Desenvolupament d'un softsensor a partir de dades del tractament foto-Fenton en una planta pilot

Recentment, el procés de tractament foto-Fenton ha demostrat ser molt eficaç en la degradació d’una àmplia gama de contminants orgànics, especialment farmaceutics i d’higiene personal, que són dificils de ser tractats per tractaments convencionals fisics, biologics i/o químics. No obstant, degut a la complexitat del procés, la tasca de modelització continua siguent objecte de debat. Els models disponibles, més utilitzats, son útils pels estudis experimentals del procés a escala laboratori i per rangs concrets de condicions inicials. Tot i així, no existeixen models fiables disponibles per l’ús d’aquests en línia en una escala de planta industrial, ja que no hi ha suficient temps ni recursos pel mostreig i anàlisi fora de linea experimental. Aquest treball investiga la modelització basada en dades del procés del tractament d’aigües foto-Fenton, que és un procés no lineal complex, pel que no existeix un model de principiss bàsics útil pel seguiment i control del procés. Aquests models empírics es poden utilitzar com a soft sensors a fi supervisar o predir el progres de la reacció, que es car per mesurar, com funció d’altres variables del sistema que es registren de forma continua, automàtica i barata, lo que redueix el cost de la presa de mostres i analisis d’aquestes. La tècnica de modelat basada en dades utilitzada en aquest projecte és la Support Vector Regression. Un ejemple de simulació, com és la cinètica de primer ordre, s’utilitza primer per plantejar el problema, avaluar i validar el mètode de modelitzat i comprobar la seva robustessa. A continuació, la metodologia s’aplica a una planta de tractament foto-Fenton per modelar i predir el progrés de la degradació del contaminant. Els resultats obtinguts es mostren prometedores inclús quan només alguns punts d’entrenament estan disponbles, lo que es tradueix en un gran estalvi de temps i cost en la part experimental

Data-driven soft-sensors for online monitoring of batch processes with different initial conditions

A soft-sensing methodology applicable to batch processes operated under changeable initial conditions is presented. These cases appear when the raw materials specifications differ from batch to batch, different production scenarios should be managed, etc. The proposal exploits the capabilities of the machine learning techniques to provide practical soft-sensing approach with minimum tuning effort in spite of the fact that the inherent dynamic behavior of batch systems are tracked through other online indirect measurements. Current data modeling techniques have been also tested within the proposed methodology to demonstrate its advantages. Two simulation case-studies and a pilot-plant case-study involving a complex batch process for wastewater treatment are used to illustrate the problem, to assess the modeling approach and to compare the modeling techniques. The results reflect a promising accuracy even when the training information is scarce, allowing significant reductions in the cost associated to batch processes monitoring and control.Peer ReviewedPostprint (author's final draft

Effect of insulin on readmission for heart failure following a hospitalization for acute heart failure

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is common in patients with heart failure (HF) and is related with worse outcomes. Insulin treatment is associated with sodium and water retention, weight gain, and hypoglycaemia-all pathophysiological mechanisms related to HF decompensation. This study aimed to evaluate the association between insulin treatment and the risk of 1 year readmission for HF in patients discharged for acute HF. We prospectively included 2895 consecutive patients discharged after an episode of acute HF in a single tertiary hospital. Multivariable Cox regression, adapted for competing events, was used to assess the association between insulin treatment and 1 year readmission for HF in patients discharged after acute HF. Participants' mean age was 73.4 ± 11.2 years, 50.8% were women, 44.7% had T2DM [including 527 (18.2%) on insulin therapy], and 52.7% had preserved ejection fraction. At 1 year follow-up, 518 (17.9%) patients had died and 693 (23.9%) were readmitted for HF. The crude risk of readmission for HF was higher in patients on insulin, with no differences in 1 year mortality. After multivariable adjustment, patients on insulin were at significantly higher risk of 1 year readmission for HF than patients with diabetes who were not on insulin (hazard ratio 1.28; 95% confidence interval 1.04-1.59, P = 0.022) and patients without diabetes (hazard ratio 1.26; 95% confidence interval 1.02-1.55, P = 0.035). Following acute HF, patients with T2DM on insulin therapy are at increased risk of readmission for HF. Further studies unravelling the mechanisms behind this association are warranted

Differential mortality association of loop diuretic dosage according to blood urea nitrogen and carbohydrate antigen 125 following a hospitalization for acute heart failure

AimsRecent observations in chronic stable heart failure suggest that high-dose loop diuretics (HDLDs) have detrimental prognostic effects in patients with high blood urea nitrogen (BUN), but recent findings have also indicated that diuretics may improve renal function. Carbohydrate antigen 125 (CA125) has been shown to be a surrogate of systemic congestion. We sought to explore whether BUN and CA125 modulate the mortality risk associated with HDLDs following a hospitalization for acute heart failure (AHF).Methods and resultsWe analysed 1389 consecutive patients discharged for AHF. CA125 and BUN were measured at a mean of 72 ± 12 h after admission. HDLDs (≥120 mg/day in furosemide equivalent dose) were interacted to a four-level variable according to CA125 (>35 U/mL) and BUN (above the median), and related to all-cause mortality. At a median follow-up of 21 months, 561 (40.4%) patients died. The use of HDLDs was independently associated with increased mortality [hazard ratio (HR) 1.23, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.01–1.50], but this association was not homogeneous across CA125–BUN categories (P for interaction <0.001). In patients with normal CA125, use of HDLDs was associated with high mortality if BUN was above the median (HR 2.29, 95% 1.51–3.46), but not in those with BUN below the median (HR 1.22, 95% CI 0.73–2.04). Conversely, in patients with high CA125, HDLDs showed an association with increased survival if BUN was above the median (HR 0.73, 95% CI 0.55–0.98) but was associated with increased mortality in those with BUN below the median (HR 1.94, 95% CI 1.36–2.76).ConclusionThe risk associated with HDLDs in patients after hospitalization for AHF was dependent on the levels of BUN and CA125. The information provided by these two biomarkers may be helpful in tailoring the dose of loop diuretics at discharge for AHF

