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Introducción. La determinación del poder corneal, después de la cirugía refractiva con láser excimer, es difícil. Diferentes alternativas con el uso de tomógrafos corneales se han utilizado para esta medición. Objetivo. Evaluar diversos métodos de determinación del poder corneal en pacientes operados de cirugía fotorrefractiva, incluyendo pruebas diagnósticas con medidas cuantitativas. Metodología. Estudio retrospectivo de pacientes operados de cirugía fotorrefractiva que tuvieran resultados refractivos y tomografía corneal post-operatoria al menos diez semanas luego de cirugía. Resultados. En los ojos miopes se encontraron diferencias significativas en el valor determinado por la queratometría derivada de la historia clínica al compararla con la queratometría manual promedio postoperatoria, la queratometría simulada y el Mean Pupil Power del tomógrafo Sirius®. Por otra parte, al promediar la queratometría manual promedio postoperatoria con el Mean Pupil Power postoperatorio (valor denominado Kpop promedio 1) y compararla con la queratometría derivada por el método de la historia clínica, no se observaron en los pacientes miopes diferencias estadísticamente significativas. Asimismo, al promediar la queratometría simulada postoperatoria del equipo Sirius® con el Mean Pupil Power postoperatorio (valor denominado Kpop promedio 2) y compararla con la queratometría derivada por el método de la historia clínica tampoco se observaron en los pacientes miopes diferencias estadísticamente significativas. Por otro lado, en los ojos hipermétropes y con astigmatismo mixto, los promedios de los errores del Mean Pupil Power postoperatorio, con respecto a la queratometría derivada por el método de la historia clínica, no fueron significativamente diferentes de los errores al comparar la Kpop promedio 1 y la Kpop promedio 2con la queratometría derivada por el método de la historia clínica. Conclusiones. En ojos miopes las determinaciones del poder corneal postoperatorio con las Kpop promedio 1 y Kpop promedio 2 se aproximan más a la queratometría derivada por el método de la historia clínica que a las mediciones de la queratometría manual promedio postoperatoria, la queratometría simulada postoperatoria o el Mean Pupil Power del equipo Sirius®.

Magdalena I Tolea,1 Stephanie Chrisphonte,1 James E Galvin1,2 1Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine, Department of Integrated Medical Sciences, Comprehensive Center for Brain Health, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, FL, USA; 2Christine E. Lynn College of Nursing, Louis and Anne Green Memory and Wellness Center, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, FL, USA Background: Sarcopenia and obesity both negatively impact health including cognitive function. Their coexistence, however, can pose an even higher threat likely surpassing their individual effects. We assessed the relationship of sarcopenic obesity with performance on global- and subdomain-specific tests of cognition. Patients and methods: The study was a cross-sectional analysis of data from a series of community-based aging and memory studies. The sample consisted of a total of 353 participants with an average age of 69 years with a clinic visit and valid cognitive (eg, Montreal Cognitive Assessment, animal naming), functional (eg, grip strength, chair stands), and body composition (eg, muscle mass, body mass index, percent body fat) measurements. Results: Sarcopenic obesity was associated with the lowest performance on global cognition (Est.Definition1=−2.85±1.38, p=0.039), followed by sarcopenia (Est.Definition1=−1.88±0.79, p=0.017) and obesity (Est.Definition1=−1.10±0.81, p=0.175) adjusted for sociodemographic factors. The latter, however, did not differ significantly from the comparison group consisting of older adults with neither sarcopenia nor obesity. Subdomain-specific analyses revealed executive function (Est.Definition1=−1.22±0.46 for sarcopenic obesity; Est.Definition1=−0.76±0.26 for sarcopenia; Est.Definition1=−0.52±0.27 for obesity all at p0.05) and orientation (Est.Definition1=0.59±0.26 for sarcopenic obesity; Est.Definition1=−0.36±0.15 for sarcopenia; Est.Definition1=−0.29±0.15 all but obesity significant at p

Ricardo Alexandre Stock, Daiane Karen Galvan, Rafael Godoy, Elcio Luiz Bonamigo Universidade do Oeste de Santa Catarina, Joaçaba, Santa Catarina, Brazil Purpose: To analyze, using optical coherence tomography, the macular thickness values of patient groups using nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) eye drops or artificial tears during uncomplicated cataract surgery.Methods: A total of 77 eyes from 42 patients were analyzed. The patients were divided into three groups, each using one of the following ophthalmic sterile suspensions: nepafenac (21 eyes), propylene glycol (24 eyes), or ketorolac tromethamine (32 eyes).Results: The mean macular thicknesses of the nepafenac group, preoperatively as well as at 1, 7, and 45 days postoperatively, were 216.42, 216.61, 222.47, and 218.28, respectively; those of the propylene glycol control group were 218.29, 214.50, 219.37, and 228.45, respectively; and those of the ketorolac tromethamine group were 217.46, 220.71, 225.25, and 228.46, respectively. There were no significant differences between groups at any time, with p-values of 0.971, 0.6742, 0.6711, and 0.327, respectively.Conclusion: During the study period, no significant differences in macular thickness were observed between the patient groups using two types of NSAIDs or between those groups and the control group that used propylene glycol, indicating that neither drug was superior to the other or the placebo. However, a slight macular thickening, without reduction of visual acuity, was observed in all groups. Keywords: macular edema, nepafenac, ketorolac tromethamine, OCT, cataract surgery, macular thickness, prevention

Purificación Martínez del Prado,1 Isabel Alvarez-López,2,3 Severina Domínguez-Fernández,4 Arrate Plazaola,5 Oliver Ibarrondo,6 Elena Galve-Calvo,1 Nerea Ancizar-Lizarraga,2,3 María Gutierrez-Toribio,4 Ainhara Lahuerta-Martínez,5 Javier Mar6,7 1Medical Oncology Service, Basurto University Hospital, Bilbao, Spain; 2Medical Oncology Service, Donostia University Hospital, Donostia-San Sebastián, Spain; 3Biodonostia Health Research Institute, Donostia-San Sebastián, Spain; 4Medical Oncology Service, Araba University Hospital, Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain; 5Medical Oncology Service, Onkologikoa, Donostia-San Sebastián, Spain; 6AP-OSI Research Unit, Alto Deba Integrated Health Care Organization, Mondragon, Spain; 7Health Services Research on Chronic Patients Network, Kronikgune Group, Bilbao, Spain Purpose: The 21-gene recurrence score (RS) is a genomic test developed as a prognostic and predictive tool to improve the treatment decision making in cases of estrogen receptor-positive and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-negative early-stage breast cancer. This study examined the clinical and economic impact of its use in 4 Basque Country university hospitals. Methods: Taking into consideration the RS result, we recorded the recommended initial systemic adjuvant therapy (endocrine therapy with or without chemotherapy) according to standard clinicopathologic factors and the final decision about chemotherapy. Then, if the RS was high, chemotherapy was recommended; it was not recommended if the RS was low; for those with an intermediate RS, clinicopathologic factors were considered, and the initial recommendation based on those factors was maintained. In addition, the probability of switching treatment was calculated. Then, we developed an economic evaluation by measuring the treatment’s incremental short-term budget impact from both the societal perspective and that of the Basque Health System. Patients’ characteristics and chemotherapy use were analyzed using logistic regressions and receiver operating characteristic curves. Results: Without an RS, chemotherapy would have been prescribed to 56% of 401 patients, but, with RS use, that percentage decreased to 25. The overall rate of decision change was 35.4%. Test inclusion led to a reduction in chemotherapy costs of €922 per patient in the total population. Although this reduction did not entirely offset the cost of the test, the productivity loss per patient was reduced by €1,977. Conclusion: The 21-gene RS test significantly changed the indication for chemotherapy. As chemotherapy treatments with no benefit were avoided, patients’ quality of life was improved. The short-term economic impact was negative for the Basque Health Service, but savings resulted when sick-leave costs were included. Keywords: early-stage breast cancer, adjuvant chemotherapy, 21-gene assay, economic evaluation, health care costs

