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We describe the use of regional relaxation (“nudging”) experiments carried out in initialised hindcasts to shed light on the contribution from particular regions to the errors developing in the Asian summer monsoon. Results so far confirm previous hypotheses that errors in the Maritime Continent region contribute substantially to the East Asia summer monsoon (EASM) circulation errors through their effects on the western North Pacific subtropical high. Locally forced errors over the Indian region also contribute to the EASM errors. Errors arising over the Maritime Continent region also affect the circulation and sea surface temperatures in the equatorial Indian Ocean region, contributing to a persistent error pattern resembling a positive Indian Ocean dipole phase. This is associated with circulation errors over India and the strengthening and extension of the westerly jet across southeast Asia and the South China Sea into the western Pacific, thereby affecting the Asian summer monsoon (ASM) circulation and rainfall patterns as a whole. However, errors developing rapidly in the deeper equatorial Indian Ocean, apparently independently of the atmosphere errors, are also contributing to this bias pattern. Preliminary analysis of nudging increments over the Maritime Continent region suggests that these errors may at least partly be related to deficiencies in the convection and boundary layer parameterisations.

IntroductionPreterm birth is a growing problem worldwide. Staying at a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) after birth is critical for the survival of preterm infants whose feeding often requires the use of nasogastric enteral feeding tubes (NEFT). These can be colonized by hospital-associated pathobionts that can access the gut of the preterm infants through this route. Since the gut microbiota is the most impactful factor on maturation of the immune system, any disturbance in this may condition their health. Therefore, the aim of this study is to assess the impact of NEFT-associated microbial communities on the establishment of the gut microbiota in preterm infants.Material and methodsA metataxonomic analysis of fecal and NEFT-related samples obtained during the first 2 weeks of life of preterm infants was performed. The potential sharing of strains isolated from the same set of samples of bacterial species involved in NICU's outbreaks, was assessed by Random Amplification of Polymorphic DNA (RAPD) genotyping.ResultsIn the samples taken 48 h after birth (NEFT-1 and Me/F1), Staphylococcus spp. was the most abundant genera (62% and 14%, respectively) and it was latter displaced to 5.5% and 0.45%, respectively by Enterobacteriaceae. Significant differences in beta diversity were detected in NEFT and fecal samples taken at day 17 after birth (NEFT-3 and F3) (p = 0.003 and p = 0.024, respectively). Significant positive correlations were found between the most relevant genera detected in NEFT-3 and F3. 28% of the patients shared at least one RAPD-PCR profile in fecal and NEFT samples and 11% of the total profiles were found at least once simultaneously in NEFT and fecal samples from the same patient.ConclusionThe results indicate a parallel bacterial colonization of the gut of preterm neonates and the NEFTs used for feeding, potentially involving strain sharing between these niches. Moreover, the same bacterial RAPD profiles were found in neonates hospitalized in different boxes, suggesting a microbial transference within the NICU environment. This study may assist clinical staff in implementing best practices to mitigate the spread of pathogens that could threaten the health of preterm infants.

Abstract Negative attitudes and prejudices towards people with a mental disorder are common across cultures and societies. The stigma associated with mental illness leads to a lower quality of life, given the discrimination and social exclusion suffered by people with this type of disorder. In the field of health, research has shown that doctors and nurses also manifest these types of stigmatizing behaviors and attitudes. The present study aims to create and apply an educational escape room for the purpose of training nursing students in mental health, promoting positive attitudes towards people who have a mental disorder. To do so, a pre-post study was conducted with an experimental group and a control group to determine whether the escape room was effective for the modification of stigmatizing behaviors compared to transmissive lecture class, and a third measurement was made at 6 months only to the experimental group to evaluate whether the changes produced by the escape room were maintained in the long term. The results indicate that the students participating in the study obtained better scores in sensitization and these remain better over time. It is concluded that the escape room used is suitable for the training and sensitization of future nursing professionals in the field of mental health, facilitating the learning of knowledge and positive attitudes towards severe mental disorder.

