Search

Resumen Introducción: la anemia y ferropenia son condiciones muy prevalentes en hemodiálisis asociadas al incremento en la morbimortalidad. Objetivo: describir las características de la ferropenia y anemia de pacientes con enfermedad renal terminal en hemodiálisis, y analizar los parámetros del hemograma para predecir la deficiencia de hierro en ellos. Materiales y métodos: estudio descriptivo transversal realizado en la unidad de hemodiálisis del Hospital de Especialidades de las Fuerzas Armadas N°1 y CLINEF Norte, Quito, Ecuador, durante diciembre de 2018 y enero de 2019. El análisis se basó en la comparación de dos grupos, pacientes ferropénicos y no ferropénicos. Resultados: se incluyeron 268 pacientes con edad promedio de 16 y 59 años; 89 pacientes (33,21 %) fueron ferropénicos, sin embargo presentaron parámetros hematimétricos normales en la mayoría de ellos. Encontramos además que el 80,22 % de los pacientes incluidos eran anémicos, con poca frecuencia de microcitosis e hipocromía. Entre ellos, el 33,21 % fueron ferropénicos, siendo la hemoglobina un pobre marcador de ferropenia. Adicionalmente, para predecir ferropenia, y de no contar con ferritina o saturación de transferrina, encontramos útil la hemoglobina corpuscular media, el volumen corpuscular medio, el ancho de distribución eritrocitaria y el índice de Srivastava, sin embargo el valor predictivo se incrementó al incluir la sideremia como en nuestro modelo propuesto. Conclusiones: dada la alta frecuencia de anemia sin hipocromía o microcitosis en los pacientes con enfermedad renal terminal en hemodiálisis, incluso en ferropenia, es fundamental la evaluación regular del metabolismo férrico, así como el análisis del hemograma con enfoque en el paciente dialítico. Abstract Introduction: Anemia and iron deficiency are very prevalent conditions in hemodialysis and have been associated with an increase in morbidity and mortality. Objective: Describe the characteristics of iron deficiency and anemia in patients with end-stage renal disease on hemodialysis, and analyze the parameters of the blood count to predict iron deficiency in them. Materials and methods: A cross-sectional descriptive study carried out in the hemodialysis unit of the Specialties Hospital of the Armed Forces No. 1 and CLINEF Norte, Quito, Ecuador, during December 2018 and January 2019. The analysis was based on the comparison of two groups, ferropenic and non-ferropenic patients. Results: We included 268 patients with an average age of 59.16 years; 89 patients (33.21%) were ferropenic. However, they presented normal hematimetric parameters in most of them. We also found that 80.22% of the patients included were anemic, with little frequency of microcytosis and hypochromia. Among them, 33.21% were ferropenic, being hemoglobin a poor marker of iron deficiency. Additionally, to predict ferropenia, and not to have ferritin or transferrin saturation, we find especially useful the mean corpuscular hemoglobin, mean corpuscular volume, erythrocyte distribution width, and Srivastava index, however the predictive value increases when including the syderemia as in our proposed model. Conclusions: Given the high frequency of anemia without hypochromia or microcytosis in patients with end-stage renal disease on hemodialysis, even in iron deficiency, regular evaluation of ferric metabolism is essential, as well as the analysis of the blood count with a focus on the dialysis patient.

Posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome (PRES) is a clinical–radiological disorder that may include encephalopathy, seizures, headache, and visual disturbances. It is associated with conditions that induce endothelial damage, causing vasogenic cerebral edema that can be observed in magnetic resonance scans. It occurs in

Resumen El sindrome de encefalopatia posterior reversible (PRES) es un trastorno clinico-radiologico caracterizado por encefalopatia, convulsiones, cefalea y alteraciones visuales. Se asocia a entidades que ocasionan dano endotelial, causando edema cerebral vasogenico evidente en resonancia magnetica. En pacientes con lupus eritematoso sistemico (LES) se presenta en

BACKGROUND Aging produces a deterioration in the older person and this affects the neuromuscular system among others, reducing muscle mass, strength and muscle power and this generates a decrease in functional capacity in the elderly, can cause falls and disability. OBJECTIVE The aim of this study is to analyze the ability to know the functional capacity and fall risk of elderly people in nursing homes through a novel short-test using a single inertial sensor embedded in an Android device. METHODS Study participants included 47 older people (over 55 years old) resided in two nursing homes. Functional assessment with FallSkip® which includes static balance, gait analysis, lower limb power when sit to stand, test execution time and reaction time. The patients were randomly divided into two study groups, control and experimental group. The experimental group underwent individualized rehabilitation therapy based on the results obtained by the modified Timed Up and Go falls risk test. Subsequently, the results obtained between the two residences and between the experimental groups were compared. RESULTS 70% of people in nursing homes are over 75 years old, which the female participants were mostly found in the older age groups, unlike their male counterparts, who were concentrated in the younger age groups. When comparing the anthropometric variables and clinical scales for the two nursing homes no statistically significant differences appeared (p > 0.05) only on the fall risk score (p < 0.05) and the sit to stand power (p < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS The comfort of evaluating the functional status of the elderly in the nursing homes by an objective and simple functional test has allowed us to carry out individualized rehabilitation interventions for each participant; as well as to know the functional level of the people in the nursing homes.