Energy caffeinated beverages are composed mainly of caffeine, carbohydrates and dietary supplements. Although manufacturers claim that these drinks are safe and many consumers perceive that also, there is concern about the possibility that adverse events may occur with their consumption. This led us to review the literature with emphasis on the cardiovascular and neurological risks. It was found that the major health complaints (headache, sleep disorders, irritation and fatigue) were more frequent in consumers than in non-consumers. Emergency room visits motivated by the use of energy drinks were more frequent when there was co-ingestion of ethanol and other drugs. The main cause of cardiovascular emergency consultation was arrhythmia and the neurological one, seizure. The evidence found was of poor quality, which prevented establishing a causal link between the consumption of these drinks and such risks. On the other hand, interpretation of the toxicity of these preparations is complicated because several variables should considered such as dose, individual sensibility, consumption habits, smoking, and co-ingestion of other substances, etc., in order to assess their real risk. Despite this, concomitant consumption of these beverages and ethanol seems to be a risk factor for toxicity.

Virgilio Galvis,1–3 Alejandro Tello,1–3 Alvaro I Ortiz,3 Luis C Escaf2 1Centro Oftalmológico Virgilio Galvis, Floridablanca, 2Department of Ophthalmology, Faculty of Health Sciences, Universidad Autónoma de Bucaramanga, Bucaramanga, 3Department of Ophthalmology, Fundación Oftalmológica de Santander (FOSCAL), Floridablanca, Santander, Colombia Abstract: Corneal cross-linking (CXL) is an option that in the last decade has demonstrated its efficacy and safety in halting the progression of keratoconus (KCN) and other corneal ectasias. Its indication has been extended beyond the classic definition that required evidence of KCN progression, especially in the presence of some risk factors for a possible progression (particularly the younger age). However, the results can be still somewhat variable today. There are several protocols, each with its own advantages and disadvantages. Some predictors of CXL outcome have been identified. We will review the current knowledge on patient selection for CXL, its indications, and options in special cases (such as thin corneas). Keywords: keratoconus, cornea, cross-linking, corneal collagen cross-linking, keratoectasia

Mazhar Hussain, Henry D Galvin,* Tatt Y Haw,* Ashley N Nutsford,* Matloob Husain Department of Microbiology and Immunology, University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand *These authors contributed equally to this work Abstract: Influenza A virus (IAV) is the sole cause of the unpredictable influenza pandemics and deadly zoonotic outbreaks and constitutes at least half of the cause of regular annual influenza epidemics in humans. Two classes of anti-IAV drugs, adamantanes and neuraminidase (NA) inhibitors (NAIs) targeting the viral components M2 ion channel and NA, respectively, have been approved to treat IAV infections. However, IAV rapidly acquired resistance against both classes of drugs by mutating these viral components. The adamantane-resistant IAV has established itself in nature, and a majority of the IAV subtypes, especially the most common H1N1 and H3N2, circulating globally are resistant to adamantanes. Consequently, adamantanes have become practically obsolete as anti-IAV drugs. Similarly, up to 100% of the globally circulating IAV H1N1 subtypes were resistant to oseltamivir, the most commonly used NAI, until 2009. However, the 2009 pandemic IAV H1N1 subtype, which was sensitive to NAIs and has now become one of the dominant seasonal influenza virus strains, has replaced the pre-2009 oseltamivir-resistant H1N1 variants. This review traces the epidemiology of both adamantane- and NAI-resistant IAV subtypes since the approval of these drugs and highlights the susceptibility status of currently circulating IAV subtypes to NAIs. Further, it provides an overview of currently and soon to be available control measures to manage current and emerging drug-resistant IAV. Finally, this review outlines the research directions that should be undertaken to manage the circulation of IAV in intermediate hosts and develop effective and alternative anti-IAV therapies. Keywords: influenza A virus, drug resistance, M2 ion channel inhibitors, neuraminidase inhibitors, oseltamivir, zanamivir

The collared pratincole Glareola pratincola is a declining wader species, but most aspects of its biology are poorly known. In this study, an attempt is made to characterize the basic behavioural repertoire of the species, searching for differences between sexes. Focal observations of the most common activities were obtained in a breeding colony in southwestern Spain. Pratincoles did not equally distribute their time among types of activity, but spent more time in alert behaviour than feeding and moving, and more time preening than moving in the colony site. Males devoted more time to vigilance for predators than females, and both sexes increased the time spent resting and decreased the time for vigilance as the breeding season progressed. These sex–related and seasonal effects on the vigilance behaviour suggest that competition for females and ambient temperature influence the daily activity pattern of collared pratincoles during breeding.

Both increased serum ferritin levels and Toll-like receptor (TLR) activation show independent association with the inflammatory processes. During inflammation, cell activation and apoptosis are accompanied by the release of membrane-derived microparticles (MPs), which are considered to be mediators of intercellular communication as they induce specific responses in target cells. The aim of this study was to determine whether glycated and glycoxidated ferritin induce in vitro release TLR microparticles from CD14+ peripheral blood mononuclear cells. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells were stimulated with glycated, glycoxidated and native ferritin. The release of microparticles from CD14+ cells, the presence of TLR2+ and TLR4+ on the microparticles surface and the presence of interleukins-6 and -8 (IL-6 and IL-8) inside the microparticles after stimulation were determined by flow cytometry. The role of nuclear factor κB (NF-κB) was evaluated by pretreatment of the cells with the Bay 11-7085 inhibitor. Glycated and glycoxidated ferritin induced the release of microparticles from CD14+ cells, the majority of which expressed TLR2+ and TLR4+ on their surface and contained IL-6 and IL-8. These effects were dependent on NF-κB activation. Our findings show that glycated and glycoxidated ferritin might be involved in the release of microparticles and stimulation of inflammatory responses.

