Optical coherence tomography for the assessment of coronary atherosclerosis and vessel response after stent implantation

Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) is a light-based imaging modality that can provide in vivo high-resolution images of the coronary artery with a level of resolution (axial 10-20 µm) ten times higher than intravascular ultrasound. The technique, uses low-coherent near infrarred light to create high-resolution cross sectional images of the vessel. The technology refinement achieved in the last years has made this imaging modality less procedurally demanding opening its possibilities for clinical use. The present thesis provides im

Places (in) own: beyond the state-mapping

El “lugar” propio y la posibilidad de propiedad “para sí” en la escena de la identificación tensiona el espacio cartografiado desde el logos moderno y da cuenta de la frontera porosa de la experiencia. Tránsito de cuerpos que recorren ese espacio desde territorialidades no contenidas en las palabras del “pather”. Lugares negados que se vuelven en tanto amenaza de las certezas positivas y se interrogan por el “deber ser” en tanto “siendo” desde experiencias particulares. Lugares de inflexión pero también de continuidades. Dis-locaciones que des-ubican epistemologías desde la disidencia y que van más allá de las cristalizaciones del discurso multicultural. Léxico que parece opaco visto a la luz del Estado moderno y su espacio. Son éstos los debates que transitan y se confunden en la experiencia territorial del tránsito por las fronteras y que tiene como objetivo abordar este trabajo a partir del análisis de dos experiencias: hombres y mujeres “bagayeras” en la frontera Argentino-Boliviana y la erosión del paisaje cultural a partir de la explotación de litio en Jujuy-Argentina. A nuestro entender corporalidades y espacialidades bordes no por su ubicación en el espacio geométrico de la ficción estadocéntrica sino por su posición en la constitución epistemológica de la diferencia. Lugares que perturban los órdenes de la modernidad.The own “place” and the possibility of property “for oneself” in the identification scene puts a strain on the space mapping from the modern logos and reflects the porous border of the experience. Transit of bodies that go through that space from territories which are not contained in the words of “pater”. Denied places that become a threat to positive certainties and enquiry about the “must be” while “being” from particular experiences. These are turning points, but also continuity sites. Dis-locations that dis-place epistemologies from the dissidence and that go beyond the multicultural speech crystallization. Vocabulary that seems opaque from the modern state and its space. These are the debates that go across and are confused in the territorial experience of transit along the borders and it is an objective of this work through the analysis of two experiences: “bagayeras” women on the border (Argentinian-Bolivian) and the erosion of the cultural landscape due to lithium exploitation in Jujuy-Argentina. From our point of view these are borders corporalities and spacialities not because of its location in geometric space of the state-centric fiction, but due to its position in the epistemological constitution of difference. Places that disturb the orders of modernity.Fil: Lopez, Andrea Noelia. Universidad Nacional de Quilmes. Departamento de Ciencias Sociales. Centro de Estudios de Historia, Cultura y Memoria; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Zubia, Gonzalo Federico. Universidad Nacional de Quilmes. Departamento de Ciencias Sociales. Centro de Estudios de Historia, Cultura y Memoria; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentin

Mathematical model of mating probability and fertilized egg production in helminth parasites

In the modeling of parasite transmission dynamics, understanding the reproductive characteristics of these parasites is crucial. This paper presents a mathematical model that explores the reproductive behavior of dioecious parasites and its impact on transmission dynamics. Specifically, the study focuses on the investigation of various reproductive variables such as the mating probability and the fertilized egg production in the case of helminth parasites. While previous studies have commonly assumed Poisson and negative binomial distributions to describe the distribution of parasites among hosts, this study adopts an arbitrary distribution model and examines its consequences on some reproductive variables. These variables include mean number of fertile females, mean egg production, mating probability and mean fertilized egg production. In addition, the study of these variables takes into account the sex distribution of the parasites and whether male and female parasites are considered to be distributed together or separately. We show that the models obtained for the case of male and female parasites distributed separately in the hosts are ecologically unrealistic. We present the results obtained for some specific models and we tested the models obtained in this work using Monte Carlo simulations

Changes in period and cohort effects on haematological cancer mortality in Spain, 1952-2006

BACKGROUND: In contrast to other haematological cancers, mortality from non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and multiple myeloma increased dramatically during the second half of the 20th century in most developed countries. This widespread upward trend remains controversial, as it may be attributable either to progressive improvements in diagnosis and certification or to increasing exposures to little-known but relevant risk factors. METHODS: To assess the relative contribution of these factors, we analysed the independent effects of age, death period, and birth cohort on haematological cancer mortality rates in Spain across the period 1952-2006. Weighted joinpoint regression analyses were performed to detect and estimate changes in period and cohort curvatures. RESULTS: Although mortality rates were consistently higher among men, trends across periods and cohorts were virtually identical in both sexes. There was an early period trend reversal in the 1960s for Hodgkin's disease and leukaemia, which was delayed to the 1980s for multiple myeloma and the 1990s for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. Birth cohort patterns showed a first downturn for generations born in the 1900s and 1910s for all haematological cancers, and a second trend reversal for more recent cohorts born in the 1950s and 1960s for non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and leukaemia. CONCLUSIONS: The sustained decline in Hodgkin's disease mortality and the levelling off in leukaemia seem to be driven by an early period effect linked to improvements in disease treatment, whereas the steep upward trends in non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and multiple myeloma mortality in Spain are more likely explained by a cohort effect linked to better diagnosis and death certification in the elderly. The consistent male excess mortality across all calendar periods and age groups points to the importance of possible sex-related genetic markers of susceptibility in haematological cancers.The study was supported in part by a research grant from the Spanish Health Research Fund (FIS PI11/00871). The study sponsor had no role in the study design; the collection, analysis, and interpretation of data; the writing of the manuscript; and the decision to submit the manuscript for publication.S

