Paleoclimatic reconstruction during the Little Ice Age in the Llanganuco basin, Cordillera Blanca (Peru)

The Equilibrium Line Altitude (ELA, m) is a good indicator for the impact of climate change on tropical glaciers , because it varies in time and space depending on changes in temperature and/or precipitation.The estimation of the ELA and paleoELA using the Area x Altitude Balance Ratio method (AABR; Osmaston, 2005) requires knowing the surface and hypsometry of glaciers or paleoglaciers (Benn et al. 2005) and the Balance Ratio (BR) correct (Rea, 2009). In the Llanganuco basin (~ 9°3´S; 77°37´W) there are very well preserved moraines near the current glaciers front. These deposits provide information to reconstruct the extent of paleoglaciers since the Little Ice Age (LIA) and deduce some paleo-climatic variables. The goal of this work has been to reconstruct the paleotemperature (°C) during LIA, deduced from the difference between ELA AABR2016 and paleoELA AABRLIA. The paleoclimatic reconstruction was carried out in 6 phases: Phase 1) Development of a detailed geomorphological map (scale 1/10,000), in order to identify glacial landforms (advance moraines and polished rocks) which, due to their geomorphological context, can be considered of LIA, so palaeoglaciers can be delimited. Current glacial extension was done using dry season, high resolution satellite images. Phase 2) Glacial bedrock Reconstruction from glacier surface following the GLABTOP methodology (Linsbauer et al 2009). Phase 3) 3D reconstruction of paleoglacial surface using GLARE tool, based on bed topography and flow lines for each defined paleoglacial (Pellitero et al., 2016). As perfect plasticity model does not reflect the tension generated by the side walls of the valley, form factors were calculated based on the glacier thickness, lateral moraines and the geometry of the valley following the equation proposed by Nye (1952), adjusting the thicknesses generated in the paleoglacial front. Phase 4) Calculation of BR in a reference glacier (Artesonraju; 8° 56’S; 77º38’W), near to the study area, using the product BR = b • z • s, where BR= Balance Ratio; b= mass balance measured in fieldwork 2004-2014 (m); z= average altitude (meters) and s= surface (m2) of each altitude band of the glacier (with intervals of 100 m altitude). A value BR = 2.3 was estimated. Phase 5) Automatic reconstruction of the ELA AABR2016 and paleoELA AABRLIA using ELA Calculation tool (Pellitero et al. 2015) after 3D reconstruction of the glacial and paleoglacial surface in phases 2 and 3. Phase 6) Estimation of paleotemperature during LIA by solving the equation of Porter et al. (1995): ∆T (°C)= ∆ELA • ATLR, where ∆T= air temperature depression (ºC); ∆ELA = variation of ELA AABR 2016-LIA and ATLR = Air Temperature Lapse Rate, using the average global value of the Earth (0.0065 °C/m), considered valid for tropics. The results obtained were: ELA AABR2016= 5260m, paleoELA AABRLIA= 5084m, and ∆T = 1.1 °C. The reconstruction of air paleotemperature is consistent with different studies that have estimated values between 1–2 °C colder than the present, with intense rainfall (Matthews & Briffa, 2005; Malone et al., 2015)

Destinos Turísticos II: Diseño de fichas tipo interactivas y Guía Docente para su estudio

El proyecto tiene como objetivo, el diseño de fichas de destinos turísticos tipo, acompañadas de guías docentes, que sirvan de modelo para que los alumnos puedan trabajar de forma interactiva dentro y fuera del aula en la confección de otros ejemplos similares

Paisajes comerciales y turismo: Virtualización de casos de estudio para el aprendizaje autónomo del estudiante

El proyecto tiene como objetivo realizar casos de estudio de paisajes comerciales derivados/ generados por el turismo. Los ejemplos serán virtualizados y servirán de modelo para facilitar al profesorado y alumnado su utilización y consulta. El turismo es una de las actividades globales más importantes del mundo el cual supone una de las cinco mayores partidas de las exportaciones de servicios mundiales en la mayor parte de los países. El turismo transforma el espacio y da como resultado diferentes paisajes pero con características similares en cualquier lugar del mundo. Un ejemplo de ello en las repercusiones del turismo urbano en la transformación del paisaje de las grandes ciudades turísticas y este es uno de los aspectos que este proyecto pretende abordar. El proyecto se centrará en casos de estudio de la Comunidad de Madrid, para evitar posibles desplazamientos no permitidos actualmente debido a la situación actual de pandemia por COVID19. Los casos de estudio, serán discutidos por el equipo de investigación durante las primeras fases del proyecto, pero en principio se intentaría cubrir tipologías diferentes y entre ellos estarían: Las Rozas Village, Calles de Lujo, Gran Vía, la zona comercial del aeropuerto Madrid, el centro comercial , Xanadu, los mercados tradicionales, y los distritos de cooperación

