Search

This article discusses the history, development, and efficacy of the influenza vaccine. The authors comment on the insufficient protection from the influenza virus in vaccinated people. They also describe the statistics collated by the World Health Organization related to the morbidity and mortality of influenza.

The growth and integration of renewable energy and control systems in the utility grid represents a challenge for the electric power industry. Power quality monitoring plays a critical role in modern electrical systems for both standards compliance and system security reasons. This paper presents a novel technique for estimating subharmonics, harmonics, interharmonics, supraharmonics, and DC offset in electrical systems. This extended spectral fitting (ESF) approach is a combination of the numerical Laplace transform (NLT) and a modified vector fitting (VF) which we have denominated extended vector fitting (EVF). In this novel approach, it is assumed that frequencies of the harmonics and supraharmonics are known poles and that frequencies of the subharmonics and interharmonics are unknown poles in the frequency domain (FD), resulting in a rational approximation that considers known poles and unknown poles. The advantages of the proposed methodology are demonstrated (1) for synthetic test signals and (2) in an AC-DC-AC converter simulation. Results show that the ESF approach can fully decompose a signal into the aforementioned components with a high degree of accuracy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To date the contribution of TLRs in SIRS and subsequent ARDS have not been defined. Objective: To determine the expression pattern of TLRs in mixed blood mononuclear cells (MBMC) from patients with ARDS. Design: Prospective, longitudinal study. Setting: Hospital de especialidades intensive care unit. Patients: Seven consecutive patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome. We followed them onset, during the progression of ARDS, and through their recovery or death and compared the data obtained with the data from a healthy control group. Methods: Human TLRs (1,2,3,4,5) mRNA detection: Mixed blood mononuclears cells (MBMC) were separated over Ficoll hypaque (δ 1.077). TLRs mRNAs were detected by semiquantitative reverse transcriptase PCR (RTPCR), using as control of integrity the β-actin gene. Each signal was normalized relative to its corresponding β-actin signal from the same RNA, and expressed as the TLR/β-actin ratio. Cytokines determinations: IFNγ, IL-4, IL-8, IL-10 and IL-12 were assayed using ELISA commercial kits. Results and Conclusions: In this study, we observed significant differences between healthy volunteers and patients with ARDS for levels of serum proinflammatory cytokines (IFNγ, IL-8 and IL-12) and IL-10. The subgroups of patients with ARDS (survivors and nonsurvivors), showed entry at this syndrome with different levels of serum cytokines (except IL-10). Significant differences were detected in mRNA TLR-1, TLR-4 and TLR-5 expression levels between patients subgroups and healthy subjects. This dysregulation in mRNA and different cytokine profile are probably important for better survivor expectative, in the context of this study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To estimate the hospital cost of a sample of cases treated in seven hospitals of the National Health System in several Spanish cities., Method: Study based on 78 cases of occupational disease recognized by the social security, and previously treated in hospitals in Badalona, Barcelona, Ferrol, Gijón, Girona, Madrid and Vigo between 2017 and 2019., Results: The healthcare activity generated by these hospitals to attend these processes involved a total cost of 282,927€., Conclusions: It is urgent to improve the coordination between the two public health systems, the social security health care system and the National Health System., (Copyright © 2021 SESPAS. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.)

We present the case of a nine-month-old male child with three days of fever, irritability, left focal seizure, and febrile focal status epilepticus. He had no history of previous comorbidities. A lumbar puncture was performed, which showed cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leukocytosis; protein and glucose were normal, and the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) panel for 14 pathogens in CSF was negative. Immunoglobulin G (IgG) qualitative and quantitative tests were positive for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) upon arrival. An MRI performed one week after the initial onset showed findings suggestive of acute necrotizing encephalopathy (ANE). The patient required mechanical ventilation. However, his symptoms did not improve and follow-up imaging two weeks later showed progression of the disease with hemorrhagic changes. To our knowledge, this is the first reported case of ANE associated with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-​2) infection in a pediatric patient., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright © 2021, Lazarte-Rantes et al.)

DNA-encoded libraries (DELs) have emerged as an efficient and cost-effective drug discovery tool for the exploration and screening of very large chemical space using small-molecule collections of unprecedented size. Herein, we report an integrated automation and informatics system designed to enhance the quality, efficiency, and throughput of the production and affinity selection of these libraries. The platform is governed by software developed according to a database-centric architecture to ensure data consistency, integrity, and availability. Through its versatile protocol management functionalities, this application captures the wide diversity of experimental processes involved with DEL technology, keeps track of working protocols in the database, and uses them to command robotic liquid handlers for the synthesis of libraries. This approach provides full traceability of building-blocks and DNA tags in each split-and-pool cycle. Affinity selection experiments and high-throughput sequencing reads are also captured in the database, and the results are automatically deconvoluted and visualized in customizable representations. Researchers can compare results of different experiments and use machine learning methods to discover patterns in data. As of this writing, the platform has been validated through the generation and affinity selection of various libraries, and it has become the cornerstone of the DEL production effort at Lilly.