Abstract Background Various machine learning and artificial intelligence methods have been used to predict outcomes of hospitalized COVID-19 patients. However, process mining has not yet been used for COVID-19 prediction. We developed a process mining/deep learning approach to predict mortality among COVID-19 patients and updated the prediction in 6-h intervals during the first 72 h after hospital admission. Methods The process mining/deep learning model produced temporal information related to the variables and incorporated demographic and clinical data to predict mortality. The mortality prediction was updated in 6-h intervals during the first 72 h after hospital admission. Moreover, the performance of the model was compared with published and self-developed traditional machine learning models that did not use time as a variable. The performance was compared using the Area Under the Receiver Operator Curve (AUROC), accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity. Results The proposed process mining/deep learning model outperformed the comparison models in almost all time intervals with a robust AUROC above 80% on a dataset that was imbalanced. Conclusions Our proposed process mining/deep learning model performed significantly better than commonly used machine learning approaches that ignore time information. Thus, time information should be incorporated in models to predict outcomes more accurately.

Introduction The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has produced an unprecedented clinical situation, causing a direct and indirect impact on the physical and mental health of the population. In Spain, between March 15 and June 21 of 2020, it was decreed a home confinement that caused the interruption of the daily life of millions of people. However, there are few studies that analyze the changes produced in psychiatric care in the Emergency Department (ED). Objectives To analyze the changes produced in psychiatric emergencies, subanalysing paediatric population, during the first year of the pandemic (COV1/Y-COV1) compared to the previous year (NOCOV/Y-NOCOV1). To analyze the clinical features of patients attended during the lockdown period of the pandemic (LOCK) and compare it to the period of the pandemic after the lockdown (NOLOCK). Methods Through the registry of computerized medical records, patients who attended the psychiatric hospital emergency department between 03/01/2019 and 02/28/2021 were identified. We also identified all attendances from 15/03 to 21/06 in 2019 and in 2020 to obtain variables from the lockdown period. Results During period of this study, 2694 psychiatric visits made in the ED (1744 patients - 54.3% women, and 69.5% were between 25 and 64 years-), 1537 in NOCOV and 1157 in COV1. Significant differences were found between COV1 and NOCOV in sociodemographic variables, such as employment status and number of offspring. At a clinical level, in COV1, we observed an increase in attendance due to heteroaggressive behaviors, mania, insomnia and problems due to substance use. An increase in the prescription and/or modification of treatment was observed (59.3% vs 54.3%). During COV1, in terms of discharge follow-up in the month following the ED visit, telematic assistance increased (11.4% vs. 5.3%). During the period of study, 282 ED attendances were performed, 153 in Y-NOCOV and 129 in Y-COV1. At a clinical level, during Y-COV1, a decrease in attendances related to substance use was found significant. The sub-analysis carried out for LOCK and NOLOCK yields similar data to those obtained in the COV1 vs. NOCOV1 comparison. During lockdown, the face-to-face follow-up in the month following the ED was significantly lower (39,5% vs 57,1%) regarding telematic follow-up (24,4% vs 5,8%) In this period, an increase of adolescents without previous mental health follow-up was observed (44% LOCK vs. 22% NOLOCK). Conclusions Our work supports the hypothesis that the COVID-19 pandemic caused a change in psychiatric care in the ED. It also shows how lockdown changed the attendance in psychiatric emergencies, and also in the later community care attendance. Changes are detected in emergency care for adolescents during the pandemic compared to the previous year. Strikingly, our study does not reflect a quantitative increase in the demand. It would be of interest to continue collecting data after the time of the present project. Disclosure of Interest None Declared

Abstract Background The response of many biomedical systems can be modelled using a linear combination of damped exponential functions. The approximation parameters, based on equally spaced samples, can be obtained using Prony’s method and its variants (e.g. the matrix pencil method). This paper provides a tutorial on the main polynomial Prony and matrix pencil methods and their implementation in MATLAB and analyses how they perform with synthetic and multifocal visual-evoked potential (mfVEP) signals. This paper briefly describes the theoretical basis of four polynomial Prony approximation methods: classic, least squares (LS), total least squares (TLS) and matrix pencil method (MPM). In each of these cases, implementation uses general MATLAB functions. The features of the various options are tested by approximating a set of synthetic mathematical functions and evaluating filtering performance in the Prony domain when applied to mfVEP signals to improve diagnosis of patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). Results The code implemented does not achieve 100%-correct signal approximation and, of the methods tested, LS and MPM perform best. When filtering mfVEP records in the Prony domain, the value of the area under the receiver-operating-characteristic (ROC) curve is 0.7055 compared with 0.6538 obtained with the usual filtering method used for this type of signal (discrete Fourier transform low-pass filter with a cut-off frequency of 35 Hz). Conclusions This paper reviews Prony’s method in relation to signal filtering and approximation, provides the MATLAB code needed to implement the classic, LS, TLS and MPM methods, and tests their performance in biomedical signal filtering and function approximation. It emphasizes the importance of improving the computational methods used to implement the various methods described above.