FireDB—a database of functionally important residues from proteins of known structure

The FireDB database is a databank for functional information relating to proteins with known structures. It contains the most comprehensive and detailed repository of known functionally important residues, bringing together both ligand binding and catalytic residues in one site. The platform integrates biologically relevant data filtered from the close atomic contacts in Protein Data Bank crystal structures and reliably annotated catalytic residues from the Catalytic Site Atlas. The interface allows users to make queries by protein, ligand or keyword. Relevant biologically important residues are displayed in a simple and easy to read manner that allows users to assess binding site similarity across homologous proteins. Binding site residue variations can also be viewed with molecular visualization tools. The database is available a

Optimizing Ground-based Observations of O2 in Earth Analogs

We present the result of calculations to optimize the search for molecular oxygen (O2) in Earth analogs transiting around nearby, low-mass stars using ground-based, high-resolution, Doppler shift techniques. We investigate a series of parameters, namely spectral resolution, wavelength coverage of the observations, and sky coordinates and systemic velocity of the exoplanetary systems, to find the values that optimize detectability of O2. We find that increasing the spectral resolution of observations to R = 300,000 - 400,000 from the typical R ~ 100,000, more than doubles the average depth of O2 lines in planets with atmospheres similar to Earth's. Resolutions higher than about 500,000 do not produce significant gains in the depths of the O2 lines. We confirm that observations in the O2 A-band are the most efficient except for M9V host stars, for which observations in the O2 NIR-band are more efficient. Combining observations in the O2 A, B, and NIR -bands can reduce the number of transits needed to produce a detection of O2 by about 1/3 in the case of white noise limited observations. However, that advantage disappears in the presence of typical levels of red noise. Therefore, combining observations in more than one band produces no significant gains versus observing only in the A-band, unless red-noise can be significantly reduced. Blending between the exoplanet's O2 lines and telluric O2 lines is a known problem. We find that problem can be alleviated by increasing the resolution of the observations, and by giving preference to targets near the ecliptic.Comment: 15 pages, 7 figures, accepted for publication in The Astronomical Journa

Waste and recycling materials used in concrete

Materials with higher strength and high performanceprovide excellent benefits. But after a very short useful-life become waste and contribute to environmental degradation. Some investigations are focused on recycling by using innovative and clean technologies. In this work, waste and recycled materials as well as gamma radiation are proposed as tools for improving mechanical properties of concrete; polyethylene terephthalate of bottles, automotive tire rubber as well as cellulose of Tetra Pak packages are studied as materials.Autonomous University of the State of Mexico (UAEM), Grant 3886/2015F

Modos de la ironía

ResumenLa ironía se presenta cotidianamente como una figura del discurso que consiste en expresar burlescamente lo contrario de lo que se quiere comunicar, empleando un tono, una gesticulación o unas palabras que insinúan la interpretación que debe hacerse. Desde esta perspectiva, la ironía es del orden de la comunicación, busca la complicidad, el lazo con el otro. Quiere que se la entienda, pero no quiere que se la entienda de forma ordinaria. Necesita de la sanción del otro para constituirse como tal; es como un acertijo que se resuelve en el momento en que es sancionada como ironía. La ironía no dice lo que quiere comunicar, dice lo contrario, pero “da a entender”, insinúa, por eso se torna de vital importancia la interpretación del oyente.El presente trabajo, sin embargo, también se propone plantear la existencia de otro modo de ironía que, a diferencia de la mencionada, no pertenece al plano de lo discursivo sino que, por el contrario, va contra los discursos establecidos. Esta es la ironía que cuestiona la consistencia lógica que todo discurso ubica en el campo del Otro considerándola una forma imperfecta y es hacia esa imperfección a la que apunta para ponerla en evidencia. El caso de Sócrates es paradigmático en este sentido. La ironía socrática, lejos de buscar la complicidad del otro, “está destinada a perturbar a su interlocutor, a instalarle zozobra, si no a angustiarlo” (Rabinovich, 1999: 25)Este modo de la ironía no busca ser entendida, no depende de la sanción del otro. Por lo tanto, aquí la ironía es del sujeto y va contra el Otro. Kierkegaard la llama “ironía pura” o “ironía como posición” o “Ironía en su sentido mas eminente” (Kierkegarrd, 1841: 281).AbstractIrony is daily presented as a figure of speech consisting of a burlesque expression of the opposite of what is meant, using a tone, a gesture or a few words that suggest the interpretation to be given. From this perspective, the irony pertains to communication and seeks complicity or a bond with the other. It wants to be understood, but does not want to be the ordinarily understood. It needs the sanction of the other to establish itself as such, like a puzzle that resolves at the time is sanctioned as irony. The irony does not say what it wants to communicate, it says the contrary, but “suggests” and insinuates, therefore the interpretation of the listener becomes capital. This paper, however, also intends to propose the existence of another mode of irony which, unlike the above, does not belong to the dimension of speech but, on the contrary, goes against the established speech. This is the irony that challenges the logical consistency that all discourse places in the field of the Other considering it an imperfect form and aiming to put it to shame. The case of Socrates is paradigmatic in this respect. Socratic irony, far from seeking the complicity of the other, “is meant to disturb your partner, to install him anxiety, if not to cause him anguish” (Rabinovich, 1999: 25) This mode of irony does not intend to be understood and does not depend on the sanction the other. Therefore, here is the irony belongs to the subject and goes against the other. Kierkegaard calls this “pure irony” or “irony as a position” or “irony in its most eminent sense” (Kierkegaard, 1841: 281).