Search

Abstract In recent years, graphene field-effect-transistors (GFETs) have demonstrated an outstanding potential for terahertz (THz) photodetection due to their fast response and high-sensitivity. Such features are essential to enable emerging THz applications, including 6G wireless communications, quantum information, bioimaging and security. However, the overall performance of these photodetectors may be utterly compromised by the impact of internal resistances presented in the device, so-called access or parasitic resistances. In this work, we provide a detailed study of the influence of internal device resistances in the photoresponse of high-mobility dual-gate GFET detectors. Such dual-gate architectures allow us to fine tune (decrease) the internal resistance of the device by an order of magnitude and consequently demonstrate an improved responsivity and noise-equivalent-power values of the photodetector, respectively. Our results can be well understood by a series resistance model, as shown by the excellent agreement found between the experimental data and theoretical calculations. These findings are therefore relevant to understand and improve the overall performance of existing high-mobility graphene photodetectors. Graphical Abstract

Abstract Seaweed consumption has gained popularity due to its nutritional value and potential health benefits. However, concerns regarding the bioaccumulation of several trace elements highlight the need for comprehensive studies on exposure associated with seaweed consumption. To address this gap in knowledge, we carried out a feeding intervention study of three common edible seaweeds (Nori, Kombu, and Wakame) in 11 volunteers, aiming to elucidate the extent of both beneficial and harmful trace element exposure through seaweed consumption in humans. Concentrations of total arsenic, cobalt, copper, cadmium, iodine, molybdenum, selenium, and zinc were measured in urine samples before and following seaweed consumption. Elements concentrations were also measured in the seaweeds provided for the study. Descriptive analysis for each element were conducted and we used quantile g-computation approach to assess the association between the 8-element mixture and seaweed consumption. Differences in urine element concentrations and seaweed consumption were analyzed using generalized estimating equations (GEE). Urinary concentrations of iodine and total arsenic increased after seaweed consumption. When we analyze the 8-element mixture, the largest weight was observed for iodine after Kombu consumption while for total arsenic was observed after Wakame consumption. Similar results were observed when we compared the mean differences between the elements before and after seaweed consumption through the GEE. Seaweed consumption relates with increased urinary iodine and total arsenic concentrations, particularly after Kombu and Wakame consumption.

Tunneling nanotubes (TNTs) are open actin- and membrane-based channels, connecting remote cells and allowing direct transfer of cellular material (e.g. vesicles, mRNAs, protein aggregates) from the cytoplasm to the cytoplasm. Although they are important especially, in pathological conditions (e.g. cancers, neurodegenerative diseases), their precise composition and their regulation were still poorly described. Here, using a biochemical approach allowing to separate TNTs from cell bodies and from extracellular vesicles and particles (EVPs), we obtained the full composition of TNTs compared to EVPs. We then focused on two major components of our proteomic data, the CD9 and CD81 tetraspanins, and further investigated their specific roles in TNT formation and function. We show that these two tetraspanins have distinct non-redundant functions: CD9 participates in stabilizing TNTs, whereas CD81 expression is required to allow the functional transfer of vesicles in the newly formed TNTs, possibly by regulating docking to or fusion with the opposing cell.

