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Javier Arrieta,1 Iñigo Moina,1 José Molina,2 Isabel Gallardo,3 María Luisa Muñiz,4 Carmen Robledo,5 Oscar García,5 Fernando Vidaur,6 Rosa Inés Muñoz,3 Izaskun Iribar,7 Román Aguirre,7 Antonio Maza8 1Hospital de Basurto, Bilbao, 2Hospital de Donostia, Donostia-San Sebastián, 3Hospital de Galdakao-Usansolo, Galdakao, 4Hospital de Cruces, Baracaldo, 5Hospital de Santiago, Vitoria-Gasteiz, 6Policlínica de Guipúzcoa, Donostia-San Sebastián, 7Hemobesa Clinica Virgen Blanca, Bilbao, 8Dialbilbo, Bilbao, Spain Aim: The objective of the study reported here was to describe dose equivalence and hemoglobin (Hb) stability in a cohort of unselected hemodialysis patients who were switched simultaneously from epoetin alfa to darbepoetin alfa. Methods: This was a multicenter, observational, retrospective study in patients aged $18 years who switched from intravenous (IV) epoetin alfa to IV darbepoetin alfa in October 2007 (Month 0) and continued on hemodialysis for at least 24 months. The dose was adjusted to maintain Hb within 1.0 g/dL of baseline. Results: We included 125 patients (59.7% male, mean [standard deviation (SD)] age 70.4 [13.4] years). No significant changes were observed in Hb levels (mean [SD] 11.9 [1.3] g/dL, 12.0 [1.5], 12.0 [1.5], and 12.0 [1.7] at Months −12, 0, 12 and 24, respectively, P=0.409). After conversion, the erythropoiesis-stimulating agent (ESA) dose decreased significantly (P200 IU/kg/week) doses of epoetin and 291:1 in patients requiring low doses. Conclusion: In patients on hemodialysis receiving ESAs, conversion from epoetin alfa to darbepoetin alfa was associated with an approximate and persistent reduction of 65% of the required dose. To maintain Hb stability, a conversion rate of 300:1 seems to be appropriate for most patients receiving low doses of epoetin alfa (≤200 IU/kg/week), while 350:1 would be better for patients receiving higher doses. Keywords: chronic kidney disease, darbepoetin alfa, dose equivalence, epoetin alfa, hemodialysis, hemoglobin

El film "A la sombra del sol", de Silvio Caiozzi y Pablo Perelman, fue estrenado en 1974 y trata de un hecho de sangre en apariencia ocurrido a fínales de los cuarenta en la localidad de Caspana. Entre los efectos de realidad más poderosos del film, se cuenta con la participación de la población local como intérpretes. Un recurso propio del cine neorrealista italiano, en asociación a una imagen de carácter inequívocamente documental, permitió a los realizadores hacer ingresar el relato en el reino de la Historia como un acontecimiento real. Sin embargo, en los intersticios del film quedó registrado el gesto visual de un modo expresivo y cultural que había llegado a su fin. Positivada en la imagen de los nativos atácamenos, habita la huella visible de ese "hombre nuevo" que pocos meses antes del estreno era el horizonte de la utopía de una revolución socialistaThe film A la sombra del sol, of Silvio Caiozzi and Pablo Perelman, screening in 1974, is about a crime that happened at the end of the 40s in Caspana, a village in Northern Chile. Among the most powerful reality effects of the film, is the participation of the local population. Such an effect -a resource of Italian neorealist cinema- in association with an image characteristic of the documentary genre let the film crew make the script appear as a real event in History. In the interstices of the film, however, a visual and cultural mode of expression that had already arrived to its end was recorded. In the moving image of the native atácamenos inhabits the visible print of that "new man" that a few months before the film's screening conveyed the utopia of a socialist revolution

El film "A la sombra del sol", de Silvio Caiozzi y Pablo Perelman, fue estrenado en 1974 y trata de un hecho de sangre en apariencia ocurrido a fínales de los cuarenta en la localidad de Caspana. Entre los efectos de realidad más poderosos del film, se cuenta con la participación de la población local como intérpretes. Un recurso propio del cine neorrealista italiano, en asociación a una imagen de carácter inequívocamente documental, permitió a los realizadores hacer ingresar el relato en el reino de la Historia como un acontecimiento real. Sin embargo, en los intersticios del film quedó registrado el gesto visual de un modo expresivo y cultural que había llegado a su fin. Positivada en la imagen de los nativos atácamenos, habita la huella visible de ese "hombre nuevo" que pocos meses antes del estreno era el horizonte de la utopía de una revolución socialista

