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Nursing restriction and parity might be stressful factors influencing the challenging post-partum period. This experiment aimed to evaluate the effects of nursing frequency (in multiparous dams) and parity on faecal glucocorticoid metabolites after calving in beef cows (n = 64). Also, the role of these effects on productive, metabolic and reproductive functions was assessed. From the day after calving, forty-six Parda de Montana cows were assigned at random to three nursing frequencies: once-daily nursing (1 × 30 min at 0800 h) (RESTR1), twice-daily nursing (2 × 30 min at 0800 and 1530 h) (RESTR2) and ad libitum nursing (ADLIBC). Eighteen heifers were maintained with free access to their calves as in the ADLIB cow's group (ADLIBH). Data were analysed through analysis of variance and survival analysis. The faecal glucocorticoid metabolites during the first three days post-partum were not affected by either calf management or parity (P > 0.10) but they were greater at 12 h post-partum than in subsequent samplings (P 0.10). Serum triglycerides and urea were not affected by calf management or parity (P > 0.10). Peripheral cholesterol and IGF-I did not differ among suckling systems (P > 0.10), but their mean concentration was lower in ADLIBC than in ADLIBH (P 0.10) but ADLIBC had shorter post-partum intervals to first ovulation than ADLIBH (P

Summary This experiment aimed at evaluating the effect of calf management and breed on the metabolic and luteal function of post-partum beef cows fed at maintenance. Fifty multiparous cows, 22 Parda de Montana (PA) and 28 Pirenaica (PI), were assigned to either suckling once-daily for 30 min (RESTR) or ad libitum (ADLIB) from the day after calving. Blood samples were collected to analyse metabolites [non-esterified fatty acids (NEFA), β-hydroxybutyrate, total protein and urea)], insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) and progesterone (P4) at different intervals. Cows from RESTR maintained their live-weight (LW) over the first 3 months post-partum, whereas ADLIB cows lost nearly 4% LW. Both genotypes showed similar LW gains during this period (p > 0.10). Calf daily gains were lower in RESTR than in ADLIB treatment (p 0.10). Milk and lactose production were lower in RESTR cows than in ADLIB (p 0.10). Suckling frequency, but not breed, affected the interval from calving to first ovulation (p

The aim of this experiment was to evaluate the effect of calf management during lactation on dam performance and nursing behaviour. Thirty-six multiparous beef cows (aged 7.5 6 0.52 years) of Parda de Montana breed (mean live-weight (LW) at calving 566 6 9.3 kg) with a moderate body condition (mean 2.6 6 0.02 on a 1 to 5 scale), were assigned to three nursing frequencies from the day after parturition: Once-daily restricted nursing during a 30 min period at 0800 h (RESTR1), twice-daily restricted nursing during two 30 min periods at 0800 and 1530 h (RESTR2) and ad libitum nursing (ADLIB). Cows were fed throughout the experiment 80 MJ/day of metabolizable energy. Cow-calf behaviour recordings were performed on days 30 and 66 of lactation in each treatment. Blood samples were collected fortnightly to analyse non-esterified fatty acids (NEFA) by an enzymatic colorimetric method, and twice weekly to determine progesterone concentrations by radioimmunoassay. Cow LW losses ( P , 0.05), fat-corrected milk yield ( P , 0.05) and calf average daily gain ( P , 0.01) during lactation were higher in ADLIB. Nursing frequency affected the mean serum concentrations of NEFA, being lower in RESTR1 (0.18 mmol/l; P , 0.05) than in RESTR2 and ADLIB cows (0.29 and 0.25 mmol/l, respectively). The highest occurrence of nursing bouts was observed in ADLIB, leading to greater nursing duration per day (not statistically compared) in this treatment (58.8 6 5.84 min) than in their restricted nursing counterparts (22.2 6 1.42 and 34.3 6 1.16 min, in RESTR1 and RESTR2, respectively). The nursing system did not affect the proportion of cows cycling within 3 months post partum (58%, 46% and 55% in RESTR1, RESTR2 and ADLIB, respectively; P. 0.05). The majority of cows in all treatments showed a short oestrus cycle after first ovulation (75%, 100% and 83%; P. 0.05). In conclusion, the post-partum luteal function in cows managed under continuous access to calves was similar to restricted nursing frequencies, despite the greater suckling intensity of the formers. Restricting calf presence does not enhance the resumption of ovarian activity when suckler cows are managed in moderate nutritional conditions.

