Disseny d'una suspensió davantera per un vehicle de F1 de radiocontrol de pista escala 1/5

Aquest treball de final de grau té com meta dur a terme el disseny d'una suspensió davantera, singularment, per un vehicle controlat via ràdio control d'F1 a escala 1:5. Complementàriament, buscarem que es dugui a terme de la forma més eficient possible, tot respectant el màxim possible unes mesures prèviament recercades i analitzades en models de vehicles existents, ensems a la normativa vigent de competicions de vehicles RC F1 escala 1:5. Per a més inri, el sistema de suspensió dissenyat haurà d'absorbir les irregularitats del terreny, tot passant per mantenir l'estabilitat i la direcció del vehicle, tenint present el contacte entre el pneumàtic i la calçada. Quan parlem de sistemes de suspensió ens referim a, com la massa suspesa està acoblada a la massa no suspesa. La forma en què tots dos estan relacionats determina no només el moviment sinó també les forces transmeses. La suspensió independent és la més adequada per a la nostra aplicació en ser la que ofereix una estabilitat més gran en absorbir de forma independent les vibracions i oscil·lacions de les dues rodes d'un mateix eix. A més, es tracta del disseny que ofereix un millor confort i el que té un menor pes no suspès. Per assolir els propòsits descrits, cal dur a terme un estudi previ de dues assignatures relacionades amb el grau d'enginyeria d'automoció: "Suspensions" i "Direccions", en paral·lel a una recerca d'informació exhaustiva dels productes i disponibilitat al mercat actual, amb el fi de concretar i maximitzar els coneixements adquirits en la matèria, que resultaran extremadament útils de cara al disseny final de la suspensió del vehicle. Tan aviat s'hagi completat la fase de recerca i adquisició de coneixements, es durà a terme un esbós inicial de la suspensió, tenint com referència tres vehicles proporcionats pel tutor, i a partir d'ells es realitzarà un primer disseny 3D de la suspensió. D'aquest disseny en sortiran noves dades, gràcies a les quals es podrà dur a terme un estudi inicial dels paràmetres de direcció seleccionats, i un estudi de tensions. Aquests dos estudis es duran a terme mitjançant càlculs propis i per mitjà d'un programa d'Excel, fet per Pedro González Melis, ex-estudiant de l'ETSEIB. Per tal d'assegurar la veridicitat i validesa tant del càlcul com l'estudi de tensions, ens servirem programari CAD per a modelatge mecànic en 2D i 3D SolidWorks, que simultàniament ens resultarà de gran utilitat de cara al disseny. Aquest darrer estudi ens permetrà identificar quines peces susceptibles a presentar riscs, per poder anticipar i prendre decisions estructurals del disseny, tant materials com geomètriques, en cas de que siguin necessàries. Per acabar, es realitzarà un estudi de toleràncies i fabricació dels elements per relacionar-ho junt amb el seu cost econòmic i total del project

Emotional comprehension is not related to duration of distress from daily life events

The main aim of this paper is to analyze to what extent insight (i.e., mentalization referring to one's own mental state) moderates recovering from daily life events. A total of 110 participants (84.5% women; mean age: M = 21.5; SD = 3.2) filled in the Trait Meta-Mood Scale (TMMS-24) and the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire (EPQ-R), and were interviewed about impairment derived from daily life events (everyday life stresses) during the past year. Multivariate regression models were adjusted for neuroticism, sex, and socioeconomic status to analyze whether different degrees of insight moderated the relationship between the intensity and the duration of emotional distress. Results showed that the global measure of insight did not moderate recovering from daily-life distress. Regarding the subdimensions, attention to emotional reactions was related to an increased duration of distress. Results showed that, against our hypothesis, deeper comprehension of emotional reactions, operationalized here as "true insight", was not associated to faster recovery. Limitations and recommendations for further studies are discussed considering these result

Beyond diagnosis : mentalization and mental health from a transdiagnostic point of view in adolescents from non-clinical population

