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This study used a novel integrated technology of ceramic supported carbon membrane(CSCM) to degrade azo dyes through an anaerobic mixed culture. The CSCM worked simultaneouslyas biofilm support, redox mediator, and nano-filter to enhance the dye decolorization efficiency. Thedecolorization of Acid Orange 7 (AO7) was initially investigated with and without microorganismsin both ceramic support (CS) and CSCM reactors. The CSCM bioreactor (B-CSCM), operated withmicroorganisms, gave a maximum decolorization of 98% using a CSCM evolved from 10% weight(wt.) of Matrimid 5218 solution. To know the influence of permeate flow, feed concentration, anddye structure on the decolorization process, different B-CSCMs for dye removal experiments werestudied over monoazo AO7, diazo Reactive Black 5 (RB5), and triazo Direct Blue 71 (DB71). Thehighest color removal, operated with 50 mg·L-1feed solution and 0.05 L·m-2·h-1of permeate flux,was 98%, 82%, and 72%, respectively, for AO7, RB5, and DB71. By increasing these parameters to100 mg·L-1and 0.1 L·m-2·h-1, the decolorization rate of dye solution still achieved 37% for AO7,30% for RB5, and 26% for DB71. In addition, the system was run for weeks without apparent loss ofactivity. These findings make evident that the combined phenomena taking place in CSCM bioreactorresult in an efficient, cost-effective, and ecofriendly azo dye decolorization method. This project has been supported by the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research andinnovation programme under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie grant agreement No. 713679 and by theUniversitat Rovira i Virgili (URV), contract 2017MFP-COFUND-18. Funding for this research was provided by Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades, the Agencia Estatal de Investigación(AEI) and the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), project RTI2018-096467-B-I00. Theauthors research group is recognized by the Comissionat per a Universitats i Recerca, DIUE dela Generalitat de Catalunya (2017 SGR 396), and supported by the Universitat Rovira i Virgili(2019PFR-URV-33). We would like thank Constantífor her contribution to the bacterial communitycharacterization.

Background Throughout history, the perception and defini- tion of beauty and attractiveness have changed and have been influenced by cultural norms. This article analyzes the concept of B facial normality ^ (faces that are considered normal by 90% of respondents and, therefore, do not require esthetic surgery) among Spaniards of Caucasian ancestry. We also sought to determine the relationship between faces that are considered B normal ^ and the golden ratio. Methods We surveyed 54 respondents (equal numbers of women and men) between the ages of 18 and 60. The surveys followed the visual analog scale (VAS) protocol, and 13,514 responses were obtained. The respondents were asked to evaluate up to nine photographed faces according to their degree of attractiveness. Results According to the data obtained, B facial normality ^ or facial beauty can be defined by the following characteristics: (a) the sizes of the three facial segments (equal in proportion), (b) the width of the nose (narrow in women and average in men), and (c) the profile (straight or slightly retracted in women and straight or slightly prominent in men). In addition, five specific facial proportions were directly related to the golden ratio. Thus, the concept of B normal ^ can be applied to 90% of faces whose proportions fall within distinct ranges that en- compass the value of the golden ratio. Conclusions We conclude that a standard perception of B facial normality ^ and facial beauty does exist. We also ob- served a general correlation between specific facial propor- tions and the golden ratio. Level of Evidence: Not ratable. Preprint

Un accidente es un proceso fisico irreversible en el cual, de manera inevitable, se crea entropia, o, lo que es lo mismo, se destruye informacion. Cuando el accidente ya ha ocurrido e intentamos reconstruirlo, lo que estamos intentando es replantear la situacion real anterior al accidente y su desarrollo, a partir de la situacion posterior. Esto, en sentido estricto, es imposible, por la mencionada destruccion de informacion. Pero no se destruye toda la informacion, porque las leyes de la fisica se siguen cumpliendo en el transcurso del accidente, y ellas acotan los posibles estados previos al mismo y su cadena de acontecimientos. Asi, por consideraciones de tipo cinetico o dinamico, podremos descartar, por ejemplo, una determinada trayectoria de un vehiculo accidentado. En este articulo vamos a ver de que premisas partimos y a que conclusiones llegamos sobre la reconstruccion de accidente de trafico, resaltando la importancia del atestado inicial.