Background and aims. Multiple myeloma is a frequent hematologic malignancy, in which the International Stratification Score (ISS) is widely used to estimate the overall survival. However, there are no studies in Latin America evaluating its performance. This study aims to describe the ISS performance in the overall survival estimation for newly diagnosed multiple myeloma patients in Uruguay. Methods. This is a retrospective registry‐based survival analysis through the Grupo Uruguayo de Mieloma Múltiple (GUMMA) database, including newly diagnosed multiple myeloma patients from January 2001 until May 2019. Results. 249 patients were included, 51.81% males and an average age of 63.49 years. According to ISS and Durie-Salmon score (DSS), 47.79% and 82.3% were ISS III and DSS III, respectively. Also, 32.3% were DSS B. Auto hematopoietic stem cell transplantation was performed in 31.73% of patients, and bortezomib was used in 44.18% as frontline therapy. The overall survival was 80% for ISS1, 64.9% ISS2, and 48.6% ISS3 (Log-Rank; p

RESUMEN: Durante los últimos veinte años, el Centro de Arqueología Subacuática (CAS-IAPH) ha desarrollado un amplio pro-grama de documentación y recopilación de información sobre naufragios históricos en aguas andaluzas a través de los fondos de archivos públicos y privados. En la ac-tualidad, cuenta con cerca de 2.000 referencias que van a permitir la mejora del conocimiento, protección y pre-servación de ese patrimonio tan amenazado por el expo-lio. Con el fin de mejorar la eficacia de este proceso, entre 2018 y 2019, ha desarrollado, junto con el Centro PRHLT de la Universidad Politécnica de Valencia, un proyecto in-novador (el proyecto Carabela) que confirma la eficacia de las técnicas de reconocimiento de texto manuscrito (HTR) para localizar y caracterizar documentos digitales en grandes fondos de archivos sin apenas intervención humana, con el consecuente ahorro de tiempo y recursos en la investigación y/o gestión de estos fondos. ABSTRACT: The Underwater Archeology Center (IAPH) has developed, over the last 20 years, an extensive program of documen-tation and compilation of information on historical ship-wrecks in Andalusian waters through public and private archives. At present it has about 2000 references that will allow the improvement of knowledge, protection and pres-ervation of that heritage, which is so much threatened by plunder. In order to improve the efficiency of this process, between 2018 and 2019, it has developed, together with the PRHLT Center of the Polytechnic University of Valen-cia, an innovative project (Carabela Project) that confirms the effectiveness of handwritten text recognition techniques (HTR) to locate and characterize digital documents in large archives with little human intervention, with the consequent saving of time and resources in the research and / or management of these collections. RESUM: Durant els últims vint anys, el Centre d'Arqueologia Subaquàtica (CAS-IAPH) ha desenvolupat un ampli programa de documentació i recopilació d'informació sobre naufragis històrics en aigües andaluses a través dels fons d'arxius públics i privats. En l'actualitat, compta amb prop de 2.000 referències que permetran la millora del coneixement, protecció i preservació d'aquest patrimoni tan amenaçat per l'espoli. Per tal de millorar l'eficàcia d'aquest procés, entre 2018 i 2019, ha desenvolupat, juntament amb el Centre PRHLT de la Universitat Politècnica de València, un projecte innovador (el projecte Carabela) que confirma l'eficàcia de les tècniques de reconeixement de text manuscrit (HTR) per localitzar i caracteritzar documents digitals en grans fons d'arxius gairebé sense intervenció humana, amb el conseqüent estalvi de temps i recursos en la investigació i / o gestió d'aquests fons.

Silicon Carbide (SiC) MOSFETs enable enhanced performance of power converters in several applications. Parallel connection of SiC MOSFETs become mandatory for medium power applications due to the current rate of existing modules. A balanced current sharing between paralleled MOSFETs is desired to maximize the power capability of each device, maximizing the power capability of the whole system. This work studies the static current unbalance of two paralleled 1200V-400A SiC MOSFET modules with individual gate driver. Experimental measurements are done focused on parasitic inductance caused by electromechanical layout.

