Acute kidney injury in the elderly: predisposition to chronic kidney disease and vice versa.

There have been considerable advances in the past few years in our understanding of how chronic kidney disease (CKD) predisposes to acute kidney injury (AKI) and vice versa. This review shows, however, that few studies have focused on the elderly or conducted stratified analysis by age. It does appear that elderly patients with estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) 45-59 ml/min/1.73 m(2) are at higher risk for AKI compared with their counterparts with eGFR >60 ml/min/1.73 m(2). This is a similar relationship to that seen in younger patients, although effect size appears smaller. As the incidence of AKI has been increasing over the past several years, the proportion of elderly patients surviving after AKI has also been increasing. Since AKI heightens the risk for the development and acceleration of CKD, this implies significant public health concerns with regard to the absolute number of elderly persons developing incident CKD

A Criminal Law for Semicitizens

A significant number of influential philosophical theorists of punishment argue that only those who enjoy the status of citizenship in a political community can legitimately be punished by that polity. Yet, the strength of this approach wanes when these scholars treat individuals who clearly do not respond to their idealised conception of citizenship (such as asylum seekers, disenfranchised offenders, and tourists) as if they were fully fledged citizens. This article argues that ‘citizen criminal law’ can only be theoretically feasible in today’s world if it abandons the binary position between ‘full citizens’ and ‘noncitizens’ and recognises the everlasting presence of certain types of ‘semicitizens’. Thus, citizenship should be conceived as a scalar phenomenon. Based on a typological approach to the different forms of semicitizenship, we argue that the strength of the political bond between offenders and the political community must be considered when gauging punishment severity. The weaker the bond, the more lenient the punishment should be

Recovery of missing data in correlated smart grid datasets

We study the recovery of missing data from multiple smart grid datasets within a matrix completion framework. The datasets contain the electrical magnitudes required for monitoring and control of the electricity distribution system. Each dataset is described by a low rank matrix. Different datasets are correlated as a result of containing measurements of different physical magnitudes generated by the same distribution system. To assess the validity of matrix completion techniques in the recovery of missing data, we characterize the fundamental limits when two correlated datasets are jointly recovered. We then proceed to evaluate the performance of Singular Value Thresholding (SVT) and Bayesian SVT (BSVT) in this setting. We show that BSVT outperforms SVT by simulating the recovery for different correlated datasets. The performance of BSVT displays the tradeoff behaviour described by the fundamental limit, which suggests that BSVT exploits the correlation between the datasets in an efficient manner

Recovering Missing Data via Matrix Completion in Electricity Distribution Systems

The performance of matrix completion based recovery of missing data in electricity distribution systems is analyzed. Under the assumption that the state variables follow a multivariate Gaussian distribution the matrix completion recovery is compared to estimation and information theoretic limits. The assumption about the distribution of the state variables is validated by the data shared by Electricity North West Limited. That being the case, the achievable distortion using minimum mean square error (MMSE) estimation is assessed for both random sampling and optimal linear encoding acquisition schemes. Within this setting, the impact of imperfect second order source statistics is numerically evaluated. The fundamental limit of the recovery process is characterized using Rate-Distortion theory to obtain the optimal performance theoretically attainable. Interestingly, numerical results show that matrix completion based recovery outperforms MMSE estimator when the number of available observations is low and access to perfect source statistics is not availabl

Robust recovery of missing data in electricity distribution systems

The advanced operation of future electricity distribution systems is likely to require significant observability of the different parameters of interest (e.g., demand, voltages, currents, etc.). Ensuring completeness of data is, therefore, paramount. In this context, an algorithm for recovering missing state variable observations in electricity distribution systems is presented. The proposed method exploits the low rank structure of the state variables via a matrix completion approach while incorporating prior knowledge in the form of second order statistics. Specifically, the recovery method combines nuclear norm minimization with Bayesian estimation. The performance of the new algorithm is compared to the information-theoretic limits and tested trough simulations using real data of an urban low voltage distribution system. The impact of the prior knowledge is analyzed when a mismatched covariance is used and for a Markovian sampling that introduces structure in the observation pattern. Numerical results demonstrate that the proposed algorithm is robust and outperforms existing state of the art algorithms

Multivariable relationships between autonomic nervous system related indices in hyperbaric environments