Objective To determine the effectiveness of immunotherapy with high-dose IV immunoglobulin preceding IVF-ET for patients with repeated failure of ET. Design Prospective, observational. Setting Assisted Reproduction Unit of the Hospital Clinic i Provincial in Barcelona, a tertiary care setting. Patients Twelve consecutive tubal infertility patients experiencing repeated unexplained IVF-ET failure including at least three ETs replacing three to four fresh embryos each. Two women shared three or more human leukocyte antigens (HLA) with the husband. Intervention During the subsequent new IVF-ET cycle, each patient received 400 mg/kg IV immunoglobulin daily for 5 days during ovarian stimulation, that is, 5 to 7 days before ET. Main Outcome Measures Clinical pregnancies. Results No implantation occurred. There were no side effects. Conclusions High-dose IV immunoglobulin is not a useful tool for IVF-ET failure.

purpose: To determine whether the features of the antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) are in any way influenced by the presence or absence of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). We followed up patients with ‘primary' APS (PAPS) and APS secondary to SLE (APS plus SLE) with the objective of comparing laboratory and clinical events and of determining whether patients with PAPS would have evolution to SLE. patients and methods: A total of 114 patients from 3 European referral centers were included in this study. Fifty-six had APS plus SLE and 58 had PAPS. Laboratory and clinical data were collected during an average 2-year period. results: Patients with PAPS and patients with APS plus SLE had similar clinical and laboratory profiles, with the exceptions of autoimmune hemolytic anemia, endocardial valve disease, neutropenia, and low C4 levels, all of which occurred more frequently in patients with APS plus SLE (p values: conclusions: Patients with APS plus SLE and PAPS have similar clinical profiles, although heart valve disease, hemolytic anemia, low C4 levels, and neutropenia seem to be more common in patients with APS plus SLE. Patients with APS may develop further thrombotic events despite anticoagulation therapy.

Introduction: Defects in the regulation of apoptosis of autoreactive lymphocytes are involved in the pathogenesis of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). The apoptotic process relies on adequate functioning of numerous molecules, including oncogenes and diverse cytokines. p53 has been implicated in the control of the cell cycle through the stimulation of apoptosis of these autoreactive cells. Objective: To study the role of the p53 pathway on the regulation of apoptosis in SLE patients and analyze the relationship of the p53 oncoprotein with disease activity and other oncogenes (bcl-2, Fas) and cytokines (interleukin-10, IL-10, and tumor necrosis factor-α, TNF-α), implicated in the apoptotic process and the pathogenesis of SLE. Patients and Methods: p53 and bcl-2 antigen expression were determined in lyzed lymphocytes from 74 patients with SLE and 30 healthy controls. Serum levels of soluble-Fas (sFas) and cytokines IL-10 and TNF-α were studied by enzyme-linked immunonosorbent assay. Results: SLE patients had higher levels of p53 protein (0.16 ± 0.33 ng/dl) than controls (0.014 ± 0.02 ng/dl; p = 0.006). Patients with active SLE had higher levels of p53 (0.31 ± 0.48 ng/dl) than those with inactive disease (0.08 ± 0.17 ng/dl; p = 0.003) who in turn had higher levels than controls (0.01 ± 0.02 ng/dl; p = 0.035). A significant correlation was found between p53 levels and the SLE disease activity index (R = +0.24/ p = 0.04), anti-DNA antibodies (R = +0.23/p = 0.048) and IL-10 levels (R = +0.4/p = 0.004). No correlation was found between p53 levels and bcl-2, sFas or TNF-α levels. Conclusions: The p53 oncoprotein may play a role in the pathogenesis and activity of SLE. IL-10 may influence SLE activity by inhibiting the p53 and bcl-2/Fas apoptosis pathway of autoreactive cells.