Transferencia de los resultados de Trabajos Fin de Grado y Máster a la docencia -TF-Transfer

Depto. de GeografíaFac. de Geografía e HistoriaFALSEsubmitte

Applied diagnostics in liver cancer. Efficient combinations of sorafenib with targeted inhibitors blocking AKT/mTOR

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the third most common cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. There is increasing interest in developing specific markers to serve as predictors of response to sorafenib and to guide targeted therapy. Using a sequencing platform designed to study somatic mutations in a selection of 112 genes (HepatoExome), we aimed to characterize lesions from HCC patients and cell lines, and to use the data to study the biological and mechanistic effects of case-specific targeted therapies used alone or in combination with sorafenib. We characterized 331 HCC cases in silico and 32 paired samples obtained prospectively from primary tumors of HCC patients. Each case was analyzed in a time compatible with the requirements of the clinic (within 15 days). In 53% of the discovery cohort cases, we detected unique mutational signatures, with up to 34% of them carrying mutated genes with the potential to guide therapy. In a panel of HCC cell lines, each characterized by a specific mutational signature, sorafenib elicited heterogeneous mechanistic and biological responses, whereas targeted therapy provoked the robust inhibition of cell proliferation and DNA synthesis along with the blockage of AKT/mTOR signaling. The combination of sorafenib with targeted therapies exhibited synergistic anti-HCC biological activity concomitantly with highly effective inhibition of MAPK and AKT/mTOR signaling. Thus, somatic mutations may lead to identify case-specific mechanisms of disease in HCC lesions arising from multiple etiologies. Moreover, targeted therapies guided by molecular characterization, used alone or in combination with sorafenib, can effectively block important HCC disease mechanisms.FUNDING: Grants from ISCIII, co-financed by the European Union (FEDER) (PI16/00156), Ramón and Cajal research program from MINECO (RYC-2013-14097) and FUNDACIÓN LUCHAMOS POR LA VIDA to JPV. Grants from ISCIII (RD06/0020/0107-RD012/0036/0060) to MAP. Grant from ISCIII (Ref. PIE15/00079) to JC & JPV. NGD is a recipient of a UC-IDIVAL pre-doctoral fellow. I.V. was also supported by the Ramón and Cajal research program

Virtualizing university teaching through Open Educational Resources by means of ArcGIS Online (REARGOL)

La pandemia provocada por el virus SARS-CoV-2 (COVID19) ha demostrado la necesidad de acelerar la digitalización de la docencia universitaria. Las herramientas digitales para la transferencia ciencia-educación, que ya eran esenciales para asegurar la calidad de la docencia presencial, se han transformado en imprescindibles cuando las circunstancias han impuesto la docencia virtual. El proyecto REARGOL ha desarrollado y ensayado en ArcGIS online instrumentos para la virtualización de contenidos en asignaturas de grado y máster, sobre geomorfología, gestión de desastres, patrimonio natural y patrimonio cultural. Ha sido un ensayo piloto, replicable en todas las titulaciones y temáticas susceptibles de generar información geoespacial (prácticamente todos los títulos y áreas de conocimiento). El único límite es la imaginación. El proyecto ha priorizado la participación de estudiantes de grado, máster y doctorado, que han desarrollado 4 tipos de aplicaciones: Mapas Web y Web AppBuilder (visores cartográficos interactivos), encuestas Survey 123 (formularios recogida de datos), Cuadros de Mandos (plataformas online que permiten combinar varias aplicaciones) y Story Maps (presentaciones para mostrar conjuntamente información y aplicaciones ArcGIS online). Las aplicaciones que se ensayaron con éxito durante el curso 2020-2021, en asignaturas de grado y máster, así como en TFMs y TFGs, continúan utilizándose en el curso 2021-2022.The SARS-CoV-2 (COVID19) pandemic has shown the urgent need to improve university teaching. Digital resources for Science-Education transfer, which already were crucial for ensuring the quality of face-to-face teaching, turned to be indispensable when the health crisis forced virtual teaching. The REARGOL project has developed and tested ArcGIS Online tools for the virtualization of Bachelor’s and Master’s courses focused on geomorphology, natural disaster management, and natural and cultural heritage. This has been a preliminary test that could be applied to all undergraduate and postgraduate degrees, that can produce geospatial information in all knowledge areas. Imagination is the only constraint. The project has prioritized the participation of undergraduate and postgraduate students (Master and PhD). The project has priorized the participation of undergraduate and postgraduate (Master’s and PhD) students. They have developed four types of applications: Web Maps and Web AppBuilder (interactive cartographical viewers), Survey 123 (data collection forms), Dashboards (online platforms allowing to combine several applications) and Story Maps (presentations for displaying information and ArcGIS online applications). The tools successfully tested during the 2020-2021 academic year are still being used in the current one, in Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees, as well as in Bachelor’s and Master’s final dissertations.Depto. de GeografíaFac. de Geografía e HistoriaFALSEsubmitte

