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Abstract We study the sphaleron solutions in two deformations of the $$\phi ^6$$ ϕ 6 model and analyze the oscillons originated from them. We find that the presence of internal modes plays a crucial role in the sphaleron collapse. The positive internal modes triggered by a squeezing of the sphaleron are able to change the direction of collapse. We provide an analytical understanding behind this phenomenon.

We present results from observations of 238 near-Earth objects (NEOs) obtained with the RATIR instrument on the 1.5 m robotic telescope at San Pedro Martir’s National Observatory in Mexico, in the frame of our multiobservatory, multifilter campaign. Our project is focused on rapid response photometric observations of NEOs with absolute magnitudes in the range 18.1–27.1 (diameter ≈ 600 and 10 m, respectively). Data with coverage in the near-infrared and visible range were analyzed with a nonparametric classification algorithm, while visible-only data were independently analyzed via Monte Carlo simulations and a 1-Nearest Neighbor method. The rapid response and the use of spectrophotometry allows us to obtain taxonomic classifications of subkilometer objects with small telescopes, representing a convenient characterization strategy. We present taxonomic classifications of the 87 objects observed in the visible and near-infrared. We also present the taxonomic distribution of an additional 151 objects observed in the visible. Our most accurate method suggests a nonfeatured-to-featured ratio of ≈0.75, which is consistent with the value found by the Mission Accessible Near-Earth Object Survey, which conducted a similar study using a spectral analysis. The results from the Monte Carlo method suggest a ratio of ≈0.8, although this method has some limitations. The 1-Nearest Neighbor method showed to be not suitable for NEO classifications.

BackgroundDyskeratosis congenita (DC) is a multisystem and ultra-rare hereditary disease characterized by somatic involvement, bone marrow failure, and predisposition to cancer. The main objective of this study is to describe the natural history of DC through a cohort of patients diagnosed in childhood and followed up for a long period of time.Material and methodsMulticenter, retrospective, longitudinal study conducted in patients followed up to 24 years since being diagnosed in childhood (between 1998 and 2020).ResultsFourteen patients were diagnosed with DC between the ages of 3 and 17 years (median, 8.5 years). They all had hematologic manifestations at diagnosis, and nine developed mucocutaneous manifestations during the first decade of life. Seven presented severe DC variants. All developed non-hematologic manifestations during follow-up. Mutations were identified in 12 patients. Thirteen progressed to bone marrow failure at a median age of 8 years [range, 3–18 years], and eight received a hematopoietic stem cell transplant. Median follow-up time was 9 years [range, 2–24 years]. Six patients died, the median age was 13 years [range, 6–24 years]. As of November 2022, eight patients were still alive, with a median age of 18 years [range, 6–32 years]. None of them have developed myeloblastic syndrome or cancer.ConclusionsDC was associated with high morbidity and mortality in our series. Hematologic manifestations appeared early and consistently. Non-hematologic manifestations developed progressively. No patient developed cancer possibly due to their young age. Due to the complexity of the disease multidisciplinary follow-up and adequate transition to adult care are essential.

Dust devils are common on Mars and understanding their dynamics is important to gain insights about the meteorology of the planet. Here, the authors show characteristics of a Martian dust devil and its sound from Perseverance rover multi-sensor data combined with modelling.

Abstract The information provided by a person with multiple sclerosis (MS) may anticipate changes in the course of the disease. To explore the role of a set of standardized patient-reported outcomes (PRO) in predicting disability progression in MS an observational study was conducted in two cohorts of 30 and 86 persons with progressive MS (pwPMS) and relapsing MS (pwRMS), respectively. The associations between baseline clinical, biochemical variables and results on MS quality of life scale (MusiQol), Modified Fatigue Impact Scale (MFIS) and Beck Depression Inventory II (BDI-II) were analyzed. The progression of disability after 2 years of follow-up in pwRMS was investigated. We show that PRO differentiated pwRMS and pwPMS cohorts with lower MusiQoL and higher MFIS and BDI-II scores in the latter. Only MFIS was correlated with disability in pwRMS and high scores in the physical MFIS domain associated with worse performance in 9HPT, and a trend in T25FW and SDMT. Instead, the cognitive MFIS domain was correlated with CHI3L1 in cerebrospinal fluid, a biomarker of progression. At the end of the study, global MFIS and BDI-II were found to be independent risk factors for disability independent of relapse. Although all PRO measures explored were altered in pwPMS, baseline MFIS discriminated current and prospective disability in pwRMS, identifying patients at risk of progression.