A novel methodology was employed to prepare new nanocomposites with photocatalytic properties based on Ce-doped TiO2 nanoparticles arranged over a layered silicate. The catalysts were porous materials formed by exfoliated silicate layers surrounded by anatase nanoparticles. In this way, the anatase was doped by different amounts of Ce, yielding to catalysts with light absorption properties on the visible region. The photocatalytic behavior was tested for different reactions: adsorption and photocatalysis, showing outstanding and promising results for the removal of bacteria by using solar light as an energy source. The influence of the physicochemical properties of the catalyst and the reaction parameters will be studied in detail to manage new catalysts for the disinfection of drinking water.

For primary school students, the difficulty in solving mathematical problems is highly related to language capacity. A correct solution can only be achieved after being able to deal with different abstract concepts through several stages: comprehension, processing, symbolic representation and relation of the concepts with the right mathematical operations. A model linking the solution of the mathematical problems (PS) with the mental representation (MR) of the problem statement, while taking into account the level of the students (which has influence in the linguistic abilities), is presented in this study. Different statistical tools such as the Analysis of Covariance (ANCOVA), ROC curves and logistic regression models have been applied. The relation between both variables has been proved, showing that the influence of MR in PS is similar in the different age groups, with linking models varying just in the constant term depending on the grade level. In addition, a cutoff in the mental representation test is provided in order to predict the student’s ability in problem resolution.

ABSTRACT Suppression of the SOS response has been postulated as a therapeutic strategy for potentiating antimicrobial agents. We aimed to evaluate the impact of its suppression on reversing resistance using a model of isogenic strains of Escherichia coli representing multiple levels of quinolone resistance. E. coli mutants exhibiting a spectrum of SOS activity were constructed from isogenic strains carrying quinolone resistance mechanisms with susceptible and resistant phenotypes. Changes in susceptibility were evaluated by static (MICs) and dynamic (killing curves or flow cytometry) methodologies. A peritoneal sepsis murine model was used to evaluate in vivo impact. Suppression of the SOS response was capable of resensitizing mutant strains with genes encoding three or four different resistance mechanisms (up to 15-fold reductions in MICs). Killing curve assays showed a clear disadvantage for survival (Δlog10 CFU per milliliter [CFU/ml] of 8 log units after 24 h), and the in vivo efficacy of ciprofloxacin was significantly enhanced (Δlog10 CFU/g of 1.76 log units) in resistant strains with a suppressed SOS response. This effect was evident even after short periods (60 min) of exposure. Suppression of the SOS response reverses antimicrobial resistance across a range of E. coli phenotypes from reduced susceptibility to highly resistant, playing a significant role in increasing the in vivo efficacy. IMPORTANCE The rapid rise of antibiotic resistance in bacterial pathogens is now considered a major global health crisis. New strategies are needed to block the development of resistance and to extend the life of antibiotics. The SOS response is a promising target for developing therapeutics to reduce the acquisition of antibiotic resistance and enhance the bactericidal activity of antimicrobial agents such as quinolones. Significant questions remain regarding its impact as a strategy for the reversion or resensitization of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. To address this question, we have generated E. coli mutants that exhibited a spectrum of SOS activity, ranging from a natural SOS response to a hypoinducible or constitutively suppressed response. We tested the effects of these mutations on quinolone resistance reversion under therapeutic concentrations in a set of isogenic strains carrying different combinations of chromosome- and plasmid-mediated quinolone resistance mechanisms with susceptible, low-level quinolone resistant, resistant, and highly resistant phenotypes. Our comprehensive analysis opens up a new strategy for reversing drug resistance by targeting the SOS response.