Although a key condition for the creation of a monetary union is the existence of similar structural characteristics that reduce the existence and incidence of asymmetric shocks, in the case of the Eurozone, most, if not all, studies have emphasized the existence of sizeable divergences both in the macroeconomic performances and in the structural elements of the Eurozone countries. The objective of the paper is to analyse whether the economic and financial crisis that is affecting the Eurozone since the year 2008 has had any impact of the coherence of the Eurozone, that is, whether after 2008 the differences in the macroeconomic performance of the euro counties are declining (convergence) or increasing (divergence).

Latin American and the Caribbean (LAC) countries have experienced an economic slowdown in the last five years, to accelerate economic growth, LAC countries need to find new instruments to transform the economy. digitalization in all sectors of the economy gives a boost to the country’s economic growth. Digital tools also promote access to better services, such as education, government management and the foreign trade sector. The article analyzes the current state of the digitalization of the economy in LAC. To determine the digitalization of the economy, only indicators found in official sources were included.

Introduction: Dilated odontoma is the most severe form of a dens invaginatus, which is a rare dental malformation resulting from an invagination of the enamel organ into the dental papilla before calcification occurs. Observation: A healthy 7-years-old girl was referred to the oral surgery department to remove an impacted odontoma causing a delayed dental eruption of the right mandibular lateral incisor (tooth 42). The patient was painless and a lingual osseous swelling was observed. A computed tomography and a 3D segmentation revealed a shell-shaped mass in the position of the right mandibular lateral incisor, showing a complex anatomy. Surgical excision was carried out under general anesthesia. Histological analysis confirmed the diagnosis of DO. Discussion and conclusion: We performed a literature review investigating 16 cases of severe forms of dens invaginatus which required extraction. It highlighted the atypical aspect of our case and the importance of 3D imaging and segmentation in contributing to the accurate diagnosis and treatment of this dental malformation.

To gain fundamental insight into granular flow behaviour, quantitative measurements of velocity and solid fraction are required. The aim of this study is to measure the solid fraction and velocity of 3D granular flows quantitively using a recently developed MRI method. Time-averaged spatial maps of the solid fraction and velocity are obtained for hoppers with wall angles of 30°, 60°, and 90°. From these maps, the mass flow rate of the material was calculated along the height of the hoppers. Excellent agreement was observed between the MRI and gravimetric mass flow rate measurements, confirming the quantitative nature of the measurements. The resulting solid fraction and velocity measurements provide insight into the dynamics of granular flow.

Concrete product research has experimented a deep change during the last decades in the search of novel products with improved mechanical properties. Conventional concrete (CC) is now being replaced by new high-performance-concrete (HPC) mixes, with compressive strengths ranging from to 80 to 200 MPa, offering great chemical resistance and improved durability. The use of these HPC mixes has been extended to a wide diversity of applications, from civil to military structures, allowing the development of new designs by increasing the compressive properties with a notorious self-weight decrease. As opposite to the improved quasistatic behaviour, HPC may be more susceptible to certain dynamic actions as compared to conventional mixes. Research in the dynamic behaviour of these new mixes is needed in order to ensure resilient structural designs. In the present paper, a compared analysis of the dynamic response of HPC mixes versus conventional concrete is carried. Using a Modified Hopkinson Bar, spalling tests are performed over cylindrical concrete specimens. Results on the dynamic tensile strength are compared for CC and HPC.

High-energy absorption and light-weightiness are two critical properties for impact protection in the aerospace sector. In the past, the use of periodic honeycomb structures or random porous metallic foams were the preferred route to obtain a good specific-energy absorption performance. In recent years, the use of additive manufacturing has increased the design freedom creating a new generation of reticulated and porous materials: the metamaterials or lattice materials. The internal geometries of these lattice structures can be tuned for superior optimal properties, e.g., energyabsorption and density. However, the mechanics of these materials under impact need to be understood with the purpose of mechanical optimisation, and the computational models validated. In this work, we present the experimental compressive behaviour, at room temperature, of two Ti6Al4V lattice structures under static and dynamic conditions. The quasi-static tests were performed by using a universal testing machine while the dynamic tests were conducted at 480s-1 with a split-Hopkinson bar. In all cases, the deformation process was filmed to analyse the failure. Finally, finiteelement simulations were done, employing the Johnson-Cook model, to describe the response of the alloy. The simulations were able to reflect the failure characteristics of each metamaterial but were not able to describe the macroscopic response due to the differences between the experimental and computational volume fraction.

Alba Rodriguez-Nogales,1 Francesca Algieri,1 Laura De Matteis,2 A. Abel Lozano-Perez,3 Jose Garrido-Mesa,1 Teresa Vezza,1 J M. de la Fuente,2 Jose Luis Cenis,3 Julio Gálvez,1,* Maria Elena Rodriguez-Cabezas1,* 1CIBER-EHD, Department of Pharmacology, ibs.GRANADA, Center for Biomedical Research, University of Granada, Granada, 2Instituto de Nanociencia de Aragón, Universidad de Zaragoza, Zaragoza, 3Department of Biotechnology, Instituto Murciano de Investigación y Desarrollo Agrario y Alimentario, Murcia, Spain *These authors contributed equally to this work Background: Current treatment of inflammatory bowel disease is based on the use of immunosuppressants or anti-inflammatory drugs, which are characterized by important side effects that can limit their use. Previous research has been performed by administering these drugs as nanoparticles that target the ulcerated intestinal regions and increase their bioavailability. It has been reported that silk fibroin can act as a drug carrier and shows anti-inflammatory properties. Purpose: This study was designed to enhance the interaction of the silk fibroin nanoparticles (SFNs) with the injured intestinal tissue by functionalizing them with the peptide motif RGD (arginine–glycine–aspartic acid) and to evaluate the intestinal anti-inflammatory properties of these RGD-functionalized silk fibroin nanoparticles (RGD-SFNs) in the trinitrobenzenesulfonic acid (TNBS) model of rat colitis. Materials and methods: SFNs were prepared by nanoprecipitation in methanol, and the linear RGD peptide was linked to SFNs using glutaraldehyde as the crosslinker. The SFNs (1 mg/rat) and RGD-SFNs (1 mg/rat) were administered intrarectally to TNBS-induced colitic rats for 7 days. Results: The SFN treatments ameliorated the colonic damage, reduced neutrophil infiltration, and improved the compromised oxidative status of the colon. However, only the rats treated with RGD-SFNs showed a significant reduction in the expression of different pro-inflammatory cytokines (interleukin [IL]-1β, IL-6, and IL-12) and inducible nitric oxide synthase in comparison with the TNBS control group. Moreover, the expression of both cytokine-induced neutrophil chemoattractant-1 and monocyte chemotactic protein-1 was significantly diminished by the RGD-SFN treatment. However, both treatments improved the intestinal wall integrity by increasing the gene expression of some of its markers (trefoil factor-3 and mucins). Conclusion: SFNs displayed intestinal anti-inflammatory properties in the TNBS model of colitis in rats, which were improved by functionalization with the RGD peptide. Keywords: nanoparticles, inflammatory bowel disease, silk fibroin, TNBS rat colitis, RGD