Healthcare workers hospitalized due to COVID-19 have no higher risk of death than general population. Data from the Spanish SEMI-COVID-19 Registry

Aim To determine whether healthcare workers (HCW) hospitalized in Spain due to COVID-19 have a worse prognosis than non-healthcare workers (NHCW). Methods Observational cohort study based on the SEMI-COVID-19 Registry, a nationwide registry that collects sociodemographic, clinical, laboratory, and treatment data on patients hospitalised with COVID-19 in Spain. Patients aged 20-65 years were selected. A multivariate logistic regression model was performed to identify factors associated with mortality. Results As of 22 May 2020, 4393 patients were included, of whom 419 (9.5%) were HCW. Median (interquartile range) age of HCW was 52 (15) years and 62.4% were women. Prevalence of comorbidities and severe radiological findings upon admission were less frequent in HCW. There were no difference in need of respiratory support and admission to intensive care unit, but occurrence of sepsis and in-hospital mortality was lower in HCW (1.7% vs. 3.9%; p = 0.024 and 0.7% vs. 4.8%; p<0.001 respectively). Age, male sex and comorbidity, were independently associated with higher in-hospital mortality and healthcare working with lower mortality (OR 0.211, 95%CI 0.067-0.667, p = 0.008). 30-days survival was higher in HCW (0.968 vs. 0.851 p<0.001). Conclusions Hospitalized COVID-19 HCW had fewer comorbidities and a better prognosis than NHCW. Our results suggest that professional exposure to COVID-19 in HCW does not carry more clinical severity nor mortality

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

Effectiveness of an intervention for improving drug prescription in primary care patients with multimorbidity and polypharmacy:Study protocol of a cluster randomized clinical trial (Multi-PAP project)

This study was funded by the Fondo de Investigaciones Sanitarias ISCIII (Grant Numbers PI15/00276, PI15/00572, PI15/00996), REDISSEC (Project Numbers RD12/0001/0012, RD16/0001/0005), and the European Regional Development Fund ("A way to build Europe").Background: Multimorbidity is associated with negative effects both on people's health and on healthcare systems. A key problem linked to multimorbidity is polypharmacy, which in turn is associated with increased risk of partly preventable adverse effects, including mortality. The Ariadne principles describe a model of care based on a thorough assessment of diseases, treatments (and potential interactions), clinical status, context and preferences of patients with multimorbidity, with the aim of prioritizing and sharing realistic treatment goals that guide an individualized management. The aim of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of a complex intervention that implements the Ariadne principles in a population of young-old patients with multimorbidity and polypharmacy. The intervention seeks to improve the appropriateness of prescribing in primary care (PC), as measured by the medication appropriateness index (MAI) score at 6 and 12months, as compared with usual care. Methods/Design: Design:pragmatic cluster randomized clinical trial. Unit of randomization: family physician (FP). Unit of analysis: patient. Scope: PC health centres in three autonomous communities: Aragon, Madrid, and Andalusia (Spain). Population: patients aged 65-74years with multimorbidity (≥3 chronic diseases) and polypharmacy (≥5 drugs prescribed in ≥3months). Sample size: n=400 (200 per study arm). Intervention: complex intervention based on the implementation of the Ariadne principles with two components: (1) FP training and (2) FP-patient interview. Outcomes: MAI score, health services use, quality of life (Euroqol 5D-5L), pharmacotherapy and adherence to treatment (Morisky-Green, Haynes-Sackett), and clinical and socio-demographic variables. Statistical analysis: primary outcome is the difference in MAI score between T0 and T1 and corresponding 95% confidence interval. Adjustment for confounding factors will be performed by multilevel analysis. All analyses will be carried out in accordance with the intention-to-treat principle. Discussion: It is essential to provide evidence concerning interventions on PC patients with polypharmacy and multimorbidity, conducted in the context of routine clinical practice, and involving young-old patients with significant potential for preventing negative health outcomes. Trial registration: Clinicaltrials.gov, NCT02866799Publisher PDFPeer reviewe