We describe Global Atmosphere 4.0 (GA4.0) and Global Land 4.0 (GL4.0): configurations of the Met Office Unified Model and JULES (Joint UK Land Environment Simulator) community land surface model developed for use in global and regional climate research and weather prediction activities. GA4.0 and GL4.0 are based on the previous GA3.0 and GL3.0 configurations, with the inclusion of developments made by the Met Office and its collaborators during its annual development cycle. This paper provides a comprehensive technical and scientific description of GA4.0 and GL4.0 as well as details of how these differ from their predecessors. We also present the results of some initial evaluations of their performance. Overall, performance is comparable with that of GA3.0/GL3.0; the updated configurations include improvements to the science of several parametrisation schemes, however, and will form a baseline for further ongoing development.

Introduction: Multiple sclerosis (MS) treatment options are primarily limited to immunomodulatory therapies in MS non-progressive forms. Nutrition intervention studies suggest that diet may be considered as a complementary treatment to control disease progression. Therefore, dietary intervention may help to improve wellness and ameliorate symptoms of MS patients. Objectives: To assess the effect of a low-fat diet with antioxidant supplementation on biochemical markers of institutionalized patients with progressive forms of multiple sclerosis. Methods: A randomized prospective placebo-controlled study involving 9 participants, 5 of them assigned to the intervention group (low-fat diet and antioxidant supplementation) and the other 4 to the placebo group (low-fat diet). The effect of the dietary intervention, involving diet modification and antioxidant supplementation, was examined for 42 days by measuring anthropometric, biochemical parameters and oxidative stress markers in blood at baseline (day 0), intermediate (day 15) and end (day 42) stages of the treatment. Results: The intervention group obtained C reactive protein levels significantly lower than those observed in the corresponding placebo group at the end of the study. Oxidative stress and inflammatory markers isoprostane 8-iso-PGF2α and interleukine IL-6 values also diminished after dietary intervention in the intervention group. Catalase activity increased significantly in the intervention group prior antioxidant supplementation. No significant differences were observed in other oxida-tive stress markers. Conclusions: The results suggest that diet and dietary supplements are involved in cell metabolism modulation and MS-related inflammatory processes. Consequently, low fat diets and antioxidant supplements may be used as complementary therapies for treatment of multiple sclerosis.

The adsorption capacities of three low-cost granular active carbons, used in a water treatment facility for the removal of the triazine herbicides propazine, prometryn and prometon, was evaluated. Kinetic studies showed that the three carbon samples used could be suitable in practice for the treatment of moderate contents of the herbicides in contaminated waters. The apparent adsorption rate constants were calculated. Equilibrium studies showed that the data fit the Frumkin isotherm. The results show that in the adsorption process there are repulsive lateral interactions that depend mainly on the adsorbate molecules rather than the nature or distribution of the adsorption sites. Such lateral interactions seem to be established mainly between the isopropyl groups of adjacent molecules, being of the same order for the three molecules.

Objetivo: Analizar los resultados del tratamiento quirúrgico de la tendinopatía de De Quervain con dos técnicas diferentes: la habitual, de apertura retinacular simple del primer compartimento extensor (grupo A: 27 casos en 26 pacientes. 1 caso bilateral) y una técnica reconstructora de la polea (grupo B: 48 pacientes). Material y método: Se estudiaron 253 muñecas diagnosticadas consecutivamente de Tendinopatía de De Quervain en 252 pacientes (1 caso bilateral). De ellas, 75 (30%) fueron tratados quirúrgicamente. En 27 casos se procedió a la apertura simple del primer compartimento (Grupo A), mientras que en los 48 casos restantes se les practicó la reconstrucción del mismo (Grupo B). En 7 pacientes del grupo A la Tendinopatía de De Quervain se asociaba a Síndrome de Intersección (26%). En el grupo B esta asociación se dio en 11 casos (23%). En todos ellos, el Síndrome de Intersección fue intervenido en el mismo acto quirúrgico. Resultados: Todos los pacientes curaron con el tratamiento quirúrgico, excepto una paciente (con mucha probabilidad, una simuladora rentista). El período de baja laboral fue de 88,1 días en el grupo A, y de 53 días en el grupo B. Las complicaciones encontradas en el grupo A fueron 2 casos de luxación del abductor pollicis longus y una sección del abductor pollicis brevis; la persistencia de dolor a la palpación y prueba de Finkelstein positiva fueron mayores de 2,5 meses en 9 casos. En el grupo B hubo dos lesiones nerviosas iatrogénicas, ningún caso de luxación y la prueba de Finkelstein se negativizó siempre antes de los 2 meses. Conclusiones: La apertura longitudinal simple del primer compartimento extensor del radio puede provocar la luxación del abductor pollicis longus fuera de su lecho óseo en los movimientos de flexión de la muñeca combinada con abducción del pulgar. La técnica reconstructora de la polea evita esta complicación. La sintomatología tras la intervención quirúrgica desaparece antes con la técnica reconstructora, y es más precoz la reincorporación laboral. Es frecuente la asociación de tendinopatía de De Quervain con otros procesos de etiología ocupacional. En esta serie se operaron 29 procesos asociados en 28 pacientes (37% del total). La más común es con el Síndrome de Intersección, que se dio en el 24% de los pacientes operados en esta serie.