In this work we present new values of stable isotopes of carbon (δ13Cco and δ13Cap) and nitrogen (δ15N) measured in a sample of 13 human individuals found in the Río Doncellas Archaeological Site (Late Period or Regional Developments, ca. 1000 AD-1450 AD) located in the Puna of Jujuy, Northwest of Argentina. The skeletal series belong to the collection of Museo E. Casanova, FFyL - UBA and the Instituto Nacional de Antropología y Pensamiento Latinoamericano, being the result of investigations carried out during the decades of 1940 and 1970, respectively. In addition, in this work we present isotopic compositions of food resources (vegetal and fauna) found in the archaeological record as well as gathered in modern farms located in the study area (Abra Pampa, Cochinoca, Jujuy). This information was used for paleodietary inference, allowing us to establish a hierarchy of the resources that were consumed. The results indicate that maize (Zea mays) is less important than other vegetal resources in the diet, which contradicts the expectations generated from the macrobotanical evidence of the site and the cultivated terraces that surround it. On the other hand, camelids seemed to be widely exploited, which is coherent with the current importance of meat production within the region. These results allow us to assert that the growth of cereals did not have a progressive relevance over other resources.

Juan Miguel Sánchez-Nieto,1,2 Rubén Andújar-Espinosa,3 Roberto Bernabeu-Mora,1,2 Chunshao Hu,1 Beatriz Gálvez-Martínez,1 Andrés Carrillo-Alcaraz,1 Carlos Federico Álvarez-Miranda,3 Olga Meca-Birlanga,1 Eva Abad-Corpa4 1Division of Pneumology, Hospital Morales Meseguer, 2University of Murcia, 3Division of Pneumology, Hospital Arrixaca, Murcia, 4Department of Professional Development Unit, Murcia, Spain Background: Self-management interventions improve different outcome variables in various chronic diseases. Their role in COPD has not been clearly established. We assessed the efficacy of an intervention called the self-management program on the need for hospital care due to disease exacerbation in patients with advanced COPD.Methods: Multicenter, randomized study in two hospitals with follow-up of 1 year. All the patients had severe or very severe COPD, and had gone to either an accident and emergency (A&E) department or had been admitted to a hospital at least once in the previous year due to exacerbation of COPD. The intervention consisted of a group education session on the main characteristics of the disease, an individual training session on inhalation techniques, at the start and during the 3rd month, and a written action plan containing instructions for physical activity and treatment for stable phases and exacerbations. We determined the combined number of COPD-related hospitalizations and emergency visits per patient per year. Secondary endpoints were number of patients with visits to A&E and the number of patients hospitalized because of exacerbations, use of antibiotics and corticosteroids, length of hospital stay, and all-cause mortality.Results: After 1 year, the rate of COPD exacerbations with visits to A&E or hospitalization had decreased from 1.37 to 0.89 (P=0.04) and the number of exacerbations dropped from 52 to 42 in the group of patients who received the intervention. The numbers of patients hospitalized, at 19 (40.4%) versus 20 (52.6%) (P=0.26), and those who went to A&E, at 9 (19.1%) versus 14 (36.8%) (P=0.06), due to exacerbation of COPD were also lower in this group. Intake of antibiotics was higher in the intervention group, whereas use of glucocorticoids was slightly lower, though there were no significant differences (P=0.30). There were also no differences between groups in the length of hospital stay (P=0.154) or overall mortality (P=0.191).Conclusion: The implementation of a self-management program for patients with advanced COPD reduced exacerbations that required hospital care. Keywords: self-management, COPD, severe exacerbations

Post-transplant lymphoproliferative disease (PTLD) is a group of disorders that may occur after transplantation. Its incidence is variable according to the transplanted organ. The clinical variability of this disease, its extra-nodal involvement and its broad histopathological spectrum make both classification and management very complex. This review provides an update about PTLD in patients with solid organ transplantation.

The outbreak of the economic and financial crisis in 2008, the socalled Great Recession, has made that many European Union countries have made massive interventions in their banking and financial systems. These interventions have had a considerable impact in the public finances of these countries. The aim of the paper is to analyze the impact on the national public budgets of the measures of public support to problem financial institutions carried out between the years 2008 and 2013, and to study how this budgetary impact has affected to the fiscal imbalances and to the strategies of fiscal impulse and consolidation implemented along these years.

Background: Between the school years of 2009-2012, the turnover record of the University of San Jose-Recoletos (USJ-R), Cebu City, Philippines showed that permanent faculty members who left the institution were all midlifers. Their reasons varied from health issues to greener pasture elsewhere. Materials and Methods: This study then sought to explore the health statuses of the faculty midlifers of the USJ-R. The data were collected through survey conducted among the 106 faculty midlifers of the university. This study applied multivariate analyses to the survey data using Pearson-moment of correlation to determine the relationship between the sociodemographic profile of the research participants and their health statuses. Results: This research revealed that faculty midlifers are generally well physically. They showed emotional maturity and have positive outlook toward midlife. More so, their health conditions are significantly related with their sex, age, years of teaching, educational attainment, and income. Conclusion: At midlife, the faculty members of USJ-R can still generally be considered physically well. Thus, if they are well-managed, they can become relevant and better contributors to the attainment of the basic goals and objectives of the educational institution and the educational system in general.

A literatura criminológica tem apontado há muitos anos que as mulheres matam muito mais raramente que os homens. O argumento central deste texto propõe que os assassinatos cometidos por mulheres não podem ser explicados deterministicamente por transtornos mentais ou processos de vitimização, antigos ou recentes. Sem excluir a eventualidade da existência de tais mecanismos psicossociais, buscamos discutir a ideia de que as mulheres também matam de forma deliberada, em atos que envolvem vontade (ou volição), intencionalidade, racionalidade, emoções como raiva e ódio, que podem estar associados de forma relativamente autônoma a processos de vitimização remotos ou recentes e mesmo a transtornos mentais passageiros ou permanentes

In the last decades, the public opinion has paid great attention to environmental pollution and global warming. Energy sector has a strong impact on environment. Thus, the use of renewable energies is becoming mandatory. The present paper deals with a study of ducted Savonius turbine performance as a function of geometric and operating parameters. Ducted turbines could be used as power take-off in multiple applications. In this paper, two main applications were studied. The first application is related to the possibility to install the turbine inside building with the purpose of architectonic integration of the system. The second one is related to wave energy harvesting. In both cases the same type of turbine was used to convert input energy (wind or wave energy) into electricity. Turbine performance were studied as a function of turbine overlap ratio, as well as air flux oscillating frequencies. On the basis of the obtained results, turbine performance increase in ducted configuration and a change in best overlap ratio was registered.