An increasing volume of evidence suggests that mentalization (MZ) can be an important factor in the transition from mental health to mental illness and vice versa. However, most studies are focused on the role of MZ in specific disorders. This study aims to evaluate the relationship between MZ and mental health as a trans-diagnostic process. A sample of 172 adolescents aged 12 to 18 years old (M = 14.6, SD = 1.7; 56.4% of girls) was assessed on measures of MZ, psychopathology and psychological functioning from a multimethod and multi-informant perspective. Contrary to predictions, MZ was not associated with general psychopathology and comorbidity, even when explored from a broad, trans-diagnostic perspective. However, we observed a robust association linking MZ to functioning and well-being across many dimensions, involving social, role and several psychological indicators of adjustment and mental health. These results suggest that MZ may contribute to mental health beyond symptoms, not so much associated with psychopathology, but rather resilience and well-bein

Self and other mentalizing polarities and dimensions of mental health : association with types of symptoms, functioning and well-being

Research suggests that the ability to understand one's own and others' minds, or mentalizing, is a key factor for mental health. Most studies have focused the attention on the association between global measures of mentalizing and specific disorders. In contrast, very few studies have analyzed the association between specific mentalizing polarities and global measures of mental health. This study aimed to evaluate whether self and other polarities of mentalizing are associated with a multidimensional notion of mental health, which considers symptoms, functioning, and well-being. Additionally, the level or depth of mentalizing within each polarity was also analyzed. A sample of 214 adolescents (12-18 years old, M = 14.7, and SD = 1.7; 53.3% female) was evaluated on measures of self- (Trait Meta-Mood Scale or TMMS-24) and other- mentalizing (Adolescent Mentalizing Interview or AMI), multi-informed measures of psychopathology and functioning based on Achenbach's system, and measures of psychological well-being (self-esteem, happiness, and motivation to life goals). Results revealed no association between mentalizing polarities and higher-order symptom factors (internalizing, externalizing, and global symptoms or " p " factor). Self-mentalizing was associated with self-esteem (B = 0.076, p < 0.0005) and motivation to life goals (B = 0.209, p = 0.002), and other-mentalizing was associated to general, social and role functioning (B = 0.475, p < 0.0005; B = 0.380, p = 0.005; and B = 0.364, p = 0.004). This association between aspects of self-other mentalizing and self-other function has important implications for treatment and prevention. Deeper mentalizing within each polarity (i.e., comprehension beyond simple attention to one's own mental states, and mentalizing referred to attachment figures vs. mentalizing referred to the characters of a story) revealed stronger associations with functioning and well-being. Because mentalizing polarities are associated with functioning and well-being but not with symptoms, a new hypothesis is developed: mentalizing does not contribute to resiliency by preventing symptoms, but by helping to deal with them, thus improving functioning and well-being independently of psychopathology. These findings support that promoting mentalizing across development may improve mental health, even in non-clinical populatio

On the way to specificity ‐ Microbiome reflects sponge genetic cluster primarily in highly structured populations

Most animals, including sponges (Porifera), have species-specific microbiomes. Which genetic or environmental factors play major roles structuring the microbial community at the intraspecific level in sponges is, however, largely unknown. In this study, we tested whether geographic location or genetic structure of conspecific sponges influences their microbial assembly. For that, we used three sponge species with different rates of gene flow, and collected samples along their entire distribution range (two from the Mediterranean and one from the Southern Ocean) yielding a total of 393 samples. These three sponge species have been previously analysed by microsatellites or single nucleotide polymorphisms, and here we investigate their microbiomes by amplicon sequencing of the microbial 16S rRNA gene. The sponge Petrosia ficiformis, with highly isolated populations (low gene flow), showed a stronger influence of the host genetic distance on the microbial composition than the spatial distance. Host-specificity was therefore detected at the genotypic level, with individuals belonging to the same host genetic cluster harbouring more similar microbiomes than distant ones. On the contrary, the microbiome of Ircinia fasciculata and Dendrilla antarctica - both with weak population structure (high gene flow) - seemed influenced by location rather than by host genetic distance. Our results suggest that in sponge species with high population structure, the host genetic cluster influence the microbial community more than the geographic location