The study was conducted to evaluate the effect of age at weaning and breed on the stress response of calves to weaning and their temperament. At calving, 14 Parda de Montaña calves and 14 Pirenaica calves were randomly assigned to either early weaning (at 90 days) or traditional weaning (at 150 days) treatment. During nursing, calves were allowed to suckle their dams twice a day for 30 min. After weaning, calves were placed in an adjacent barn without access to their dams, where they remained for 7 days. On day 8 after weaning, they were transported to a feedlot where they received an intensive diet. Blood samples were taken 168 h before weaning (baseline) and 6, 24, 48 and 168 h after weaning for cortisol, fibrinogen and haematology analyses, and temperament was measured 90 and 180 days after weaning with the flight speed test. Cortisol concentration increased after weaning, irrespective of age at weaning. Early-weaned calves had a lower fibrinogen baseline and a greater increase in fibrinogen concentrations 48 h after weaning than traditionally weaned calves. Moreover, fibrinogen concentration returned to baseline values 168 h after weaning in traditionally weaned calves, whereas it remained high in early-weaned calves. Concerning breed effects, Pirenaica calves had higher cortisol concentration and fibrinogen increments after weaning than Parda de Montaña calves. Slight alterations occurred after weaning in haematology, but all parameters returned to baseline values 168 h after weaning, with no significant effects of age at weaning or breed. Despite the absence of clinical signs, early-weaned calves of both breeds suffered marginal anaemia, according to haemoglobin values. Regardless of age at weaning, Pirenaica calves had greater reactivity to human presence than Parda de Montaña calves, according to their higher flight speed values measured. Finally, early-weaned calves were lighter than traditionally weaned calves at weaning, but had similar weight gains in the feedlot. Consequently, they needed an additional 40 days to reach the target weight, irrespective of breed. Therefore, age at weaning had no major effects on the stress response to weaning or temperament, but early weaning increased the length of the feedlot period. On the other hand, Pirenaica calves were more reactive than Parda de Montaña calves to the stress of weaning and human presence.

This paper proposes methods for calibration of two network time services—NTP servers and time-stamp authorities. The calibration is described in conformity with metrological principles like other time distribution systems. The authors have built up the calibration sets and tested them in cooperation with five European time and frequency laboratories. The paper also presents and discusses experimental results collected by measurement of time servers between involved laboratories.

Aims: To investigate the extension of the very-high-energy spectral tail of the Crab pulsar at energies above 400 GeV. Methods: We analyzed $\sim$320 hours of good quality data of Crab with the MAGIC telescope, obtained from February 2007 until April 2014. Results: We report the most energetic pulsed emission ever detected from the Crab pulsar reaching up to 1.5 TeV. The pulse profile shows two narrow peaks synchronized with the ones measured in the GeV energy range. The spectra of the two peaks follow two different power-law functions from 70 GeV up to 1.5 TeV and connect smoothly with the spectra measured above 10 GeV by the Large Area Telescope (LAT) on board of the Fermi satellite. When making a joint fit of the LAT and MAGIC data, above 10 GeV, the photon indices of the spectra differ by 0.5$\pm$0.1. Conclusions: We measured with the MAGIC telescopes the most energetic pulsed photons from a pulsar to date. Such TeV pulsed photons require a parent population of electrons with a Lorentz factor of at least $5\times 10^6$. These results strongly suggest IC scattering off low energy photons as the emission mechanism and a gamma-ray production region in the vicinity of the light cylinder.

Epidural analgesia is now the method of choice for the treatment of pain in labour and delivery. However, this technique may fail and provide inadequate or null alleviation to the mother. This paper reviews the risk factors, possible causes and possible therapeutic alternatives to inadequate analgesia, whether pharmacological therapies (neuroaxial, peripheral blocks or analgesic administration via intravenous or inhalational routes) or non-pharmacological ones (relaxation techniques, psychological or mechanical). In all possible cases the efficacy and indications of alternative therapies based on the published literature are reviewed, especially from the point of view of evidence-based medicine. The need is underscored of a multifactorial therapeutic approach to the pregnant woman, not just restricting ourselves to eliminating the pain of childbirth.

Galaxy clusters are the largest and most massive gravitationally bound structures known in the Universe. Cosmic-Ray (CR) hadrons accelerated at structure formation shocks and injected by galaxies, are confined in galaxy clusters where they accumulate for cosmological times. The presence of diffuse synchrotron radio emission in several clusters proves the existence of high-energy electrons, and magnetic fields. However, a direct proof of CR proton acceleration is missing. The presence of CR protons can be probe through the diffuse gamma-ray emission induced by their hadronic interaction with the Intra-Cluster Medium (ICM). The Perseus cluster, a nearby cool-core cluster, has been identified to be among the best candidates to detect such emission. We present here the results of a very deep observation of the Perseus cluster with the MAGIC telescopes, accumulating about 250 hours of data from 2009 to 2014. No evidence of large-scale very-high-energy gamma-ray emission from CR-ICM interactions has been detected. The derived flux upper limits in the TeV regime allow us to put stringent constraints on the physics of cluster CRs, in particular on the CR-to-thermal pressure, the CR acceleration efficiency at formation shocks and the magnetic field of the central cluster region., Proceedings of The 34th International Cosmic Ray Conference (ICRC 2015), 8 pages, 8 figures

