;502 = 80 years) were enrolled.Fever and heart failure were the most common presentations of IE, with no differences among age groups.Patients =80 years who underwent surgery were significantly lower compared with other age groups (14.3%, 65 years; 20.5%, 65-79 years; 31.3%, =80 years). In-hospital mortality was lower in the <65-year group (20.3%, <65 years;30.1%, 65-79 years;34.7%, =80 years;p < 0.001) as well as 1-year mortality (3.2%, <65 years; 5.5%, 65-80 years;7.6%, =80 years; p = 0.003).Independent predictors of mortality were age = 80 years (hazard ratio [HR]:2.78;95% confidence interval [CI]:2.32–3.34), CCI = 3 (HR:1.62; 95% CI:1.39–1.88), and non-performed surgery (HR:1.64;95% CI:11.16–1.58).When the three age groups were compared, the AUROC curve for CCI was significantly larger for patients aged <65 years(p < 0.001) for both in-hospital and 1-year mortality. Conclusion: There were no differences in the clinical presentation of IE between the groups. Age = 80 years, high comorbidity (measured by CCI), and non-performance of surgery were independent predictors of mortality in patients with IE.CCI could help to identify those patients with IE and surgical indication who present a lower risk of in-hospital and 1-year mortality after surgery, especially in the <65-year group

Role of age and comorbidities in mortality of patients with infective endocarditis

[Purpose]: The aim of this study was to analyse the characteristics of patients with IE in three groups of age and to assess the ability of age and the Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI) to predict mortality. [Methods]: Prospective cohort study of all patients with IE included in the GAMES Spanish database between 2008 and 2015.Patients were stratified into three age groups:<65 years,65 to 80 years,and ≥ 80 years.The area under the receiver-operating characteristic (AUROC) curve was calculated to quantify the diagnostic accuracy of the CCI to predict mortality risk. [Results]: A total of 3120 patients with IE (1327 < 65 years;1291 65-80 years;502 ≥ 80 years) were enrolled.Fever and heart failure were the most common presentations of IE, with no differences among age groups.Patients ≥80 years who underwent surgery were significantly lower compared with other age groups (14.3%,65 years; 20.5%,65-79 years; 31.3%,≥80 years). In-hospital mortality was lower in the <65-year group (20.3%,<65 years;30.1%,65-79 years;34.7%,≥80 years;p < 0.001) as well as 1-year mortality (3.2%, <65 years; 5.5%, 65-80 years;7.6%,≥80 years; p = 0.003).Independent predictors of mortality were age ≥ 80 years (hazard ratio [HR]:2.78;95% confidence interval [CI]:2.32–3.34), CCI ≥ 3 (HR:1.62; 95% CI:1.39–1.88),and non-performed surgery (HR:1.64;95% CI:11.16–1.58).When the three age groups were compared,the AUROC curve for CCI was significantly larger for patients aged <65 years(p < 0.001) for both in-hospital and 1-year mortality. [Conclusion]: There were no differences in the clinical presentation of IE between the groups. Age ≥ 80 years, high comorbidity (measured by CCI),and non-performance of surgery were independent predictors of mortality in patients with IE.CCI could help to identify those patients with IE and surgical indication who present a lower risk of in-hospital and 1-year mortality after surgery, especially in the <65-year group

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

Spermidine Synthase Localization in Retinal Layers: Early Age Changes

Polyamine (PA) spermidine (SPD) plays a crucial role in aging. Since SPD accumulates in glial cells, particularly in Müller retinal cells (MCs), the expression of the SPD-synthesizing enzyme spermidine synthase (SpdS) in Müller glia and age-dependent SpdS activity are not known. We used immunocytochemistry, Western blot (WB), and image analysis on rat retinae at postnatal days 3, 21, and 120. The anti-glutamine synthetase (GS) antibody was used to identify glial cells. In the neonatal retina (postnatal day 3 (P3)), SpdS was expressed in almost all progenitor cells in the neuroblast. However, by day 21 (P21), the SpdS label was pronouncedly expressed in multiple neurons, while GS labels were observed only in radial Müller glial cells. During early cell adulthood, at postnatal day 120 (P120), SpdS was observed solely in ganglion cells and a few other neurons. Western blot and semi-quantitative analyses of SpdS labeling showed a dramatic decrease in SpdS at P21 and P120 compared to P3. In conclusion, the redistribution of SpdS with aging indicates that SPD is first synthesized in all progenitor cells and then later in neurons, but not in glia. However, MCs take up and accumulate SPD, regardless of the age-associated decrease in SPD synthesis in neurons