Resumen: Antecedentes: En España, aunque el Ministerio de Sanidad elabora el informe de posicionamiento terapéutico (IPT) y las condiciones de reembolso de los fármacos, las Comunidades Autónomas (CC. AA.) gestionan los servicios de salud y deciden sobre las condiciones de prescripción en su ámbito territorial. El objetivo del estudio EQUIDAD fue describir los condicionantes para la prescripción de los nuevos fármacos en Dermatología en las CC. AA. y sus posibles diferencias. Material y métodos: Estudio transversal realizado en abril-mayo del 2023. Dos dermatólogos con responsabilidades directivas de cada Comunidad Autónoma (C. A.) informaron sobre los condicionantes autonómicos y locales en la prescripción de los fármacos cuyo IPT para el tratamiento de enfermedades dermatológicas fue publicado en los años 2016-2022. Los datos fueron recogidos mediante un cuestionario online. Resultados: Un total de 33 investigadores de 17 CC. AA. participaron en el estudio. Se observaron inequidades entre CC. AA. para el acceso a los nuevos fármacos. Existieron condicionantes autonómicos adicionales al IPT en psoriasis en el 64,7% de las CC. AA., siendo este porcentaje menor en dermatitis atópica (35,3%) o melanoma (11,8%). El más frecuente fue el requisito de un orden de prescripción previo para el uso del fármaco. En algunas CC. AA. se detectaron además variaciones y condicionantes locales (diferencias entre centros de una misma C. A.). Conclusiones: Existe una multiplicidad de criterios tanto a nivel autonómico como local que añade restricciones adicionales a las establecidas por los IPT y que plantean una situación de inequidad entre los pacientes y los profesionales de las diferentes CC. AA. en el acceso a los nuevos fármacos. Abstract: Background: Although the Spanish Ministry of Health prepares national therapeutic positioning reports (TPRs) and drug reimbursement policies, each of the country's 17 autonomous communities (ACs) is responsible for health care services and prescription requirements in its territory. The aim of the EQUIDAD study was to describe and explore potential differences in prescription requirements for new dermatology drugs across the autonomous communities. Material and methods: Cross-sectional study conducted in April and May, 2023. Two dermatologists with management responsibilities from each autonomous community reported on territorial and more local prescription requirements for drugs covered by national TPRs issued between 2016 and 2022. Results: Thirty-three researchers from 17 autonomous communities participated. The data submitted revealed between-community inequities in access to new drugs. Overall, 64.7% of the regions imposed additional prescription requirements to those mentioned in the TPRs for psoriasis. This percentage was lower for atopic dermatitis (35.3%) and melanoma (11.8%). The most common requirement for accessing a new drug was a previous prescription for another drug. Differences and additional requirements were also detected atthe local level (i.e., differences between hospitals within the same autonomous community). Conclusions: Spain's autonomous communities have multiple regional and local prescription requirements that are not aligned with national TPR recommendations. These differences result in inequitable access to new drugs for both patients and practitioners across Spain.

Aim: This study delves into the pasteurization process for craft beer, exploring its impact on containers and closures. Focusing on small breweries, it have been assess various treatments and find that batch immersion pasteurization post-bottling is optimal. Commercial crowns withstand pasteurization without altering the inner plastic material, crucial for extending the shelf life of craft beers, especially non-alcoholic variants. Methods: Artisanal pasteurization of craft beer batches was performed after evaluating available methods. Given the lack of literature on craft beer pasteurization, this study offers essential insights for the artisanal beer sector. Analyses of crown corks pre- and post-pasteurization were conducted using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR). Organoleptic analysis of pasteurized beers was also conducted. Results: DSC results indicate the film’s glass transition temperature (Tg) is around 62°C, while pasteurization at 66°C for 30 min did not degrade the polymer. Pressure retention and FTIR spectra show no clear differences between reference, pasteurized, and unpasteurized samples. Immersion pasteurization at 66°C with the analysed crowns is suitable for bottling craft beers without affecting polyvinyl chloride (PVC). Conclusions: The study concludes that the chosen pasteurization process does not impact crown PVC, ensuring its suitability for craft beer bottling. Severe pasteurization can alter beer qualities, but at 66°C, no such effects were observed in the organoleptic analysis.