Microgas turbines (MGT) are an alternative for small-scale energy production; however, their small size becomes a drawback since it enhances the heat transfer among their components. Moreover, heat transfer drives to temperature gradients which become higher during transient cycles like start-up. The influence of different start-up curves on temperature and thermal stresses of a microgas turbine was investigated. Stationary and rotational blades of the turbine were numerically simulated using CFD and FEM commercial codes. Conjugated heat transfer cases were solved for obtaining heat transfer from fluid toward the blades. Changes of temperature gradients within the blades during the start-ups were calculated under transient state with boundary conditions according to each curve to assess accurate thermal stresses calculations. Results showed that the modification of the start-up curves had an impact on the thermal stresses levels and on the time when highest stresses appeared on each component. Furthermore, zones highly stressed were located near the constraints of blades where thermal strains are restricted. It was also found that the curve that had a warming period at the beginning of the start-up allowed reducing the peaks of stresses making it more feasible and safer for the turbine start-up operation.

Introduction: lower gastrointestinal hemorrhage (LGIH) is generally self-limiting, and the most frequent etiologies are located at colonic level. The objective here is to analyze the diagnostic and therapeutic handling of acute LGIH when its etiology was located in the small intestine. Patients and methods: between 1975 and March 2002, 12 acute cases of LGIH originating in the small intestine were admitted to our service. All consulted the hospital with acute rectorrhage, requiring a transfusion of at least 3 units of concentrated red blood cells. The mean age was 54 ± 21 years, 58% were women, and 83% had experienced previous episodes of LGIH. Results: in eleven cases (92%) an urgent lower and upper endoscopy was performed without locating the source of bleeding. An arteriography was indicated in 7 patients (58%), which located the bleeding origin in 5 of them. In two cases a scintigraphy was performed, showing a Meckel's diverticulum in one patient and a normal image in another. All were operated on; in 8 cases (67%), surgery was urgent; in 9 cases, a tumor was found, and in three additional patients, a case of Meckel's diverticulum was found, with a resection being carried out for all lesions. Histology showed a leiomyoma in 7 cases, a Meckel's diverticulum in 3 cases, a leiomyoblastoma in 1, and an angioma in the remaining case. After a mean follow-up of 132 ± 75 months, the leiomyoblastoma resulted in death, and there was a relapse in the case of angioma, which was successfully embolized with interventional radiology. Conclusions: acute LGIH originating in the small intestine should be considered a possible etiology when digestive endoscopy does not locate the source of bleeding, with arteriography being a useful diagnostic technique for bleeding localization. Surgery is the definitive treatment - it confirms the etiology and rules out the presence of malignancy.Introducción: la hemorragia digestiva baja (HDB) es generalmente autolimitada y las etiologías más frecuentes se localizan a nivel colónico. El objetivo es analizar el manejo diagnóstico-terapéutico de las HDB severas cuya etiología se localizaba en el intestino delgado. Pacientes y métodos: entre 1975 y marzo del 2002 ingresaron en nuestro servicio 12 HDB severas originadas en el intestino delgado. Todos consultaron por rectorragia franca, precisando al menos transfusión de 3 unidades de concentrados de hematíes. La edad media fue de 54 ± 21 años, el 58% eran mujeres, y el 83% había presentado cuadros previos de HDB. Resultados: en once casos (92%) se realizó una endoscopia digestiva alta y baja urgente no objetivando el origen del sangrado. La arteriografía se indicó en 7 pacientes (58%), localizando en 5 de ellos el sangrado. En dos casos se hizo una gammagrafía mostrando en uno un divertículo de Meckel y en el otro fue normal. Todos se intervinieron, 8 (67%) de urgencias, encontrándose un tumor en 9 casos y un divertículo de Meckel en 3, realizándose resección de todas las lesiones. La histología informó de leiomioma en 7 casos, de divertículo de Meckel en 3, de leiomioblastoma en 1 y de angioma en el caso restante. Tras un seguimiento medio de 132 ± 75 meses, fue éxitus el leiomioblastoma, y recidivó el angioma, el cual fue embolizado radiológicamente con éxito. Conclusiones: la HDB severa de origen en intestino delgado debe considerarse como posibilidad etiológica cuando la endoscopia digestiva no objetiva el origen del sangrado, siendo la arteriografía una técnica diagnóstica útil para localizar el sangrado. La cirugía supone el tratamiento definitivo del proceso, confirma la etiología, y descarta la presencia de malignidad.