An increasing amount of virtual reality (VR) research is carried out\ud to support the vast number of applications across mental health,\ud exercise and entertainment fields. Often, this research involves the\ud recording of physiological measures such as heart rate recordings\ud with an electrocardiogram (ECG). One challenge is to enable remote, reliable and unobtrusive VR and heart rate data collection\ud which would allow a wider application of VR research and practice\ud in the field in future. To address the challenge, this work assessed\ud the viability of replacing standard ECG devices with a photoplethysmography (PPG) sensor that is directly integrated into a VR headset\ud over the branches of the supratrochlear vessels. The objective of\ud this study was to investigate the reliability of the PPG sensor for\ud heart-rate detection. A total of 21 participants were recruited. They\ud were asked to wear an ECG belt as ground truth and a VR headset\ud with the embedded PPG sensor. Signals from both sensors were\ud captured in free standing and sitting positions. Results showed that\ud VR headset with an integrated PPG sensor is a viable alternative\ud to an ECG for heart rate measurements in optimal conditions with\ud limited movement. Future research will extend on this finding by\ud testing it in more interactive VR settings.

Made available in DSpace on 2020-12-12T02:14:10Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2020-09-01 Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP) Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad We investigated the particular organization of Guardiola's F.C. Barcelona during season 2009/2010, using datasets from the Spanish National League La Liga. Specifically, we constructed the corresponding pitch networks, obtained from all passes successfully performed by a team during a football match. Pitch networks are composed of nodes consisting of particular subdivisions of the field, which are connected through links whose weight ωi,j corresponds to the number of passes made from region i to region j. We performed a multi-scale analysis focused on evaluating the properties of pitch networks at different scales, from a partition of the pitch into 2 × 2 to 10 × 10 areas. For each scale, we calculated a diversity of network parameters of F.C. Barcelona and its opponents during the whole season. Next, we compared the properties of F.C. Barcelona pitch networks with the networks of its rivals. Our results show how, depending on the spatial scale, there are statistically significant differences between F.C. Barcelona and the rest of the teams of the Spanish league. These differences are particularly significant at the clustering coefficient, the network average shortest-path, and the number of nodes occupied by a team for partitions with a high number of subdivisions. UNESP-IFT ICTP-SAIFR Sao Paulo CeSiMo Facultad de Ingeniería Universidad de Los Andes Depto. Ingeniería Biomédica. Universidad de los Andes Complex Systems Group Universidad Rey Juan Carlos Grupo Interdisciplinar de Sistemas Complejos (GISC) Laboratory of Biological Networks Center for Biomedical Technology, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid E.S.A.D.E. Business School Departamento de Metodología F.C. Barcelona Institute of Unmanned System and Center for OPTical IMagery Analysis and Learning (OPTIMAL) Northwestern Polytechnical University UNESP-IFT ICTP-SAIFR Sao Paulo FAPESP: 2016/01343-7 FAPESP: 2017/05770-0 Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad: FIS2017-84151-P

[EN] Size, shape and posture are fundamental features of digital human models (DHM) to obtain accurate virtual simulations of the ergonomics of products and environments. Research on 3D body scanning, processing and modelling have enabled the generation of avatars representing specific populations and morphotypes in standing and seated postures being the basis to define size and shape of DHM. Posture is implemented with biomechanical models of the human movement. Most of the research is focused on posture control and movement tracking to analyze the variability in different contexts (e.g. driving, performing a working task). Motion capture technology used for this purpose, requires a limited number of sensors or reflective markers attached to the body according to the definition of body segments. 3D body scanning and motion capture are both technologies currently used to analyze human body shape and biomechanics to apply it to enhance digital human models. These technologies may converge on the so-called temporal 3D scanners or 4D scanners, a new technology recently developed to scan the body in motion. With this technology, it is possible to obtain sequences of dense 3D point clouds representing the movement of the body. In this paper, a novel methodology to create realistic 3D body models in motion is proposed. This method is supported by a new 4D scanning system (Move 4D) and a data driven-model. Move4D is a modular photogrammetry-based 4D scanning system. It consists of a set of 12 synchronized modules to scan full bodies with texture in motion. It can capture up to 180 fps with a resolution of 2 mm. The algorithms have been conceived and optimized to automatically process the series of raw point clouds captured. They rely on a data-driven body model including shape, pose and soft-tissue deformation trained with a large database and a deep learning model. The process is fully automatic and does not require any interactive landmarking or revision. The 3D outcome of this methodology is one noise-and artefact-free watertight mesh per frame and a model of shape, pose and soft-tissue that can be rigged with a 23-joint skeleton. This type of outcome permits their use for many applications such as simulations, augmented and virtual reality (AR/VR) or biomechanical analysis purposes., The research presented in this paper have been developed within the projects IMDEEA/2020/85 and MDEEA/2020/87. Funding requested to Instituto Valenciano de Competitividad Empresarial (IVACE), call for proposals 2020 for Technology Centers of the Comunitat Valenciana, co-funded by ERDF Funds, EU Operational Program of the Comunitat Valenciana 2014-2020.

We investigate the relation between the number of passes made by a football team and the number of goals. We analyze the 380 matches of a complete season of the Spanish national league &ldquo, LaLiga" (2018/2019). We observe how the number of scored goals is positively correlated with the number of passes made by a team. In this way, teams on the top (bottom) of the ranking at the end of the season make more (less) passes than the rest of the teams. However, we observe a strong asymmetry when the analysis is made depending on the part of the match. Interestingly, fewer passes are made in the second half of a match, while, at the same time, more goals are scored. This paradox appears in the majority of teams, and it is independent of the number of passes made. These results confirm that goals in the first half of matches are more &ldquo, costly&rdquo, in terms of passes than those scored in second halves.

