Comparative Analysis of Simplified Daylight Glare Methods and Proposal of a new Method Based on the Cylindrical Illuminance

This paper analyzed the accuracy of simplified glare analysis methods compared to the Daylight Glare Probability (DGP) through a parametric study. It consisted of glare calculations in a sample office room, with varying façade layout and orientation. Calculations were performed with Radiance, obtaining the simplified and full glare indices for each case. The different options were compared for discrete daylight conditions as well as for complete annual simulations. As a final output of the research, a new metric is proposed based on the cylindrical illuminance. This has the advantage of retaining the vertical component of illuminance, while being view independen

Inhibition of the Mitotic Exit Network in Response to Damaged Telomeres

When chromosomal DNA is damaged, progression through the cell cycle is halted to provide the cells with time to repair the genetic material before it is distributed between the mother and daughter cells. In Saccharomyces cerevisiae, this cell cycle arrest occurs at the G2/M transition. However, it is also necessary to restrain exit from mitosis by maintaining Bfa1-Bub2, the inhibitor of the Mitotic Exit Network (MEN), in an active state. While the role of Bfa1 and Bub2 in the inhibition of mitotic exit when the spindle is not properly aligned and the spindle position checkpoint is activated has been extensively studied, the mechanism by which these proteins prevent MEN function after DNA damage is still unclear. Here, we propose that the inhibition of the MEN is specifically required when telomeres are damaged but it is not necessary to face all types of chromosomal DNA damage, which is in agreement with previous data in mammals suggesting the existence of a putative telomere-specific DNA damage response that inhibits mitotic exit. Furthermore, we demonstrate that the mechanism of MEN inhibition when telomeres are damaged relies on the Rad53-dependent inhibition of Bfa1 phosphorylation by the Polo-like kinase Cdc5, establishing a new key role of this kinase in regulating cell cycle progression.España, Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación BFU2011-2343

3D-bioengineered model of human skeletal muscle tissue with phenotypic features of aging for drug testing purposes

Three-dimensional engineering of skeletal muscle is becoming increasingly relevant for tissue engineering, disease modeling and bio-hybrid robotics, where flexible, versatile and multidisciplinary approaches for the evaluation of tissue differentiation, functionality and force measurement are required. This works presents a 3D-printed platform of bioengineered human skeletal muscle which can efficiently model the three-dimensional structure of native tissue, while providing information about force generation and contraction profiles. Proper differentiation and maturation of myocytes is demonstrated by the expression of key myo-proteins using immunocytochemistry and analyzed by confocal microscopy, and the functionality assessed via electrical stimulation and analysis of contraction kinetics. To validate the flexibility of this platform for complex tissue modeling, the bioengineered muscle is treated with tumor necrosis factor a to mimic the conditions of aging, which is supported by morphological and functional changes. Moreover, as a proof of concept, the effects of Argireline® Amplified peptide, a cosmetic ingredient that causes muscle relaxation, are evaluated in both healthy and aged tissue models. Therefore, the results demonstrate that this 3D-bioengineered human muscle platform could be used to assess morphological and functional changes in the aging process of muscular tissue with potential applications in biomedicine, cosmetics and bio-hybrid robotics.Peer ReviewedPostprint (published version

White light emitting silsesquioxane based materials: The importance of a ligand with rigid and directional arms

The synthesis of a novel polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane functionalized with eight rigid and directional terpyridine-based arms (Ter-POSS) was successfully achieved via a Sonogashira reaction. The POSS based ligand was extensively characterized using different techniques including 1H, 13C and 29Si NMR as well as UV-Vis and fluorescence spectroscopies. The assembly of these nano-caged units in the presence of different transition metal ions (Fe2+, Zn2+ and Cu2+) as well as of a cation from the lanthanides (Eu3+) was investigated using absorption and emission spectroscopies. The final materials display an evident emission in different regions of the visible spectrum as a function of the cation employed. Additional insights into the structural organization of Ter-POSS in the presence of metal cations were obtained via molecular mechanics and molecular dynamics simulations. The polymeric material resulting from the complexation with europium displays a white light emission ascribed to the presence of combined contributions from the blue, green and red regions. The final self-assembled organizations display an increased quantum yield with the highest value (29.6%) obtained in the presence of Zn2+. Moreover, the white-light emitting europium-based nanostructure exhibits one of the highest quantum yields reported in the literature for similar solids