Nowadays the automotive market is oriented to the production of hybrid or electric propulsion vehicle equipped with Energy Management System that aims to minimize the consumption of fossil fuel. The EMS, generally, performs a local and not global optimization of energy management due to the impossibility of predicting the user’s energy demand and driving conditions. The aim of this research is to define a driving cycle (speed time) knowing only the starting and the arrival point defined by the driver, considering satellite data and previous experiences. To achieve this goal, the data relating to the energy expenditure of a car (e.g. speed, acceleration, road inclination) will be acquired, using on-board acquisition system, during road sections in the city of Messina. At the same time, the traffic level counterplot and others information provided, for these specific sections, from GPS acquisition software will be collected. On-board and GPS data will be compared and, after considering an adequate number of acquisitions, each value of the traffic level will be associated with a driving cycle obtained by processing the acquired data. After that, the numerical model of a car will be created which will be used to compare the energy demand of two driving cycles. The first one acquired on a section with a random starting and destination point inside the historic city centre of Messina. The second is the one assigned, for that same section, considering only the value of the traffic level counterplot.

The energy sustainability of producing biofuel from wet bioresidues needs proper energy integration to ensure sustainable exploitation. This study analyses the potentials of combined hydrogen, heat, power, and LOHC (Liquid Organic Hydrogen Carrier) production from the residues of citrus juice production, at a factory scale. In this work, the main constituents of LOHC are DME (Dimethyl ether) and methanol. The proposed system is based on air-steam gasification and direct CO2-to-DME process, integrated with hydrogen purification and a CHP unit. The DME reactor is operated at 30 bar in the temperature range 493-533 K. A thermodynamic model, which is validated experimentally, simulates the proposed polygeneration system. In addition to the potential amount of biofuel, hydrogen production, and net power production, the energy and exergy efficiencies are analyzed. Despite the variation of LOHC yield with the temperature, the results show that the whole system’s energy efficiency is not affected, while the small difference among the exergy efficiencies is negligible.

Wind power generation differs from other energy sources, such as thermal, solar or hydro, due to the inherent stochastic nature of wind. For this reason wind power forecasting, especially for wind farms, is a complex task that cannot be accurately solved with traditional statistical methods or needs large computational systems if physical models are used. Recently, the so-called learning approaches are considered a good compromise among the previous methods since they are able to integrate physical phenomena such as wake effects without presenting heavy computational loads. The present work deals with an innovative method to forecast wind power generation in a wind farm with a combination of GISbased methods, neural network approach and a wake physical model. This innovative method was tested with a wind farm located in Sicily (Italy), used as a case study. It consists of 30 identical wind turbines (850 kW each one), located at different heights, for an overall Power peak of 25 MW. The time series dataset consists of one year with a sampling time of 10 minutes considering wind speeds and wind directions. The output of this innovative model leaded to good results, especially for medium-term overall energy production forecast for the case study.

Introduction: Pterygoid hamulus syndrome (PHS) is a little-known differential diagnosis of orofacial pain. It is characterized by oropharyngeal pain, secondary to inflammatory bursitis of the tensor veli muscle of post-traumatic origin, frequently fostered by an associated hypertrophy of the hamular process. Observation: A 64-year-old female patient, type 2 diabetic, consulted for constant posterior palatal pain located near to 17, lasting for 10 years. The inspection did not reveal any mucosal lesions. Right hamulus palpation increased the pain and revealed hamulus hypertrophy. A diagnosis of PHS was evoked. Comment: A review of the literature is proposed. The treatment of PHS is initially conservative, but a surgical treatment can be proposed in case of morphological anomalies. Conclusion: PHS is a little-known syndrome whose diagnosis must be mentioned by the oral surgeon faced with chronic oropharyngeal pain. The diagnosis is clinical and radiological, the treatment is medical and/or surgical.

Una de las principales características de las neuronas es su extremada polaridad. La diferenciación tanto morfológica como molecular de axones y dendritas es necesaria para la función neuronal. Defectos en esta diferenciación pueden contribuir a la patología de distintas enfermedades neurológicas. Sin embargo, los mecanismos que establecen y mantienen la polaridad neuronal y sus implicancias patológicas no están completamente resueltos. En esta tesis doctoral, nos hemos centrado en investigar la contribución a la polaridad neuronal de los dominios de membrana enriquecidos en colesterol y esfingolípidos, los llamados rafts. Describimos que los rafts son esenciales para la distribución axonal de moléculas como la proteína del Prion (PrPC) o el gangliósido GM1 en neuronas hipocampales maduras y analizamos la contribución a este proceso de sus componentes lipídicos mayoritarios: el colesterol y los esfingolípidos. Los estudios realizados apuntan al control de la endocitosis dendrítica como factor clave para la polarización axonal de moléculas de rafts. Además, caracterizamos las alteraciones de los rafts en el cerebro y neuronas de un modelo murino para la enfermedad de Niemann-Pick tipo A (NPA). La actividad deficiente de la esfingomielinidasa ácida (ASM), que causa la enfermedad, lleva a la acumulación de la esfingomielina (SM) en la membrana plasmática neuronal. Demostramos que al alterar los rafts esta acumulación reduce la endocitosis dendrítica de moléculas como PrPC y GM1 impidiendo la unión a membrana de la GTPasa RhoA. Esto tiene como consecuencia la distribución no polarizada de estas moléculas que aparecen de forma anómala en las dendritas de neuronas de ratones ASMko. La modulación experimental de los niveles de SM promueve o previene este fenotipo. En conjunto, los resultados obtenidos aportan información sobre los mecanismos de polaridad neuronal y sugieren que defectos en la polaridad pueden jugar un relevante papel patológico en NPA.