Introduction and objectivesCorticosteroids are among the drugs demonstrating a mortality benefit for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The RECOVERY trial highlighted that dexamethasone reduced 28-day mortality for hospitalized COVID-19 patients requiring either supplemental oxygen or mechanical ventilation. It is noted that approximately 30% of COVID-19 patients, initially presenting with mild symptoms, will advance to acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), especially those with detectable laboratory markers of inflammation indicative of disease progression. Our research aimed to explore the efficacy of dexamethasone in preventing the progression to ARDS in patients hospitalized with COVID-19 pneumonia who do not yet require additional oxygen but are at high risk of developing ARDS, potentially leading to a reduction in morbimortality.MethodsIn this multicenter, randomized, controlled trial, we evaluated the impact of dexamethasone on adult patients diagnosed with COVID-19 pneumonia who did not need supplementary oxygen at admission but were identified as having risk factors for ARDS. The risk of ARDS was determined based on specific criteria: elevated lactate dehydrogenase levels over 245 U/L, C-reactive protein levels exceeding 100 mg/L, and a lymphocyte count below 0.80 × 109/L. Participants were randomly allocated to either receive dexamethasone or the standard care. The primary endpoints included the incidence of moderate or severe ARDS and all-cause mortality within 30 days post-enrollment.ResultsOne hundred twenty-six patients were randomized. Among them, 41 were female (30.8%), with a mean age of 48.8 ± 14.4 years. Ten patients in the dexamethasone group (17.2%) and ten patients in the control group (14.7%) developed moderate ARDS with no significant differences. Mechanical ventilation was required in six patients (4.7%), with four in the treatment group and two in the control group. There were no deaths during hospitalization or during follow-up. An intermediate analysis for futility showed some differences between the control and treatment groups (Z = 0.0284). However, these findings were within the margins close to the region where the null hypothesis would not be rejected.ConclusionIn patients with COVID-19 pneumonia without oxygen needs but at risk of progressing to severe disease, early dexamethasone administration did not lead to a decrease in ARDS development.Clinical trial registrationClinicalTrials.gov, identifier NCT04836780.

Background and Purpose: Cotrimoxazole, a commonly prescribed antibiotic, has substantial resistance, especially in Indonesia, with its uropathogenic resistance reaching 67% in 2017. Although cotrimoxazole has been suggested to be co-administered with lactoferrin to enhance its antibacterial effectiveness and this practice has been widely adopted since the Covid-19 pandemic, the impact of lactoferrin on the pharmacokinetics of cotrimoxazole remains relatively unknown. This study aims to conduct a preliminary clinical investigation into the impact of lactoferrin supplementation on the pharmacokinetics of cotrimoxazole, focusing on the elimination rate and excretion of unchanged drug in urine. Experimental Approach: This study employed a blinded, cross-over, single-dose pharmacokinetics investigation, which included five healthy volunteers as participants. In the initial period, the first group received cotrimoxazole (80 mg trimethoprim and 400 mg sulfamethoxazole) along with a lactoferrin-containing supplement, while the second group only received cotrimoxazole. Subsequently, after a washout period, the conditions were reversed. Urine sampling was conducted at intervals from 0 to 24 hours post-medication, and drug levels in the urine were determined using high-performance liquid chromatography. Key Results: The population-based pharmacokinetic analysis revealed that the optimal model was the one-compartment model with first-order elimination and proportional residual error. Conclusion: The findings show that the administration of lactoferrin-containing supplements did not significantly influence the covariate model and, therefore, did not alter the pharmacokinetics parameter of cotrimoxazole in urine with a single administration, implying that lactoferrin did not cause drug interaction problems when given simultaneously.

Abstract Background Accurately determining the epidemiology of dermatological diseases such as hidradenitis suppurativa (HS), psoriasis (PsO), chronic urticaria (CU) and/or atopic dermatitis (AD) is challenging due to variations in prevalence and disease severity in the reported literature. Objectives The DERMACLEAR study aims to use natural language processing (NLP) to assess the proportions of patients with HS, PsO, CU and/or AD, and obtain information on patient profiles, patient journeys, and disease and healthcare burden in Spain. Here, the study design and objectives of the DERMACLEAR study are described and the precision of the NLP system used is assessed. Methods This study will retrospectively collect patient information from electronic health records (EHRs) at dermatology departments from seven tertiary hospitals in Spain. The NLP system was developed by IOMED Medical Solutions and was verified internally (IOMED scientific team) and externally (principal investigators of each hospital) to determine its precision in identifying patients with HS, PsO, CU and/or AD. Furthermore, internal verification was performed on other medical variables relevant to the study. Results To date, the DERMACLEAR study has retrospectively collected data from 54,458 patients with HS, PsO, CU and/or AD (HS: 5045; PsO: 32,559; CU: 8397; AD: 12,492). The average precision of the NLP system to identify patients diagnosed with HS, PsO, CU, and/or AD across all hospitals exceeded 95% via external and internal verification. Conclusions Results from the DERMACLEAR study will increase the real‐world evidence of clinical practice, obtaining a large amount of information on patients with the studied diseases. The NLP system used is precise in identifying patients diagnosed with HS, PsO, CU and/or AD, and other medical variables from EHRs, highlighting that it is a valid system to use in the DERMACLEAR study.