Abstract Tissue ischemia is a key risk factor in anastomotic leak (AL). Indocyanine green (ICG) is widely used in colorectal surgery to define the segments with the best vascularization. In an experimental model, we present a new system for quantifying ICG fluorescence intensity, the SERGREEN software. Controlled experimental study with eight pigs. In the initial control stage, ICG fluorescence intensity was analyzed at the level of two anastomoses, in the right and in the left colon. Control images of the two segments were taken after ICG administration. The images were processed with the SERGREEN program. Then, in the experimental ischemia stage, the inferior mesenteric artery was sectioned at the level of the anastomosis of the left colon. Fifteen minutes after the section, sequential images of the two anastomoses were taken every 30 min for the following 2 h. At the control stage, the mean scores were 134.2 (95% CI 116.3–152.2) for the right colon and 147 (95% CI 134.7–159.3) for the left colon (p = 0.174) (Scale RGB—Red, Green, Blue). The right colon remained stable throughout the experiment. In the left colon, intensity fell by 47.9 points with respect to the pre-ischemia value (p

Introduction: There is substantial evidence supporting that improving diet quality leads to improved health-related quality of life (HRQoL). Our major aim was to assess the effectiveness of a Mediterranean diet–based nutritional intervention to improve HRQoL in the context of a secondary prevention trial of depression. Secondarily to assess its effectiveness among adults aged 60 or more years. Methods: The PREDIDEP study is a 2-year multicentre, randomized, single-blinded nutritional trial. At baseline and at 1-year and 2-year follow-up, SF-36 health survey questionnaire was collected to evaluate participants' HRQoL (total and specific range for each of the 8 dimensions: 0 to 100 points). Mixed effect linear models were used to assess changes in HRQoL according to adherence to the Mediterranean diet. The trial was registered at ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03081065. Results: After 2 years of intervention, the Mediterranean Diet intervention group compared to control group (without nutritional intervention, only usual clinical care) showed an improvement in some dimensions of HRQoL such as Mental Health (7.22; 95 % CI = 2.22–12.22) (between-group difference: 6.79; 95 % CI −0.14–13.73, p = 0.055); Vitality (9.51; 95 % CI = 4.00–15.03) (between-group difference: 9.00; 95 % CI 1.75–16.25, p = 0.020); Mental Summary Component (2.83; 95 % CI = 0.55–5.11) (between-group difference: 1.17; 95 % CI = −1.96–4.30, p = 0.462); and General Health (10.70; 95 % CI = 5.58–15.81) (between-group difference: 6.20; 95 % CI = −0.89–13.28, p = 0.086). Similar results were observed for participants aged 60 or more years. Conclusion: The intervention based on Mediterranean diet in patients with previous depression seems to be effective in improving HRQoL, especially the mental dimensions. This effect is also observed among participants aged 60 or more years.

Resumen: Introducción y objetivos: La rotura de bíceps distal tiene una frecuencia de 1,2 casos por 100.000 habitantes. El tratamiento conservador supone un detrimento supinador del 40% y flexor del 30%, al igual que las transferencias al braquial. Nuestro objetivo es revisar nuestra experiencia con la reinserción anatómica. Material y métodos: Estudio comparativo de cohortes, entre una cohorte histórica, aunque reciente, en la que se aplicó doble abordaje, o de Boyd-Anderson, frente a una cohorte prospectiva donde se aplicó abordaje simple y doble. Tamaño muestral de 80 pacientes. Edad media de 48,9 ± 5,9 años. Analizamos lateralidad, tiempos para diagnóstico, prequirúrgico, quirúrgico, tipo de vía, tipo de reinserción, tiempo de rehabilitación, escala Mayo Elbow Performance Score (MEPS), estudio biomecánico y complicaciones. Seguimiento mínimo en 2 años y máximo en 7 años. Resultados: Tiempo para el diagnóstico, con mediana de 4 días. Tiempo prequirúrgico: 12,2 ± 6,4 días. Tiempo quirúrgico: 61,9 ± 15,7 min. Doble vía (Boyd-Anderson-Morrey) en el 78,8%, vía única (Henry) en el 21,2%. Reinserción transósea (45%), con anclaje roscado (40%) y con botón cortical (15%). Tiempo rehabilitador: 91 ± 29,7 días. MEPS: 88 ± 11,7 puntos. Déficit de fuerza flexora final del 28 ± 16,6%. Complicaciones: 1 caso de sinostosis radiocubital proximal, 2 neuroapraxias radiales y 5 casos con rigidez residual. Contraste de hipótesis: mejor resultado MEPS para doble vía (p = 0,009), con menos complicaciones (p = 0,008). Mayor dolor con botones corticales (p

