Thermally rearranged polybenzoxazoles made from poly(<i>ortho</i>-hydroxyamide)s. Characterization and evaluation as gas separation membranes

Dí,ez, Blanca,Cuadrado, Purificació,n,Marcos-Ferná,ndez, Á,ngel,de la Campa, José,G.,Tena, Alberto,Prá,danos, Pedro,Palacio, Laura,Lee, Young Moo,Alvarez, Cristina Elsevier 2018 Reactive & functional polymers Vol.127 No.-

<P><B>Abstract</B></P> <P>Two series of aromatic poly(<I>ortho</I>-hydroxyamide)s (poly(<I>o</I>-hydroxyamide)s, HPAs) were prepared by reaction of two diamines, 2,2-bis(3-amino-4-hydroxyphenyl) propane (APA) and 2,2-bis(3-amino-4-hydroxyphenyl) hexafluoropropane (APAF), with four aromatic diacid chlorides; terephthaloyl dichloride (TPC), isophthaloyl dichloride (IPC), 2,2-bis[4-chlorocarbonylphenyl)hexafluoropropane (6FC) and 4,4′-sulfonyldibenzoyl dichloride (DBSC). Amorphous HPAs with high molecular weights (inherent viscosities higher than 0.5 dL/g) and relatively high glass transition temperatures (220–280 °C) were obtained. Dense membranes of HPAs were able to undergo a thermal rearrangement (TR) process to polybenzoxazoles (β-TR-PBOs) heating at moderate temperatures (between 250 and 375 °C), and their complete conversion was reached at a temperature below 375 °C, depending on the <I>o</I>-hydroxy diamine moiety, APA and APAF. The β-TR-PBOs films derived from APAF showed a higher thermal stability and higher Tg than those from APA. Gas separation properties of TR-PBOs membranes were superior to those of their poly(<I>o</I>-hydroxyamide) precursors, particularly for the following gas pairs: O<SUB>2</SUB>/N<SUB>2</SUB>, CO<SUB>2</SUB>/CH<SUB>4</SUB>, He/CH<SUB>4</SUB> and He/CO<SUB>2</SUB>.</P>

Molecular epidemiology of Aleutian mink disease virus causing outbreaks in mink farms from Southwestern Europe: a retrospective study from 2012 to 2019

Alberto Prieto,Ricardo Fernández-Antonio,Gonzalo López-Lorenzo,José Manuel Díaz-Cao,Cynthia López-Novo,Susana Remesar,Rosario Panadero,Pablo Díaz,Patrocinio Morrondo,Pablo Díez-Baños,Gonzalo Fernández 대한수의학회 2020 Journal of Veterinary Science Vol.21 No.4

Background: Aleutian mink disease virus (AMDV) causes major economic losses in fur-bearing animal production. The control of most AMDV outbreaks is complex due to the difficulties of establishing the source of infection based only on the available on-farm epidemiological data. In this sense, phylogenetic analysis of the strains present in a farm may help elucidate the origin of the infection and improve the control and biosecurity measures. Objectives: This study had the following aims: characterize the AMDV strains from most outbreaks produced at Spanish farms between 2012–2019 at the molecular level, and assess the utility of the combined use of molecular and epidemiological data to track the possible routes of infection. Methods: Thirty-seven strains from 17 farms were partially sequenced for the NS1 and VP2 genes and analyzed phylogenetically with other strains described worldwide. Results: Spanish AMDV strains are clustered in four major clades that generally show a good geographical correlation, confirming that most had been established in Spain a long time ago. The combined study of phylogenetic results and epidemiological information of each farm suggests that most of the AMDV outbreaks since 2012 had been produced by within-farm reservoirs, while a few of them may have been due to the introduction of the virus through international trade. Conclusions: The combination of phylogenetic inference, together with epidemiological data, helps assess the possible origin of AMDV infections in mink farms and improving the control and prevention of this disease.