Hypertension is a "silent killer". It is still one of the bigest challenges in Indonesia, where many cases are still found in primary health facilities. Hypertensive patients who require long-term therapy and adherence are very important factors to support the success of therapy. Based on the data from the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Indonesia (2018), 32.3% of hypertensive patients did not take medication regularly. Many factors influence medication adherence, such as level of knowledge, age, gender, working status, and length of illness. This study aimed to determine the effect of the level of knowledge and other factors on the level of medication adherence of hypertensive patients at the Dr. Mintohardjo Naval Hospital (RSAL). This research is a observasional study with a cross-sectional method and uses a questionnaire for data collection. Adherence level questionnaire uses MMAS-8. Analysis of the relationship between factors that influence the level of adherence uses logistic regression. The inclusion criteria of this study included hypertention outpatient aged ≤ 65 years old and are currently receiving antihypertensive therapy. The results of this study showed that out of 284 respondents, 92% of respondents had good knowledge regarding hypertension, while the level of adherence to taking medication was low at 47%. Factors that influence the level of patient adherence to taking medication in this study are gender (p-value =

Underwater optical wireless communication (UOWC) systems provide the potential to establish secure high-data-rate communication links in underwater environments. The uniqueness of oceanic impairments, such as absorption, scattering, oceanic turbulence, and air bubbles demands accurate statistical channel models based on empirical measurements for the development of UOWC systems adapted to different types of water and link conditions. Recently, generalized Gamma and a mixture of two generalized Gamma probability density functions (PDF) were proposed to describe the statistical behavior of small and large air bubbles, respectively, when considering several levels of particle-induced scattering. In this paper, we derive novel closed-form analytic expressions to compute the bit error rate (BER) and outage performance using both proposed PDFs for various scattering conditions. Furthermore, simple asymptotic expressions are obtained to determine the diversity order of each scenario. Monte Carlo simulation results verify the obtained theoretical expressions. Our results also reveal that UOWC systems present lower BER and outage performance under more turbid water cases with respect to the tap water case due to the higher diversity order and despite the significant increases in pathloss at short link distances. Particle-induced scattering provides an inherent mechanism of turbid waters to mitigate air bubble-induced fluctuations and light blockages.

Mobile telephony has developed exponentially, offering a multitude of services that could be optimal for the educational field of physical and sports activity (PSA). The objective of this research was to analyze the use of smartphone by 40 Spanish teenagers and assess the degree of satisfaction of the Polar Beat application within the subject of physical education in high school. The instruments used were two quantitative questionnaires and the data were analyzed with the statistical package SPSS 24.0. The teenagers recognized that they use the smartphone for instant messaging, telephone calls and downloads of games and tunes. The Polar Beat application in physical education classes has allowed them a better understanding of the content developed; the students affirmed that their motivation towards PSA increased with the knowledge and use of the Polar Beat app and that smartphones are innovative and effective tools. With all this, the mobile phone could be an educational tool that awakens interest in teenagers and teachers.