The main aim of this work is to model the relationships between parameters extracted from the heart rate variability (HRV) signal, which is derived from the electrocardiogram (ECG), at different stages of a simulated immersion in a hyperbaric chamber. The response of the Autonomic Nervous System is known to be affected by changes in atmospheric pressure, reflected in changes in the HRV signal. A dataset consisting of ECG signals from 17 subjects exposed to a controlled hyperbaric environment, simulating depths from 0 m to 40 m, was used. Both linear and nonlinear dependences of HRV parameters were analysed using linear regression and Mutual Information (entropy-based) techniques. Furthermore, relationships between parameters of the HRV signals, biophysical variables of the subjects, and atmospheric pressure changes were characterized by artificial neural networks. In particular, self-organizing maps (SOM) were trained for modelling and clustering all the data. In the mid-term, these models could be the basis to create predictive models of HRV parameters at high depths in order to increase the safety for divers by warning them if some abnormal body response could be expected just by processing the ECG signal at sea level before immersion

Lipaza iz plijesni Mucor griseocyanus: proizvodnja, karakterizacija i istraživanje nekih katalitičkih svojstava imobiliziranog enzima

The aim of this work is to study the production of extracellular lipase by Mucor griseocyanus 55.1.1 strain on different substrates in order to select the ideal one for lipase synthesis. The carbon sources used were: olive oil, glycerol, coconut oil, sunflower oil, glucose, starch and sucrose. The obtained results indicate that the synthesis of the enzyme was possible in the presence of all substrates. Lipase activities in the range of 0.04 to 0.1 IU/mL were obtained. It was found that the most suitable carbon source for the production of the enzyme was a combination of coconut oil and sucrose at 0.5 and 1.5 % (m/V), respectively, and the level of activity reached under this condition was 0.113 IU/mL. The optimum pH and temperature for enzymatic extract activities were identified in a pH range of 4 to 6 and at a temperature of 60 °C. Enzymatic extract was stable for a period of 5 h in neutral and weakly acidic media (pH=6) at moderate temperatures between 20 and 40 °C. Studies on the catalytic properties (stereoselectivity and enantioselectivity) of the immobilized lipase using the esters of methyl phenyl glycinic and (R,S)-methyl mandelic acid showed excellent properties of the enzyme compared to commercial lipases tested. M. griseocyanus lipase exhibited a greater stereoselectivity towards the R-isomer of methyl phenyl glycinic acid ester. However, with the esters of methyl mandelic acid, the enzyme showed a certain preference toward the S-isomer and it was hydrolysed 20 times faster than the R-isomer.Svrha je ovoga rada bila proučiti proizvodnju ekstracelularne lipaze iz soja Mucor griseocyanus 55.1.1. na raznim podlogama radi odabira najboljeg načina sinteze lipaze. Upotrijebljeni su ovi izvori ugljika: maslinovo ulje, glicerol, kokosovo i suncokretovo ulje, te škrob i saharoza. Rezultati su pokazali da se sinteza enzima odvijala na svim podlogama, te da je postignuta aktivnost lipaze u rasponu od 0,04 do 0,1 IU/mL. Utvrđeno je da su najbolji rezultati dobiveni s podlogom koja sadržava 0,5 % (m/V) kokosova ulja i 1,5 % (m/V) saharoze, pri čemu je aktivnost enzima iznosila 0,113 IU/mL. Optimalna pH-vrijednost bila je od 4 do 6, a temperatura 60 ºC. Ekstrakt enzima bio je stabilan tijekom 5 sati u neutralnoj ili slabo kiseloj sredini (pH=6), pri temperaturama od 20 do 40 ºC. Istraživanjem katalitičkih svojstava (stereoselektivnosti i enantioselektivnosti) imobilizirane lipaze pomoću metilfenilnog estera glicinske kiseline i (R,S)-metilnog estera bademove kiseline dokazana su odlična svojstva tog enzima u usporedbi s komercijalnim lipazama. Lipaza iz plijesni M. griseocyanus ima veću stereoselektivnost prema R-oblicima metilfenilnog estera glicinske kiseline i S-izomeru metilnog estera bademove kiseline (kojeg hidrolizira 20 puta brže od R-izomera)

Pharmacokinetic Appraisal of Carprofen Delivery from Intra-Articular Nanoparticles: A Population Modeling Approach in Rabbits