Abstract Background In vitro embryo production (IVP) and embryo transfer (ET) are two very common assisted reproductive technologies (ART) in human and cattle. However, in pig, the combination of either procedures, or even their use separately, is still considered suboptimal due to the low efficiency of IVP plus the difficulty of performing ET in the long and contorted uterus of the sow. In addition, the potential impact of these two ART on the health of the offspring is unknown. We investigated here if the use of a modified IVP system, with natural reproductive fluids (RF) as supplements to the culture media, combined with a minimally invasive surgery to perform ET, affects the output of the own IVP system as well as the reproductive performance of the mother and placental molecular traits. Results The blastocyst rates obtained by both in vitro systems, conventional (C-IVP) and modified (RF-IVP), were similar. Pregnancy and farrowing rates were also similar. However, when compared to in vivo control (artificial insemination, AI), litter sizes of both IVP groups were lower, while placental efficiency was higher in AI than in RF-IVP. Gene expression studies revealed aberrant expression levels for PEG3 and LUM in placental tissue for C-IVP group when compared to AI, but not for RF-IVP group. Conclusions The use of reproductive fluids as additives for the culture media in pig IVP does not improve reproductive performance of recipient mothers but could mitigate the impact of artificial procedures in the offspring.

Abstract Background The role of dietary patterns in the prevention of unipolar depression has been analyzed in several epidemiological studies. The primary aims of this study are to determine the effectiveness of an extra-olive oil-enriched Mediterranean diet in reducing the recurrence of depression and improving the symptoms of this condition. Methods Multicenter, two-arm, parallel-group clinical trial. Arm 1, extra-virgin olive oil Mediterranean diet; Arm 2, control group without nutritional intervention. Dieticians are in charge of the nutritional intervention and regular contact with the participants. Contacts are made through our web platform (https://predidep.es/participantes/) or by phone. Recurrence of depression is assessed by psychiatrists and clinical psychologists through clinical evaluations (semi-structured clinical interviews: Spanish SCID-I). Depressive symptoms are assessed with the Beck Depression Inventory. Information on quality of life, level of physical activity, dietary habits, and blood, urine and stool samples are collected after the subject has agreed to participate in the study and once a year. Discussion To the best of our knowledge, the PREDI-DEP trial is the first ongoing randomized clinical trial designed to assess the role of the Mediterranean diet in the prevention of recurrent depression. It could be a cost-effective approach to avoid recurrence and improve the quality of life of these patients. Trial registration The study has been prospectively registered in the U.S. National Library of Medicine (https://clinicaltrials.gov) with NCT number: NCT03081065.

Resumen: El objetivo del Consenso Mexicano para el Tratamiento de la Hepatitis C fue el de desarrollar un documento como guía en la práctica clínica con aplicabilidad en México. Se tomó en cuenta la opinión de expertos en el tema con especialidad en: gastroenterología, infectología y hepatología. Se realizó una revisión de la bibliografía en MEDLINE, EMBASE y CENTRAL mediante palabras claves referentes al tratamiento de la hepatitis C. Posteriormente se evaluó la calidad de la evidencia mediante el sistema GRADE y se redactaron enunciados, los cuales fueron sometidos a voto mediante un sistema modificado Delphi, y posteriormente se realizó revisión y corrección de los enunciados por un panel de 34 votantes. Finalmente se clasificó el nivel de acuerdo para cada oración. Esta guía busca dar recomendaciones con énfasis en los nuevos antivirales de acción directa y de esta manera facilitar su uso en la práctica clínica. Cada caso debe ser individualizado según sus comorbilidades y el manejo de estos pacientes siempre debe ser multidisciplinario. Abstract: The aim of the Mexican Consensus on the Treatment of Hepatitis C was to develop clinical practice guidelines applicable to Mexico. The expert opinion of specialists in the following areas was taken into account: gastroenterology, infectious diseases, and hepatology. A search of the medical literature was carried out on the MEDLINE, EMBASE, and CENTRAL databases through keywords related to hepatitis C treatment. The quality of evidence was subsequently evaluated using the GRADE system and the consensus statements were formulated. The statements were then voted upon, using the modified Delphi system, and reviewed and corrected by a panel of 34 voting participants. Finally, the level of agreement was classified for each statement. The present guidelines provide recommendations with an emphasis on the new direct-acting antivirals, to facilitate their use in clinical practice. Each case must be individualized according to the comorbidities involved and patient management must always be multidisciplinary. Palabras clave: Consenso, Agentes antivirales de acción directa, Regímenes libres de interferón, Ribavirina, Keywords: Consensus, Direct-acting antiviral agents, Interferon-free regimens, Ribavirin

Abstract Background The aim of this study was twofold: (i) to assess the intrarater reliability of coracohumeral distance; (ii) to investigate the level of association between coracohumeral distance measured by ultrasonography, and pain-disability and shoulder range of movement, in patients suffering from chronic anterior shoulder pain. Methods An observational, cross sectional study was carried out. A convenience sample comprised of 87 patients with chronic anterior shoulder pain was assessed from 3 primary care centres. Main outcomes as pain and function were measured through the shoulder pain and disability index. Furthermore, shoulder range of movement-free of pain in shoulder elevation, as well as coracohumeral distance at both 0 and 60 degrees, were collected. Results Absence of any correlation was found between coracohumeral distance and shoulder pain and disability index at both 0 and 60 degrees of shoulder elevation. Furthermore, absence of any correlation was found between coracohumeral distance measurements and active shoulder range of movement -free of pain. Conclusions There was poor association between coracohumeral distance and shoulder pain and function, as well as with shoulder range of movement, in patients with chronic anterior shoulder pain. Hence, clinicians should consider, not only increasing this space, but also other possibilities in their therapies, when patients with anterior shoulder pain are treated. Trial registration ACTRN12614000144617 . Registered: 1st March 2014.

