Predicción del rendimiento en cortes, hueso y grasa en búfalos de agua en Venezuela

Los objetivos de este estudio fueron determinar la asociación entre rasgos de la canal y el rendimiento en cortes (RCD), rendimiento en hueso y recortes de grasa en búfalos de agua, y desarrollar ecuaciones predictivas para cada variable mencionada. Se utilizaron 48 búfalos de agua (24 castrados y 24 enteros), sacrificados a los 17, 19 y 24 meses de edad con mestizaje de razas Murrah y Mediterránea. Se evaluaron las variables de la canal y del rendimiento en cortes. Se realizaron: pruebas descriptivas, análisis de correlación, residuos y de regresión lineal múltiple. En los castrados, el acabado de grasa y la circunferencia del muslo explicaron la mayor variación en RCD. El espesor de grasa y el porcentaje de grasa renal fueron las variables mayormente asociadas con el rendimiento en hueso. En los enteros, el acabado de grasa y la longitud de la canal explicaron la mayor variación en RCD. El recorte de grasa se asoció más con acabado de grasa, y el rendimiento en hueso se asoció con la conformación. Las ecuaciones obtenidas lograron explicar más del 50% de la variación del RCD. Las ecuaciones para recorte de grasa y rendimiento en hueso tuvieron mayor fuerza predictiva.

The NLRP3 inflammasome is differentially activated by pneumolysin variants and contributes to host defense in pneumococcal pneumonia.

Streptococcus pneumoniae is a leading cause of pneumonia, meningitis, and sepsis. Pneumococci can be divided into >90 serotypes that show differences in the pathogenicity and invasiveness. We tested the hypotheses that the innate immune inflammasome pathway is involved in fighting pneumococcal pneumonia and that some invasive pneumococcal types are not recognized by this pathway. We show that human and murine mononuclear cells responded to S. pneumoniae expressing hemolytic pneumolysin by producing IL-1β. This IL-1β production depended on the NOD-like receptor family, pyrin domain containing 3 (NLRP3) inflammasome. Some serotype 1, serotype 8, and serotype 7F bacteria, which have previously been associated with increased invasiveness and with production of toxins with reduced hemolytic activity, or bacterial mutants lacking pneumolysin did not stimulate notable IL-1β production. We further found that NLRP3 was beneficial for mice during pneumonia caused by pneumococci expressing hemolytic pneumolysin and was involved in cytokine production and maintenance of the pulmonary microvascular barrier. Overall, the inflammasome pathway is protective in pneumonia caused by pneumococci expressing hemolytic toxin but is not activated by clinically important pneumococcal sequence types causing invasive disease. The study indicates that a virulence factor polymorphism may substantially affect the recognition of bacteria by the innate immune system.

Consolidation with Radioimmunotherapy May Prolong Survival in First Remission of Mantle Cell Lymphoma Patients Uneligible for Stem Cell Transplantation, An Analysis of the International RIT-Network