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDA) is the fourth leading cause of cancer-related deaths in the United States, and is projected to be second by 2025. It has the worst survival rate among all major cancers. Two pressing needs for extending life expectancy of affected individuals are the development of new approaches to identify improved therapeutics, addressed herein, and the identification of early markers. PDA advances through a complex series of intercellular and physiological interactions that drive cancer progression in response to organ stress, organ failure, malnutrition, and infiltrating immune and stromal cells. Candidate drugs identified in organ culture or cell-based screens must be validated in preclinical models such as KIC (p48Cre;LSL-KrasG12D;Cdkn2af/f) mice, a genetically engineered model of PDA in which large aggressive tumors develop by 4 weeks of age. We report a rapid, systematic and robust in vivo screen for effective drug combinations to treat Kras-dependent PDA. Kras mutations occur early in tumor progression in over 90% of human PDA cases. Protein kinase and G-protein coupled receptor (GPCR) signaling activates Kras. Regulators of G-protein signaling (RGS) proteins are coincidence detectors that can be induced by multiple inputs to feedback-regulate GPCR signaling. We crossed Rgs16::GFP bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) transgenic mice with KIC mice and show that the Rgs16::GFP transgene is a KrasG12D-dependent marker of all stages of PDA, and increases proportionally to tumor burden in KIC mice. RNA sequencing (RNA-Seq) analysis of cultured primary PDA cells reveals characteristics of embryonic progenitors of pancreatic ducts and endocrine cells, and extraordinarily high expression of the receptor tyrosine kinase Axl, an emerging cancer drug target. In proof-of-principle drug screens, we find that weanling KIC mice with PDA treated for 2 weeks with gemcitabine (with or without Abraxane) plus inhibitors of Axl signaling (warfarin and BGB324) have fewer tumor initiation sites and reduced tumor size compared with the standard-of-care treatment. Rgs16::GFP is therefore an in vivo reporter of PDA progression and sensitivity to new chemotherapeutic drug regimens such as Axl-targeted agents. This screening strategy can potentially be applied to identify improved therapeutics for other cancers.

David Aguiar-Bujanda, María Jesús Blanco-Sánchez, María Hernández-Sosa, Saray Galván-Ruíz, Samuel Hernández-Sarmiento Department of Medical Oncology, Hospital Universitario de Gran Canaria Doctor Negrín, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain Abstract: Rituximab is an IgG1, chimeric monoclonal antibody specifically designed to recognize the CD20 antigen expressed on the surface of normal and malignant B-lymphocytes, from the B-cell precursor to the mature B-cells of the germinal center, and by most neoplasms derived from B-cells. After 2 decades of use, rituximab is firmly positioned in the treatment of follicular lymphoma (FL), both in the front line and in the relapsing disease, improving previous results by including it in classical chemotherapy regimens. However, the pharmacology of rituximab continues to generate controversial issues especially regarding the mechanisms of action in vivo. The contribution of rituximab as a maintenance treatment in FL has been significant progress in the management of this disease without an increase in side effects or a decrease in the quality of life of patients. With the widespread use of rituximab, there are new security alerts and side effects not previously detected in the pivotal trials that clinicians should learn to recognize and manage. In this article, we will review the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of rituximab, the management issues in the treatment of advanced FL focusing on maintenance rituximab, its long-term efficacy and safety profile, and its effect on the quality of life. Keywords: follicular lymphoma, long-term efficacy, maintenance, rituximab, toxicity

Incontinentia pigmenti (IP) or Bloch-Sulzberger syndrome is a rare dominant X-linked disease characterized by skin lesions. It may be accompanied by neurological, ophthalmological and dental manifestations. We report the case of a one month and twenty six days old female patient diagnosed with this disease who was successfully treated.

Climate atlases summarize large sets of quantitative and qualitative data and are results of complex analytical cartographic work. These special geographical publications summarize long term meteorological observations, provide maps and figures which characterise different climate elements. Visual information is supplemented with explanatory texts. A lot of information on short and long term changes of climate elements were provided in published Lithuanian atlases (Atlas of Lithuanian SDR, 1981; Climate Atlas of Lithuania, 2013), as well as in prepared but unpublished Lithuanian Atlas (1989) and in upcoming new national atlas publications (National Atlas of Lithuania. 1st part, 2014). Climate atlases has to be constantly updated to be relevant and to describe current climate conditions. Comprehensive indicators of Lithuanian climate are provided in different cartographic publications. Different time periods, various data sets and diverse cartographic data analysis tools and visualisation methods were used in these different publications.

Magdalena I Tolea,1 James E Galvin1–3 1Alzheimer’s Disease Center, Department of Neurology, 2Department of Psychiatry, 3Department of Population Health, New York University School of Medicine, New York, NY, USA Background: Whether older adults with sarcopenia who underperform controls on tests of physical performance and cognition also have a higher likelihood of combined cognitive-physical impairment is not clear. We assessed the impact of sarcopenia on impairment in both aspects of functionality and the relative contribution of its components, muscle mass and strength.Methods: Two hundred and twenty-three community-dwelling adults aged 40 years and older (mean age =68.1±10.6 years; 65% female) were recruited and underwent physical functionality, anthropometry, and cognitive testing. Participants with low muscle mass were categorized as pre-sarcopenic; those with low muscle mass and muscle strength as sarcopenic; those with higher muscle mass and low muscle strength only were categorized as non-sarcopenic and were compared on risk of cognitive impairment (Montreal Cognitive Assessment

The paper studies the fiscal policies implemented in the European Union countries since the beginning of the current crisis. With this aim in mind we have analyzed separately the expansionary fiscal policies implemented at the first stage of the crisis and the fiscal consolidation policies that became widespread at the beginning of the current decade. Studying the content of the national fiscal policies (discretionary measures versus built-in stabilizers, revenue-based versus expenditure-based fiscal policies, the relationship existing between the size of the fiscal impulses-adjustments and the composition of these measures) shows the significant differences between the fiscal policies implemented in the European Union countries.

Este artículo retoma la identificación de las representaciones sobre la paz que han construido comunidades con diferentes experiencias y conocimientos sobre el conflicto en Colombia. Encontrándose que los integrantes de comunidades en situación de desplazamiento se representan la paz desde categorías inductivas de orden emocional y categorías psico-sociales. La paz, construcción de la sociedad civil como categoría deductiva se encuentra ausente y no como ausencia de conflicto, a pesar de ser víctimas del mismo y haber vivido el desarraigo de sus tierras, la pérdida de su núcleo familiar y sus redes sociales, entre otras situaciones.

Diego Real de Asúa, Ramón Costa, Jose María Galván, María Teresa Filigheddu, Davinia Trujillo, Julen Cadiñanos Department of Internal Medicine, Fundación de Investigación Biomédica, Hospital Universitario de La Princesa, Madrid, SpainAbstract: The term "amyloidosis" encompasses the heterogeneous group of diseases caused by the extracellular deposition of autologous fibrillar proteins. The global incidence of amyloidosis is estimated at five to nine cases per million patient-years. While amyloid light-chain (AL) amyloidosis is more frequent in developed countries, amyloid A (AA) amyloidosis is more common in some European regions and in developing countries. The spectrum of AA amyloidosis has changed in recent decades owing to: an increase in the median age at diagnosis; a percent increase in the frequency of primary AL amyloidosis with respect to the AA type; and a substantial change in the epidemiology of the underlying diseases. Diagnosis of amyloidosis is based on clinical organ involvement and histological evidence of amyloid deposits. Among the many tinctorial characteristics of amyloid deposits, avidity for Congo red and metachromatic birefringence under unidirectional polarized light remain the gold standard. Once the initial diagnosis has been made, the amyloid subtype must be identified and systemic organ involvement evaluated. In this sense, the 123I-labeled serum amyloid P component scintigraphy is a safe and noninvasive technique that has revolutionized the diagnosis and monitoring of treatment in systemic amyloidosis. It can successfully identify anatomical patterns of amyloid deposition throughout the body and enables not only an initial estimation of prognosis, but also the monitoring of the course of the disease and the response to treatment. Given the etiologic diversity of AA amyloidosis, common therapeutic strategies are scarce. All treatment options should be based upon a greater control of the underlying disease, adequate organ support, and treatment of symptoms. Nevertheless, novel therapeutic strategies targeting the formation of amyloid fibrils and amyloid deposition may generate new expectations for patients with AA amyloidosis.Keywords: amyloidosis, epidemiology, nephrotic syndrome, rheumatoid arthritis, Congo red, eprodisate