Context. In the last five years the Fermi Large Area Telescope (LAT) instrument detected GeV {\gamma}-ray emission from five novae. The GeV emission can be interpreted in terms of an inverse Compton process of electrons accelerated in a shock. In this case it is expected that protons in the same conditions can be accelerated to much higher energies. Consequently they may produce a second component in the {\gamma}-ray spectrum at TeV energies. Aims. We aim to explore the very-high-energy domain to search for {\gamma}-ray emission above 50 GeV and to shed light on the acceleration process of leptons and hadrons in nova explosions. Methods. We have performed observations with the MAGIC telescopes of the classical nova V339 Del shortly after the 2013 outburst, triggered by optical and subsequent GeV {\gamma}-ray detec- tions. We also briefly report on VHE observations of the symbiotic nova YY Her and the dwarf nova ASASSN-13ax. We complement the TeV MAGIC observations with the analysis of con- temporaneous Fermi-LAT data of the sources. The TeV and GeV observations are compared in order to evaluate the acceleration parameters for leptons and hadrons. Results. No significant TeV emission was found from the studied sources. We computed upper limits on the spectrum and night-by-night flux. The combined GeV and TeV observations of V339 Del limit the ratio of proton to electron luminosities to Lp, Comment: 7 pages, 2 figures, accepted for publication in A&A

In recent years, a certain correlation detected between clocks at time and frequency laboratories has been the main reason behind the development of a revised version of the classical `Three-Cornered Hat' method as a mathematical tool to estimate the frequency instability of a set of clocks. The method has been formulated keeping in mind the possibility of dependence among clocks and has been generalized to an ensemble of N clocks [1–5]. It basically consists of the minimization of an objective function, the quadratic sum of cross-correlation coefficients, with the constraint condition established by the positive definiteness of the (estimated) absolute covariance matrix related to the clocks. Later on, a matrix formulation to calculate the optimal weights in the case of correlated clocks was presented in [6]. The impact of this weighting procedure on the instability of the ensemble time was evaluated, on the basis of simulated clocks, when correlation was appropriately taken into account and in the case when it was neglected. That paper established, as a main conclusion, the mathematical treatment to be used in the usual case of weak dependence. In this paper, we present a summary of the theory involved, and then apply the procedures to optimal weighting of clocks using real data clocks at Real Observatorio de la Armada (San Fernando, Spain). Finally, we discuss the results obtained.

Background The use of Procion orange dye (POD) is one of the most widely accepted techniques to assess sarcolemmal damage. This phenomenon has been related to functional adaptation in skeletal muscles. The POD method includes intravenous injection of this colorant in vivo, enabling its identification inside those fibres with membrane leaks (fluorescence). However, the safety of the use of POD has not been proven. Aim This study was designed to compare POD with a safer alternative, involving the identification of intracellular fibronectin using specific antibodies. Method Eight Swiss mice were submitted to electrical stimulation of the lower limbs at different frequencies (10–80 Hz). Subsequently, the POD solution was infused, and samples from the vastus medialis muscle were obtained 24 h later. Samples were processed and serial sections were analysed using immunohistochemistry (monoclonal antibodies against fibronectin) and epifluorescence microscopy. Results Ninety-eight per cent of the fibres were equally classified by both techniques, which in addition showed good correlation (percentages of damaged fibres, r = 0·998, P

Fundamento Entre los modelos animales mas utilizados en estudios de fisiopatologia respiratoria se hallan los caninos, debido fundamentalmente a las caracteristicas fisiologicas del perro. Sin embargo, consideraciones eticas y legales restringen su utilizacion en nuestro medio a unas pocas especies Objetivo Hemos estudiado las caracteristicas estructurales basicas de musculos respiratorios y perifericos en el perro beagle, con el fin de aproximar sus valores de referencia para futuros estudios Metodo Se han incluido 14 animales jovenes de esa raza, en los que se tomaron muestras musculares del diafragma costal (DFG), intercostal externo (IE) y musculo de una extremidad (vasto interno) (PF). Se analizaron los porcentajes y tamanos fibrilares (inmunohistoquimica, anticuerpos anti-cadenas pesadas de miosina o MyHC), porcentaje y cantidad de las isoformas de MyHC (electroforesis y ELISA), y grado de dano de membrana (inmunohistoquimica, anti-cuerpos antifibronectina) Resultados Las fibras eran mayores en el IE, sobre todo a expensas de las de tipo II (un 20% mayores). Las fibras resistentes a la fatiga (tipo I) predominaban ampliamente sobre las de contraccion rapida (tipo II) en los 3 musculos analizados (DFG, 57 ± 11 frente a 45 ± 12; IE, 58 ± 5 frente a 43 ± 5, y PF, 70 ± 8 frente a 34 ± 7%). La cantidad de fi-bras hibridas (coexpresion de MyHC rapidas y lentas) era minima y similar en los tres musculos. La expresion absoluta de MyHC era mayor en el PF que en los musculos respiratorios, con predominio relativo de la isoforma I en DFG y PF, y tendencia similar en el IE. El dano de membrana era muy reducido en los tres musculos Conclusiones Las caracteristicas fenotipicas de los musculos respiratorios y PF en el perro beagle responden a lo es-perable funcionalmente en una raza seleccionada inicialmente para la caza, con minimos grados de lesion en circunstancias normales, predominio de fibras y proteinas resistentes a la fatiga y fibras mayores en el IE, un musculo que desempena un papel relevante en la respiracion de los perros