IntroductionLong COVID patients experience a decrease in their quality of life due to the symptomatology produced by the disease. It is also important to understand how long COVID affects both men and women. The objective of this study is to examine the impact of long COVID symptomatology on the quality of life of Spanish adults from a gender perspective.MethodsAn observational and cross-sectional study was carried out. Participants were able to complete an online questionnaire using an online platform. A sample of 206 people participated in the study.ResultsThe 80.6% of the sample were women with a mean age of 46.51 (±8.28) and the 19.4% were men with a mean age of 48.03 (±9.50). The medium score in the PAC19-QoL test was 141.47 (±24.96) and segmented by gender, 141.65 (±23.95) for women and 140.82 (±28.66) for men. The most common symptoms in women were muscle and joint pain (94.6%), fatigue (94.0%), discomfort (92.2%), difficulty concentrating (91.0%), and memory loss (88.6%). For men the symptoms included muscle and joint pain (97.5%) and fatigue (97.5%) both occupying first position, discomfort (92.0%), difficulty concentrating (90.0%), mood disturbances (90.0%), and memory loss (87.5%). The chi-square test showed statistical significance (p

Background: Although the Spanish Ministry of Health prepares national therapeutic positioning reports (TPRs) and drug reimbursement policies, each of the country's 17 autonomous communities (ACs) is responsible for health care services and prescription requirements in its territory. The aim of the EQUIDAD study was to describe and explore potential differences in prescription requirements for new dermatology drugs across the autonomous communities. Material and methods: Cross-sectional study conducted in April and May, 2023. Two dermatologists with management responsibilities from each autonomous community reported on territorial and more local prescription requirements for drugs covered by national TPRs issued between 2016 and 2022. Results: Thirty-three researchers from 17 autonomous communities participated. The data submitted revealed between-community inequities in access to new drugs. Overall, 64.7% of the regions imposed additional prescription requirements to those mentioned in the TPRs for psoriasis. This percentage was lower for atopic dermatitis (35.3%) and melanoma (11.8%). The most common requirement for accessing a new drug was a previous prescription for another drug. Differences and additional requirements were also detected at the local level (i.e., differences between hospitals within the same autonomous community). Conclusions: Spain's autonomous communities have multiple regional and local prescription requirements that are not aligned with national TPR recommendations. These differences result in inequitable access to new drugs for both patients and practitioners across Spain. Resumen: Antecedentes: En España, aunque el Ministerio de Sanidad elabora el informe de posicionamiento terapéutico (IPT) y las condiciones de reembolso de los fármacos, las Comunidades Autónomas (CC. AA.) gestionan los servicios de salud y deciden sobre las condiciones de prescripción en su ámbito territorial. El objetivo del estudio EQUIDAD fue describir los condicionantes para la prescripción de los nuevos fármacos en Dermatología en las CC. AA. y sus posibles diferencias. Material y métodos: Estudio transversal realizado en abril-mayo del 2023. Dos dermatólogos con responsabilidades directivas de cada Comunidad Autónoma (C. A.) informaron sobre los condicionantes autonómicos y locales en la prescripción de los fármacos cuyo IPT para el tratamiento de enfermedades dermatológicas fue publicado en los años 2016-2022. Los datos fueron recogidos mediante un cuestionario online. Resultados: Un total de 33 investigadores de 17 CC. AA. participaron en el estudio. Se observaron inequidades entre CC. AA. para el acceso a los nuevos fármacos. Existieron condicionantes autonómicos adicionales al IPT en psoriasis en el 64,7% de las CC. AA., siendo este porcentaje menor en dermatitis atópica (35,3%) o melanoma (11,8%). El más frecuente fue el requisito de un orden de prescripción previo para el uso del fármaco. En algunas CC. AA. se detectaron además variaciones y condicionantes locales (diferencias entre centros de una misma C. A.). Conclusiones: Existe una multiplicidad de criterios tanto a nivel autonómico como local que añade restricciones adicionales a las establecidas por los IPT y que plantean una situación de inequidad entre los pacientes y los profesionales de las diferentes CC. AA. en el acceso a los nuevos fármacos.

New data on the geographic distribution and biology of Machiloides tenuicornis Stach, 1930 is given. This species is the only representative of the genus in the Palaearctic and occurs in the central part of the Spanish Pyrenees. The study of samples collected has allowed us to study their life cycle and mode of reproduction. The number of males and females in the samples show that 33.3 % are bisexual populations and 66.6 % are only female populations. The study of the length of all individuals of each sample suggests that the specimens hatch at the end of spring or beginning of summer and can live at least two years. Finally, analysis of the geographical distribution of bisexual and female populations suggests a possible ecological pattern of geographical parthenogenesis.