Objetivo: Describir la situación de accesibilidad y adherencia a tratamientos con drogas biológicas en pacientes de un servicio público de reumatología. Métodos: Estudio de corte transversal, observacional y retrospectivo que incluyó pacientes con gestión de DB. Variables: sociodemográficas, clínicas, tratamientos, tiempo desde el diagnóstico al acceso, adherencia (porcentaje de toma mensual y adecuada de la droga ≥75%); tiempo desde prescripción a administración; trámite administrativo realizado por entidad pública u obra social; certificado único de discapacidad (CUD).

Nowadays it is possible to measure accurately dense point clouds either with aerial/terrestrial laser scanning systems or with imagebased solutions (namely based on photogrammetric computer vision algorithms such as structure-from-motion (SfM)), from which highly detailed 3D models can be achieved. Besides, direct tools in the form of simple devices such as rulers, compass and plumblines are usually required in simple metric surveys, as well as high-end surveying and geodetic instruments such as robotized imagebased total stations and GNSS (probably to a lesser degree but still required) to set the archaeological/architectural recording project in a global reference frame. With all this gamut of image-based and range-based sensors and datasets (in the form of coordinates, point clouds or 3D models), in different coordinate systems (most of the times local for each device), lack of uniform scale, orientation and levelling, the fusion of data tends to be cumbersome. This paper presents an efficient way to fuse and merge different datasets in the form of point clouds/3D models and geodetic/UTM coordinates. The new developed 3DVEM – Register GEO software is able to handle datasets coming from both direct and indirect methods in order to provide unified and precise deliverables.

Cultural heritage managers in general and information users in particular are not usually used to deal with high-technological hardware and software. On the contrary, information providers of metric surveys are most of the times applying latest developments for real-life conservation and restoration projects. This paper addresses the software issue of handling and managing either 3D point clouds or (photorealistic) 3D models to bridge the gap between information users and information providers as regards the management of information which users and providers share as a tool for decision-making, analysis, visualization and management. There are not many viewers specifically designed to handle, manage and create easily animations of architectural and/or archaeological 3D objects, monuments and sites, among others. 3DVEM – 3D Viewer, Editor & Meter software will be introduced to the scientific community, as well as 3DVEM – Live and 3DVEM – Register. The advantages of managing projects with both sets of data, 3D point cloud and photorealistic 3D models, will be introduced. Different visualizations of true documentation projects in the fields of architecture, archaeology and industry will be presented. Emphasis will be driven to highlight the features of new userfriendly software to manage virtual projects. Furthermore, the easiness of creating controlled interactive animations (both walkthrough and fly-through) by the user either on-the-fly or as a traditional movie file will be demonstrated through 3DVEM – Live.

This paper describes the surveying process performed on the Church of San Ildefonso in Zamora (Spain) using Orthoware©, an innovative photogrammetric software tool specially designed for the digital reconstruction of cultural heritage. This software is the result of intense R&D at Metria Digital after several years producing heritage true orthoimages, plans and full color 3D models in a commercial environment. Orthoware allows true measurements and produces high quality true orthoimages and full color 3D models starting out from conventional digital photographs. This is a progressive tool designed for non-specialist users, providing intuitive and quick methods to visually diagnose the quality of the results. The Church of San Ildefonso in Zamora was built over a previously existing temple whose Romanesque construction dates back to the 11th century, although it is nowadays hidden among extensions and remodelings carried out up until 18th century. With a length of more than 30 meters, the original floor plan of the Church consists on three naves and three apses, although only one nave is visible now, covered by groin vault, and one semicircular apse partially hidden by the current building. The south front maintains the greater part of its Romanesque origins, in spite of being hidden and higher than the present ground level. At the feet of the temple a tower rises, whose first stage is Romanesque but which has been altered by numerous Baroque elements. The objective of the photogrammetric reconstruction was the integral survey of the monument, including its four façades, interior faces and roofs for the production of some true-orthoimages, cross-sections, longitudinal-sections and ground plans at scale 1/50 with an accuracy of 10 mm for the drawings and a pixel size below 10 mm for the synthetic imagery. The usual photogrammetric workflow for producing true-orthoimages and digital 3D models in cultural heritage depends to a great extent on finding and matching homologous features amongst various images. This is a time-consuming, repetitive and blind recognition process requiring some spatial intuition and experience from the user. Orthoware makes use of automatic image analysis and computer vision techniques to improve this processing. Its innovative graphic user interface allows full interactivity and corrections or refinements to be performed at any time providing intuitive diagnostics from partial results. This flow involves very intensive calculations achieved through a software development specific for GPU (Graphic Processing Unit), using OpenGL (Open Graphics Library) and DirectX. Therefore, a combination of manual and automatic techniques makes up the ideal tool for a production environment. The workflow presented herein allow users to reduce orthoimage production time from months to just a few weeks.

