Diseño de prototipo de carga para vehículos eléctricos basado en sistemas fotovoltaicos híbridos.

Este documento presenta una propuesta de diseño para una estación de carga de vehículos eléctricos enchufables, teniendo como fuente de energía principal un sistema fotovoltaico, sin embargo, para fines de confiabilidad del sistema y garantizar el suministro de energía en cualquier condición ambiental, se estableció como criterio de diseño que el sistema fotovoltaico fuera conectado a la red (hibrido). Se describe desde el dimensionamiento del sistema Fotovoltaico para la carga establecida y planos de conexiones, hasta la caracterización y selección de cada uno de los componentes que conforma el sistema de carga, es importante resaltar que la concepción del diseño establece un sistema que pudiera implementarse en una residencia o en un área común de un condominio, para ello al final se incluye una evaluación financiera de los costos que implicaría la implementación del sistema.This document presents a design proposal for a plug-in electric vehicle charging station, having a photovoltaic system as the main energy source, however, for system reliability purposes and guaranteeing the power supply in any environmental condition, it was established as design criterion that the photovoltaic system was connected to the grid (hybrid). It is described from the dimensioning of the Photovoltaic system for the established load and connection drawings, to the characterization and selection of each of the components that make up the load system, it is important to highlight that the design conception establishes a system that could be implemented in a residence or in a common area of a condominium, for this at the end a financial evaluation of the costs that the implementation of the system would imply is included

Influence of enrollment sequence effect on observed outcomes in the ADDRESS and PROWESS studies of drotrecogin alfa (activated) in patients with severe sepsis

INTRODUCTION: We performed a study to determine whether an enrollment sequence effect noted in the PROWESS (recombinant human activated Protein C Worldwide Evaluation in Severe Sepsis) trial exists in the ADDRESS (Administration of Drotrecogin Alfa [Activated] [DrotAA] in Early Stage Severe Sepsis) trial. METHODS: We evaluated prospectively defined subgroups from two large phase 3 clinical trials: ADDRESS, which included 516 sites in 34 countries, and PROWESS, which included 164 sites in 11 countries. ADDRESS consisted of patients with severe sepsis at low risk of death not indicated for treatment with DrotAA. PROWESS consisted of patients with severe sepsis with one or more organ dysfunctions. DrotAA (24 microg/kg per hour) or placebo was infused for 96 hours. RESULTS: In ADDRESS and PROWESS, there was a statistically significant interaction between the DrotAA treatment effect and the sequence in which patients were enrolled. In both trials, higher mortality was associated with DrotAA use in the subgroup of patients enrolled first at study sites. Compared with placebo, PROWESS mortality was lower with DrotAA treatment for the second and subsequent patients enrolled, whereas in ADDRESS, mortality remained higher for the second patient enrolled but thereafter was lower for DrotAA-treated patients. Comparison of patients enrolled first with subsequent patients enrolled indicated that the characteristics of patients changed. Subsequently enrolled patients were treated earlier, were less likely to suffer nonserious bleeds (ADDRESS), and experienced fewer protocol violations (PROWESS). CONCLUSIONS: Analyses suggest that an enrollment sequence effect was present in the ADDRESS and PROWESS trials. Analysis of this effect on outcomes suggests that it is most apparent in patients at lower risk of death. In PROWESS, this effect appeared to be associated with a reduction of the DrotAA treatment effect for the first patients enrolled at each site. In ADDRESS, this effect may have contributed to early termination of the study. The finding of an enrollment sequence effect in two separate trials suggests that trial designs, site selection and training, data collection and monitoring, and statistical analysis plans may need to be adjusted for these potentially confounding events. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ADDRESS trial registration number: NCT00568737. PROWESS was completed before trial registration was required

Protein C concentrations in severe sepsis: an early directional change in plasma levels predicts outcome

INTRODUCTION: Protein C, because of its central role in hemostasis, plays an integral role in the host response to infection. Protein C depletion, resulting from increased consumption, degradation, and/or decreased synthesis, is characteristic of sepsis and has been shown to predict morbidity and mortality. The objective of this study was to determine whether early directional changes in protein C levels correlate with outcome. METHODS: Patients in the Recombinant Human Activated Protein C Worldwide Evaluation in Severe Sepsis (PROWESS) clinical trial were assessed and categorized by baseline protein C (n = 1574). Deficiency was categorized as: severe deficiency, protein C levels ≤ 40% of normal protein C activity (n = 615, 39% of patients); deficient, protein C levels 41–80% of normal protein C activity (n = 764, 48.5% of patients); and normal, >80% of normal protein C activity (n = 195, 12.4% of patients). Logistic regression analysis of 28-day mortality for placebo patients was used to investigate whether baseline and day 1 protein C levels were independent risk factors for mortality. The impact of treatment with drotrecogin alfa (activated) (DrotAA) was also assessed. RESULTS: Protein C levels at baseline and day 1 were independent risk factors in placebo patients. If baseline protein C levels of severely deficient placebo patients remained ≤ 40% at day 1 their odds of death increased (odds ratio = 2.75, P < 0.0001), while if levels improved to >40% by day 1 their risk of death decreased (odds ratio = 0.43, P = 0.03). If baseline protein C levels of placebo patients were >40% but decreased by ≥ 10% on day 1, their risk of death increased (odds ratio = 1.87, P = 0.02). DrotAA treatment improved protein C levels by day 1 compared with placebo (P = 0.008) and reduced the risk of death in severely deficient (≤ 40%) patients at baseline. Treatment also decreased the number of severely protein C deficient (= 40%) patients and decreased the number of deficient (41–80%) patients and normal (>80%) patients who had a ≥ 10% decrease in protein C levels by day 1. CONCLUSION: Baseline protein C levels were an independent predictor of sepsis outcome. Day 1 changes in protein C, regardless of baseline levels, were also predictive of outcome. The association of DrotAA treatment, increased protein C levels, and improved survival may partially explain the mechanism of action