Individual unique colour patterns of the pronotum of Rhynchophorus ferrugineus (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) allow for photographic identification methods (PIM)

Joan Díaz-Calafat,Elisa Ribas-Marqués,Sebastià Jaume-Ramisa,Sergio Martínez-Nuñez,Anna Sharapova,Samuel Pinya 한국응용곤충학회 2018 Journal of Asia-Pacific Entomology Vol.21 No.2

Photographic identification methods are of highly importance when it comes to reduce the animal's stress, pain and possible injuries during or after marking techniques and thus to increase the reliability of demographic parameter estimates. There is plenty of software available for photo-identification, allowing individual identification in capture-mark-recapture (CMR) methods using body patterns, spots and marks unique to each individual. However, these non-invasive methods have hardly ever been used with arthropods. In this study, APHIS (Automated PHoto Identification Suite) has been assessed as a software capable of identifying individuals in different samplings during catch-and-release sessions with dead specimens under laboratory conditions. For this individual identification, SPM (Spot Pattern Matching) and ITM (Image Template Matching) procedures were tested; achieving a success of 100% and 95.35%, respectively. In SPM, the software itself matched the specimens almost automatically in half of the cases. However, it resulted more time-consuming than ITM during the pre-processing of images. On the other hand, ITM saves time during this step and still is able to detect recaptures accurately, yet more time may be needed when selecting the recaptures from the candidate list. Thus, it can be attested that APHIS is a competent and efficient software regarding photo-identification of Rhynchophorus ferrugineus and species with similar and unique individual colour patterns in their pronotum.

The role of rs242941, rs1876828, rs242939 and rs110402 polymorphisms of CRHR1 gene and the depression: systematic review and meta-analysis

Yazmín Hernández‑Díaz,Thelma Beatriz González‑Castro,Isela Esther Juárez‑Rojop,Carlos Alfonso Tovilla‑Zárate,María Lilia López‑Narváez,Alma Delia Genis‑Mendoza,Ana Fresan,Humberto Nicolini 한국유전학회 2021 Genes & Genomics Vol.43 No.11

Background Several studies have evaluated the possible association between polymorphisms or variants in Corticotropinreleasing hormone 1 receptor gene (CRHR1) with depression; however, results remain contradictory and heterogeneous. Objective To our knowledge, we conducted the frst comprehensive systematic review and meta-analysis evaluating the association of the CRHR1 gene and the risk of depression. Methods A search online was conducted in databases for any CRHR1 genetic association studies in depression. Data were extracted for evaluation of pooled estimates using meta-analytic techniques. Statistical analyses were performed using the Comprehensive Meta-analysis, v2.0 software. Result A total of 1403 cases and 2353 mentally healthy controls were included in this study. We found a signifcant association of rs242941, rs1876828 and rs242939 variants of the CRHR1 gene with depression. No association of CRHR1 rs110402 and depression was observed. Conclusion Our meta-analysis shows that some variants of the CRHR1 gene (rs242941, rs1876828 and rs242939) might confer susceptibility to depression. Further studies with larger sample sizes need to be conducted.

Channel Estimation for OFDM-based Indoor Broadband Power Line Communication Systems

Cortés, José A.,Cañete, Francisco J.,Díez, Luis 한국통신학회 2023 Journal of communications and networks Vol.25 No.2

State-of-the-art indoor broadband power line com-munications (PLC) systems use orthogonal frequency divi-sion multiplexing (OFDM) signals with constellations up to10 bits/symbol, which makes channel estimation a key aspect. This paper focuses on the initial channel estimation used in thepayload, which might be further adapted by means of a decision-directed strategy. This initial estimate has to be computed on aper-frame basis and can be accomplished from the preamble, theheader symbol (assuming that it has been correctly decoded) orfrom a combination of both. This work proposes simple channelestimation techniques for this problem and derives their mostappropriate parameters. They are compared with the linearminimum mean squared-error (LMMSE) estimator and otherscommonly used in wireless scenarios by considering both theirperformance and computational complexity. The factors limitingthe performance of the estimators based on the preamble and theheader symbols are analyzed and the implications of the differ-ences between PLC and wireless channels, such as the absenceof fading, in the design of estimation techniques that requireknowledge of the channel statistics are discussed. A performanceanalysis of the considered techniques is accomplished in a set of171 measured indoor PLC channels. Obtained results indicatethat estimators from the header perform better than those basedon the preamble symbols and we provide a computationallysimple estimator that gives nearly optimum performance bycombining estimates from both the preamble and the headersymbols.