Background: Mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) is a rare subtype (3-9%) of Non Hodgkin Lymphoma (NHL) with a relatively poor prognosis (5-year survival < 40%). Although consolidation of first remission with autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT) is regarded as "golden standard", less than half of the patients may be subjected to this intensive treatment due to advanced age and co-morbidities. Standard-dose non-myeloablative radioimmunotherapy (RIT) seems to be a very efficient approach for treatment of certain NHL. However, there are almost no data available on the efficacy and safety of RIT in MCL. Methods and Patients: In the RIT-Network, a web-based international registry collecting real observational data from RIT-treated patients, 115 MCL patients treated with ibritumomab tiuxetan were recorded. Most of the patients were elderly males with advanced stage of the disease: median age - 63 (range 31-78); males - 70.4%, stage III/IV - 92%. RIT (i.e. application of ibritumomab tiuxetan) was a part of the first line therapy in 48 pts. (43%). Further 38 pts. (33%) received ibritumomab tiuxetan after two previous chemotherapy regimens, and 33 pts. (24%) after completing 3-8 lines. In 75 cases RIT was applied as a consolidation of chemotherapy induced response; the rest of the patients received ibritumomab tiuxetan because of relapse/refractory disease. At the moment follow up data are available for 74 MCL patients. Results: After RIT the patients achieved high response rate: CR 60.8%, PR 25.7%, and SD 2.7%. Only 10.8% of the patients progressed. For survival analysis many data had to be censored since the documentation had not been completed yet. The projected 3-year overall survival (OAS, fig.1 - image 001.gif) after radioimmunotherapy was 72% for pts. subjected to RIT consolidation versus 29% for those treated in relapse/refractory disease (p=0.03). RIT was feasible for almost all patients; only 3 procedure-related deaths were reported in the whole group. The main adverse event was hematological toxicity (grade III/IV cytopenias) showing a median time of recovery of Hb, WBC and Plt of 45, 40 and 38 days respectively. Conclusion: Standard-dose non-myeloablative RIT is a feasible and safe treatment modality, even for elderly MCL pts. Consolidation radioimmunotherapy with ibritumomab tiuxetan may prolong survival of patients who achieved clinical response after chemotherapy. Therefore, this consolidation approach should be considered as a treatment strategy for those, who are not eligible for ASCT. RIT also has a potential role as a palliation therapy in relapsing/resistant cases.

Chaotic systems with a null conditional Lyapunov exponent under nonlinear driving.

Control of a chaotic system by homogeneous nonlinear driving, when a conditional Lyapunov exponent is zero, may give rise to special and interesting synchronizationlike behaviors in which the response evolves in perfect correlation with the drive. Among them, there are the amplification of the drive attractor and the shift of it to a different region of phase space. In this paper, these synchronizationlike behaviors are discussed, and demonstrated by computer simulation of the Lorentz model [E. N. Lorenz, J. Atmos. Sci. 20 130 (1963)] and the double scroll [T. Matsumoto, L. O. Chua, and M. Komuro, IEEE Trans. CAS CAS-32, 798 (1985)].

Parâmetros zootécnicos de juvenis de pacu alimentados a diferentes frequências de arraçoamento em tanques-rede

O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar o desempenho zootécnico e as características bromatológicas e hematológicas de pacus alimentados a diferentes frequências de arraçoamento. Três mil e duzentos peixes, com peso inicial médio de 65,9±2,36 g, foram distribuídos em 16 tanques-rede de 5 m³ de volume útil. Durante 65 dias, foram avaliadas quatro frequências de arraçoamento (tratamentos): T1, às 12:00 h; T2, às 8:00 e às 17:00 h; T3, às 8:00, 12:00 e 17:00 h; e T4, às 8:00, 11:00, 14:00 e 17:00 h. Utilizou-se o delineamento experimental inteiramente casualizado, com quatro repetições. Analisaram-se parâmetros de desempenho produtivo, índices de gordura visceral e hepatossomático, composição centesimal da carcaça e parâmetros hematológicos e bioquímicos. Quanto ao ganho de peso, as frequências T3 e T4 proporcionaram melhores resultados do que T1 e T2. Embora a proteína, o colesterol e os eritrócitos tenham apresentado diferenças entre os tratamentos, permaneceram dentro dos valores de referência para pacus cultivados em tanques-rede. A frequência de três arraçoamentos diários resultou em maior ganho de peso, em comparação aos demais tratamentos, sem interferir na saúde e na composição centesimal das carcaças dos animais.

Notas del primer seminario de integrabilidad de la Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya

Estas notas corresponden a las exposiciones presentadas en el \emph{Primer Seminario de Integrabilidad}, dentro de lo que se denomina \emph{Aula de Sistemas Din\'amicos}. Durante este evento se realizaron seis conferencias, todas presentadas por miembros del grupo de Sistemas Din\'amicos de la UPC. El programa desarrollado fue el siguiente:\\\begin{center}AULA DE SISTEMAS DIN\'AMICOS\end{center}\begin{center}\texttt{http://www.ma1.upc.es/recerca/seminaris/aulasd-cat.html}\end{center}\begin{center}SEMINARIO DE INTEGRABILIDAD\end{center}\begin{center}Martes 29 y Mi\'ercoles 30 de marzo de 2005\\Facultad de Matem\'aticas y Estad\'{\i}stica, UPC\\Aula: Seminario 1\end{center}\bigskip\begin{center}PROGRAMA Y RES\'UMENES\end{center}{\bf Martes 29 de marzo}\begin{itemize}\item15:30. Juan J. Morales-Ruiz. \emph{El problema de laintegrabilidad en Sistemas Din\'amicos}\medskip {\bf Resumen.} En esta presentaci\'on se pretende dar unaidea de conjunto, pero sin entrar en detalles, sobre las diversasnociones de integrabilidad, asociadas a nombres de matem\'aticostan ilustres como Liouville, Galois-Picard-Vessiot, Lie, Darboux,Kowalevskaya, Painlev\'e, Poincar\'e, Kolchin, Lax, etc. Adem\'astambi\'en mencionaremos la revoluci\'on que supuso en los a\~nossesenta del siglo pasado el descubrimiento de Gardner, Green,Kruskal y Miura sobre un nuevo m\'etodo para resolver en algunoscasos determinadas ecuaciones en derivadas parciales. \medskip\item16:00. David G\'omez-Ullate. \emph{Superintegrabilidad, pares deLax y modelos de $N-$cuerpos en el plano}\medskip{\bf Resumen.} Introduciremos algunas t\'ecnicas cl\'asicas paraconstruir modelos de N-cuerpos integrables, como los pares de Laxo la din\'amica de los ceros de un polinomio. Revisaremos lanoci\'on de integrabilidad Liouville y superintegrabilidad, ydiscutiremos un nuevo m\'etodo debido a F. Calogero para contruirmodelos de N-cuerpos en el plano con muchas \'orbitasperi\'odicas. La exposici\'on se acompa\~nar\'a de animaciones delmovimiento de los cuerpos, y se plantear\'an algunos problemasabiertos.\medskip\item17:00. Pausa\medskip\item17:30. Yuri Fedorov. \emph{An\'alisis de Kovalevskaya--Painlev\'ey Sistemas Algebraicamente Integrables}\medskip{\bf Resumen.} Muchos sistemas integrables poseen una propiedadremarcable: todas sus soluciones son funciones meromorfas deltiempo como una variable compleja. Tal comportamiento, que serefiere como propiedad de Kovalevskaya-Painleve (KP) y que se usafrecuentemente como una ensayo de integrabilidad, no es accidentaly tiene unas ra\'{\i}ces geom\'etricas profundas. En esta charladescribiremos una clase de tales sistemas (conocidos como lossistemas algebraicamente integrables) y subrayaremos suspropiedades geom\'etricas principales que permiten predecir laestructura de las soluciones complejas y adem\'as encontrarlasexpl\'{\i}citamente. Eso lo ilustraremos con algunos sistemas dela mec\'anica cl\'asica. Tambi\'en mencionaremos unasgeneralizaciones \'utiles de la noci\'on de integrabilidadalgebraica y de la propiedad KP.\end{itemize}\medskip{\bf Mi\'ercoles 30 de marzo}\begin{itemize}\item 15:30. Rafael Ram\'{\i}rez-Ros. \emph{El m\'etodo de Poincar\'e}\medskip{\bf Resumen.} Dado un sistema Hamiltoniano aut\'onomo cercano acompletamente integrable Poincar\'e prob\'o que, en general, noexiste ninguna integral primera adicional uniforme en elpar\'ametro de perturbaci\'on salvo el propio Hamiltoniano.Esbozaremos las ideas principales del m\'etodo de prueba ycomentaremos algunas extensiones y generalizaciones.\newpage\item16:30. Chara Pantazi. \emph{El M\'etodo de Darboux}\medskip{\bf Resumen.} Darboux, en 1878, present\'o su m\'etodo paraconstruir integrales primeras de campos vectoriales polinomialesutilizando sus curvas invariantes algebraicas. En estaexposici\'on presentaremos algunas extensiones del m\'etodocl\'asico de Darboux y tambi\'en algunas aplicaciones.\medskip\item17:30. Pausa\medskip\item18:00. Juan J. Morales-Ruiz. \emph{M\'etodos recientes paradetectar la no integrabilidad}\medskip{\bf Resumen.} En 1982 Ziglin utiliza la estructura de laecuaci\'on en variaciones de Poincar\'e (sobre una curva integralparticular) como una herramienta fundamental para detectar la nointegrabilidad de un sistema Hamiltoniano. En esta charla sepretende dar una idea de esta aproximaci\'on a la nointegrabilidad, junto con t\'ecnicas m\'as recientes queinvolucran la teor\'{\i}a de Galois de ecuaciones diferencialeslineales, haciendo \'enfasis en los ejemplos m\'as que en lateor\'{\i}a general. Ilustraremos estos m\'etodos con resultadossobre la no integrabilidad de algunos problemas de $N$ cuerpos enMec\'anica Celeste.\end{itemize}