Antonio Abel Lozano-Pérez,1 Alba Rodriguez-Nogales,2 Víctor Ortiz-Cullera,1 Francesca Algieri,2 José Garrido-Mesa,2 Pedro Zorrilla,2 M Elena Rodriguez-Cabezas,2 Natividad Garrido-Mesa,2 M Pilar Utrilla,2 Laura De Matteis,3 Jesús Martínez de la Fuente,3 José Luis Cenis,1 Julio Gálvez2 1Instituto Murciano de Investigación y Desarrollo Agrario y Alimentario, Murcia, Spain; 2Centro de Investigaciones Biomédicas en Red – Enfermedades Hepáticas y Digestivas, Department of Pharmacology, ibs Granada, Center for Biomedical Research, University of Granada, Granada, Spain; 3Instituto de Nanociencia de Aragón, Universidad de Zaragoza, Zaragoza, Spain Purpose: We aimed to evaluate the intestinal anti-inflammatory properties of silk fibroin nanoparticles, around 100 nm in size, when loaded with the stilbene compound resveratrol, in an experimental model of rat colitis. Methods: Nanoparticles were loaded with resveratrol by adsorption. The biological effects of the resveratrol-loaded nanoparticles were tested both in vitro, in a cell culture of RAW 264.7 cells (mouse macrophages), and in vivo, in the trinitrobenzenesulfonic acid model of rat colitis, when administered intracolonically.Results: The resveratrol liberation in 1× phosphate-buffered saline (PBS; pH 7.4) was characterized by fast liberation, reaching the solubility limit in 3 hours, which was maintained over a period of 80 hours. The in vitro assays revealed immunomodulatory properties exerted by these resveratrol-loaded nanoparticles since they promoted macrophage activity in basal conditions and inhibited this activity when stimulated with lipopolysaccharide. The in vivo experiments showed that after evaluation of the macroscopic symptoms, inflammatory markers, and intestinal barrier function, the fibroin nanoparticles loaded with resveratrol had a better effect than the single treatments, being similar to that produced by the glucocorticoid dexamethasone. Conclusion: Silk fibroin nanoparticles constitute an attractive strategy for the controlled release of resveratrol, showing immunomodulatory properties and intestinal anti-inflammatory effects. Keywords: immunomodulatory, cytokines, TNBS rat colitis, RAW 264.7 macrophage cells, antioxidant

Lucas Spanemberg,1,2 Marco Antonio Caldieraro,1 Edgar Arrua Vares,1 Bianca Wollenhaupt-Aguiar,3,4 Márcia Kauer-Sant’Anna,3,4 Sheila Yuri Kawamoto,1 Emily Galvão,3–5 Gordon Parker,6,7 Marcelo P Fleck1,8 1Mood Disorders Program, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, 2Department of Psychiatry, Hospital São Lucas da Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul, 3INCT Translational Medicine, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, 4Bipolar Disorders Program and Laboratory of Molecular Psychiatry, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, 5Centro Universitário Metodista, Porto Alegre, Brazil; 6School of Psychiatry, University of New South Wales, 7Black Dog Institute, Sydney, NSW, Australia; 8Neuromodulation Research Clinic, Douglas Mental Health University Institute, Montréal, ON, Canada Background: The purpose of this study was to compare melancholic patients rated by the CORE measure of observable psychomotor disturbance with nonmelancholic and control subjects across a set of biomarkers.Methods: Depressed patients were classified as melancholic or nonmelancholic by using the CORE measure. Both groups of patients, as well as control subjects, were compared for a set of clinical and laboratory measures. Serum levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor, of two markers of oxidative stress (protein carbonyl content [PCC] and thiobarbituric acid reactive substances [TBARS]), and of several immunity markers (interleukin [IL]-2, IL-4, IL-6, IL-10, IL-17, tumor necrosis factor-alpha, and interferon-gamma) were analyzed. Results: Thirty-three depressed patients and 54 healthy controls were studied. Depressive patients showed higher IL-4, IL-6, and PCC values than healthy controls. Thirteen (39%) of the depressed patients were assigned as melancholic by the CORE measure. They generated lower interferon-gamma (compared with nonmelancholic depressed patients) and TBARS (compared with both the nonmelancholic subset and controls) and returned higher IL-6 levels than controls. Both depressive groups generated higher PCC scores than controls, with no difference between melancholic and nonmelancholic subsets. Conclusion: A sign-based measure to rate melancholia was able to replicate and extend biological findings discriminating melancholic depression. Signs of psychomotor disturbance may be a useful diagnostic measure of melancholia. Keywords: melancholic depression, oxidative stress, inflammatory cytokines, brain-derived neurotrophic factor

James E Galvin,1 Magdalena I Tolea,1 Nika George,2 Cheryl Wingbermuehle31Alzheimer Disease Center, Departments of Neurology, Psychiatry and Population Health, New York University Langone Medical Center, New York, NY, USA; 2Clinical Psychology Program, University of Missouri – St Louis, 3Alzheimer’s Association, St Louis Chapter, St Louis, MO, USAPurpose: In a collaborative effort between the Missouri Department of Health, Area Agencies on Aging (AAA), Alzheimer Association, and academic researchers, we tested whether early dementia detection and comprehensive care consultations would improve health outcomes in care receivers (CRs) and their family caregivers (FCGs), therefore addressing an important public health concern.Participants and methods: A total of 244 community-dwelling older adults screened for early-stage dementia by the AAA field staff were referred to the Alzheimer Association and participated in Project Learn MORE (Missouri Outreach and Referral Expanded) (PLM) – a 2-year, nonrandomized multisite intervention consisting of comprehensive care consultations to improve coping skills. PLM participants were compared against 96 controls receiving the Alzheimer Association’s “usual services” between January 2011 and December 2012. We examined CR and FCG outcomes, including burden, care confidence, and mood, as effects of PLM, on delaying transitions in level of care.Results: CRs showed improved knowledge (P=0.002) and reduced depression (P=0.007), while FCGs demonstrated improved knowledge (P=0.003) and ability to identify sources of support for the CR (P=0.032) and for themselves (P=0.043). However, FCGs were more burdened after PLM (P=0.02), due to increased awareness of Alzheimer’s disease. PLM delayed transitions in care (odds ratio [OR] 3.32, 95% confidence level [CI]: 1.25–8.83) with the number needed to treat =6.82.Conclusion: PLM was successful in improving detection of incident cases of dementia in the community and in connecting patients and their families with needed services. Our ­findings support the use of state agencies and community service partners to detect dementia. Early implementation of psychosocial interventions could have significant impact in improving patient- and family-centered outcomes, potentially providing a cost-efficient alternative to pharmacotherapy.Keywords: dementia screening, AD8, social support, caregiver burden, transition in care

