Employment at Will in Alaska: The Question of Public Policy Torts

Recent research efforts are considering the problem of performing control of dynamical systems over wireless sensor and actuator networks. However, existing results lack an experimental evaluation in real platforms. In this demonstration an inverted pendulum system is controlled over an IEEE 802.15.4 wireless sensor and actuator network. This platform can evaluate several sensor networks and control algorithms and is currently used as an educational tool at KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Sweden.QC 20120329</p

Natural fibre reinforced composite materials

Abstract Nowadays, due to the global warming and pollution issues, sustainable materials must be considered. Composites materials can offer excellent mechanical performance with low weight, hence saving fuel. However, most of the composites systems are based on petrochemicals, and natural materials may be a better option; for example, fibre reinforcements from plant stems (bast) and bio-based resins are becoming available commercially. One of the major inconveniences of the NFRP is the moisture absorption in marine environments. This problem is usually solved increasing the fibre-matrix bonding. Commercially available fibre systems are chemically treated in order to tackle this issue, but those treatments produce environmental burdens. This thesis seeks to develop an environmentally-friendly, commercially competitive and easily performed treatment methodology for improving the NFRP mechanical properties. The proposed silane-in-hardener method, adding coupling agent to the hardener, rather than direct treatment of the fibres in solvent, can eliminate solvent use, considerably reducing environmental burdens. This new proposal also reduces process time and improves the composite mechanical performance, resulting in commercial competitiveness. The primary research question in this thesis is can sensible NFRP properties be achieved with silane-in-hardener replacing prior treatment of reinforcements? Flax fibre and epoxy resin were selected for the experimental campaign. First, flax fibre was mercerised in different immersion-time and concentrations conditions, and the resulting mechanical performance of composite systems evaluated; from the campaign the best mercerised system was selected. In a second stage, raw flax fibre and best mercerised flax fibre were silanised and resulting composite system mechanical properties evaluated. In a third stage, silane was directly added to the epoxy resin and the mechanical properties evaluated together with raw flax fibre. In the final stage, the developed silane in resin method was applied to flax/bio-epoxy system and compared with the basic system in order to evaluate its real improvement. Aitor Hernandez Michelena PhD thesis Page vii of xxiv Additionally, water immersion tests were performed to the silanised flax fibre/epoxy resin system in order to evaluate whether the moisture resistance was increased or not. From the experimental campaign, it was concluded that the fibre mercerisation process reduces the resulting composite mechanical performance. First, whenever the flax is immersed in the NaOH solution the fibre swells, impeding the flax fibre correct wetting, reducing as a result the composite mechanical performance. Second, because at long immersion-times and concentrations the flax fibre starts to degrade, reducing the composite performance. Similarly, when the flax was immersed in a silane solution, fibre swelling was also obtained, reducing mechanical performance. In contrast when the 1% w/w silane was added to the resin system, the swelling was avoided, and the objective interfacial properties enhanced, getting as a result static mechanical properties improvement. However, when the enhanced and base systems moisture ingress resistance was evaluated, the values difference was not as representative as expected

Ocoxin Increases the Antitumor Effect of BRAF Inhibition and Reduces Cancer Associated Fibroblast-Mediated Chemoresistance and Protumoral Activity in Metastatic Melanoma

Whereas the prevalence of several cancer types is decreasing, skin malignancies are growing more common every year. Malignant melanoma is the most aggressive form of skin cancer with high metastatic capacity. In most cases, malignant melanoma shows acquired therapy resistance. We evaluated the ability of Ocoxin, a natural compound-based antioxidant and anti-inflammatory nutritional complement, to exert an antitumor effect in melanoma. To do so, the cytotoxicity of Ocoxin in a panel of BRAF-mutated murine and human melanoma cell lines was tested alone and in combination with BRAF inhibitor Vemurafenib. Our results revealed a potent cytotoxic effect of Ocoxin against melanoma cells and a synergic effect when combined with Vemurafenib, reducing viability and increasing apoptosis. Besides, Ocoxin interferes with the cell cycle, impairs the inherent and fibroblast-mediated melanoma cell migration, and reduces resistance to BRAF inhibition. Proteomic analysis revealed reduced tumor secretion of inflammatory factors Galectin-1, Osteopontin, CCL5, and CCL9 upon treatment with Ocoxin. Moreover, RNASeq showed that Ocoxin downregulated the cell cycle and proliferation-related genes. In vivo, Ocoxin reduced the number of lung metastasis of YUMM-1.7 melanoma cells. Therefore, Ocoxin arises as a good candidate for clinical trials analyzing the beneficial effects in patients suffering from this cutaneous malignancy.This research was partly funded by Catalysis S.L

Comparing effects of tillage treatments performed with animal traction on soil physical properties and soil electrical resistivity: preliminary experimental results