Antecedentes El factor de necrosis tumoral alfa (TNF-a) se ha implicado en la perdida de masa muscular en la enfermedad pulmonar obstructiva cronica (EPOC) y otras enfermedades consumtivas. Su produccion estaria en relacion con la inflamacion derivada de la propia enfermedad pulmonar o el habito tabaquico, llegando al musculo por el torrente sanguineo. Sin embargo, tambien se ha sugerido que el TNF-α podria expresarse directamente en el tejido muscular. Sea cual fuere el lugar de produccion, la relacion del TNF-α con el dano muscular subsiguiente no es clara Objetivo Hemos estudiado la expresion del TNF-α y una interleucina inhibidora de su produccion (IL-10) en los musculos respiratorios principales y en un musculo periferico del perro Metodos Se han incluido nueve animales machos, adultos jovenes de raza Beagle. En todos ellos se tomaron biopsias del diafragma (Df), del intercostal externo (IExt) y de un musculo de las extremidades (vasto interno del cuadriceps o VInt). Se analizo la expresion de los genes de TNF-α e IL-10, a traves de la determinacion de sus ARNm corres-pondientes, utilizando la transcripcion reversa y reaccion en cadena de la polimerasa (RT-PCR). Tambien se evaluo el dano sarcolemico mediante deteccion de fibronectina intra-celular (inmunohistoquimica) Resultados Los valores de expresion de ambas citocinas evidenciaron una amplia dispersion interindividual. Por un lado, la expresion de TNF-α fue minima en Df y IExt (respectivamente, 0,02 ± 0,03 y 0,05 ± 0,06 u.a.), con valores relativamente elevados en VInt (0,14 ± 0,08 u.a.). A su vez, la IL-10 evidenciaba valores bajos en DF (0,6 ± 0,5 u.a.), que eran algo superiores en IExt (2,7 ± 1,9 u.a.; p Conclusiones a) TNF-α e IL-10 parecen expresarse constitutivamente en el musculo esqueletico canino; b) los valores basales de expresion del TNF-α son menores en los musculos repiratorios que en los de las extremidades mos-trando relacion en estos ultimos con el dano de membrana

Fundamento y Objetivos El epitelio y el musculo liso de las vias aereas de pacientes con enfermedad pulmonar obstructiva cronica (EPOC) o asma bronquial evidencian cambios estructurales asociados probablemente con un aumento de la expresion de moleculas inflamatorias y con factores de crecimiento celular. El estudio de la relacion entre enfermedad y cambios en el musculo liso bronquial es dificil si se restringe a muestras necropsicas o de toracotomia. El presente estudio fue disenado para evaluar la probabilidad de obtener musculo liso bronquial mediante biopsia bronquial endoscopica, tanto en pacientes con EPOC como en individuos con funcion pulmonar normal, su relacion con la histologia del epitelio bronquial, y la potencial utilidad para estudiar episodios de remodelado del musculo de la vias aereas. Metodos Se incluyo a 42 pacientes a quienes se realizo una fibrobroncoscopia con finalidad diagnostica. Se tomaron sistematicamente biopsias bronquiales de los espolones de division lobares y segmentarios. La estructura epitelial se analizo mediante histologia convencional. El musculo liso fue identificado mediante immunohistoquimica (anticuerpo antidesmina) y analisis por Western-blot (anticuerpos contra desmina, actina y miosina). Resultados El 69% de las biopsias contenia musculo liso bronquial. La probabilidad de obtener musculo liso fue mayor en biopsias de bronquios segmentarios que lobares (el 72 frente al 30%; p Conclusiones La biopsia bronquial endoscopica permite obtener muestras de musculo liso bronquial, especialmente cuando se realiza en los bronquios segmentarios, en un elevado porcentaje de pacientes. Es posible que esta tecnica sea util en futuros estudios que evaluen los procesos de remodelado del musculo liso de la via aerea.

We analysed the impact of the Xpert(®) MTB/RIF molecular test on health-care diagnostic delay among tuberculosis patients. Diagnostic delay was 17.2 days (standard deviation 23.2, median 10 days). Of 128 patients recruited into the study, 60 (47%) were smear-negative; of these, 40 (67%) were Xpert-positive and were started on treatment without culture. The sensitivity of smear microscopy was 53% compared with 82% for Xpert. In smear-negative patients, delay in Xpert-positive and -negative patients was respectively 15.5 ± 13.2 and 25.5 ± 12.5 days (P = 0.002). We conclude that Xpert results were significantly associated with shorter health-care diagnostic delay, particularly in smear-negative patients.