External Validation of 3 Risk Scores in Adults with Congenital Heart Disease

Bunty K. Ramchandani,Luz Polo,Raúl Sánchez,Juvenal Rey,Álvaro González,Jesús Díez,Ángel Aroca 대한심장학회 2019 Korean Circulation Journal Vol.49 No.9

Background and Objectives: Adults with congenital heart disease (CHD) are an increasing group of patients thanks to the survival of over 85% of children with CHD. 20% of these patients shall warrant a surgical procedure during their life span. However, currently there is no one risk score that assess correctly the mortality of these procedures. Thus, we analyse the risk scores used at our institution. Methods: From May 1991 till June 2017, 608 procedures in adults with CHD were performed. The 3 risk scores (risk adjustment for congenital heart surgery [RACHS-1], Aristotle, and Euroscore I) of each procedure were analysed. We used area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (c-index) to measure model discrimination, and Hosmer-Lemeshow (H-L) statistic along with calibration plots to measure calibration. Results: There was no statistical difference between the area under the curve for the 3 scores (χ2=0.58 with 2 df, p=0.750). There was no evidence of lack of fit for RACHS-1 (H-L, χ2=2.61; p=0.271) and Aristotle score (H-L, χ2=5.69; p=0.459). However, there was evidence in lack of calibration in the Euroscore I scoring system (H-L, χ2=33.69; p<0.001). The calibration slope for RACHS-1 was 0.912, for Aristotle (stratified in risk groups) was −0.14 and for Euroscore 1 (stratified in risk groups) was 0.46. Conclusions: RACHS-1 seems to be best risk scoring system for calculating mortality applied to surgery in adults with CHD.

Contact System Method for the Precise Interaction Between Cobots and Mobile Robots in Smart Manufacturing

Ivan Sanchez-Calleja,Alberto Martínez-Gutierrez,Ruben Ferrero-Guillén,Javier Díez-Gonzalez,Hilde Perez 한국정밀공학회 2024 International Journal of Precision Engineering and Vol.25 No.2

The advent of smart manufacturing (SM) has led to the creation of collaborative environments with cyber-physical systems (CPS) that generate added value. However, the performance of combined industrial operations between mobile CPS such as autonomous mobile robots (AMRs) and collaborative robots (cobots) is hampered by the high uncertainty between their relative spatial locations and the existence of heterogeneous communication protocols that create a barrier to their integration into production processes. For this reason, a novel contact system method (CSM) is proposed to determine the position of the AMR without the need for any additional hardware making use of an architecture that facilitates efficient communication between AMRs and cobots. For this purpose, a mathematical model has been defined to characterize the position of a spatial object with six degrees of freedom in order to calculate the deviation between the AMR and the cobot base. The proposed method has also been evaluated by quantifying the position and orientation error before and after applying the CSM. The effectiveness of the CSM method has been assessed in a real application case based on the feasibility of performing an assembly operation between a bearing and different shafts. The results show a significant improvement of 96.2% in positional accuracy and 85.4% in orientation compared to AMR accuracy. In addition, a 92.5% success rate was achieved in the assembly operation analyzed between a bearing and a shaft of the same diameter. Furthermore, the proposed architecture has enabled the coordination between the cobot and the AMR by automating the processes. Therefore, this work contributes to the field of SM by proposing a practical solution to the challenges of generating added value through the creation of collaborative environments with CPS.

A Bicentric Propensity Matched Analysis of 158 Patients Comparing Porcine Versus Bovine Stented Bioprosthetic Valves in Pulmonary Position

Bunty Ramchandani,Raúl Sánchez,Juvenal Rey,Luz Polo,Álvaro Gonzalez,Maria-Jesús Lamas,Tomasa Centella,Jesús Díez,Ángel Aroca 대한심장학회 2022 Korean Circulation Journal Vol.52 No.8