Es bien conocido la apuesta de la educación por la innovación y unas metodologías de aprendizaje que vayan más allá de los recursos tradicionales utilizados dentro de las aulas. El uso de nuevas tecnologías, la incorporación de sonido, imagen y movimiento, crea un nuevo recurso metodológico que permite la integración y participación del alumnado en las actividades de clase. En este trabajo se analizan las ventajas e inconvenientes encontrados durante la ejecución de un proyecto audiovisual en la asignatura “Las Artes Plásticas y Cultura Audiovisual en Educación Primaria” en la Universidad de Jaén, en el que a través de la incorporación de las herramientas digitales más actuales y la disposición de los alumnos en grupos de trabajo se ha logrado fomentar el trabajo cooperativo y el interés de unos estudiantes saturados, en muchas ocasiones, por los trabajos teóricos y las clases magistrales.

Two-antenna systems for wideband amplitude-only direction finding (AODF) are demonstrated. Tapered slot antennas (TSAs) are integrated into two flush-mounted configurations to achieve desired performance over 18–45 GHz range. The first system is made of two TSA elements embedded inside an absorptive cavity. Fed by a 90° hybrid, this phased-array topology supports two squinted beams required for AODF. The second system is made of two identical TSA elements physically squinted off boresight to produce required beams without beamforming. This allows each TSA element to be embedded in a separate nonabsorptive and shaped cavity for much improved AODF including widened field of view, higher gain, better dynamic range, and eliminated sidelobes. The system implications for the use of the proposed antenna front ends in terms of bearing errors to amplitude imbalances and receiver noise are also discussed. The construction of both antenna systems is disclosed, and experimental results closely resembling and therefore verifying theory are obtained.

Background Multiple myeloma (MM) is an incurable hematological neoplasm. However, new therapies have improved overall survival (OS). In relapsed/refractory MM (RRMM) and a resource-limited environment, optimizing treatment options is essential. Autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (ASCT) is an available strategy, frontline and at relapse Objective to analyze overall survival (OS2) and progression-free survival (PFS2) in RRMM patients comparing second-line consolidation strategies. Methods This retrospective survival analysis study, based on the Uruguayan Multiple Myeloma Registry, included all RRMM adult patients Results Fifty-nine patients were included, with a median age at diagnosis of 56 years (IQR 12), 49.1% were male, 70.10% IgG, 84.75% were Durie-Salmon stage (DS) III and 37.3% ISS-III, 27.1% ISS-II, and 30.5% ISS-I. Age, ISS, and DS were not statistically different between therapeutic groups. Most (69.5%) patients had received a first ASCT, and 35.6% received maintenance as first-line therapy. Maintenance therapy was lenalidomide in 20.3%, thalidomide in 6.8%, and 8.5% other options. Eleven patients (18.6%) received salvage ASCT and maintenance, 18.6% received only ASCT, 16.9% received only maintenance and 45.8% neither ASCT nor maintenance. The median OS2 was 34 months, and PFS2 was 26 months. The 3-year OS2 and 3-year PFS2 were 47.2% and 32.2% for the entire cohort, respectively. The combination of ASCT and maintenance achieved a 3-year OS2 of 75.0% whereas OS2 in the non-combined therapy (NCT)(ASCT or maintenance) was 50.7% (HR 0.1, CI95% 0.01 to 0.6, p=0.01). ASCT and maintenance achieved a 3-year PFS2 of 43.1% whereas PFS2 was 37.6% for the NCT (HR 0.2, CI95% 0.1 to 0.7, p=0.01). The 3-year OS2 was 50.7% for those who received ASCT or maintenance vs. 28.4% for those without second-line consolidation (HR 0.3, CI95% 0.2 to 0.9, p=0.02). The 3-year PFS2 was 37.6% for patients who received any of the consolidative strategies vs 19.1% (HR 0.4, CI95% 0.2 to 0.9, p=0.02) in those who did not receive salvage ASCT or maintenance Conclusion ASCT has been recommended for patients relapsing after primary therapy, including an ASCT with an initial remission duration of >18 months. The role of salvage ASCT in patients who received lenalidomide maintenance has not been determined. In our analysis, the combination of ASCT and maintenance improved the OS2 and PFS2 compared to those treated with only ASCT or maintenance. Not receiving second-line consolidation was associated with inferior PFS2 and OS2.