El diafragma parece presentar fenomenos estructurales adaptativos en la EPOC. Sin embargo, existen limitaciones para la obtencion de muestras musculares, sobre todo en enfermos con afectacion funcional grave. Objetivo Valorar la viabilidad de un nuevo modelo de obtencion de muestras del diafragma, que permitiria el estudio estructural incluso en los pacientes mencionados, y estudiar si el tamano de las fibras se relaciona con la gravedad de la enfermedad. Metodos Se han estudiado 15 enfermos (de 57 ± 15 anos de edad), tributarios de laparotomia por proceso abdominal localizado. En todos ellos se efectuaron pruebas funcionales respiratorias completas. Las muestras musculares fueron obtenidas durante el acto quirurgico, mediante una nueva tecnica, con formacion de “bolsa de tabaco” y biopsia en cupula, validada previamente en modelos animales. Posteriormente, las biopsias fueron procesadas para evaluar las proporciones y tamanos fibrilares (tincion de ATPasa a diferentes pH). Resultados Los 15 pacientes presentaban un amplio espectro funcional (FEV1 22-120% ref), que incluia 4 enfermos graves (FEV1 ≤50% ref). Todos ellos se hallaban eunutridos y su funcion respiratoria mostraba un FEV1/FVC del 67 ± 13%, RV 134 ± 55% ref, y presiones maximas en la boca (PImmax) de –75 ± 27 cmH 2 O y transdiafragmatica (PIdimax) de 96 ± 26 cmH 2 O, DLco 87 ± 26% ref y PaO2 89 ± 14 mmHg. En todos los pacientes fue posible la obtencion de muestras validas para el analisis estructural, con total ausencia de complicaciones. Las fibras presentaron un predominio ligero de las tipo I (54 ± 9%), que mantenian un tamano globalmente normal (57 ± 9 μm de diametro minimo o Dm, indice de atrofia de 195 ± 243 e indice de hipertrofia de 66 ± 78), sin diferencias entre ambos subtipos fibrilares (Dm de 58 ± 8 para las I y 61 ± 8 μm para las II). Se observo una correlacion inversa del tamano global con los volumenes estaticos (p. ej., Dm con RV, r = –0,729, p Conclusiones La tecnica laparoscopica descrita es sencilla y segura para su utilizacion en seres humanos, permitiendo obtener muestras del diafragma validas para el estudio estructural. Esto permite ampliar el espectro de sujetos susceptibles de este tipo de estudios. Por otra parte, las fibras del musculo mencionado presentan un menor tamano en relacion con la gravedad de la afectacion funcional asociada a la EPOC.

We have explored the ability of artificial neural network technologies to generate performance models of complex problem-solving tasks without the detailed a priori knowledge of the nature of the task. To test the generalizibility of this approach we applied this analysis to two diverse content domains—high school genetics and clinical patient management. In both domains, the artificial neural networks, using only the sequence of actions taken while performing the task, generated multiple classification groups defining different levels of competence. The validity of these neural network performance groupings was further established by the good concordance of these classifications with independently derived expert ratings.

Low-energy osteoporotic pelvic fractures in the elderly are a very common problem. They are usually stable fractures, non-life threatening and only require conservative treatment. The pelvic bone structure is closely related to important vascular structures. The Corona Mortis, located in the retropubis, has an important anastomotic value as it serves as communication between the internal and external iliac vessels. The case is presented of an 87 year-old woman, who, after a casual fall, was diagnosed with an osteoporotic fracture of the left pubic rami associated to a lesion of the Corona Mortis, which led to a severe picture of haemodynamic instability. After angiography with supra-selective embolisation of the lesioned vessel, and the transfusion of several haemoderivatives, the patient progressed satisfactorily, and was discharged after a few days.

Migraine is a common and prevalent disease that contributes to health expenditure and interferes with quality of life. Our goal was to analyse the level of stress at work in a sample of migraine and its possible association with the chronicity of the processWe applied the Maslach Burnout Inventory, consisting of 22 items grouped into blocks that assess emotional exhaustion (EE), personal accomplishment (PA), depersonalisation at work (DP)] and positive influence (PI), to 94 consecutive subjects recruited in the outpatient clinic. Differences were compared between clinical groups (chronic migraine [CM]:15 days/month with headache over a 3-month period vs episodic migraine [EM]:15 days/month with headache) using the general linear model adjusted for age and MIDAS scoreThe mean age was higher in the CM group. Mean MIDAS scores were 51 ± 4.1 in CM, and 17.7 ± 15 in EM (P=.001). Adjusted means for EE were 24.6 ± 2.6 in CM patients, 16.2 ± 2.6 in EM patients, and 13.4 ± 2.3 (P=.03) in the healthy group. MIDAS scale scores were inversely correlated to PA (P.05) DISCUSSION: Our results suggest that the level of EE at work is higher in EM than in CM patients, while PA levels decrease as impact on the MIDAS scale increases. The Maslach scale is a potentially useful tool for studying migraine impact. Surprisingly, EE is higher in patients with fewer episodes; this tendency could be related to stress adaptation mechanisms present in patients with chronic illness.