Desarrollo de guía para el diseño de biseles plásticos automotrices moldeados por inyección

Los plásticos son unos de los materiales ingenieriles más utilizados en la actualidad. En el ramo automotriz, su versatilidad les ha permitido encontrar aplicaciones diversas, ocupando al día de hoy aproximadamente el 50% del volumen de un vehículo. Sin embargo, el diseño de componentes plásticos continúa siendo un proceso basado en la experiencia, lo cual en muchos casos resulta en retrasos en la producción, afectando directamente los costos. El objetivo de este trabajo es desarrollar una guía de diseño para una familia de componentes utilizados en el ramo automotriz: los biseles. Para el desarrollo de esta guía se estudiaron los diferentes elementos que componen un bisel y mediante diversas simulaciones en MoldFlow Plastics Insight se determinaron los parámetros geométricos óptimos para cada elemento. La guía es validada con el diseño de un bisel para una palanca de velocidades.Palabra(s) Clave(s): automotriz, bisel, diseño, inyección, plástico

A critical view on the current use of daptomycin in Spain: The daptomise study

Background: The Study on the Clinical Use of DAPTOMycin in Spain (DAPTOMISE Study) is a national surveillance program of daptomycin use. The objectives of this study are to evaluate the current variability in daptomycin consumption across the different hospitals and the adequacy of therapy, specially focused on underdosing. Methods: All adult and pediatric patients who received, at least, one dose of daptomycin in a single week in 98 institutions in Spain were included. The adequacy of daptomycin use was evaluated with respect to the indication, dosage, adjustments after microbiology results, switching to an oral agent and length of treatment. Results: A total of 615 patients received daptomycin during the study week. The prevalence use was 2.3 patients / 100,000 inhabitants per week, 12.4 patients / 1000 admissions and 9.2 Days of Therapy (DOT) / 1000 hospital stays. These rates varied between hospitals: from 0 to 13.9 patients / 100,000 inhabitants, from 0 to 76.1 patients / 1000 admissions and from 0 to 49.4 DOT / 1000 hospital stays. The most frequent infections were bacteremia (31.6 %) and skin and soft tissue infections (17.9 %). Microbiological results were available in only 65.4 % of infections. The most frequent microorganisms were Staphylococcus aureus (192 isolates, of which 87 were resistant to methicillin) and coagulase-negative staphylococci (124 isolates). A total of 136 prescriptions (22.1 %) were underdosed. Dosages < 8 mg/kg were used for 35.6 % of endovascular infections and for 26.2 % of osteoarticular infections. Overall, 57.2 % of prescriptions were not optimal in, at least, one item. Clinical cure rate was 76.1% and mortality attributable to the infection 8.1%. Conclusion: This is the first registry that identifies the prevalence of use of daptomycin in Spain and shows a high variability in the consumption between the different hospitals. Daptomycin underdosing was present in more than 20 % of cases. (c) 2023 Published by Elsevier Ltd on behalf of King Saud Bin Abdulaziz University for Health Sciences. This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/)

Unexpected impairment of INa underpins reentrant arrhythmias in a knock-in swine model of Timothy syndrome

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Using discarded oyster shells to obtain biodiesel