Background: Urinary tract infections (UTI) are among the most common infections in pediatric patients. The main etiopathogenic agent is Escherichia coli. The purpose of this study was to determine the antimicrobial resistance pattern of E. coli in pediatric patients and to understand their main clinical and laboratory manifestations. Methods: Fifty-nine patients were included in the study and classified into two groups: hospitalization (H) and external consultation (EC). Every patient presented urine cultures with the isolation of E. coli that included an antibiogram. Clinical signs and symptoms, urinalysis, complete blood count (CBC) and serum inflammatory markers were analyzed. Results: The most common clinical manifestations were fever (H: 76.5%; EC: 88%), vomiting (H: 32.4%; EC: 32%), hyporexia (H: 20.6%; EC: 16%), abdominal pain (H: 20.6%: EC: 28%), and dysuria (H: 14.7%; EC: 32%). Ten patients (16.95%) presented UTI for extended spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL) E. coli. Ampicillin, nalidixic acid, and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole showed a higher resistance rate, being ampicillin the most significant (H: 88.2%; EC: 92%). Leukocyturia, bacteriuria and urine nitrites were frequent alterations in urinalysis (H: 52.9%; EC: 92%). In ESBL E. coli patients, a positive correlation was found between leukocytes in CBC and C-reactive protein (r = 0.9, p < 0.01). Diarrhea and foul-smelling urine were associated with E. coli resistance. Conclusions: The presence of leukocytes, bacteria, nitrites and the Gram stain are the most common indicators. Nitrofurantoin and phosphomycin are good therapeutic options. However, an antibiogram must be conducted to determine the best therapeutic agent.

An RF exposure of a vehicle's crew is discussed and a fast modeling approach for prediction thereof is demonstrated. The modeling is based on eigenmode analysis for acquiring a range of frequencies where the shielding effectiveness of a vehicle cabin is expected to be significantly worsened. Clear correlation between the positions of eigenfrequencies and high RF exposure peaks obtained by a full-wave analysis is demonstrated. It is shown that cavity resonance behavior may cause consistent overexposure of vehicle's crew compared to the outside people. It is also seen that at lower end very high frequency communication or jamming system can easily violate the Federal Communications Commission set limit for RF exposure.

We quantified the spatial and temporal entropy related to football teams and their players by means of a pass-based interaction. First, we calculated the spatial entropy associated to the positions of all passes made by a football team during a match, obtaining a spatial entropy ranking of Spanish teams during the 2017/2018 season. Second, we investigated how the player&rsquo, s average location in the field is related to the amount of entropy of his passes. Next, we constructed the temporal passing networks of each team and computed the deviation of their network parameters along the match. For each network parameter, we obtained the permutation entropy and the statistical complexity of its temporal fluctuations. Finally, we investigated how the permutation entropy (and statistical complexity) of the network parameters was related to the total number of passes made by a football team. Our results show that (i) spatial entropy changes according to the position of players in the field, and (ii) the organization of passing networks change during a match and its evolution can be captured measuring the permutation entropy and statistical complexity of the network parameters, allowing to identify what parameters evolve more randomly.

Background: Multiple myeloma is a disease of the elderly. However, 40% of patients are diagnosed before 65 years old. Outcomes regarding age as a prognostic factor in MM are heterogeneous. Method: We retrospectively analyzed clinical characteristics, response to treatment and survival of 282 patients with active newly-diagnosed multiple myeloma, comparing results between patients younger and older than 65 years. Main results: The frequency of multiple myeloma in those younger than 66 years was 53.2%. Younger patients presented with a more aggressive disease, more advanced Durie-Salmon stage (85.3% vs 73.5%; p = 0.013), extramedullary disease (12.7% vs 0%; p < 0.001), osteolytic lesions (78.7% vs 57.6%; p < 0.001) and bone plasmacytoma (25.3% vs 11.4%; p = 0.003). In spite of this, the overall response rate was similar between groups (80.6% vs 81.4%; p = 0.866). The overall survival was significantly longer in young patients (median, 65 months vs 41 months; p = 0.001) and higher in those who received autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. The main cause of death was disease progression in both groups. Multivariable analysis revealed that creatinine ≥2 mg/dl, extramedullary disease, ≤very good partial remission and non-autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation are independent risk factors for shorter survival. Conclusion: Although multiple myeloma patients younger than 66 years of age have an aggressive presentation, this did not translate into an inferior overall survival, particularly in those undergoing autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.

BACKGROUND Pulmonary embolism (PE) is a potentially fatal disease related to venous thromboembolism. Information regarding this pathology in the Ecuadorian population is limited. This study aims to present the PE hospital mortality rates (HMR) in Ecuador, analyze its trend and risk factors. METHODS An epidemiological, descriptive and cross-sectional study based on the reporting and trend analysis of pulmonary embolism HMR in the Ecuadorian population from 2011 to 2018 through the governmental database of the Ecuadorian National Statistics and Census Institute, was conducted. RESULTS In Ecuador, PE hospital discharges (HD) varied from 358 in 2011 to 424 in 2018. More than 60% of patients were older than 60 years. Also, the frequency of PE with acute cor pulmonale increased from 3.07% in 2011 to 16.98% in 2018 (P