Hypermentalizing in social anxiety : Evidence for a context-dependent relationship

Social anxiety (SA) means fear of scrutiny and of others' negative evaluation, thus indicating that hypermentalizing (HMZ) (i.e., the over-attribution of intentions and thoughts to others) might be the most common error of social cognition in SA. However, evidence for this is weak. One explanation is that HMZ is not stable in SA, but rather context-dependent. The first aim of the current study was testing this hypothesis. The second aim was analyzing whether the association between SA and HMZ is moderated by a negative self-image. One-hundred and thirteen young adults (85.8% females; M = 21.1 years old; SD = 2.7) were assessed on measures of SA, HMZ, and self-image. Given the over-representation of females, conclusions may not be safely extrapolated to males. Results revealed that HMZ is associated with SA only in the self-referential social situation [B = 2.68 (95% CI: 0.72-4.65), p = 0.007]. This supports that HMZ is not global in SA (i.e., a stable cognitive style), but rather is active only in some contexts. Implications for the conceptualization and treatment of SA are discussed. Contrary to predictions, neither self-esteem, nor positive or negative self-schema moderated the association between SA and self-referential HMZ. This contradicts findings in the field of paranoid delusion and requires replication, including measures of implicit self-esteem

Statistical analysis of post mortem DNA damage-derived miscoding lesions in Neandertal mitochondrial DNA

Background. We have analysed the distribution of post mortem DNA damage derived miscoding lesions from the datasets of seven published Neandertal specimens that have extensive cloned sequence coverage over the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) hypervariable region 1 (HVS1). The analysis was restricted to C → T and G → A miscoding lesions (the predominant manifestation of post mortem damage) that are seen at a frequency of more than one clone among sequences from a single PCR, but do not represent the true endogenous sequence. Findings. The data indicates an extreme bias towards C → T over G → A miscoding lesions (observed ratio of 67:2 compared to an expected ratio of 7:2), implying that the mtDNA Light strand molecule suffers proportionally more damage-derived miscoding lesions than the Heavy strand. Conclusion. The clustering of Cs in the Light strand as opposed to the singleton pattern of Cs in the Heavy strand could explain the observed bias, a phenomenon that could be further tested with non-PCR based approaches. The characterization of the HVS1 hotspots will be of use to future Neandertal mtDNA studies, with specific regards to assessing the authenticity of new positions previously unknown to be polymorphic

Self- but not other-mentalizing moderates the association between BPD symptoms and somatic complaints in community-dwelling adolescents

Acord transformatiu CRUE-CSICObjectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate the potential moderator role of poor mentalization in the association between borderline personality disorder (BPD) traits and somatization, specifically focusing on the polarities of self- and other-mentalizing. Design: This is a cross-sectional, general population study evaluating adolescents (n = 162, 61.3% female; ages 12-18, M = 14.63, SD = 1.02). The relationship between BPD traits and somatization was evaluated with self-mentalization (attention to emotions and clarity of emotions) and other-mentalizing as moderator variables. Methods: One hundred sixty-two adolescents without serious mental health disorders were evaluated using self-report measures for borderline personality disorder traits (screening questionnaire for the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV Personality Disorders (SCID-II), somatic symptoms using the Somatic Symptoms Questionnaire (SSQ), self-mentalizing using the Trait Meta-Mood Scale-24 (TMMS) and other-mentalizing using the Adolescent Mentalizing Interview (AMI)). Linear regressions were conducted to test the moderation effects of self- and other-mentalizing in the relationship between BPD symptoms and somatic complaints, controlling for age and sex. Moderation analysis was conducted using PROCESS version 3.5. Results: The association between BPD symptoms and somatic complaints was moderated by a self-mentalizing dimension (emotional clarity) (b = −0.019, 95% CI = −0.0379 to −0.0002, p =.0476), but not other-mentalizing (b = 0.027, 95% CI = 0.000 to 0.053, p =.051). The effect of BPD symptoms on somatization disappears when emotional clarity is high, regardless the level of attention to emotions. Conclusions: Self-mentalizing appears to be an adaptive skill as it attenuates the relationship between BPD traits and somatization. Specifically, emotional clarity rather than simple attention to emotions is the aspect of self-mentalizing attenuating this association. These results support that self-mentalization is an important function in the management of body-associated emotions even in non-clinical levels of BPD traits. Findings suggest that strengthening self-mentalizing skills across development might contribute to resilience and salutogenesis