We present the consensus document on the immunization schedule for adolescents developed by 3 scientific societies: the Spanish Association of Pediatrics (AEP), through its Advisory Committee on Vaccines (CAV-AEP), the Spanish Society of Adolescent Medicine (SEMA) and the Spanish Association of Vaccinology (AEV). There are particularities in infectious disease during adolescence, such as an increased susceptibility to pertussis, poorer outcomes of chickenpox, mumps and hepatitis A, a high incidence of sexually transmitted infections or increased prevalence of meningococcal carriage. The document analyses the schedule for adolescents in the context of vaccination policy overall. It contemplates the vaccines to be included in the immunization schedule for healthy adolescents: against invasive meningococcal disease (tetravalent ACWY and B), against human papillomavirus (which should be gender-neutral), against pertussis, against influenza and against SARS-CoV-2 (in unvaccinated individuals and at-risk groups). It is worth noting that the 4CMenB vaccine appears to confer some protection against gonococcal infection, which would be a considerable added value for adolescents. The vaccination of adolescents belonging to risk groups or travelling abroad also needs to be contemplated, as is the case in any other age group. Vaccination against hepatitis A, which is included in the routine immunization schedule of Catalonia, Ceuta and Melilla from the second year of life, should also be considered a priority in adolescents traveling to endemic areas. Resumen: El documento de consenso Calendario de vacunaciones del adolescente que se presenta tiene la autoría de tres sociedades científicas: la Asociación Española de Pediatría (AEP) con su Comité Asesor de Vacunas (CAV), la Sociedad Española de Medicina de la Adolescencia (SEMA) y la Asociación Española de Vacunología (AEV). Las infecciones tienen sus peculiaridades en la adolescencia, como la mayor susceptibilidad a la tosferina, la peor evolución de la varicela, la parotiditis y la hepatitis A, la incidencia frecuente de infecciones de transmisión sexual, o el aumento de la tasa de portadores de meningococo. Se analiza el calendario correspondiente a esta franja de edad sin perder la visión global de las inmunizaciones. Se contemplan las vacunaciones del calendario del adolescente sano: frente a la enfermedad meningocócica invasora (tetravalente MenACWY y MenB), frente al virus del papiloma humano (que debe hacerse con independencia de género), frente a la tosferina, frente a la gripe y frente a la covid (en no vacunados y en grupos de riesgo). Se destaca que la vacuna 4CMenB tiene una cierta efectividad frente a la infección por gonococo, que sería una gran ventaja añadida para el adolescente. Los calendarios del adolescente perteneciente a grupos de riesgo y del viajero deben ser considerados, al igual que en todas las edades de la vida. La vacuna de la hepatitis A que está incluida en el calendario de vacunaciones sistemáticas de Cataluña, Ceuta y Melilla, desde el segundo año de vida, debe considerarse con prioridad en el calendario del adolescente viajero.

Background: The endometrium remains a difficult tissue for the analysis of microbiota, mainly due to the low bacterial presence and the sampling procedures. Among its pathologies, endometrial cancer has not yet been completely investigated for its relationship with microbiota composition. In this work, we report on possible correlations between endometrial microbiota dysbiosis and endometrial cancer. Methods: Women with endometrial cancer at various stages of tumor progression were enrolled together with women with a benign polymyomatous uterus as the control. Analyses were performed using biopsies collected at two specific endometrial sites during the surgery. This study adopted two approaches: the absolute quantification of the bacterial load, using droplet digital PCR (ddPCR), and the analysis of the bacterial composition, using a deep metabarcoding NGS procedure. Results: ddPCR provided the first-ever assessment of the absolute quantification of bacterial DNA in the endometrium, confirming a generally low microbial abundance. Metabarcoding analysis revealed a different microbiota distribution in the two endometrial sites, regardless of pathology, accompanied by an overall higher prevalence of pathogenic bacterial genera in cancerous tissues. Conclusions: These results pave the way for future studies aimed at identifying potential biomarkers and gaining a deeper understanding of the role of bacteria associated with tumors.