Astronomy and astrophysics 591, A138(2016). doi:10.1051/0004-6361/201527722, The Geminga pulsar, one of the brighest gamma-ray sources, is a promising candidate for emission of very-high-energy (VHE > 100 GeV) pulsed gamma rays. Also, detection of a large nebula has been claimed by water Cherenkov instruments. We performed deep observations of Geminga with the MAGIC telescopes, yielding 63 h of good-quality data, and searched for emission from the pulsar and pulsar wind nebula. We did not find any significant detection, and derived 95% confidence level upper limits. The resulting upper limits of 5.3 × 10$^{-13}$ TeV cm$^{-2}$ s$^{-1}$ for the Geminga pulsar and 3.5 × 10$^{-12}$ TeV cm$^{-2} s$^{-1}$ for the surrounding nebula at 50 GeV are the mostconstraining ones obtained so far at VHE. To complement the VHE observations, we also analyzed 5 yr of Fermi-LAT data from Geminga, finding that the sub-exponential cut-off is preferred over the exponential cut-off that has been typically used in the literature. We also find that, above 10 GeV, the gamma-ray spectra from Geminga can be described with a power law with index softer than 5. The extrapolation of the power-law Fermi-LAT pulsed spectra to VHE goes well below the MAGIC upper limits, indicating that the detection of pulsed emission from Geminga with the current generation of Cherenkov telescopes is very difficult., Published by EDP Sciences, Les Ulis

Discovering the nature of Dark Matter (DM) is one of the fundamental challenges of the modern physics. Indirect searches of DM are devoted to look for non-gravitational signals of its presence in the highly DM dominated cosmic regions. Within the weakly interacting massive particles (WIMPs) scenario, we expect very high energy (VHE) gamma-ray emissions resulting from annihilation and/or decay of DM particles. Since the beginning of operations, the Major Atmospheric Gamma Imaging Cherenkov (MAGIC) telescopes are carrying out deep observations of several promising DM targets, with the aim of detecting such signals or alternatively setting stringent constrains to DM particle models in the TeV mass region. In this contribution we present the latest indirect DM search results achieved by MAGIC on several targets, such as dwarf satellites – where MAGIC reached the strongest constraints on DM annihilation searches above few hundreds of GeV –, galaxy clusters, and the Galactic Center.

The exchange of physical forces in both cell-cell and cell-matrix interactions play a significant role in a variety of physiological and pathological processes, such as cell migration, cancer metastasis, inflammation and wound healing. Therefore, great interest exists in accurately quantifying the forces that cells exert on their substrate during migration. Traction Force Microscopy (TFM) is the most widely used method for measuring cell traction forces. Several mathematical techniques have been developed to estimate forces from TFM experiments. However, certain simplifications are commonly assumed, such as linear elasticity of the materials and/or free geometries, which in some cases may lead to inaccurate results. Here, cellular forces are numerically estimated by solving a minimization problem that combines multiple non-linear FEM solutions. Our simulations, free from constraints on the geometrical and the mechanical conditions, show that forces are predicted with higher accuracy than when using the standard approaches.

To evaluate uterine contractility, bleeding, haemodynamic performance, and side effects of different doses of oxytocin after delivery under spinal anaesthesia in caesarean section without prior labour in childbirth. We also perform a pharmacoeconomic evaluation.A randomised, descriptive, observational and multicentre prospective study was conducted, which included 104 ASA 1 patients divided into 3 groups. Group 1 (n=52) received after removal of the foetus and coinciding with foetal umbilical cord clamping, 1 IU of oxytocin followed by an infusion of 2.5 UI×h(-1); Group 2 (n=52) a continuous infusion of 20IU oxytocin at a rate of 700mUI×min(-1) followed later by 10UI×h(-1), and group 3, 100μg bolus dose of carbetocin only.There were no statistical differences between groups in anthropometric, obstetric or anaesthetic variables. Significant differences in uterine contraction in vaginal bleeding and the incidence of side effects, particularly headache and tremor, were more pronounced in the carbetocin group.With these results, we cannot recommend the routine use of carbetocin in caesarean sections, because it is accompanied by an increased incidence of side effects without any improvement in the prevention of obstetric haemorrhage. Finally, it is economically more expensive than the use of low doses of oxytocin, which may be the trend that should be considered in the future, due to the clinical outcomes, and its lower cost.

