Barcelona Macula Foundation

Abstract This paper explores the potential impact of blockchain technology on the productivity of Chile’s copper mining industry. Amid rising global demand for copper and declining mining productivity, Chile faces challenges which include complex contractor management and administrative inefficiencies. We review the recent trends in mining productivity and blockchain technology and conduct a preliminary survey to assess the status of blockchain adoption in Chile’s mining industry. The study also explored the impact of smart contracts in Chile’s mining sector by analyzing contracts information of a large mining company in Chile. Our results suggest that high-impact projects in Chile’s mining industry could benefit from integrating blockchain technology. However, these benefits will likely be concentrated among larger projects and contracts, where the costs of implementation and maintenance could be justified by the potential benefits. An exploratory survey on a selected group of senior professionals and executives shows most of respondents do not know the blockchain, and a small fraction of them are barely implementing it. Adoption barriers include limited internal capabilities, implementation challenges, resistance to change, procedural culture, and uncertain financial returns. In spite of these challenges, smart contracts are viewed as highly important for the organization. Our findings also suggest that blockchain could improve transparency, supply chain, reduce accreditation times, and streamline compliance in large-scale operations. A single-site analysis shows modest economic gains (USD 5.6 million NPV) but high returns (~ 2,300% ROI), indicating viability for low-risk implementation. Finally, our study concludes that blockchain offers incremental but valuable improvements, helping Chile’s mining sector enhance efficiency and competitiveness in a rapidly evolving global market. Our contribution is of an exploratory nature, and further research in the direction of designing a model is part of our broader research agenda.

Abstract Background Myocarditis after SARS-CoV2 infection or vaccination is rare, but seems to be relatively more frequent in young population. Cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) T2 weighted sequences have the potential to detect subclinical myocarditis. However, there is paucity of data on the potential myocardial involvement after SARS-CoV2 infection or vaccination in asymptomatic adolescents. Purpose To evaluate the presence of subclinical myocardial damage in adolescents who were infected with SARS-CoV2 or vaccinated against SARS-CoV2 using non-contrast CMR imaging. Methods Asymptomatic adolescents enrolled in the “Early ImaginG Markers of unhealthy lifestyles in Adolescents” (EnIGMA) project were scanned using a 3-Tesla CMR scanner between March 2021 and October 2021. CMR scans included CINE imaging and myocardial T2-mapping sequences. SARS-CoV2 IgG antibody testing was performed in capillary blood samples, and date of confirmed SARS-CoV2 infection and/or vaccination if any was collected. Participants were assigned to three different groups according to SARS-CoV2 status: Group 1 (non-infected and non-vaccinated), Group 2 (infected and non-vaccinated), and Group 3 (vaccinated, independently of past infection status). CMR images were analyzed by experienced observers blinded to adolescent's SARS-CoV2 status. ANOVA and multiple regression analysis, together with correlation coefficients, were used to study between-group differences and associations among variables of interest. Results A total of 115 adolescents with a mean age of 16.0 years (standard deviation (SD)=0.4), 54% girls, completed the CMR study and SARS-CoV2 data successfully, and were assigned to Group 1 (n=72), Group 2 (n=22), and Group 3 (n=21). Left and right ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF/RVEF) did not significantly differ among groups: mean LVEF was 62.8% (SD=4.1), 63.0% (SD=3.7) and 60.9% (SD=3.9) [p=0.12] and mean RVEF was 56.5% (SD=4.2), 56.5% (SD=5.5) and 54.5% (SD=5.1) [p=0.23] in Groups 1, 2 and 3, respectively. Similarly, there were no between-group significant differences in myocardial T2 relaxation values: mean T2 values were 44.1 ms (SD=2.2), 44.1 ms (SD=1.8) and 44.4 ms (SD=1.9) in Groups 1, 2, and 3, respectively (p=0.63) (Figure 1). No differences were found either after adjusting for age and gender. Median time (interquartile range) from date of infection or vaccination to CMR acquisition was 133 (121) days and 28 (38) days in Group 2 and Group 3, respectively. No correlation between time from infection/vaccination to CMR acquisition and T2 values was detected (Figure 2). Conclusions This observational study did not find evidence of subclinical myocardial involvement after SARS-CoV2 infection or vaccination in asymptomatic adolescents, as assessed with T2-mapping magnetic resonance imaging. Funding Acknowledgement Type of funding sources: Foundation. Main funding source(s): Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII)-Fondo de Investigaciόn Sanitaria.European Regional Development Fund/European Social Fund (“A way to make Europe”/“Investing in your future”.