En el presente trabajo se ha estudiado la microestructura y el comportamiento de material producido mediante rheocasting, una nueva vía de producción industrial, en estado semisólido, que presenta diversas ventajas respecto a los procesos más habituales. Se ha caracterizado microestructuralmente la aleación hipoeutéctica de Al-Si A357, antes y después del proceso de inyección en estado semisólido, observándose en ambos estados una estructura fina y homogénea. Se han realizado ensayos de tracción de probetas mecanizadas de componentes reales producidos mediante rheocasting, tanto sin tratamiento térmico como tras un tratamiento T5. Los resultados, en ambos casos, fueron superiores a los obtenidos, para esta misma aleación, mediante otras vías.

Se presenta el caso de un paciente varón que sufrió un traumatismo de la muñeca derecha con disociacion escafolunar, fracturas del piramidal y de la apofisis estiloides cubital, lesiones que no fueron diagnosticadas ni tratadas inicialmente por estar el paciente en coma. A los 6 meses de evolución, la fractura de la estiloides cubital se mantenía desplazada y no presentaba signos radiológicos de consolidación. Tras una inmovilización de 8 semanas con motivo de una tenoplastia articular, se apreció que sorprendentemente la fractura de la estiloides cubital había consolidado.

In this paper, the taxonomic composition of the fish larvae community in the Canary region in autumn 1991 is presented. In total, 8699 larvae belonging to 58 fish families were studied. 176 taxonomic groups were identified, 149 at species level and the rest were identified at a higher level. The most numerous family and the one that presented the greatest number of species was Myctophidae. The most frequently caught species was Cyclothone braueri. The taxonomic composition (at family level) of the fish larvae community, dominated by four mesopelagic families, was typical of oceanic regions of warm waters. The most remarkable feature of the fish larvae community was its high specific diversity.

En el presente trabajo se analiza la influencia del vanadio en la microestructura y en la resistencia mecánica de un acero con contenido medio de carbono, tras ser deformado por compresión plana a temperaturas inferiores a 900°C. Los carbonitruros de vanadio no disueltos afinan la microestructura y junto a los reprecipitados durante el enfriamiento contribuyen al endurecimiento por precipitación, manteniendo la resistencia mecánica y logrando una tenacidad aceptable al bajar la temperatura de deformación.

Se midió la razón entre el flujo del refrigerante y la velocidad de colada y se determinó cuál es el valor apropiado para evitar atrasos o adelantos del frente de solidificación. Por otra parte, mediante un flujo variable de N2 a la salida de los tubos de cobre, se logró mejorar la trasmisión de calor en el molde y mejorar también la calidad interna de los tubos colados.

En este trabajo se muestra la mejora obtenida en la resistencia a la tracción a temperatura ambiente y a elevadas temperaturas de aleaciones hipereutécticas de Al-Si producidas por una combinación de un proceso de solidificación rápida y del conformado en estado semisólido, en comparación con aleaciones obtenidas por procedimientos convencionales de inyección en estado líquido. Se han estudiado las aleaciones Al-25%Si-5%Cu, Al-25%Si-5%Cu-2%Mg y Al-30%Si-5%Cu, relacionando sus parámetros microestructurales con las resistencias a tracción obtenidas, y se han comparado con las aleaciones binarias Al-20%Si, Al-36%Si y Al-50%Si. La aleación Al-25%Si-5%Cu se ha ensayado antes y después del conformado en estado semisólido, lo que ha permitido conocer la diferencia en el comportamiento de la aleación como consecuencia de la distinta microestructura. También se comparan las propiedades obtenidas en estas aleaciones con las que presentan composites de aleaciones de aluminio reforzados con partículas de SiC y procesados por métodos similares.