Biodiesel production was studied through the transesterification of used edible vegetable oil, using a calcium oxide (CaO) catalyst derived from Crassostrea Virginica oyster shells. Which were calcined at 900 ° C for 2 hours and characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM-EDX), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR). The efficiency of conversion to methyl esters was evaluated using 2%, 3% and 4% of catalyst and they were analyzed by 1H NMR. The results showing that concentrations greater than 2% of CaO generate biodiesel conversions greater than 90%.Objective: To evaluate the CaO made from oyster shell (C. virginica) as a heterogeneous catalyst in the transesterification of edible vegetable oil used for the production of biodiesel. Design / methodology / approach: A completely randomized experimental design was used, which grouped 3 treatments with 3 repetitions, generating a total of 9 experimental units. The response variable was the performance of the transesterification reaction that was evaluated with 2%, 3% and 4% of CaO obtained from oyster shells. The density, kinematic viscosity, acidity, and conversion efficiency to methyl esters were determined by 1H NMR of the products of each treatment. Results: The treatment with 3% catalyst showed the highest reaction yield (92.2%) compared to the treatments with 2% (86.8%) and 4% catalyst (87.13%). The 1H NMR spectra confirmed the presence of methyl esters in the product of the three treatments. The treatment with 3% and 4% by weight of catalyst presented products with similar characteristics with acceptable values ​​of density, viscosity and acid number in accordance with the ASTM D6751 and EN1421 standards. Study limitations / implications: A concentration of 2% by weight of CaO generates a conversion percentage far from the content of methyl esters established by the ASTM D6751 and EN14214 Standards (&gt; 96.5%). Findings / conclusions: 1H NMR results indicate that the conversion efficiency to methyl esters is positively affected by the amount of catalyst. In the treatments with catalyst loading greater than 2%, the conversion to methyl esters increased significantly to values ​​around 90%

Factors associated with the development of septic shock in patients with candidemia: a post hoc analysis from two prospective cohorts

[Background] Almost one third of the patients with candidemia develop septic shock. The understanding why some patients do and others do not develop septic shock is very limited. The objective of this study was to identify variables associated with septic shock development in a large population of patients with candidemia.[Methods] A post hoc analysis was performed on two prospective, multicenter cohort of patients with candidemia from 12 hospitals in Spain and Italy. All episodes occurring from September 2016 to February 2018 were analyzed to assess variables associated with septic shock development defined according to The Third International Consensus Definition for Sepsis and Septic Shock (Sepsis-3).[Results] Of 317 candidemic patients, 99 (31.2%) presented septic shock attributable to candidemia. Multivariate logistic regression analysis identifies the following factors associated with septic shock development: age > 50 years (OR 2.57, 95% CI 1.03–6.41, p = 0.04), abdominal source of the infection (OR 2.18, 95% CI 1.04–4.55, p = 0.04), and admission to a general ward at the time of candidemia onset (OR 0.21, 95% CI, 0.12–0.44, p = 0.001). Septic shock development was independently associated with a greater risk of 30-day mortality (OR 2.14, 95% CI 1.08–4.24, p = 0.02).[Conclusions] Age and abdominal source of the infection are the most important factors significantly associated with the development of septic shock in patients with candidemia. Our findings suggest that host factors and source of the infection may be more important for development of septic shock than intrinsic virulence factors of organisms.This study was funded by a research grant from the Ministerio de Sanidad y Consumo, Instituto de Salud Carlos III [FIS PI15/00744], European Regional Development Fund (ERDF); CGV is a recipient of an INTENSIFICACIÓ Grant from the “Strategic plan for research and innovation in health-PERIS 2016-2020” and forms part of the Fungi CLINIC Research group (AGAUR-Project 2017SGR1432 of the Catalan Health Agency)

Estadística, probabilidad y análisis de datos: grupos de trabajo en México

En este grupo proponemos la conformación de una red que promueva la interacción entre profesores, investigadores y promotores de la educación en probabilidad y estadística en México. En la reunión dentro de la EIME XV, el propósito sería conocer qué académicos y grupos de investigación o trabajo se centran en el estudio e investigación en didáctica de la estadística y la probabilidad. Los participantes expondrán cómo están constituidos como grupo, su denominación, sus integrantes, su registro ante instancias institucionales (si lo hay), así como las líneas, temáticas y proyectos de investigación vigentes o en proceso y con qué otros grupos en esta área se han vinculado. La idea central, a mediano plazo, es articular una red de trabajo que tenga como propósito coadyuvar a la integración de las diversas comunidades epistémicas en la detección y tratamiento consensuado de los problemas más representativos en estas disciplinas en México