Environmental enrichment alleviates cognitive and psychomotor alterations and increases adult hippocampal neurogenesis in cocaine withdrawn mice

Cocaine is a widely used psychostimulant drug whose repeated exposure induces persistent cognitive/emotional dysregulation, which could be a predictor of relapse in users. However, there is scarce evidence on effective treatments to alleviate these symptoms. Environmental enrichment (EE) has been shown to be associated with improved synaptic function and cellular plasticity changes related to adult hippocampal neurogenesis (AHN), resulting in cognitive enhancement. Therefore, EE could mitigate the negative impact of chronic administration of cocaine in mice and reduce the emotional and cognitive symptoms present during cocaine abstinence. In this study, mice were chronically administered with cocaine for 14 days, and control mice received saline. After the last cocaine or saline dose, mice were submitted to control or EE housing conditions, and they stayed undisturbed for 28 days. Subsequently, mice were evaluated with a battery of behavioural tests for exploratory activity, emotional behaviour, and cognitive performance. EE attenuated hyperlocomotion, induced anxiolytic-like behaviour and alleviated cognitive impairment in spatial memory in the cocaine-abstinent mice. The EE protocol notably upregulated AHN in both control and cocaine-treated mice, though cocaine slightly reduced the number of immature neurons. Altogether, these results demonstrate that EE could enhance hippocampal neuroplasticity ameliorating the behavioural and cognitive consequences of repeated administration of cocaine. Therefore, environmental stimulation may be a useful strategy in the treatment cocaine addiction.This study was funded by the following grants: PSI2015-73,156-JIN to E.C-O. and PSI2017-82604R to L.J.S. (MINECO-AEI cofounded by FEDER), PID2020-114374RB-I00 (funded by MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033) to E.C-O., PID2020-113806RB-I00 to L.J.S. (MICINN) and University of Malaga (B4: ‘Ayudas para Proyectos Puente’ to E. C–O). Authors M. C. M-P., P. T. and S. G-R. hold predoctoral grants from the Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities (FPU17/00276 to M. C. M-P.; FPU18/00069 to P. T and FPU18/00941 to S. G-R.). The authors acknowledge the IBIMA's common research support structure of animal experimentation and behaviour (“Centro de Experimentación y Conducta Animal”; University of Malaga) and their staff for their valuable assistance during the behavioural experiments and maintenance of the mice and to Belén García and Carmen Hernández for their help with the confocal microscopy at the Cajal Institute // Funding for open access charge: Universidad de Málaga/CBUA

Coordinación horizontal de la especialidad en Lenguas Modernas (alemán, italiano y portugués) del máster MUPES (Máster Universitario en Profesor de E.S.O., Bachillerato, F.P. y Enseñanzas de Idiomas

Memoria ID-018. Ayudas de la Universidad de Salamanca para la innovación docente, curso 2018-2019

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

Higher COVID-19 pneumonia risk associated with anti-IFN-α than with anti-IFN-ω auto-Abs in children

We found that 19 (10.4%) of 183 unvaccinated children hospitalized for COVID-19 pneumonia had autoantibodies (auto-Abs) neutralizing type I IFNs (IFN-alpha 2 in 10 patients: IFN-alpha 2 only in three, IFN-alpha 2 plus IFN-omega in five, and IFN-alpha 2, IFN-omega plus IFN-beta in two; IFN-omega only in nine patients). Seven children (3.8%) had Abs neutralizing at least 10 ng/ml of one IFN, whereas the other 12 (6.6%) had Abs neutralizing only 100 pg/ml. The auto-Abs neutralized both unglycosylated and glycosylated IFNs. We also detected auto-Abs neutralizing 100 pg/ml IFN-alpha 2 in 4 of 2,267 uninfected children (0.2%) and auto-Abs neutralizing IFN-omega in 45 children (2%). The odds ratios (ORs) for life-threatening COVID-19 pneumonia were, therefore, higher for auto-Abs neutralizing IFN-alpha 2 only (OR [95% CI] = 67.6 [5.7-9,196.6]) than for auto-Abs neutralizing IFN-. only (OR [95% CI] = 2.6 [1.2-5.3]). ORs were also higher for auto-Abs neutralizing high concentrations (OR [95% CI] = 12.9 [4.6-35.9]) than for those neutralizing low concentrations (OR [95% CI] = 5.5 [3.1-9.6]) of IFN-omega and/or IFN-alpha 2

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

Variables psicológicas implicadas en la actitud e iniciativa emprendedora (II): personalidad, cognición y emoción

El proyecto titulado: Variables implicadas en la actitud e iniciativa emprendedora (II): personalidad, cognición y emoción, es la continuidad de otro presentado en la convocatoria anterior (2016-2017) cuyo objetivo era evaluar variables psicológicas en la actitud emprendedora de los estudiantes universitarios de la Universidad Complutense de Madrid (UCM). Este segundo proyecto ha tenido por objetivo principal ampliar la evaluación a otras facultades y áreas de conocimiento de nuestra universidad a fin de obtener el mapa y perfil de la iniciativa emprendedora del universitario UCM