The flat-spectrum radio quasar PKS 1441+25 at a redshift of z = 0.940 is detected between 40 and 250 GeV with a significance of 25.5 {\sigma} using the MAGIC telescopes. Together with the gravitationally lensed blazar QSO B0218+357 (z = 0.944), PKS 1441+25 is the most distant very high energy (VHE) blazar detected to date. The observations were triggered by an outburst in 2015 April seen at GeV energies with the Large Area Telescope on board Fermi. Multi-wavelength observations suggest a subdivision of the high state into two distinct flux states. In the band covered by MAGIC, the variability time scale is estimated to be 6.4 +/- 1.9 days. Modeling the broadband spectral energy distribution with an external Compton model, the location of the emitting region is understood as originating in the jet outside the broad line region (BLR) during the period of high activity, while being partially within the BLR during the period of low (typical) activity. The observed VHE spectrum during the highest activity is used to probe the extragalactic background light at an unprecedented distance scale for ground-based gamma-ray astronomy., Comment: Corresponding Authors: J. Becerra (josefa.becerra@nasa.gov), M. Nievas Rosillo (mnievas@ucm.es), M. Manganaro (manganaro@iac.es), F. Tavecchio (fabrizio.tavecchio@brera.inaf.it) Published in The Astrophysical Journal Letters (ApJL), 2015ApJ...815L..23A, DOI: 10.1088/2041-8205/815/2/L23

Summary Heterosexual intercourse is the major mode of transmission of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) worldwide. Heterosexual transmission of HIV is particularly important in Africa and is increasing in the developed world. The mechanism of HIV infection of the female genital tract with HIV and subsequent events leading to clinical infection are not fully understood. In particular, the primary cellular targets of HIV infection in the female genital tract have not been determined. We have established an in vitro model for studying HIV infection of the human adult cervix by HIV. Human cervical mucosal explants were briefly exposed to HIV strains of different tropism and maintained in organ culture for 7 days. HIV infection detected by immunohistochemistry and in situ hybridization was only observed in cervical explants exposed to macrophage tropic strain HIV 1 Ba-L . HIV-infected cells were located in submucosa and had the morphology and distribution of macrophages. While CD4 + /CD3 + T cells were still present at day 7 in the organ culture tissue, no infection of cervical explants was seen with T cell tropic strains even in the presence of phytohaemagglutinin and IL2. This model system will enable study of the dynamics of HIV infection of the human cervix and analysis of possible prophylactic or therapeutic strategies.

Coronary heart disease (CHD) is the single leading cause of death in America, accounting for about one of every five deaths [1]. Family history of premature parental CHD is associated with a twofold increased risk of cardiovascular disease, making it vital that providers know their patients’ histories. For patients who do not know their family history, genetic testing is being considered as a means to someday fill this gap and will also increase the focus on prevention, provide better diagnostics, and help direct treatment options. This chapter summarizes findings about genes associated with CHD and raises practical and ethical issues that need to be addressed as this field of genetics evolves and before genetic testing at clinics becomes commonplace.

The economic evaluation of medications and health care technology has gained importance in recent years. Health care resources are limited and their use must be optimized so that we can take the greatest possible advantage. Pharmacoeconomics seeks to analyze the best therapeutic drug choices to obtain the desired outcome in specific cases or in populations. The 4 approaches used in pharmacoeconomics are cost-minimization analysis, cost-benefit analysis, cost-effectiveness analysis, and cost-utility analysis. This review examines the characteristics of each type of study using examples from anesthesiology, a field in which pharmacoeconomics is beginning to play a role.

In cesarean section, the optimal dose of oxytocin to reduce the risk of hemorrhage with the least risk of adverse effects has yet to be defined. We studied the effects of using 2 different doses of oxytocin in women undergoing elective cesarean section under spinal anesthesia. The women had had no prior labor.Randomized multicenter trial enrolling 104 patients classified as ASA 1. Following fetal extraction and coinciding with umbilical cord clamping, a group of 52 women received 1 IU of oxytocin followed by an infusion of 2.5 IU x h(-1); a second group of 52 women received a continuous infusion of 20 IU at a rate of 700 mlU x min(-1) followed by 10 IU x min(-1). We compared uterine contractility (assessed as absent, moderate, satisfactory), postoperative vaginal bleeding (absent, light, moderate, heavy), hemodynamics, and adverse effects after administration of oxytocin and fetal extraction (electrocardiographic abnormalities, nausea, vomiting, discomfort, headache, blushing, trembling, chills, or chest pain).No significant between-group differences in patient, obstetric, or anesthetic variables were detected. Uterine contraction was satisfactory in over 90% of the patients in both groups on initial assessment during surgery. After surgery, vaginal bleeding was absent or light in over 90% of the women. No significant differences in adverse events were detected between groups.The incidence of obstetric bleeding is not higher when a lower dose of oxytocin is used; the rate of postoperative adverse events also does not increase.