Introduction: Pulmonary embolism (PE) is a common cause of cardiovascular death, with hospital mortality rates in South America around 14%. However, there is limited information regarding Ecuador. Objectives: To present a survival analysis of Ecuadorian patients affected by PE. Methods: We performed a survival analysis study based on the retrospective review of the hospital discharges by PE in Ecuador from 2011 to 2018 through the Ecuadorian National Statistics and Census Institute databases. Results: We found 2974 cases of PE. From them, 505 (16.98%) patients deceased, 59.72% were females, 64.79% had an age ≥60 years with an average of 65.04 years, 19.80% were treated outside their canton of residence, and 7.57% were associated to acute cor pulmonale (ACP). Using the Cox regression model, being treated outside the canton of residence (HR 1.40, p

The aim of this paper is to present the first outcomes of an international project titled “Development of innovative Training contents based on the applicability of Virtual Reality in the field of Stroke Rehabilitation”. Particularly two aspects were described: (1) recognition of educational needs of medics who support neurological patients in their rehabilitation process, (2) the concept of structure and contents of an e-learning course about this topic.

The aim of this paper is to present a spectrum of virtual reality and biomechanical technologies that can be potentially used in supporting the rehabilitation of people after stroke, in both clinical and home conditions. The methodology was based on a systematic review of up-to-date, published research works available in Elsevier Science Direct database including peer-reviewed journal articles. As a result, trends, possible promising solutions and gaps in the area of innovative rehabilitation tools for post-stroke patients were recognized and discussed. Particularly, the new knowledge and good practices focused on the applicability of biomechanical systems and Virtual Reality (VR) technologies in stroke treatment were searched, which is the subject of an educational and international Erasmus+ project entitled “Development of innovative training contents based on the applicability of virtual reality in the field of stroke rehabilitation- Brain4Train”. The training content, which is one of the project outcomes, will be provided to all interested professionals engaged in post-stroke patients’ rehabilitation, in order to make them capable to develop customized rehabilitation programs based on techno-innovative rehabilitation models.

A low-profile tri-band inverted-F antenna (TIFA) is proposed for narrowband vehicle-based applications in upper HF and lower VHF ranges. A driven element, engineered as an inverted-F antenna, operates at the lowest frequency of 27 MHz, while two parasitic elements, built as inverted-L monopoles, enable resonances at 49 and 53 MHz. The standalone antenna height over a ground plane is ${\lambda }/{2}$ 5 at the lowest band. When mounted on a vehicle and bent to follow its profile, TIFA maintains similar performance with only ${\lambda }/{44}$ height above the vehicle’s roof. To eliminate the need for external matching network, the driven element is offset fed. The ${\bf VSWR} \leq {2}:{1}$ bandwidth of the first band is greater than 1%, whereas the bandwidths of the two VHF bands are narrower and do not exceed 0.4%. To mitigate possible detuning and enable full utilization of the FCC approved bandwidths, a simple approach for tuning the resonance is outlined. Scaled models of TIFA and vehicle are built and impedance and pattern measurements are conducted. Obtained results confirm the proposed antenna is a viable candidate for (among other applications) communication with remotely controlled ground and flying vehicles/toys.

En el presente trabajo se llevó a cabo un estudio cinético y morfológico de la electrodeposición de paladio en un electrodo de grafito pirolítico altamente orientado a partir de una solución [0.001 M PdCl2 + 1 M NH4Cl (pH=7)]. A partir de un estudio potenciostático se calculó el coeficiente de difusión (1.21x10-6 cm2 s-1), el número de sitios activos de nucleación (N0), la velocidad de nucleación (A) y la constante del proceso de reducción de protones (kPR). Se encontró que los valores de A, N0 y kPR son dependientes del potencial y estos incrementan con el aumento del mismo. A mayores sobrepotenciales, es posible inducir a la formación de pequeños cúmulos de Pd con una altura de 5 nm y un tamaño promedio de 20-30 nm de diámetro.

The global expansion of the neoliberal model is most forcefully expressed in the processes of social, cultural, and environmental predation undertaken by corporations in the so-called Global South. Three pertinent processes are taking place in Mexico: (1) an increase in socio-environmental conflicts, mainly in rural areas and in predominantly indigenous territories; (2) the proliferation of citizen resistance of an essentially communal, municipal, or micro-regional nature; and (3) increased violence against these resistance movements by the government across its three levels (federal, state, and municipal) in complicity (or not) with companies and corporations that are trying to implement projects that damage natural resources, affect the quality of the environment, and destroy cultures and the social fabric. La expansión mundial del modelo neoliberal se expresa con mayor fuerza en los procesos de depredación ecológica, social y cultural que las corporaciones realizan en el llamado Sur Global. Tres procesos de la realidad mexicana ilustran lo anterior: (1) el creciente aumento de los conflictos socio-ambientales, principalmente en las áreas rurales y predominantemente en los territorios indígenas; (2) la multiplicación de las resistencias ciudadanas, esencialmente de carácter comunitario, municipal o micro-regional; y (3) el aumento de la violencia contra esos movimientos de resistencia, llevados a cabo por gobiernos en sus tres niveles (federal, estatal y municipal) en complicidad (o no) con las empresas y corporaciones que intentan implementar proyectos que dilapidan los recursos naturales y/o la calidad del ambiente y que provocan destrucción de culturas y tejido social.