A partir de datos inéditos obtenidos mediante encuesta y ecocontadores, el artí - culo analiza la puesta en valor de los senderos como recurso turístico en el P.N. Sierra de las Nieves. Tras el análisis de los equipamientos que ofrece el Parque para la práctica del senderismo, el trabajo se centra en el análisis de la demanda. En primer lugar a través del volumen y ritmos estacionales de los visitantes, y en segundo lugar por el radio de atracción y la frecuencia de las visitas. Posterior - mente, tras medir la demanda, se hace una incursión en el análisis de la satisfac - ción de los usuarios, para concluir contrastando las valoraciones obtenidas conlos rasgos y perfiles que se consideran propios de la actividad y favorables para su realización en espacios de alto valor natural.

Objective: to determine the prevalence of Helicobacter pylori infection in patients having undergone gastrectomy for non-neoplastic disease who later developed gastric stump cancer. Material and methods: retrospective study of all patients with partial gastrectomy for non-malignant peptic disease who were submitted to an endoscopic exploration between 1995 and 2001. A comparison was made of major clinical and histological characteristics, and the presence of Helicobacter pylori among patients with and without gastric cancer in the stomach remnant. Results: a total of 73 patients were studied in this period. Fifteen patients (20.5%) had remnant-stump gastric cancer. All but one were adenocarcinomas (71% intestinal and 29% diffuse, respectively). The average time between diagnosis of gastric cancer and previous gastrectomy was 32 (14-48) years. There was a higher detection rate of Helicobacter pylori in patients with cancer in the gastric remnant (100 vs. 81.5%, respectively, p < 0.07). No relationship was seen between type of gastric reconstruction (Billroth I or II) and rate of Helicobacter pylori detection. Conclusions: Helicobacter pylori infection is frequent in patients with previous gastrectomy for non-neoplastic disease. The results of the study suggest that Helicobacter pylori infection may play a role in gastric stump cancer.Objetivo: determinar la prevalencia de la infección por Helicobacter pylori en pacientes gastrectomizados por enfermedad no neoplásica, y que han desarrollado posteriormente cáncer gástrico. Material y métodos: estudio retrospectivo con reclutamiento de todos los pacientes con gastrectomía parcial por enfermedad péptica benigna que han sido sometidos a una exploración endoscópica entre 1995-2001. Se ha realizado una comparación de las principales características clínicas e histológicas y de la presencia de Helicobacter pylori en los pacientes con y sin cáncer del remanente gástrico. Resultados: se han estudiado un total de 73 pacientes en este periodo. Se han encontrado 15 pacientes (20,5%) con cáncer en el remanente gástrico, 14 adenocarcinomas (71% tipo intestinal y 29% tipo difuso) y un linfoma. El tiempo transcurrido entre el diagnóstico de cáncer gástrico y la gastrectomía previa ha sido de 32 (14-48) años. Se ha detectado un alto porcentaje de infección por Helicobacter pylori (100% en los pacientes con cáncer vs. 81,5% en los pacientes sin cáncer, p < 0,07). No se ha observado relación entre el tipo de reconstrucción gástrica (Billroth I o II) y el porcentaje de infección por Helicobacter pylori. Conclusiones: la infección por Helicobacter pylori es frecuente en pacientes gastrectomizados por patología benigna. Los resultados de este estudio sugieren que la infección por Helicobacter pylori podría jugar un papel en el cáncer gástrico.