Osteoarthritis is frequently treated in veterinary settings with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID) such as carprofen (CP). Its action over the articular cartilage can be enhanced by increasing drug uptake into the cartilage, alongside its site of action, and anticipating its rapid distribution towards the bloodstream. A pharmacokinetic study to evaluate carprofen nanoparticles (NP) after intraarticular administration (IA) in rabbits was performed through a modeling allometric approach. The pharmacokinetic analysis of plasma profiles showed a rapid CP distribution outwards the synovial chamber but mainly remaining in plasma (Vc = 0.14 L/5 Kg), according to its high protein-binding. The absorption data modeling showed the occurrence of two different release–absorption rate processes after nanoparticle administration in the synovial space, i.e., a fast rate process causing a burst effect and involving the 59.5% of the total CP absorbed amount and a slow rate process, involving 40.5%. Interestingly, the CP burst effect inside the joint space enhances its diffusion towards cartilage resulting in CP accumulation in about three times higher concentrations than in plasma. In line with these results, the normalized-by-dose area under the concentration vs. time curve (AUC) values after IA were 80% lower than those observed after the intravenous. Moreover, the slower slope of the concentration–time terminal phase after IA administration vs. intravenous (IV) suggested a flip-flop phenomenon (0.35 h-1 vs. 0.19 h-1). Notably, CP clearances are predictive of the pharmacokinetic (PK) profile of CP in healthy humans (0.14 L/h/5 kg vs. 2.92 L/h/70 kg) although an over-estimation has been detected for cats or dogs (10 times and 4 times, respectively). This fact could probably be attributed to inter-species metabolic differences. In summary, despite the limited number of animals used, this study shows that the rabbit model could be suitable for a predictive evaluation of the release enhancement of CP-NP towards the biophase in arthritic diseases not due to sterical retention of the formulation

Determinación de hidrocarburos alifáticos saturados en aceites vegetales

The aim of this work is to inform about the development of a simple and reliable off-line method for the determination of saturated hydrocarbons (SH) in vegetable oils. SH can be used as markers for fuel or for mineral oil contamination in edible oils and fats. The method consists of the isolation of the fraction by LC on deactivated silver-silica gel and subsequent on-column GC-FID analysis. This stationary phase was prepared avoiding any kind of activation. The method was developed and validated through the participation in both a proficiency test organized by the Joint Research Centre of the European Commission, and a collaborative trial carried out with trained Spanish laboratories according to the standard ISO 5725. Results showed acceptable repeatability and reproducibility values, and Horrat index, being this protocol in use with satisfactory results ever since. The method’s LOQ is 15 mg.kg–1 and its LOD 5 mg.kg–1, which make it suitable to quantify the 50 mg.kg–1 limit established by the EU, and to detect mineral oil content within the 10–500 mg.kg–1 range. Although other procedures with lower LOD have been developed throughout the years, the use of just regular laboratory equipment such as GC-FID makes the proposed method appropriate for application on a routine basis.El objetivo de este trabajo es el de dar cuenta del desarrollo de un método sencillo y fiable para la determinación de hidrocarburos saturados (HS) en aceites vegetales. Los HS pueden utilizarse como marcadores de contaminación de aceites y grasas comestibles con fuel-oil y aceites minerales El procedimiento consiste en el aislamiento de la fracción correspondiente por cromatografía en columna de gel de sílice argentada sin activar y posterior análisis mediante GC (on-column)-FID. El método se desarrolló y validó mediante la participación en una prueba de competencia organizada por el Joint Research Centre de la Comisión Europea, además de con un ensayo colaborativo llevado a cabo por laboratorios españoles de acuerdo con la norma ISO 5725. Los resultados mostraron valores de repetibilidad y de reproducibilidad aceptables, así como del índice de Horrat, por lo que dicho protocolo se está utilizando con resultados muy satisfactorios. El límite de detección (LDD) es de 5 mg.kg–1, y su límite de cuantificación (LDQ) de 15 mg.kg–1, lo que lo hacen muy adecuado para evaluaciones alrededor del límite de 50 mg.kg–1 establecido por la Unión Europea (UE). Asimismo es fiable para determinar el contenido de aceite mineral en el intervalo entre 10 y 500 mg.kg–1. Si bien se han desarrollado otros procedimientos con menor LDD a lo largo de los años, el uso de equipos habituales de laboratorio tales como GC-FID ha hecho que el método propuesto sea el de elección para su aplicación en cualquier laboratorio de forma rutinaria