Canine aggression directed towards people is the most frequent reason for referral to behaviour practices. The serotonergic system and the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis are believed to play an important role in controlling aggression. The selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor fluoxetine is the most commonly used drug in canine aggression. The aim of the present study was to assess the effect of a 30-day-long fluoxetine treatment on the peripheral serotonergic system and the HPA axis in canine aggression. To this end, the concentrations of serum serotonin (5-HT) and plasma cortisol and dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) were analysed in a group of aggressive (n = 22) and nonaggressive dogs (n = 9) during pre- (day 0) and posttreatment (day 30) conditions. Treatment caused a significant decrease in 5-HT concentrations (46% in the aggressive group and 32% in the control group). There was a trend towards a rise of DHEA/cortisol ratio values after treatment both in the aggressive and the control group. The determination of blood 5-HT and the DHEA/cortisol ratio could have important clinical applications in the future for deciding which animals might benefit from a given treatment as well as for monitoring the response. Further large-scale studies with this aim should be carried out to obtain sound conclusions.

This paper studies a population of Abra alba settled on sedimentologically stable bottom in the Santander Bay. Temporal dynamics of this species is influenced by temperature fluctuations. Four different annual cohorts were reco.!ded. The population has a secondary AFDW prodution of 845 mg m-2 year-1 and a P/B ratio of 2.82. The theoretical growth rate indicates a maximum lifespan of two years.

Many recent studies have underlined the importance of quantitative neuromuscular monitoring and the high incidence of residual block in clinical practice in spite of the use of nondepolarizing neuromuscular blockers of intermediate duration. Neuromuscular monitoring facilitates the tailoring of the muscular paralysis and appropriate patient recovery at the end of surgery. Monitoring also controls or prevents residual block and serves to guide the use of reversing agents. This review describes the physiology of neuromuscular junctions as well as the principles and patterns of nerve stimulation and clinical monitoring. In addition to drawing on their own experience, the authors have reviewed the literature available through evidence-based indexes and other databases up to December 2008. Most references found were case series and reviews. Quantitative monitoring is an evidence-based practice that should be applied in all situations in which a neuromuscular block is established.

The calibration of time transfer links is mandatory in the context of international collaboration for the realization of International Atomic Time. In this paper, we present the results of the calibration of the GPS time transfer link between the Real Instituto y Observatorio de la Armada (ROA) and the Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB) by means of a traveling geodetic-type GPS receiver and an evaluation of the achieved type A and B uncertainty. The time transfer results were achieved by using CA, P3, and also carrier phase PPP comparison techniques. We finally use these results to re-calibrate the two-way satellite time and frequency transfer (TWSTFT) link between ROA and PTB, using one month of data. We show that a TWSTFT link can be calibrated by means of GPS time comparisons with an uncertainty below 2 ns, and that potentially even sub-nanosecond uncertainty can be achieved. This is a novel and cost-effective approach compared with the more common calibration using a traveling TWSTFT station.

Although continuous cultures (CC) studies has been recognized as the standard method for cell line characterization, thorough and precise studies makes its use prohibitively costly. Batch cultures have also been used for this purpose due to its simplicity, but because of the constantly changing environment results obtained are reliable only for non limited growth phase.

To determine changes in sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium and chloride ion concentrations in blood, osmolarity, and pH during surgery, and to assess the influence of such changes on atracurium- or vecuronium-induced neuromuscular blockade under inhaled or intravenous anesthesia.Prospective study randomizing 119 ASA 1-2 patients; 52.1% of the patients received atracurium (26.8%, with isoflurane; 25.2%, with propofol) and 47.9% received vecuronium (23.5%, with isoflurane; 24.3%, with propofol). The neuromuscular blockade was confirmed by electromyography of the adductor pollicis muscle (stimuli delivered to the cubital nerve). Two venous blood samples were extracted to measure ureic nitrogen, creatinine, glucose, ion concentrations (sodium, chloride, potassium, calcium, and magnesium), and osmolarity. Arterial blood gases and pH were also assessed. The first blood sample was extracted on inserting the venous catheter and the second on recovery of 25% of the first train-of-four twitch.The onset and duration of action for equipotent doses of atracurium and vecuronium were similar. Likewise, recovery was also similar. Plasma chloride ion and glucose levels tended to rise during surgery, while sodium, potassium and magnesium ion concentrations fell. Both total and effective plasma osmolarities also decreased. Fluid replacement therapy during surgery was at least partly responsible for these changes. Low calcium and magnesium concentrations and alkalosis prolonged some phases of atracurium recovery, while low sodium levels shortened the duration of some atracurium-induced blockade recovery phases. The effect of changes in chloride ion concentrations on recovery was variable. High chloride, low calcium, and especially low sodium ion concentrations shortened some phases of the vecuronium-induced blockade, while alkalosis prolonged its duration.Changes in electrolyte concentrations and pH as a result of standard fluid replacement therapy are moderate, well tolerated, and do not exercise a strong effect on the behavior of the neuromuscular blockade.