Soil Compaction results from compressive forces applied to compressible soil by machinery wheels, combined with tillage operations. Draft animal‐pulled equipment may also cause soil compaction, but a huge gap exists on experimental data to adequately assess their impacts and, actually, animal traction is an option seen with increasing potential to contribute to sustainable agriculture, especially in mountain areas. This study was conducted to assess the impacts on soil compaction of tillage operations with motor tractor and draft animals. In a farm plot (Vale de Frades, NE Portugal) treatments were applied in sub‐plots (30 m x 3 m), consisting in a two way tillage with tractor (T), a pair of cows (C) and a pair of donkeys (D). Undisturbed soil samples (120) were taken before and after operations for bulk density (BD) and saturated hydraulic conductivity (Ks). The relative changes in BD observed after tillage in the 0-0.05 m soil depth increased after operations in all treatments. The increase was higher in the tractor sub-plot (15%) than in those where animal traction was used (8%). Before operation Ks class was rapid and fast in all samples, and after operation this value was reduced to 33% in T, whereas it reached 83% in C. Electrical Resistivity Tomography (ERT) was useful as a tool to identify the alterations caused by tillage operations on soil physical status. These preliminary results confirm the potential of animal traction as an option for mountain agri‐environments, yet it requires much wider research to soundly ground its assets.Authors wish to acknowledge the most relevant contribution of the farmers of Vale de Frades involved in the experiment, for their enthusiasm and refined performance in the field, accepting to freely provide their time, their work and their draft animals to carry out the required operations.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Feedback Control Goes Wireless: Guaranteed Stability over Low-power Multi-hop Networks

Closing feedback loops fast and over long distances is key to emerging applications; for example, robot motion control and swarm coordination require update intervals of tens of milliseconds. Low-power wireless technology is preferred for its low cost, small form factor, and flexibility, especially if the devices support multi-hop communication. So far, however, feedback control over wireless multi-hop networks has only been shown for update intervals on the order of seconds. This paper presents a wireless embedded system that tames imperfections impairing control performance (e.g., jitter and message loss), and a control design that exploits the essential properties of this system to provably guarantee closed-loop stability for physical processes with linear time-invariant dynamics. Using experiments on a cyber-physical testbed with 20 wireless nodes and multiple cart-pole systems, we are the first to demonstrate and evaluate feedback control and coordination over wireless multi-hop networks for update intervals of 20 to 50 milliseconds.Comment: Accepted final version to appear in: 10th ACM/IEEE International Conference on Cyber-Physical Systems (with CPS-IoT Week 2019) (ICCPS '19), April 16--18, 2019, Montreal, QC, Canad

La vía de la insulina y el factor de crecimiento similar a la insulina, una nueva diana terapéutica en oncología

La biología molecular del cáncer ha permitido identificar nuevas dianas para atacar las células tumorales. Recientemente se ha propuesto la vía de señalización de la insulina y el factor de crecimiento similar a la insulina como una de estas dianas. En esta revisión se describe su función biológica, los datos de laboratorio y estudios poblacionales que alertan de su papel en el cáncer y se describen los elementos claves de esta vía de señalización: los ligandos (insulina, IGF1, IGF2), sus receptores y la cascada de señales intracelular que desencadena su activación. Así mismo se revisan las distintas estrategias que se están investigando para bloquearla, algunas de las cuales ya se encuentran en estudios avanzados fase III. Los datos preliminares indican que los fármacos diseñados para bloquear esta vía pueden ser una nueva arma terapéutica para los pacientes oncológicos en un futuro próximo.The molecular biology of cancer has made it possible to identify new targets for attacking tumourous cells. One of these recently proposed targets is the insulin and insulin-like growth factor signaling pathway. This review describes its biological function, laboratory data, population studies that warn of its role in cancer, and the key elements of this signaling pathway: the ligands (insulin, IGF1, IGF2), its receptors and the cascade of intracellular signals that trigger its activation. Also reviewed are the different strategies under investigation for blocking it, some of which are already in phase III advanced studies. The preliminary data indicate that the medicines designed for blocking this pathway might be a new thera

Lactide and Ethylene Brassylate-Based Thermoplastic Elastomers and Their Nanocomposites with Carbon Nanotubes: Synthesis, Mechanical Properties and Interaction with Astrocytes

Polylactide (PLA) is among the most commonly used polymers for biomedical applications thanks to its biodegradability and cytocompatibility. However, its inherent stiffness and brittleness are clearly inappropriate for the regeneration of soft tissues (e.g., neural tissue), which demands biomaterials with soft and elastomeric behavior capable of resembling the mechanical properties of the native tissue. In this work, both L- and D,L-lactide were copolymerized with ethylene brassylate, a macrolactone that represents a promising alternative to previously studied comonomers (e.g., caprolactone) due to its natural origin. The resulting copolymers showed an elastomeric behavior characterized by relatively low Young’s modulus, high elongation at break and high strain recovery capacity. The thermoplastic nature of the resulting copolymers allows the incorporation of nanofillers (i.e., carbon nanotubes) that further enable the modulation of their mechanical properties. Additionally, nanostructured scaffolds were easily fabricated through a thermo-pressing process with the aid of a commercially available silicon stamp, providing geometrical cues for the adhesion and elongation of cells representative of the nervous system (i.e., astrocytes). Accordingly, the lactide and ethylene brassylate-based copolymers synthesized herein represent an interesting formulation for the development of polymeric scaffolds intended to be used in the regeneration of soft tissues, thanks to their adjustable mechanical properties, thermoplastic nature and observed cytocompatibility.Grant PID2019-106236GB-I00 funded by MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033. The authors are also thankful for funds from the Basque Government, Department of Education (IT-1766-22). C.B.-Á.: acknowledges the predoctoral grant funded by the UPV/EHU. Polimerbio and Y.P. have a Bikaintek Ph.D. grant (20-AF-W2-2018-00001)