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A conditional moment closure (CMC) based combustion model for large-eddy simulations (LES) of turbulent reacting flow is proposed and evaluated. Transport equations for the conditionally filtered species are derived that are consistent with the LES formulation and closures are suggested for the modelling of the conditional velocity, conditional scalar dissipation and the fluctuations around the conditional mean. A conventional β-probability density distribution of the scalar is used together with dynamic modelling for the sub-grid fluxes. The model is validated by comparison of simulations with measurements of a piloted, turbulent methane-air jet diffusion flame. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A Kunitz-type protease inhibitor (BbKI) found in Bauhinia bauhinioides seeds has been overexpressed in Escherichia coli and crystallized at 293 K using PEG 4000 as the precipitant. X-ray diffraction data have been collected to 1.87 Å resolution using an in-house X-ray generator. The crystals of the recombinant protein (rBbKI) belong to the orthorhombic space group P212121, with unit-cell parameters a = 46.70, b = 64.14, c = 59.24 Å. Calculation of the Matthews coefficient suggests the presence of one monomer of rBbKI in the asymmetric unit, with a corresponding solvent content of 51% (VM = 2.5 ų Da-1). Iodinated crystals were prepared and a derivative data set was also collected at 2.1Å resolution. Crystals soaked for a few seconds in a cryogenic solution containing 0.5 M NaI were found to be reasonably isomorphous to the native crystals. Furthermore, the presence of iodide anions could be confirmed in the NaI-derivatized crystal. Data sets from native and derivative crystals are being evaluated for use in crystal structure determination by means of the SIRAS (single isomorphous replacement with anomalous scattering) method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Small-cell carcinoma (SCC) of the urinary bladder is an infrequent neoplasia accounting for 0.5% of all tumors located at this level. There is a predilection for males over females with a 4:1 proportion and a median age of 66 years. In most cases, the initial diagnosis is made at the metastatic or progressive stage of the disease. For this study, we collected ten cases of SCC of the urinary bladder, diagnosed over a period of 16 years, to describe the morphological and immunocytochemical characteristics of these infrequent neoplasia. In all cases, clinical data such as age at presentation, personal background, clinical symptoms, stage, treatment, clinical outcome and present status were available. Primary antibodies included chromogranin, neuron-specific enolase, synaptophysin, PGP 9.5, HNK-1, cytokeratin 34ßE12, cytokeratin 20, thyroid transcription factor-1 (TTF-1), c-erbB2 (CB-11), p53 (DO7), and Ki67 (MIB-1). In addition to the expression of neural/neuroendocrine markers, immunostaining for p53 and c-erbB2 was found in 80% and 50% of cases, respectively. In this paper, we confirm the aggressive course of the neoplastic disease. The expression of c-erbB2 in 50% of cases opens up hypothetical new possibilities for the use of immunotherapy in such cases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Adsorption of chlorfenvinphos and methidathion from dissolutions on H+, Ca++, Na+ and K+ are studied. In all cases the saturating cation distinctly influenced the Freundlich‐type adsorption, with adsorption decreasing in the following sequence: H+> Ca++> Na+ > K+. Chlorfenvinphos adsorption was slightly greater than methidathion in two clays, and the adsorption extent for them in kaolinite is slower that bentonite. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Residues of Bromopropylate were determine in artichokes, strawberries an beans after foliar spray of acaricide at two rates. The rates used were 1 g/1 formulated product (normal recommended) and 1.5 g/1. The residue levels of bromopropylate in the three crops after 14 days were lower than 0.7 ppm and did not exceed the Maximum Residual Level (MRL) recommended by FAO. In the artichokes and strawberries, the total concentration of residues decreased by 50% of the initial level after 2–3 days. Only trace levels of the bromopropylate residues (<0.01 ppm) were detected in the “hearts” of the artichokes. Bromopropylate residues in the green beans were also less than 0.8 ppm after the first day of foliar spraying. The kinetic of degradation occurred in two different steps. In the first step (4–6 days) the dissipation of bromopropylate vas faster whereas in the second step (7–14 days) the loss of residues was much slower. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The aim was to evaluate near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) potential to discriminate among β-casein (CN), κ-CN and β-lactoglobulin (LG) genotypes to be used as an authentication method. A total of 168 milk samples with known genetic information for β-CN, κ-CN and β-LG were collected at the same farm and paired with the NIRS spectrum. Spectra were evaluated with an unsupervised method (principal component analysis, PCA) and a supervised method (partial least squares-discriminant analysis, PLS-DA). For the PLS-DA, data were split into a train (75%) and a test set (25%), and the variable in projection >1 criterion was applied to select informative wavelengths. Results obtained confirmed that milk quality was similar among genetic variants. For the PCA, the observed variance explained by the first two principal components was 94%, but samples were not clustered by their genotypes of β-CN (i.e. A1A2, A2A2), κ-CN (i.e. AA, AB, AE, BB, BE) and β-LG (i.e. AA, AB, BB). The best accuracy for the PLS-DA models was reached by β-CN (train and test set, 64%), followed by β-LG (train set, 56%; test set, 52%) and κ-CN (train set, 41%; test set, 36%). In conclusion, the PCA on milk spectra was not able to cluster β-CN, κ-CN and β-LG genotypes, but the PLS-DA models revealed promising results for β-CN and β-LG. It could be interesting to increase the number of samples to equilibrate genetic variants and to apply a sampling selection method before discarding the applicability of NIRS as an authentication method.