We numerically investigate relative intensity-noise transfer from a noisy pump to the generated Stokes component in random distributed feedback ultralong Raman fiber lasers. Results show transfer levels comparable to those in distributed Raman amplification and cavity-based ultralong Raman fiber lasers, but with some unique spectral features.

The application of modulation instability-initiated nonlinear broadening of two CW pumps at different wavelengths, in order to achieve superior gain ripple performance in broadband Raman amplifiers, is demonstrated for the first time experimentally. A particular example using Truewave and LEAF fibers is offered, in which the 0.1 dB gain ripple band is extended from 5 nm to 19 nm. Experimental results are in a good agreement with numerical modeling. Guidelines for optimal broadening are discussed.

A novel distributed amplification scheme for quasi-lossless transmission is presented. The system is studied numerically and shown to be able to strongly reduce signal power variations in comparison with currently employed schemes of similar complexity. As an example, variations of less than 3.1 dB for 100 km distance between pumps and below 0.42 dB for 60 km are obtained when using standard single-mode fibre as the transmission medium with an input signal average power of 0 dBm, and a total pump power of about 1.7 W.

Objective: This study sought to evaluate the prognostic significance of the presence of DNA of Chlamydia pneumoniae in the coronary atherosclerotic lesions of patients with unstable angina., Background: C. pneumoniae has been implicated in the pathogenesis of coronary artery disease by serological and pathological studies, but whether antichlamydial antibodies and the presence of this pathogen in the coronary atherosclerotic tissue are related to prognosis in unstable angina remains unclear., Methods: A total 76 coronary specimens from 45 patients with unstable angina undergoing bypass surgery were subjected to nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for C. pneumoniae. Antichlamydial immunoglobulin G (IgG), A (IgA) and M (IgM) were also examined by an enzyme immunoassay. Patients were followed during a 2-year period to determine the incidence of adverse cardiovascular events., Results: DNA of C. pneumoniae was detected in 57 (75%) of 76 atherosclerotic lesions: 39 patients showed a positive PCR result in at least one plaque. Of the 45 patients, 44 (97.7%) showed a positive serological result: IgG was positive in 39 (86.6%) patients, IgM in five (11.1%) patients and IgA in 42 (93.3%). Clinical characteristics and serologic results were similarly distributed in patients with and without infected lesions at enrollment. At least one adverse event occurred in 21 (46.6%) of the 45 patients at 2 years: death in nine (20%), recurrent angina in 12 (26.6%), revascularization in six (13.3%) and myocardial infarction in two (4.4%) patients. The composite endpoint of death, myocardial infarction, recurrent angina and revascularization at 2-year follow-up did not differ according to the PCR or serologic results., Conclusions: The presence of C. pneumoniae in coronary atherosclerotic plaques of patients with unstable angina undergoing coronary bypass grafting does not have prognostic significance. In addition, serology does not allow us to differentiate those patients with plaque infection by C. pneumoniae and also does not provide any prognostic information in these patients.

Background: Chlamydia pneumoniae has been associated with coronary artery disease by both seroepidemiological studies, and by direct detection of the micro-organism in atherosclerotic lesions. This bacteria could play a potential role in the development of acute coronary events. We examined coronary arteries from patients with unstable angina in order to verify an endovascular presence of C. pneumoniae, and to determine if there is any relationship between serology of acute infection by this pathogen and its presence inside the atherosclerotic plaque of these patients., Methods: We analysed a total of 76 atherosclerotic plaques obtained from 45 patients who underwent coronary artery bypass surgery. In all patients unstable angina was present within the prior 3 weeks. The presence of C. pneumoniae in the plaque was determined by nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Antichlamydial immunoglobulin G (IgG), A (IgA) and M (IgM) was examined by microimmunofluorescence and compared to the PCR result., Findings: DNA of C. pneumoniae was detected in 57 (75%) of 76 atherosclerotic lesions. In most cases (74/76: 97%) a positive IgA, IgM or IgG result was seen. Seven (12%) and 54 (94%) of the 57 PCR positive plaques came from patients with a positive IgM and IgA result, respectively. There was no statistical significant difference between PCR positive and PCR negative plaques in patients with a positive or negative serological result. Clinical characteristics were similarly distributed in patients with and without infected lesions., Interpretation: C. pneumoniae organisms are frequently found in the atherosclerotic lesions of patients undergoing coronary surgery for unstable angina. Neither serological results of acute or recent infection by C. pneumoniae nor clinical characteristics are useful in predicting the individual risk of harbouring C. pneumoniae in the coronary lesions of patients with unstable angina.