Background and Objectives: Pulmonary valve replacement (PVR) is the most common operation in adults with congenital heart disease (CHD). There is controversy regarding the best bioprosthesis. We compare the performance of stented bioprosthetic valves (the Mosaic [Medtronic™] porcine pericardial against Carpentier Perimount Magna Ease [Edwards™] bovine) in pulmonary position in patients with CHD. Methods: Between January 1999 and December 2019, all the PVRs were identified from hospital databases in 2 congenital heart centres in Spain. Valve performance was evaluated using clinical and echocardiographic criteria. Propensity score matching was used to balance the 2 treatment groups. Results: Three hundred nineteen patients were retrospectively identified. After statistical adjustment, 79 propensity-matched pairs were available for comparison Freedom from reintervention for the porcine cohort was 98.3%, 96.1%, and 91.9% at 3, 5, and 10 years and 100%, 98%, and 90.8% for the bovine cohort (p=0.88). Freedom from structural valve degeneration (SVD) for the porcine cohort was 96.9%, 92.8% and 88.7% at 3, 5, and 10 years and 100%, 98%, and 79.1% for the bovine cohort (p=0.38). Bovine prosthesis was associated with a reintervention hazard ratio (HR), 1.12; 95% confidence intervals (CIs), 0.24–5.26; p=0.89 and SVD HR, 1.69 (0.52–5.58); p=0.38. In the first 5 years, there was no difference in outcomes. After 5 years, the recipients of the bovine bioprosthesis were at higher risk for SVD (reintervention HR, 2.08 [0.27–16.0]; p=0.49; SVD HR, 6.99 [1.23–39.8]; p=0.03). Conclusions: Both bioprosthesis have similar outcomes up to 5 years, afterwards, porcine bioprosthesis seem to have less SVD.

Evaluation of two microcosm systems for co-treatment of LDPEoxo and lignocellulosic biomass for biochar production

Alejandra Castillo-Toro,Juan F. Mateus-Maldonado,Diana N. Céspedes-Bernal,Leonardo Peña-Carranza,Adriana I. Páez-Morales,Raúl A. Poutou-Piñales,Juan C. Salcedo-Reyes,Lucía A. Díaz-Ariza,Laura C. Casti 한국생체재료학회 2021 생체재료학회지 Vol.25 No.3

Background: The co-transformation of solid waste of natural and anthropogenic origin can be carried out through solid-state-fermentation systems to obtain bio-products with higher added value and lower environmental impact. Methods: To evaluate the effect of Pleurotus ostreatus on co-transformation of oxo-degradable low-density polyethylene (LDPEoxo) sheets and lignocellulosic biomass (LCB), were assembled two 0.75 L microcosm systems in vertical (VMS) and horizontal (HMS) position. The pre-treated sheets with luminescent O2 plasma discharges were mixed with pine bark, hydrolyzed brewer’s yeast and paper napkin fragments and incubated for 135 days at 20 ± 1.0 °C in the presence of the fungus. With the co-transformation residues, biochar (BC) was produced at 300 ± 1.0 °C (BC300) for 1 h, then used to carry out adsorption studies, using the malachite green dye (MG) at pH 4.0, 7.0 and 9.0 ± 0.2. Finally, the biochar was the substrate for the germination of carnation seeds (Dianthus caryophyllus) and Ray-grass (Lolium sp.) in vitro. Results: For HMS, the decrease in static contact angle (SCA) was 63.63% (p = 0.00824) and for VMS 74.45% (p =0.00219), concerning the pristine. Plastic roughness in VMS was higher (26%) concerning the control. Throughout the 135 days, there were fungal growth and consequently laccase (Lac), manganese peroxidase (MnP) and lignin peroxidase (LiP) activities. During the first 75 days, CO2 production increased to 4.78 ± 0.01 and 4.98 ± 0.01 mg g-1 for HMS and VMS, respectively. In MG adsorption studies, the highest amount of the colourant adsorbed at both pH 4.0 and 7.0 ± 0.2. Conclusions: Finally, the biochar or the biochar enriched with low concentrations of plant growth-promoting microorganisms and inorganic fertilizer favours the germination of Dianthus caryophyllus and Lolium sp., seeds.

Bursectomy, Curettage, and Chemotherapy in Tuberculous Trochanteric Bursitis

Luis R. Ramos-Pascua,José A. Carro-Fernández,José A. Santos-Sánchez,Paula Casas Ramos,Luis J. Díez-Romero,Francisco M. Izquierdo-García 대한정형외과학회 2016 Clinics in Orthopedic Surgery Vol.8 No.1

We presented three patients with trochanteric tuberculosis and described the clinical and imaging findings of the infection. Histology revealed a necrotizing granulomatous bursitis and microbiology confirmed tuberculosis. All cases were successfully treated with bursectomy and curettage of the trochanteric lesion and antituberculous chemotherapy including isoniazid, pyrazinamide, rifampicin, and ethambutol.