Abstract Bacteroidales (syn. Bacteroidetes) are prominent members of the human gastrointestinal ecosystem mainly due to their efficient glycan-degrading machinery, organized into gene clusters known as polysaccharide utilization loci (PULs). A single PUL was reported for catabolism of high-mannose (HM) N-glycan glyco-polypeptides in the gut symbiont Bacteroides thetaiotaomicron, encoding a surface endo-β-N-acetylglucosaminidase (ENGase), BT3987. Here, we discover an ENGase from the GH18 family in B. thetaiotaomicron, BT1285, encoded in a distinct PUL with its own repertoire of proteins for catabolism of the same HM N-glycan substrate as that of BT3987. We employ X-ray crystallography, electron microscopy, mass spectrometry-based activity measurements, alanine scanning mutagenesis and a broad range of biophysical methods to comprehensively define the molecular mechanism by which BT1285 recognizes and hydrolyzes HM N-glycans, revealing that the stabilities and activities of BT1285 and BT3987 were optimal in markedly different conditions. BT1285 exhibits significantly higher affinity and faster hydrolysis of poorly accessible HM N-glycans than does BT3987. We also find that two HM-processing endoglycosidases from the human gut-resident Alistipes finegoldii display condition-specific functional properties. Altogether, our data suggest that human gut microbes employ evolutionary strategies to express distinct ENGases in order to optimally metabolize the same N-glycan substrate in the gastroinstestinal tract.

This paper presents a survey of microwave front-end receivers installed at radio telescopes throughout the world. This unprecedented analysis was conducted as part of a review of front-end developments for Italian radio telescopes, initiated by the Italian National Institute for Astrophysics in 2016. Fifteen international radio telescopes have been selected to be representative of the instrumentation used for radio astronomical observations in the frequency domain from 300 MHz to 116 GHz. A comprehensive description of the existing receivers is presented and their characteristics are compared and discussed. The observing performances of the complete receiving chains are also presented. An overview of ongoing developments illustrates and anticipates future trends in front-end projects to meet the most ambitious scientific research goals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

PurposeTo investigate heat stress mitigation strategies on productivity and thermoregulatory responses during simulated occupational work in the heat.MethodsThirteen physically active men (age, 25 ± 4 years; body mass,77.8 ± 14.7 kg; VO2peak, 44.5 ± 9.2 ml·kg−1·min−1) completed five randomized-controlled trials in a hot environment (40°C, 40% relative humidity). Each trial was 4.5 h in duration to simulate an outdoor occupational shift. Thermoregulatory responses (heart rate, HR; rectal temperature, Trec; mean skin temperature, Tsk), perceptual responses (rating of perceived exertion, RPE; thermal sensation; thermal comfort; fatigue) and productivity outcomes (box lifting repetitions, time to exhaustion) were examined in the following heat mitigation strategy interventions: (1) simulated solar radiation with limited fluid intake [SUN]; (2) simulated solar radiation with no fluid restrictions [SUN + H2O]; (3) shade (no simulated solar radiation during trial) with no fluid restrictions [SHADE + H2O]; (4) shade and cooling towels during rest breaks with no fluid restrictions [COOL + H2O]; and (5) shade with cooling towels, cooling vest during activity with no fluid restrictions [COOL + VEST + H2O].Results[COOL + VEST + H2O] had lower Trec compared to [SUN] [p = 0.004, effect size(ES) = 1.48], [SUN + H2O] (p 0.05).ConclusionOur results suggest that during a simulated occupational shift in a laboratory setting, additional heat mitigation strategies ([COOL + VEST + H2O] and [COOL + H2O]) reduced physiological strain and improved box lifting performance to a greater degree than [SUN]. These differences may have been attributed to a larger core to skin temperature gradient or reduction in fatigue, thermal sensation, and RPE during [COOL + H2O] and [COOL + VEST + H2O]. These data suggest that body cooling, hydration, and “shade” (removal of simulated radiant heat) as heat stress mitigation strategies should be considered as it reduces physiological strain while producing no additional harm.