Background and aims. Cancer is a leading cause of death in Ecuador with high social and economic impact. This study aims to determinate the influence of living at a high altitude on the risk of developing or dying from cancer among the Ecuadorian population.Methods. This is an ecological and epidemiological analysis of cancer mortality and prevalence rates, based on national data from the Ecuadorian National Statistics and Census Institute, corresponding to the period between 2005 and 2014. This study includes the analysis of various types of cancer: gastric, colorectal, hepatic/bile duct, breast, uterine/cervix, and lymphatic/hematopoietic, using rates of mortality and prevalence. Additionally, the association between the risk of getting or dying from cancer and living at high altitude was investigated. This comparison was made between the population living in Highlands, over 2000 meters above sea level, and low-lying regions.Results. Living at high altitude was associated with a higher prevalence of cancer and also with a high mortality rate due to cancer. Risk of getting cancer was related to living at a higher altitude, as well as an increased risk of death by cancer: gastric (OR:1.204; p

Power electronic converters use semiconductors to satisfy the needs of different applications. Nowadays, these semiconductors are mainly based on Silicon (Si), which can be processed virtually without defects. However, the limits of Si are being reached and in consequence, Si based semiconductors have limited voltage blocking capability, limited heat transfer capability, limited efficiency and maximum junction temperature. In recent years, power semiconductor devices have been built with wide-bandgap materials such as Silicon Carbide (SiC) and Gallium Nitride (GaN). The use of these materials promises to surpass the limits imposed by Si. More compact and efficient devices can be fabricated with these materials. However, in order to exploit the benefits of these devices, is necessary to know all the implications that the adoption of these new components has in the converter. This paper provides a review of current SiC and GaN materials and devices comparing their benefits and drawbacks for real power applications.

Fuente TESIUNAM

In the present work, it was analyzed the palladium electrodeposition onto High Oriented Pyrolitic Graphite (HOPG) electrode from an aqueous solution (0.001 M PdCl2 + 1M NH4Cl (pH 5)) through cyclic voltammetry and chronoamperometry. The analysis of voltammetric data showed that palladium electrodeposition is controlled by mass transfer. From the potentiostatic study it was calculated the diffusion coefficient, the number of active nucleation sites (N0) and the rate constant of the proton reduction process (kPR). It was seen that an increment of N0 and kPR values is obtained when the overpotential applied is increased.

Antenna related questions for wideband amplitude-only (AO) direction finding (DF) systems at lower millimeter-wave frequencies are addressed. Phased-array and non-array squinted antenna topologies are researched and important conclusions are drawn. Theory based on ideal beams is used to assess effects of misbalances and experiments with fabricated prototypes operating over 18–45GHz range are used to validate the theory.

Two tapered slot antennas (TSAs) are arrayed in H-plane to achieve amplitude only direction-finding over 18–45 GHz range. Moreover, an absorbing cavity is engineered to host TSAs, enable flush-mounting, and improve system performance by decreasing sidelobe level at the low end while improving field-of-view at the high end of the band. Prototype, built using conventional and 3-d printing approaches, is tested and measurements favorably agree with theory.

Ethnobotany is defined as the study of the traditional botanical knowledge of different cultures, the techniques utilized in the use and management of plant resources, and the place they have in their cultural Cosmo vision. This study aimed to review the development and perspectives of ethnobotany in Mexico, based on an extensive review of all ethnobotanical studies showed at the Mexican Botanical Congress (MBC), the main forum of ethnobotanical studies in Mexico, between 1963 and 2010. We systematized a total of 897 works, identifying their progressive increase in the generation of investigative papers up until 1990, then a decrease until 1995 and a new increase from 1995 to the present. The main Mexican institutions studying ethnobotany are the Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, Universidad Autonoma Chapingo, Instituto Politecnico Nacional, Universidad Autonoma Metropolitana, and the Universidad Autonoma de Nuevo Leon, which produced nearly half of all the studies recorded. The best represented cultural groups studied were the Maya, Nahua, Otomi, Totonac, and Mixtec, studied under the predominant approach of descriptive ethnobotany. Ethnobotany in Mexico is in a stage of growth and therefore in the phase of consolidating its approaches, particularly in the areas of ecological, economic, quantitative, and evolutionary ethnobotany. In order to achieve the development of sustainable management strategies of plant resources, it is of the highest priority to consolidate ethnobotanical research and direct it towards the analysis of environmental degradation and solutions.