Dentro de las nuevas tecnologías utilizadas para la producción de materiales, se encuentra el procesamiento de aleaciones en estado semisólido denominado, en sus distintas versiones, Rheocasting, Thixoforming, Thixoforging o Thixocasting. En este trabajo se describe el proceso, así como los fenómenos implicados en el mismo. Puesto que el conformado de aleaciones en estado semisólido requiere una preparación previa del material (para obtener una microestructura no dendrítica), se describe brevemente el proceso Osprey o Spray-forming, utilizado en este trabajo. Finalmente, se muestran los resultados microestructurales obtenidos mediante la combinación de estas dos tecnologías, en aleaciones hipereutécticas de Al-Si (Al-25%Si-5%Cu, Al-25%Si-5%Cu- 2%Mg y Al-30%Si-5%Cu) y su comparación con las microestructuras obtenidas en aleaciones similares procesadas por métodos convencionales.

Se analiza la influencia de los tratamientos termomecánicos, en primer lugar, llevados a cabo en laboratorio y, posteriormente, en un proceso industrial, sobre las propiedades mecánicas de aceros microaleados de forja. Se han variado las temperaturas de forja y las velocidades de enfriamiento tras la misma y se ha estudiado su influencia sobre la resistencia y la tenacidad. La optimización de los tratamientos termomecánicos se ha realizado a nivel de laboratorio, probándose posteriormente las secuencias optimizadas a escala industrial. Las propiedades mecánicas se pueden explicar en términos de las microestructuras obtenidas en los diversos tratamientos termomecánicos. Así, microestructuras gruesas, obtenidas por enfriamientos lentos tras la deformación a elevadas temperaturas, muestran un comportamiento frágil. Se pueden obtener buenos valores de tenacidad, manteniendo la resistencia por afino de la microestructura, bien deformando el material a menores temperaturas de forja (ferrita+perlita finas) o enfriando aceleradamente tras la forja convencional (ferrita acicular).

Depth range cameras are a promising solution for the 3DTV production chain. The generation of color images with their accompanying depth value simplifies the transmission bandwidth problem in 3DTV and yields a direct input for autostereoscopic displays. Recent developments in plenoptic video-cameras make it possible to introduce 3D cameras that operate similarly to traditional cameras. The use of plenoptic cameras for 3DTV has some benefits with respect to 3D capture systems based on dual stereo cameras since there is no need for geometric and color calibration or frame synchronization. This paper presents a method for simultaneously recovering depth and all-in-focus images from a plenoptic camera in near real time using graphics processing units (GPUs). Previous methods for 3D reconstruction using plenoptic images suffered from the drawback of low spatial resolution. A method that overcomes this deficiency is developed on parallel hardware to obtain near real-time 3D reconstruction with a final spatial resolution of 800×600 pixels. This resolution is suitable as an input to some autostereoscopic displays currently on the market and shows that real-time 3DTV based on plenoptic video-cameras is technologically feasible.

The influence exerted by the length or the insaturation of acyl chain on characteristics of fatty acid monolayers spread on aqueous solutions containing ethanol, glycerol, glucose or sucrose, is studied using a Langmuir type surface balance. The monolayer stability is function of acyl chain length and presence of insaturation. Generally, the factors decreasing monolayer stability can help transformations towards configurations with more expanded structures.

The structure and the stability of stearic acid monolayers spread on aqueous solutions with glycerol, glucose or sucrose are studied using a commercial film balance (Lauda). The experiments were carried out isothermically. Monolayers exhibit structural polymorphism depending on temperature and subphase composition. The stability of the molecules on the subphase is a function of their structure. Generally, the most stable monolayers are those with more expanded structures.

The structure and stability of fatty acid monolayers spread on aqueous solutions with ethanol has been studied. The experiments were carried out isothermically using a commercial Langmuir balance (Lauda). Monolayers exhibit solid or condensed liquid structure depending of the ethanol concentration in the subphase. Temperature has not a significant influence on the monolayer. Structure there is a loss of stearic acid film through solution into the adjacent subphase. This loss is increased with the temperature and ethanol concentration in the subphase.