This study tested the relationship between stem water potential (ψstem) and vapor pressure deficit (VPD) in order to evaluate its use as reference for irrigation control of table grape (Vitis vinifera) cvs. Thompson Seedless and Redglobe. Two trials were carried out on consecutive seasons. In the first season the treatments consisted of four different irrigation regimes: T1, plants irrigated at 100% of ETc; T2, irrigated until fruit set the same as T1 but after fruit set every other time T1; T3, plants with no irrigation from fruit set to harvest; and T4, plants irrigated at 50% of ETc throughout the growing season. Vines from T1 always showed a higher ψstem for a wide VPD range, therefore the ψstem and VPD relationship was established using T1 vines, obtaining a logarithmic function with a high determination coefficient (R2=0.85). The following season this relationship was used to control irrigation frequency on two table grape cvs. Irrigation started when vines had 20 cm shoots and then the irrigation amount was set to replenish 10% of soil available water. Trial 1 was conducted on cv. Thompson Seedless and consisted of two treatments: T1 plants irrigated to satisfy 100% ETc and T2 plants irrigated according to the previously obtained ψstem-VPD reference line. Trial 2 was established with Redglobe cv. plants using three treatments: T1 plants irrigated to satisfy 100% Etc; T2, plants irrigated the same as T1 but after fruit set every other time T1; and T3, plants irrigated according to the ψstem-VPD reference line previously obtained. Irrigation frequency determined using the ψstem-VPD relationship reduced total water volume compared to T1 on both trials, with no effects on yield or quality, showing the feasibility of using this relationship to control irrigation frequency.

We present Data Release 2 of the Point Source Catalogue created from a series of previously constructed radio-continuum images of M31 at λ=20 cm (v=1.4 GHz) from archived VLA observations. In total, we identify a collection of 916 unique discrete radio sources across the field of M31. Comparing these detected sources to those listed by Gelfand et al. (2004) at λ=92 cm, the spectral index of 98 sources has been derived. The majority (73%) of these sources exhibit a spectral index of α

Soil improvement using ureolytic bacteria or other biological agents is a promising technique currently under investigation. It is based on the precipitation of calcium carbonate (biocement) due to the enzymatic hydrolysis of urea. The biocement produced clogs the soil pores, consequently bonding the soil grains and increasing overall strength and stiffness while reducing permeability. This study focused mainly on pore clogging effects. The effect of the enzyme and feeding solution concentrations was studied in small test tubes to find the maximum amount of precipitate found when changing the concentrations of both. Based on it, selected concentrations of enzyme and feeding solution were tested in a microfluidic device conceived to mimic a two-dimensional uniform porous size medium. Qualitatively, the amount of precipitate was proportional to that of the concentrations used. The location of the precipitate was clearly related with the direction of fluid flow during inoculation. These preliminary results highlight the fact that the use of alternative testing devices such as the one developed is a potential tool for the study of clogging phenomena occurring during this treatment.

In January, 2018, Fornal and Grinstein proposed that a previously unobserved neutron decay branch to a dark matter particle (χ) could account for the discrepancy in the neutron lifetime observed in two different types of experiments. One of the possible final states discussed includes a single χ along with an e+e− pair. We use data from the UCNA (Ultracold Neutron Asymmetry) experiment to set limits on this decay channel. Coincident electron-like events are detected with ∼ 4π acceptance using a pair of detectors that observe a volume of stored Ultracold Neutrons (UCNs). We use the timing information of coincidence events to select candidate dark sector particle decays by applying a timing calibration and selecting events within a physically-forbidden timing region for conventional n → p + e- + ν̅e decays. The summed kinetic energy (Ee+e−) from such events is reconstructed and used to set limits, as a function of the χ mass, on the branching fraction for this decay channel.

Thymidylate synthase (TS) is a valid target for treatment of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and mesothelioma (MPM). The TS inhibitor pemetrexed (PMX) is now commonly used in combination with cisplatin (CDDP) or carboplatin, in the first-line setting for both of these lethal diseases. A combination of another TS inhibitor, Tomudex with CDDP, demonstrated similar activity in MPM patients. However, the efficacy of TS inhibitors is limited by uptake, metabolism and target affinity. While uptake of most antifolates is mediated by the reduced folate carrier, PMX is also a good substrate for the proton-coupled folate transporter (PCFT), which displays optimal activity at the acidic pH of the tumor microenvironment. NSCLC and MPM have a variable expression of PCFT, which might be caused by the differential methylation status of the PCFT promoter, resulting in decreased anticancer activity. PMX and TDX activity also depends on polyglutamylation, catalyzed by folylpolyglutamate synthetase (FPGS), which results in intracellular retention and thus enhanced cytotoxicity. We demonstrated that resistance to the classical antifolate methotrexate in human leukemia cells with a marked loss of FPGS activity was associated with impaired splicing of FPGS pre-mRNA. Moreover, we recently showed that the sensitivity of MPM patients to PMX-carboplatin is related to tumor TS expression. Patients with low TS mRNA levels had a significantly longer overall survival (20 vs. 7 months) compared with patients with high expression. Intriguingly, recent trials demonstrated that histology plays an important role in the sensitivity of NSCLC patients, and PMX-CDDP is now approved only for adenocarcinoma patients. These results might be partly explained by the higher TS expression detected in lung tumors of squamous histology. In summary, the clinical success of TS inhibitors may depend on biomarker-driven patient selection, and further studies should evaluate the genetic/epigenetic factors involved in the modulation of these biomarkers in the preclinical and clinical setting.

The overall objective of this research was to understand the events that made possible the creation, diffusion and appropriation of medical mycology in Colombia between 1930 and 1970. It was based on the review of scientific journals and theses in different libraries, archives and documentation centers in Medellin and Bogota. The report includes the different problems faced by physicians and laboratory personnel concerning the classification of fungi, the relationship between dermatology and mycology, the development of the study of systemic mycoses and the role played by some persons in the institutionalization of medical mycology.