Modelado, simulación y control digital de autogiros

Este proyecto consiste en diseñar el algoritmo de control de un autogiro no tripulado. Su aplicación principal es llevar a cabo tareas rutinarias o peligrosas para el piloto como, por ejemplo, extinción de incendios, evaluación de riesgo químico o vigilancia de lugares de acceso restringido. Se realiza un estudio del movimiento del vehículo para obtener su modelo dinámico. A partir de las ecuaciones que describen su movimiento, se realiza una simulación numérica del vehículo. Se incorpora el controlador diseñado y se evalúa su funcionamiento. Finalmente, se implementa el sistema en un microcontrolador.

Modelado circuital de diferentes configuraciones de antenas microstrip

L’objectiu del projecte es facilitar el disseny i la modificació d’antenes microstrip utilitzant models circuitals. En el document s’exposa conjuntament la teoria de vàries configuracions d’antenes microstrip dispersa en varis documents i les equacions més rellevants per l’anàlisi dels fenòmens que es produeixen en cada model d’antena amb l’objectiu de realitzar un estudi detallat de les tendències dels components de cada configuració. L’estudi de les tendències es realitza per obtenir una relació entre els paràmetres físics i els components dels models circuitals proposats per a cada configuració d’antena microstrip. Utilitzant la teoria exposada en el document i l’estudi realitzat es comprova que és possible facilitar i realitzar modificacions en el disseny d’antenes microstrip mitjançant els models circuitals proposats.

Torque vibration model of axial-flux surface-mounted permanent magnet synchronous machine