Introduction: necrotizing fasciitis (NF) is a rare soft tissue infection that leads to sepsis and death without an early surgical treatment. LRINEC (laboratory risk indicator for necrotizing fasciitis) scale is one of the most accepted tests for diagnosis. This study presents a retrospective evaluation of the usefulness of the LRINEC scale in the diagnosis and prognosis of NF. Material and methods: retrospective study of 41 cases of NF in extremities between 2010 and 2019. Based on the score obtained on the LRINEC scale the cases were assigned to: LRINEC lower than 5 in Group 1 with 12 cases, score 6 or 7 in Group 2 also 12 cases, and finally score of 8 or above in Group 3, 17 cases. Results: the mean LRINEC score was 7.04 (range: 1-13). 30 patients (73%) had scores above 6, the threshold for suspicion of NF. The mean mortality rate was 26.8%, and was highest in group 3 (5 deaths). The mean amputation rate was 17% (seven patients). Conclusions: the LRINEC may facilitate early diagnosis, but as we see in our study its main strength is its ability to assess the severity of the septic process and therefore to provide a prognosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Utilizando los datos de temperatura y viento (a 10 y 60 m) de una torre meteorológica ubicada en el sitio costero de Laguna Verde, Ver., se intenta determinar algunas características de la estructura térmica y las propiedades turbulentas de la capa planetaria. En una situación de 'Norte' el transporte de contaminantes al centro de población más grande (Veracruz) se realizaría en un tiempo corto. Aun cuando la extensión horizontal de la pluma es pequeña en el caso de un Norte, la mezcla en la vertical debida al calentamiento desde abajo fomentaría la dilución. Tanto la brisa como el terral muestran valores pequeños de la dispersión horizontal. La determinación de categorías de estabilidad por el método de Pasquill resulta en una mayor frecuencia de condiciones de aire inestable en el sitio que la que resulta de aplicar los métodos de delta-t y sigma-teta durante el día. Por la noche se observa una mayor coincidencia entre los métodos de delta-t y sigma-teta. doi: https://doi.org/10.22201/igeof.00167169p.1980.19.3.888

Introducción: Estudios científicos recientes indican que la microbiota intestinal puede jugar un papel importante en la modulación del peso corporal del hospedador. Objetivo: En este artículo se presenta una revisión actualizada de la literatura científica sobre el papel potencial de la microbiota intestinal y del consumo de probióticos en el peso corporal del hospedador, incluyendo la predisposición y la prevención del sobrepeso y la obesidad. Resultados y conclusiones: El empleo de probióticos en diferentes etapas de crecimiento, tanto en el hospedador animal como el humano, está habitualmente asociado a beneficios en la salud. Es evidente que los beneficios asociados al crecimiento no implican necesariamente un aumento del tejido adiposo ni tampoco una predisposición al sobrepeso o la obesidad. Hasta el momento, los datos que asocian un tipo de microorganismos específicos con la obesidad humana no son concluyentes ya que no determinan si es dicha microbiota la que juega una función causativa de la obesidad (fenómeno primario), o si es la microbiota intestinal la que está modulada en respuesta a dietas obesogénicas u otros factores relacionados con la patogénesis de esta condición (fenómeno secundario). Los estudios dirigidos a la modulación de la microbiota intestinal para prevenir o controlar la obesidad del hospedador, incluido el uso de probióticos, muestran resultados prometedores. De hecho, el consumo de probióticos en el entorno materno-infantil podría contribuir al control del peso corporal en etapas posteriores mediante la modulación de la microbiota intestinal infantil. Sin embargo, son necesarios más estudios que empleen ensayos aleatorizados, doble ciego y controlados por placebo para poder demostrar la eficacia de cepas probióticas específicas para la prevención o el tratamiento del sobrepeso y la obesidad. En el marco de la actual pandemia de obesidad, el empleo de cepas probióticas de las que se disponga de evidencia científica sobre un efecto beneficioso frente a determinados factores de riesgo asociados a la obesidad podría servir, junto con cambios en la dieta y el fomento de la actividad física, a la modulación del peso corporal.