We examined the association of objectively measured sedentary time ( ST) and physical activity ( PA) levels with pain, fatigue, and the impact of the disease in women with fibromyalgia. Four hundred and nineteen (mean age ± SD = 51.7 ± 7.6 years old) women with fibromyalgia participated. ST and PA levels (light, moderate, and moderate-to-vigorous [ MVPA]) were measured with triaxial accelerometry. We assessed experimental pain with algometry and clinical pain, fatigue, and impact of fibromyalgia with a number of questionnaires. The association of ST and light PA with most of the pain- and fatigue-related outcomes and impact of fibromyalgia (all, P ≤ 0.019) was independent of moderate and vigorous PA. Furthermore, the association of vigorous PA with general and physical fatigue was independent of ST and light and moderate PA (all, P < 0.001). In conclusion, lower levels of ST or higher levels of light PA are associated with lower pain, fatigue, and the overall impact of the disease independent of moderate and vigorous PA in women with fibromyalgia. Interestingly, higher vigorous PA is independently associated with lower general and physical fatigue. These results are significant for future ST and PA intervention studies in this population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction Reticulocyte hemoglobin content and percentage of hypochromic red cells are incorporated into the European best practice guidelines on anemia management in chronic kidney disease. Sysmex XN analyzer (Sysmex Corporation, Kobe, Japan) reports reticulocyte hemoglobin equivalent (Ret-He) and the hypochromic fraction of erythrocytes (%Hypo-He). Our aim was to assess the value of these parameters, in terms of the sensitivity and specificity for detecting functional iron deficiency, in hemodialysis ( HD) patients. Methods Forty HD patients in the maintenance phase of erythropoietin therapy were included. Intravenous iron supplementation was interrupted at least 3 weeks before recruitment. Two samples were analyzed for each patient: the baseline after the iron-free period and the second sample after 4 weeks of IV iron administration. Hemogram and biochemical parameters of the iron status were measured. Patients were classified as responders or nonresponders to an iron load; responders had an increase in Hb of at least 10 g/L after iron administration, compared to the baseline. To identify the efficiency of the test for predicting the response to iron administration, receiver operating characteristic analysis ( ROC) was performed. Results According to the established criteria, 21 patients were responders and 19 nonresponders. ROC analysis results: Ret-He area under curve ( AUC) was 0.84 (95% CI 0.64-0.93), at cutoff 30.8 pg, sensitivity 78.7%, and specificity 87.2%. % Hypo-He AUC was 0.78 (95% CI 0.64-0.91), at cutoff 2.4%, sensitivity 72.2%, and specificity 88.1%. Conclusions % Hypo-He and Ret-He are reliable parameters for the study of erythropoiesis status in HD patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the present study was to determine the reliability and feasibility of physical fitness tests in female fibromyalgia patients. 100 female fibromyalgia patients (aged 50.6±8.6 years) performed the following tests twice (7 days interval test–retest): chair sit and reach, back scratch, handgrip strength, arm curl, chair stand, 8 feet up and go, and 6-min walk. Significant differences between test and retest were found in the arm curl (mean difference: 1.25±2.16 repetitions, Cohen d=0.251), chair stand (0.99±1.7 repetitions, Cohen d=0.254) and 8 feet up and go (−0.38±1.09s, Cohen d=0.111) tests. Intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) range from 0.92 in the arm curl test to 0.96 in the back scratch test. The feasibility of the tests (patients able to complete the test) ranged from 89% in the arm curl test to 100% in the handgrip strength test. Therefore, the reliability and feasibility of the physical fitness tests examined is acceptable for female fibromyalgia patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigated the structural effects that ultrafast laser ablation has on RbTiOPO4 (RTP) single crystals. Raman scattering analysis revealed that a polycrystalline layer of RTP substituted the original material on the surface of the microstructured areas which is mainly responsible for the roughness observed in these structures. A later annealing treatment on the ablated samples resulted in the formation of a layer of sub-micrometric particles of TiO2 in a mixed form of anatase and rutile, due to the decomposition of the polycrystalline RTP layer. This allows the development of engineering strategies to fabricate RTP-TiO2 composites, with mixed properties, that might allow the combination of the non-linear optical properties of RTP and the light dispersive and electrical properties of TiO2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Laser Ablation of Microparticles (LAM) is a process of nanoparticle formation in which microparticles in a flowing aerosol are continuously ablated by high-power laser pulses. For the first time, we have produced CdSe/ZnS core/shell nanoparticles using a double ablation apparatus, designed to undergo a two-step LAM process. This process can be inverted to produce ZnS/CdSe core/shell nanoparticles. The present work focuses on the range around ∼15 nm radius heterostructures and uses high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) to image core and shells. For smaller particles, core shell structures have been detected with energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) 5 nm spot size beam and fast Fourier transform (FFT) spectra. Differences in the ablation behavior were measured between the two IIB–VIA type semiconductors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It has been stated that cyclosporin and nifedipine produce gingival overgrowth. However, the specific pathogenic mechanism remains uncertain. We used an experimental rat model to test the hypothesis that changes in collagen metabolism and numbers of gingival blood vessels are not mediated by intracellular calcium concentration (ratiometric Fura-2 AM measurement) in gingival fibroblasts. In the cyclosporin group, both width (364.2 ± 67.5 μm) and microvessel density (number of vessels/mm2, stained with anti-CD34 antibody) (41.6 ± 5.1) of gingiva were statistically different when compared with those in the control group (width = 184.3 ± 35.2 μm, microvessel density = 19.6 ± 2.4). The nifedipine group showed the highest content of collagen (proportion of total stroma occupied by collagen, stained with Picro-Mallory) (nifedipine group = 66.3 ± 9.4, cyclosporin group = 55.2 ± 7.9, control group = 30.1 ± 10.2). Freshly cultured fibroblasts from the cyclosporin group exhibited higher ratiometric values of luorescence than did both the control and nifedipine groups (p = 0.03). Our results support the hypothesis that changes in gingival collagen metabolism are not mediated by calcium intracellular oscillations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present a detailed study of the kinematics of M dwarfs in the CARMENES (Calar Alto high-Resolution search for M dwarfs with Exoearths with Near-infrared and optical Echelle Spectrographs) input catalog. We have selected all M dwarfs with known parallactic distance or a good photometric distance estimation, precise proper motion in the literature or as determined by us, and radial velocity measurements. Using these parameters, we computed the M dwarfs galactic space motions (U, V, W). For the stars with U and V velocity components inside or near the boundaries that determine the young disk population, we have analyzed the possible membership in the classical moving groups and nearby loose associations with ages between 10 and 600 Myr. For the candidate members, we have compiled information available in the literature in order to constrain their membership by applying other age-dating methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a case study of a 60-year-old man who suffered from plaque psoriasis. The fingernails and toenails of the patient had been affected and presented oil-drop discoloration, nail-bed hyperkeratosis, onycholysis, pitting, as well as paronychia. The patient had been treated with acitretin and showed improvement after two months.