In order that the radius and thus ununiform structure of the teeth and otherelectrical and magnetic parts of the machine may be taken into consideration the calculation of an axial flux permanent magnet machine is, conventionally, doneby means of 3D FEM-methods. This calculation procedure, however, requires a lotof time and computer recourses. This study proves that also analytical methods can be applied to perform the calculation successfully. The procedure of the analytical calculation can be summarized into following steps: first the magnet is divided into slices, which makes the calculation for each section individually, and then the parts are submitted to calculation of the final results. It is obvious that using this method can save a lot of designing and calculating time. Thecalculation program is designed to model the magnetic and electrical circuits of surface mounted axial flux permanent magnet synchronous machines in such a way, that it takes into account possible magnetic saturation of the iron parts. Theresult of the calculation is the torque of the motor including the vibrations. The motor geometry and the materials and either the torque or pole angle are defined and the motor can be fed with an arbitrary shape and amplitude of three-phase currents. There are no limits for the size and number of the pole pairs nor for many other factors. The calculation steps and the number of different sections of the magnet are selectable, but the calculation time is strongly depending on this. The results are compared to the measurements of real prototypes. The permanent magnet creates part of the flux in the magnetic circuit. The form and amplitude of the flux density in the air-gap depends on the geometry and material of the magnetic circuit, on the length of the air-gap and remanence flux density of the magnet. Slotting is taken into account by using the Carter factor in the slot opening area. The calculation is simple and fast if the shape of the magnetis a square and has no skew in relation to the stator slots. With a more complicated magnet shape the calculation has to be done in several sections. It is clear that according to the increasing number of sections also the result will become more accurate. In a radial flux motor all sections of the magnets create force with a same radius. In the case of an axial flux motor, each radial section creates force with a different radius and the torque is the sum of these. The magnetic circuit of the motor, consisting of the stator iron, rotor iron, air-gap, magnet and the slot, is modelled with a reluctance net, which considers the saturation of the iron. This means, that several iterations, in which the permeability is updated, has to be done in order to get final results. The motor torque is calculated using the instantaneous linkage flux and stator currents. Flux linkage is called the part of the flux that is created by the permanent magnets and the stator currents passing through the coils in stator teeth. The angle between this flux and the phase currents define the torque created by the magnetic circuit. Due to the winding structure of the stator and in order to limit the leakage flux the slot openings of the stator are normally not made of ferromagnetic material even though, in some cases, semimagnetic slot wedges are used. In the slot opening faces the flux enters the iron almost normally (tangentially with respect to the rotor flux) creating tangential forces in the rotor. This phenomenon iscalled cogging. The flux in the slot opening area on the different sides of theopening and in the different slot openings is not equal and so these forces do not compensate each other. In the calculation it is assumed that the flux entering the left side of the opening is the component left from the geometrical centre of the slot. This torque component together with the torque component calculated using the Lorenz force make the total torque of the motor. It is easy to assume that when all the magnet edges, where the derivative component of the magnet flux density is at its highest, enter the slot openings at the same time, this will have as a result a considerable cogging torque. To reduce the cogging torquethe magnet edges can be shaped so that they are not parallel to the stator slots, which is the common way to solve the problem. In doing so, the edge may be spread along the whole slot pitch and thus also the high derivative component willbe spread to occur equally along the rotation. Besides forming the magnets theymay also be placed somewhat asymmetric on the rotor surface. The asymmetric distribution can be made in many different ways. All the magnets may have a different deflection of the symmetrical centre point or they can be for example shiftedin pairs. There are some factors that limit the deflection. The first is that the magnets cannot overlap. The magnet shape and the relative width compared to the pole define the deflection in this case. The other factor is that a shifting of the poles limits the maximum torque of the motor. If the edges of adjacent magnets are very close to each other the leakage flux from one pole to the other increases reducing thus the air-gap magnetization. The asymmetric model needs some assumptions and simplifications in order to limit the size of the model and calculation time. The reluctance net is made for symmetric distribution. If the magnets are distributed asymmetrically the flux in the different pole pairs will not be exactly the same. Therefore, the assumption that the flux flows from the edges of the model to the next pole pairs, in the calculation model from one edgeto the other, is not correct. If it were wished for that this fact should be considered in multi-pole pair machines, this would mean that all the poles, in other words the whole machine, should be modelled in reluctance net. The error resulting from this wrong assumption is, nevertheless, irrelevant.

Análisis de la concentración de los Fondos Estructurales por Comunidades Autónomas

En este trabajo se analiza la distribución en España de las ayudas estructurales comuni- tarias del FEDER por Comunidades Autónomas y para dos períodos quinquenales, el primero correspondiente a los años 1989-1993 y el segundo entre 1994 y 1999. En concreto se obtienen medidas de concentración para destacar las diferencias en el FEDER per capita asignado a las poblaciones elegibles por la Unión Europea. Los indicadores que se presentan derivan del diagrama de Lorenz. Por un lado, la superficie que separa la recta imaginaria de equidistribución de la curva es una buena medida de concentración de la variable, y por otro, en la misma representación surgen distancias de interés que reflejan la desigualdad en el reparto de los fondos FEDER per capita de la población asignada por los objetivos 1, 2 y 5b. Las curvas teóricas de concentración que se utilizan en este estudio (modelo de Kakwani-Podder, modelo de Kakwani y modelo de Gupta) se estiman a partir de los datos de la variable económica. Con las estimaciones se calculan las medidas de desigualdad que permitirán el cálculo cuantitativo de la concentración de los fondos comunitarios.