Background/aimsTo identify objective glaucoma-related structural features based on peripapillary (p) and macular (m) spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) parameters and assess their discriminative ability between healthy and glaucoma patients.MethodsTwo hundred and sixty eyes (91 controls and 169 glaucoma) were included in this prospective study. After a complete examination, all participants underwent the posterior pole and the peripapillary retinal nerve fibre layer (pRNFL) protocols of the Spectralis SD-OCT. Principal component analysis (PCA), a data reduction method, was applied to identify and characterise the main information provided by the ganglion cell complex (GCC). The discriminative ability between healthy and glaucomatous eyes of the first principal components (PCs) was compared with that of conventional SD-OCT parameters (pRNFL, macular RNFL (mRNFL), macular ganglion cell layer (mGCL)and macular inner plexiform layer (mIPL)) using 10-fold cross-validated areas under the curve (AUC).ResultsThe first PC explained 58% of the total information contained in the GCC and the pRNFL parameters and was the result of a general combination of almost all variables studied (diffuse distribution). Other PCs were driven mainly by pRNFL and mRNFL measurements. PCs and pRNFL had similar AUC (0.95 vs 0.96, p=0.88), and outperformed the other structural measurements: mRNFL (0.91, p=0.002), mGCL (0.92, p=0.02) and mIPL (0.92, p=0.0001).ConclusionsPCA identified a diffuse representation of the papillary and macular SD-OCT parameters as the most important PC to summarise structural data in healthy and glaucomatous eyes. PCs and pRNFL parameters showed the greatest discriminative ability between healthy and glaucoma cases.

This work presents selected results from in-progress research at the Museu Picasso Barcelona that examines the relationship between the condition of works on canvas by Picasso and the composition and physical-mechanical properties of the painting support materials. Four works by Picasso painted in 1917 that appeared to be composed of similar materials and painted using similar techniques were examined. Although the paintings were displayed in the same location, these paintings present significant differences in condition. Material analysis using light microscopy (UV-Vis-OM), scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM-EDX), micro-Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (μ-FTIR), and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) revealed minor but important differences related to the canvas and grounds suggesting that the material differences in the works created by Picasso in Barcelona within the same year have caused various degrees of vulnerability to environmental and chemical deterioration.

PurposeTo evaluate the repeatability and reproducibility of retinal and choroidal thickness measured with Swept source Optical Coherence Tomography (SS-OCT) in eyes with Diabetic Macular Edema (DME).Methods42 DME eyes were imaged using SS-OCT standard Macular scanning protocols. Retinal and choroidal thickness were measured in the Total macular circle (TMC) and foveal central subfield (FCS) using device-integrated specific software. The coefficient of repeatability (CR) and intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) were determined as a measure of repeatability and relative reliability within graders. Reproducibility was assessed using Bland-Altman plots and 95% limits of agreement (LoA) were determined as a measure of interobserver variability.ResultsIntragrader CR of retinal and choroidal thickness were 8.37 and 12.20 microns for TMC and 22.24 and 32.40 microns for FCS, and intergrader 95% LoA were 7.37–8.69 and -27.2–27.71 microns for TMC and -34.21–41.93 and -30.46–24.84 for FCS, respectively. Retinal and choroidal thickness showed very good intraobserver reliability for both TMC and FCS (ICC 0.99, LoA 0.98–0.99 in all cases). Intraobserver and interobserver variability for retinal and choroidal thickness was not significantly different for TMC (p = 0.98 and p = 0.90, p = 0.98 and p = 0.91) or FCS (p = 0.97 and p = 0.85, p = 0.78 and p = 0.73), respectively.ConclusionsRetinal and choroidal thickness in DME eyes can be quantified with good reliability, repeatability and reproducibility using new OCT devices that incorporate swept source technology. The technical advantages of this technology may provide new insights in the understanding of the choroidal changes related with DME.

La vida i l’obra del geògraf i naturalista prussià Alexander von Humboldt continua exercint avui dia una gran fascinació. Part d’aquesta es justifica perquè la seva figura concentra i sintetitza els moviments, les idees i, fins i tot, les grans contradiccions d’una època de canvis profunds com és l’Europa del segle XIX. Una d’aquestes grans contradiccions és la relació entre ciència i poder. Certament, mentre que d’una banda la ciència reclamava amb més força que mai la seva autonomia, el seu valor universal, la seva «puresa» i objectivitat, de l’altra quedava enredada sovint en qüestions de poder polític i econòmic. En una era en la qual els països europeus intensificaven la carrera pel control del món, la informació i el coneixement de la naturalesa significaven un posicionament d’avantguarda a l’hora d’afrontar aquest control. I és també en aquest context que podem situar la innovadora obra geogràfica d’Alexander von Humboldt.

childhood obesity is one of the main public health concerns. The multifactorial and multilevel causes require complex interventions such the community based interventions (CBI). Thao-Child Health Programme is a CBI implemented in Spain since 2007. show the Thao methodology and the latest cross-sectional and longitudinal results. longitudinal cohort study (4 years of follow- up) and cross sectional study. the longitudinal study found an increase of 1% in the overweight prevalence after a follow-up of 4 years of Thao-Programme implementation in 10 municipalities with 6 697 children involved. The cross-sectional study carried out with 20 636 children from 22 municipalities found a childhood overweight prevalence of 26.6%. currently a brake in the increase of childhood overweight prevalence is considered a success due to the high prevalence worldwide. More studies well methodologically performed are needed to know the efficacy of the CBI's in this field.