Current methods for the assessment of the outcome after anterior knee pain or lateral patellar instability treatment have several limitations, for example their subjectivity. Therefore, new technologies are needed to objectively evaluate the outcomes of treatments for patellofemoral disorders. Kinematic and kinetic analyses during dynamic activities under realistic loading conditions that trigger or aggravate the symptoms can: (1) evaluate the patellofemoral patient in an objective way before surgery; (2) analyse the defense mechanisms the patient develops in order to reduce pain and/or instability; (3) improve our knowledge of the aetiopathogeny and therefore of a suitable treatment for patellofemoral disorders; and (4) objectively evaluate the result of the treatment. However, the kinetic and kinematic analyses are not diagnostic tools.

Biological network models offer a framework for understanding disease by describing the relationships between the mechanisms involved in the regulation of biological processes. Crowdsourcing can efficiently gather feedback from a wide audience with varying expertise. In the Network Verification Challenge, scientists verified and enhanced a set of 46 biological networks relevant to lung and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. The networks were built using Biological Expression Language and contain detailed information for each node and edge, including supporting evidence from the literature. Network scoring of public transcriptomics data inferred perturbation of a subset of mechanisms and networks that matched the measured outcomes. These results, based on a computable network approach, can be used to identify novel mechanisms activated in disease, quantitatively compare different treatments and time points, and allow for assessment of data with low signal. These networks are periodically verified by the crowd to maintain an up-to-date suite of networks for toxicology and drug discovery applications.

Background: Currently, a suitable and reliable noninvasive method to evaluate rotational stability in vivo in anterior cruciate ligament-deficient knees, particularly during sports movements, does not exist. We speculated that if there is a rotational instability, the patient would avoid reaching a high pivoting moment during pivoting activities as a defense mechanism, and that the ground reaction moment, as registered by dynamometric platforms, would be reduced. On the basis of this hypothesis, we developed a study using kinetic analysis to evaluate rotational stability under dynamic loading. Methods: Thirty recreationally active athletes, including fifteen healthy subjects and fifteen with an anterior cruciate ligament-deficient knee, were recruited for this study. Patients performed jumping with pivoting with internal tibial rotation and external tibial rotation on the dynamometric platform with both the healthy and the injured limb. The quantitative results were graphically plotted, and the following parameters were evaluated: loading moment, pivoting moment, torque amplitude, loading slope, pivoting slope, percentage of pivoting with load, loading impulse, pivoting impulse, and maximum body rotation angle. Results: There were no significant differences between the dominant and nondominant knees in the control group during the jumping with pivoting and external tibial rotation test with regard to the pivoting moment (p = 0.805), pivoting slope (p = 0.716), pivoting impulse 2 (p = 0.858), and pivoting impulse 3 (p = 0.873). In patients with a chronic tear of the anterior cruciate ligament, there was a significant decrease of the pivoting moment (p = 0.02), pivoting slope (p = 0.005), pivoting impulse 2 (p = 0.006), and pivoting impulse 3 (p = 0.035) during the jumping with pivoting and external tibial rotation test in the anterior cruciate ligament-deficient knee compared with the healthy, contralateral knee. Conclusion: Kinetic analysis with use of a dynamic platform can objectively detect alterations of rotational stability in anterior cruciate ligament-deficient knees, which may allow this to be a useful research tool for evaluating treatment strategies in patients with anterior cruciate ligament injuries. Level of Evidence: Diagnostic Level IV. See Instructions to Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.

Study design Classification and functional assessment model for nonspecific low back pain (LBP) patients and controls on the basis of kinematic analysis parameters. Objective Develop a logistic regression model using kinematic analysis variables to (1) discriminate between LBP patients and controls and (2) obtain objective parameters for LBP functional assessment. Summary of background data Functional assessment of spinal disorders has been carried out traditionally by means of subjective scales. Objective functional techniques have been developed, which usually involve the application of external loads or the analysis of highly standardized trunk flexion-extension maneuvers. Few studies have used everyday activities such as sit-to-stand or lifting an object from the ground. They have shown that the motion patterns of LBP patients differ from those of healthy subjects. Nevertheless, very few studies have tried to correlate objective findings to the results of subjective scales, and no previous study has developed a LBP classification and functional assessment model on the basis of kinematic analysis of everyday activities. Methods Sixteen controls and 39 LBP patients performed a sit-to-stand task, and lifted three different weights from a standing position. The vertical forces exerted and the relative positions of the lower limb and the cervical, thoracic, lumbar, and sacroiliac regions were recorded. Reliability was determined from repetitions of the tests performed by the control group. Binary logistic regression analyses were computed. The results of the selected regression equation were correlated to the Oswestry Disability Index scale results, to check the validity of the procedure for the measurement of functional disability. Results Reliability of the parameters was good. The selected regression model used two variables, and correctly classified 97.3% of the patients. High correlations were found between the results of this regression equation and the Oswestry Disability Index scale. Conclusion It is possible to distinguish LBP patients from healthy subjects by means of the biomechanical analysis of everyday tasks. This kind of analysis can produce objective and reliable indexes about the patients' degree of functional impairment.