Modeling sorption isotherms and isosteric heat of sorption of roasted coffee beans

[EN] The aim of this work was determine the sorption isotherms in roasted beans of specialty coffee at temperatures of 25, 30 and 40 °C and water activities between 0.1 and 0.8 using the dynamic dew point method. The experimental sorption data were modeled using 12 different equations to represent the dependence of equilibrium moisture content with aw and temperature. The net isosteric heat of sorption was determined from the experimental sorption data using the Clausius-Clapeyron equation. The Weibull model satisfactorily modeled the effect of the temperature on the hygroscopic equilibrium in roasted coffee beans (R2adj =0.902 and RMSE = 0.00550 kg·kg-1d.b.). The net isosteric heat of sorption increase with increased moisture content.Collazos-Escobar, G.; Gutiérrez-Guzmán, N.; Vaquiro-Herrera, H.; Cortes-Macias, E. (2018). Modeling sorption isotherms and isosteric heat of sorption of roasted coffee beans. En IDS 2018. 21st International Drying Symposium Proceedings. Editorial Universitat Politècnica de València. 427-434. https://doi.org/10.4995/IDS2018.2018.7668OCS42743

Genetic diversity of Bocachico (Prochilodus reticulatus) of the Cuenca Alta of Río Cauca (Colombia)

Diversidad Genética del Bocachico (Prochilodus reticulatus) de la Cuenca  Alta del Río Cauca (Colombia)Genetic diversity of Bocachico (Prochilodus reticulatus) of the Cuenca Alta of Río Cauca (Colombia)</htm

Public Claims about Automatic External Defibrillators: An Online Consumer Opinions Study

Patients are no longer passive recipients of health care, and increasingly engage in health communications outside of the traditional patient and health care professional relationship. As a result, patient opinions and health related judgements are now being informed by a wide range of social, media, and online information sources. Government initiatives recognise self-delivery of health care as a valuable means of responding to the anticipated increased global demand for health resources. Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs), designed for the treatment of Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SCA), have recently become available for 'over the counter' purchase with no need for a prescription. This paper explores the claims and argumentation of lay persons and health care practitioners and professionals relating to these, and how these may impact on the acceptance, adoption and use of these devices within the home context. METHODS: We carry out a thematic content analysis of a novel form of Internet-based data: online consumer opinions of AED devices posted on Amazon.com, the world's largest online retailer. A total of 83 online consumer reviews of home AEDs are analysed. The analysis is both inductive, identifying themes that emerged from the data, exploring the parameters of public debate relating to these devices, and also driven by theory, centring around the parameters that may impact upon the acceptance, adoption and use of these devices within the home as indicated by the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM). RESULTS: Five high-level themes around which arguments for and against the adoption of home AEDs are identified and considered in the context of TAM. These include opinions relating to device usability, usefulness, cost, emotional implications of device ownership, and individual patient risk status. Emotional implications associated with AED acceptance, adoption and use emerged as a notable factor that is not currently reflected within the existing TAM. CONCLUSIONS: The value and credibility of the findings of this study are considered within the context of existing AED research, and related to technology acceptance theory, and current methods and practice. From a methodological perspective, this study demonstrates the potential value of online consumer reviews as a novel data source for exploring the parameters of public debate relating to emerging health care technologies

The trans-ancestral genomic architecture of glycemic traits

Glycemic traits are used to diagnose and monitor type 2 diabetes and cardiometabolic health. To date, most genetic studies of glycemic traits have focused on individuals of European ancestry. Here we aggregated genome-wide association studies comprising up to 281,416 individuals without diabetes (30% non-European ancestry) for whom fasting glucose, 2-h glucose after an oral glucose challenge, glycated hemoglobin and fasting insulin data were available. Trans-ancestry and single-ancestry meta-analyses identified 242 loci (99 novel; P < 5 x 10(-8)), 80% of which had no significant evidence of between-ancestry heterogeneity. Analyses restricted to individuals of European ancestry with equivalent sample size would have led to 24 fewer new loci. Compared with single-ancestry analyses, equivalent-sized trans-ancestry fine-mapping reduced the number of estimated variants in 99% credible sets by a median of 37.5%. Genomic-feature, gene-expression and gene-set analyses revealed distinct biological signatures for each trait, highlighting different underlying biological pathways. Our results increase our understanding of diabetes pathophysiology by using trans-ancestry studies for improved power and resolution. A trans-ancestry meta-analysis of GWAS of glycemic traits in up to 281,416 individuals identifies 99 novel loci, of which one quarter was found due to the multi-ancestry approach, which also improves fine-mapping of credible variant sets