Modificación del sistema energético de la unidad móvil de donantes de osakidetza (CVTT)

[ES]Hoy en día los vehículos usados en la extracción de sangre utilizan un motor de combustión interna, no solamente para sus desplazamientos, sino también para generar electricidad con la que poder utilizar todos los aparatos del interior. Como consecuencia, el autobús es una fuente importante de ruidos y contaminación, ya que el motor diesel está funcionando durante las largas paradas en las que se realiza dicha actividad. El objetivo del proyecto es diseñar un sistema innovador basado en pilas de combustible que sirva para alimentar todos los equipos y dispositivos, evitando el ruido, las vibraciones y los gases contaminantes. Para ello y en primer lugar, será necesario estimar el consumo total del autobús. Tras esto, también se tomarán una serie de decisiones con el fin de mejorar la eficiencia energética del autobús. Finalmente, se hará un diseño del sistema energético, el cual debe incluir una pila de combustible, junto con todos sus sistemas asociados, y todas las especificaciones.

Informe de gestión de empresas cotizadas. Valoración crítica de la guía de la CNMV y propuesta para analizar la información divulgada

[ES]En 2013 la Comisión Nacional del Mercado de Valores (CNMV) publicó una Guía para el Informe de Gestión de las empresas cotizadas españolas con el ánimo de mejorar la calidad de la información que presentan estas empresas. En este trabajo presentamos una valoración crítica sobre algunos aspectos normalizadores de dicha guía y después proponemos una batería de indicadores que ayuden a realizar el análisis, tanto de los contenidos informativos como del cumplimiento de los principios y reglas que recomienda la guía (CNMV, 2013). Esta no es de aplicación obligatoria, por lo que su implementación no está garantizada por parte de las empresas. En todo caso, los listados de indicadores que proponemos pueden ser de utilidad, tanto con fines de investigación para analizar el nivel de información divulgado, como para las propias entidades, cotizadas y no cotizadas, que quieran cumplir con los requisitos de calidad recomendados a la hora de preparar sus Informes de Gestión.

La innovación en la Comunidad Autónoma de Euskadi

Trabajo en el que se detalla la Innovación en Euskadi, tanto en empresas como en el sector público en tiempos de crisis, así como comparativas a nivel del resto de España y de la Unión Europea.

Predictive score for mortality in patients with COPD exacerbations attending hospital emergency departments

Background: Limited information is available about predictors of short-term outcomes in patients with exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (eCOPD) attending an emergency department (ED). Such information could help stratify these patients and guide medical decision-making. The aim of this study was to develop a clinical prediction rule for short-term mortality during hospital admission or within a week after the index ED visit. Methods: This was a prospective cohort study of patients with eCOPD attending the EDs of 16 participating hospitals. Recruitment started in June 2008 and ended in September 2010. Information on possible predictor variables was recorded during the time the patient was evaluated in the ED, at the time a decision was made to admit the patient to the hospital or discharge home, and during follow-up. Main short-term outcomes were death during hospital admission or within 1 week of discharge to home from the ED, as well as at death within 1 month of the index ED visit. Multivariate logistic regression models were developed in a derivation sample and validated in a validation sample. The score was compared with other published prediction rules for patients with stable COPD. Results: In total, 2,487 patients were included in the study. Predictors of death during hospital admission, or within 1 week of discharge to home from the ED were patient age, baseline dyspnea, previous need for long-term home oxygen therapy or non-invasive mechanical ventilation, altered mental status, and use of inspiratory accessory muscles or paradoxical breathing upon ED arrival (area under the curve (AUC) = 0.85). Addition of arterial blood gas parameters (oxygen and carbon dioxide partial pressures (PO2 and PCO2)) and pH) did not improve the model. The same variables were predictors of death at 1 month (AUC = 0.85). Compared with other commonly used tools for predicting the severity of COPD in stable patients, our rule was significantly better. Conclusions: Five clinical predictors easily available in the ED, and also in the primary care setting, can be used to create a simple and easily obtained score that allows clinicians to stratify patients with eCOPD upon ED arrival and guide the medical decision-making process.

Do Nutritional Supplements Have a Role in Age Macular Degeneration Prevention?

Purpose. To review the proposed pathogenic mechanisms of age macular degeneration (AMD), as well as the role of antioxidants (AOX) and omega-3 fatty acids (omega-3) supplements in AMD prevention. Materials and Methods. Current knowledge on the cellular/molecular mechanisms of AMD and the epidemiologic/experimental studies on the effects of AOX and omega-3 were addressed all together with the scientific evidence and the personal opinion of professionals involved in the Retina Group of the OFTARED (Spain). Results. High dietary intakes of omega-3 and macular pigments lutein/zeaxanthin are associated with lower risk of prevalence and incidence in AMD. The Age-Related Eye Disease study (AREDS) showed a beneficial effect of high doses of vitamins C, E, beta-carotene, and zinc/copper in reducing the rate of progression to advanced AMD in patients with intermediate AMD or with one-sided late AMD. The AREDS-2 study has shown that lutein and zeaxanthin may substitute beta-carotene because of its potential relationship with increased lung cancer incidence. Conclusion. Research has proved that elder people with poor diets, especially with low AOX and omega-3 micronutrients intake and subsequently having low plasmatic levels, are more prone to developing AMD. Micronutrient supplementation enhances antioxidant defense and healthy eyes and might prevent/retard/modify AMD.

18S rRNA V9 metabarcoding for diet characterization: a critical evaluation with two sympatric zooplanktivorous fish species

The potential of the 18S rRNA V9 metabarcoding approach for diet assessment was explored using MiSeq paired-end (PE; 2 9 150 bp) technology. To critically evaluate the method's performance with degraded/digested DNA, the diets of two zooplanktivorous fish species from the Bay of Biscay, European sardine (Sardina pilchardus) and European sprat (Sprattus sprattus), were analysed. The taxonomic resolution and quantitative potential of the 18S V9 metabarcoding was first assessed both in silico and with mock and field plankton samples. Our method was capable of discriminating species within the reference database in a reliable way providing there was at least one variable position in the 18S V9 region. Furthermore, it successfully discriminated diet between both fish species, including habitat and diel differences among sardines, overcoming some of the limitations of traditional visual-based diet analysis methods. The high sensitivity and semi-quantitative nature of the 18S V9 metabarcoding approach was supported by both visual microscopy and qPCR-based results. This molecular approach provides an alternative cost and time effective tool for food-web analysis.