Dashboard for the VISIR remote lab

The VISIR dashboard (VISIR-DB) is a learning analytics tool connected with the VISIR remote lab. In VISIR, every action performed by a student from the interface over the remote laboratory and back is logged and recorded. VISIR-DB helps visualizing, in a fast and deep way, the recorded logs from this communication. Using this tool, a teacher can analyze and understand better how the students are using the remote lab during their learning process on analog electronics. With this information, the VISIR platform can be improved and the use of remote labs can be better understood.The authors acknowledge the support provided by the European Project PILAR. Platform Integration of Laboratories based on the Architecture of visiR - Erasmus+ Strategic Partnership nº 2016-1-ES01-KA203-025327info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Better adherence to the mediterranean diet could mitigate the adverse consequences of obesity on cardiovascular disease: The SUN prospective cohort

Strong observational evidence supports the association between obesity and cardiovascular events. In elderly high-risk subjects, the Mediterranean diet (MedDiet) was reported to counteract the adverse cardiovascular effects of adiposity. Whether this same attenuation is also present in younger subjects is not known. We prospectively examined the association between obesity and cardiovascular clinical events (myocardial infarction, stroke or cardiovascular death) after 10.9 years follow-up in 19,065 middle-aged men and women (average age 38 year) according to their adherence to the MedDiet (<6 points or ¥6 points in the Trichopoulou’s Mediterranean Diet Score). We observed 152 incident cases of cardiovascular disease (CVD). An increased risk of CVD across categories of body mass index (BMI) was apparent if adherence to the MedDiet was low, with multivariable-adjusted hazard ratios (HRs): 1.44 (95% confidence interval: 0.93–2.25) for ¥25 – <30 kg/m2 of BMI and 2.00 (1.04–3.83) for ¥30 kg/m2 of BMI, compared to a BMI < 25 kg/m2. In contrast, these estimates were 0.77 (0.35–1.67) and 1.15 (0.39–3.43) with good adherence to MedDiet. Better adherence to the MedDiet was associated with reduced CVD events (p for trend = 0.029). Our results suggest that the MedDiet could mitigate the harmful cardiovascular effect of overweight/obesity

Intervencionismo coronario percutáneo en Navarra. Resultados de un centro de bajo volumen intervencionista

Fundamento. El intervencionismo coronario percutáneo (PCI) es una opción terapéutica fundamental en pacientes con enfermedad coronaria. Para realizarla los especialistas deben formarse y acreditarse. Se sabe que el número de procedimientos realizados al año influye en los resultados. Pretendemos mostrar que con un bajo volumen de PCI algunos centros obtienen buenos resultados. Método. Análisis prospectivo de las características clínicas y resultados inmediatos obtenidos en nuestro centro con el PCI entre 2006 y 2012 y análisis retrospectivo de la supervivencia global, supervivencia libre de eventos y reestenosis de los PCI realizados entre 2006 y 2009. Se compararon las características clínicas, los eventos agudos y a largo plazo (complicaciones, supervivencia y mortalidad) entre nuestros pacientes y los de algunos trabajos publicados. Resultados. Nuestra probabilidad de tener cualquier complicación en un PCI fue del 9% con una mortalidad global del 2%. La mortalidad del PCI en situación estable fue del 0,43% y en el síndrome coronario agudo del 6,25%. Las complicaciones en el lugar del acceso vascular fueron del 1,44% y la incidencia de reestenosis a los nueve meses, en pacientes sometidos por primera vez a PCI, fue del 5,2%. Conclusiones. Aunque el alto volumen intervencionista ha demostrado ser importante para tener una baja tasa de complicaciones y una buena evolución a largo plazo, hay centros con bajo volumen intervencionista que por sus características pueden obtener resultados equiparables a los de alto volumen.Background. Percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is currently a basic therapeutic option in patients with coronary artery disease. To carry this out specialists must be trained and accredited. It is known that the number of procedures performed each year influences results. We suggest that some low volume centres may also get good results. Methods. Prospective analysis of clinical features and immediate results obtained in our centre following PCI performed between 2006 and 2012 and retrospective analysis of overall survival, outcome-free survival and restenosis in patients treated between 2006 and 2009. The clinical features, acute and long-term events (complications, survival and mortality) of our group were compared with other published studies. Results. In our centre the likelihood of complications in a PCI was 9% with an overall mortality of 2%. PCI mortality in stable coronary disease was 0.43% and in acute coronary syndrome 6.25%. Complications at the vascular access site was 1.44% and restenosis at nine months, in patients undergoing PCI for the first time, was 5.2%. Conclusions. Although a high interventionist volume has been shown to reduce the rate of complications and improve long-term evolution, some low volume interventional centres can obtain similar results to those of high volume interventional centres