We present a photometric follow-up of transiting exoplanets HAT-P-3b and TrES-3b, observed by using several optical and near-infrared filters, with four small-class telescopes (D = 36–152 cm) in the Northern Hemisphere. Two of the facilities present their first scientific results. New 10 HAT-P-3b light curves and new 26 TrES-3b light curves are reduced and combined by filter to improve the quality of the photometry. Combined light curves fitting is carried out independently by using two different analysis packages, allowing the corroboration of the orbital and physical parameters in the literature. Results find no differences in the relative radius with the observing filter. In particular, we report for HAT-P-3b a first estimation of the planet-to-star radius in the B band which is coherent with values found in the VRIz′JH filters. Concerning TrES-3b, we derive a value for the orbital period of P = 1.3061862 ± 0.0000001 days which shows no linear variations over nine years of photometric observations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Surgical excision is the best therapeutic option for tumours in the retrorectal space. Classically, surgery in this area required an abdominal or posterior approach, or a combination of the two methods. We report the use of transanal endoscopic microsurgery for the treatment of retrorectal tumours as an alternative to classical procedures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background Every woman expresses pain differently during birth since it depends on a multitude of predictive factors. The medical care received, companionship during birth, cultural background and language barriers of the women in labour can influence on the expression of pain. This study aims to evaluate the expression of pain during birth and its associated factors in women treated in a Spanish border town. Methods The study included 246 women in labour. The expression of pain during labour was evaluated using the validated ESVADOPA scale. A descriptive analysis and association study were performed between cultural identity and dimensions of the scale. Multiple linear regression models were performed to assess the association between cultural identity, origin, language barrier, and companionship during labour. Results The women included in the study comprised 68.7% Berbers, 71.5% Muslims and 82.1% were accompanied during labour. An association between cultural identity and greater body expression of pain (p = 0.020; Cramer’s V = 0.163) in addition to its verbal expression was found during the latent phase of labour, (p = 0.028; Cramer’s V = 0.159). During the active phase of labour, cultural identity was associated with pain expression through greater body response, verbal expression, expression of the facial muscles, anxiety, inability to relax and vegetative symptoms. The different factors studied that had a predictive value were companionship (p = 0.027) during the latent phase of labour and Berber origin (p = 0.000), language barrier (p = 0.014) and companionship (p = 0.005) during the active phase of labour. The models designed predict pain expression in the latent phase by companionship and type of companionship (β = 1.483; 95%CI = 0.459–2.506, β = 0.238; 95%CI = 0.029–0. 448, respectively), and in the active phase by background, language barrier and companionship (β = 0.728; 95%CI = 0.258–1.198, β = 0.738; 95%CI = 0.150–1.326, β = 1.888; 95%CI = 0.984–2.791, respectively). Conclusion Culture, origin, language barrier and companionship during labour influences the manner in which women in labour express their pain. An understanding of this may help midwives correctly interpret the signs of pain expression and be able to offer the appropriate assistance depending on a woman's particular characteristics. There is a clear need for new models of maternity care that will take the cultural and language characteristics of women in labour into consideration.

The culture environment affects both the maternal and the embryonic expression of genes, and is likely to alter both oocyte and embryo developmental competence. Search for better and less variable culture conditions simulating the in vivo environment has led to the development of defined culture media, with lower negative impact on the molecular reprogramming of oocytes and embryos. This study aimed to evaluate the embryo development and relative expression of Hsp-70 and Bax transcripts in bovine blastocysts produced from oocytes matured in chemically defined IVM medium supplemented with insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-I, insulin, and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) or polyvinylpyrrolidone 40 (PVP) without FSH and LH. Immature cumulus–oocyte complexes (COCs) from slaughtered cows were matured for 24 h in α-MEM plus IGF-1 and insulin and supplemented with 0.1% PVA (treatment 1; n = 410) or 0.1% PVP (treatment 2; n = 350). Neither FSH nor LH was used in both treatments. The control group consisted of COCs matured in TCM plus FSH and 10% estrous cow serum (n = 400). In vitro fertilization took place in Fert-Talp droplets for 22 h. Presumptive zygotes were co-cultured with cumulus cells in CR2aa supplemented with 10% fetal calf serum under mineral oil in a humidified atmosphere of 5% CO2 at 38.5C. Preimplantation embryo development was determined by cleavage, blastocyst, and hatching rates. For RNA extraction, blastocysts at Day 8 post-fertilization were frozen in liquid nitrogen and subsequently thawed. Total RNA extraction was performed using Rneasy Micro kit (Qiagen, Valencia, CA, USA) and first strand synthesized using Superscript III First Strand Synthesis kit (Invitrogen, Chicago, IL, USA). Relative quantification was performed in duplicate using real-time PCR (ABI Prism 7000 Applied Biosystem, Foster City, CA, USA); reactions consisted of a mixture of iTaq SYBR Green Supermix with ROX (Bio-Rad, Waltham, MA, USA) with cDNA equivalent to 0.8 embryos and specific primers for Hsp-70 and Bax genes, using as endogenous reference the expression of H2a gene. Data of embryo development were analyzed by chi-square test and calculations of relative quantification were performed by REST (Relative Expression Software Tool; Pfaffl et al. 2002 Nucl. Acids Res. 30, e36), using the value found in the control group as calibrator. Cleavage rate was higher (P 0.05) in blastocyst (40.2%, 45.0%, and 43.5%) and hatching (78%, 77%, and 75%) rates among treatments 1 and 2 and the control group, respectively. Similarly, no difference (P > 0.05) in relative expression of Hsp-70 and Bax transcripts (0.69 0.69 and 0.53 0.32 for treatment 1, and 1.08 0.75 and 0.70 0.47 for treatment 2) in comparison to the calibrator group was detected. These results show that bovine oocytes can be matured in serum-free and gonadotrophin-free medium supplemented with PVA or PVP without altering post-cleavage development and relative expression of some genes associated with stress and apoptosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]