Objective: To analyze the course of maternal diseases and the outcome of pregnancy in patients with systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE). Study design: During a period of 11 years we prospectively followed 60 pregnancies in 46 SLE patients in a tertiary care center in Barcelona (Spain). The management protocol included: (1) planning of conception when disease was inactive; (2) frequent follow-up visits by an internist–obstetrician team; (3) use of sequential ultrasonographic, Doppler and fetal echocardiographic examinations; (4) serial evaluations of maternal immunological condition; and (5) low dose aspirin from 1 month before attempting conception and throughout pregnancy was added in women with antiphospholipid antibodies. From 1985 until 1994 prednisone prophylaxis was used in all lupus patients during the last month of pregnancy and during the first month of the puerperium; from 1995 onwards this regime was abandoned. Results: The mean (S.D.) age of patients was 28.6 (4.8) years (range 20 to 42) and the mean (S.D.) previous duration of SLE was 6.25 (4.8) years (range 0 to 17). SLE was diagnosed during the pregnancy in two cases (3.3%) and the disease was active at conception in four cases (6.7%); at that time nine patients (15%) were taking prednisone. Antiphospholipid antibodies were positive in 16 patients (30.4%) and there were 10 (16.7%) pregnancies in patients having lupus nephropathy. There were three first-trimester miscarriages (5%) and four (6.7%) voluntary abortions. Obstetric complications in the remaining 53 pregnancies included: preterm delivery, 11 cases (20.8%); intrauterine growth retardation, five cases (9.4%); hypertension, 10 patients (18.9%), five of them fulfilling the criteria of preeclampsia; premature rupture of membranes, four patients (7.5%); finally, 13 neonates had a birthweight lower than 2500 g. There were 15 lupus flares (28.3%), giving a flare rate of 0.044 per patient/month. There were five neonatal deaths (perinatal mortality rate, 94‰): one because of complete heart block, three due to severe hyaline membrane disease resulting from extreme prematurity and one intrauterine death in a patient having the Leiden mutation. Conclusion: Pregnancy in patients with SLE should not be regarded as an unacceptable high-risk condition for the mother or her baby provided that conception is accurately planned and patients are managed according to a careful multidisciplinary treatment schedule.

We present a patient with primary antiphospholipid syndrome, as defined by nine pregnancy losses, the presence of lupus anticoagulant (LAC), and the absence of clinical signs and symptoms of autoimmunity. A successful pregnancy was achieved by treatment with low-dose prednisone (15 mg daily) and aspirin (100 mg daily). The patient was followed-up throughout her two last pregnancies and a 6 months postpartum period. Our data indicate that LAC serves as a marker of disease in women with previous pregnancy wastages, and that aspirin-prednisone therapy is beneficial in carefully selected patients.

Kinetic measurements of the reaction among eight substituted benzaldehydes and ethylene oxide in the presence of catalytic amounts of tetrabutylammonium halides have been performed. With poor electrophilic aldehydes the rate-determining step of the reaction is the nucleophilic attack of the halogeno ethoxide anion to the carbonyl group while with rich electrophilic aldehydes the rate-determining step becomes the ring opening of ethylene oxide by the halide ion. Hammett correlations and kinetic results confirm these proposed mechanisms.

The Ca1 antibody was used in an immunohistochemical procedure on smears of cells from 40 patients with malignant pleural effusion. The control group consisted of 25 benign pleural effusions with a high percentage of reactive mesothelial cells. The Ca1 Me Ab was positive in 19 (79%) of the 24 pleural effusions with positive malignant cytology. In all the benign cases the Ca1 Mc Ab was negative (100% specificity). The Ca1 Mc Ab detected malignant mesothelial cells in two cases and was negative with reactive mesothelial cells and other nucleated cells present in the pleural effusion. We conclude that the Ca1 antibody offers a useful diagnostic method for malignant pleural effusions, when the morphological interpretation is doubtful.