Optimized reagents for immunopotency assays on mesenchymal stromal cells for clinical use

Immunomodulation; Mesenchymal stromal cells; Quality & regulatory complianceImmunomodulació; Cèl·lules estromals mesenquimàtiques; Qualitat i compliment normatiuInmunomodulación; Células estromales mesenquimales; Calidad y cumplimiento normativoMultipotent mesenchymal stromal cells (MSC) offer new therapeutic opportunities based on their ability to modulate an imbalanced immune system. Immunomodulatory potency is typically demonstrated in vitro by measuring the presence of surrogate markers (i.e., indoleamine-2,3-dioxygenase, IDO; tumor necrosis factor receptor type 1, TNFR1) and/or functional assays in co-cultures (i.e., inhibition of lymphoproliferation, polarization of macrophages). However, the biological variability of reagents used in the latter type of assays leads to unreliable and difficult to reproduce data therefore making cross-comparison between batches difficult, both at the intra- and inter-laboratory levels. Herein, we describe a set of experiments aiming at the definition and validation of reliable biological reagents as a first step towards standardization of a potency assay. This approach is based on the co-culture of Wharton’s jelly (WJ)-derived MSC and cryopreserved pooled peripheral blood mononuclear cells. Altogether, we successfully defined a robust and reproducible immunopotency assay based on previously described methods incorporating substantial improvements such as cryopreservation of multiple vials of pooled peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from 5 individual donors that enable a number of tests with same reagents, also reducing waste of PBMC from individual donors and therefore contributing to a more efficient and ethical method to use substances of human origin (SoHO). The new methodology was successfully validated using 11 batches of clinical grade MSC,WJ. Methods described here contribute to minimize PBMC donor variability while reducing costs, streamlining assay setup and convenience and laying the foundations for harmonization of biological reagents usage in standardized immunopotency assays for MSC.Open Access Funding provided by Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona. This work has been developed in the context of Red Española de Terapias Avanzadas (TERAV, expedient no. RD21/0017/0022) funded by Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII) in the context of NextGenerationEU’s Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan and by the Commission for Universities and Research of the Department of Innovation, Universities, and Enterprise of the Generalitat de Catalunya (2017 SGR 719)

Adapting cord blood collection and banking Standard Operating Procedures for HLA-homozygous induced Pluripotent Stem Cells production and banking for clinical application

In this article, we will discuss the main aspects to be considered to define standard operation procedures (SOPs) for the creation of an induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) bank using cord blood (CB)-or similar cell type-bank guidelines for clinical aims. To do this, we adapt the pre-existing SOP for CB banking that can be complementary for iPSCs. Some aspects of iPSC manufacturing and the particular nature of these cells call for special attention, such as the potential multiple applications of the cells, proper explanation to the donor for consent of use, the genomic stability and the risk of genetic privacy disclosure. Some aspects of the iPSC SOP are solidly established by CB banking procedures, other procedures have good consensus in the scientific and medical community, while others still need to be further debated and settled. Given the international sharing vocation of iPSC banking, there is an urgent need by scientists, clinicians and regulators internationally to harmonize standards and allow future sample interchange between many iPSC bank initiatives that are springing up worldwide