Search

Abstract We report on the thermal neutron flux measurements carried out at the Laboratorio Subterráneo de Canfranc (LSC) with two commercial $$2^{\prime \prime } \times 2^{\prime \prime }$$ 2 ″ × 2 ″ CLYC detectors. The measurements were performed as part of an experimental campaign at LSC with $$^{3}$$ 3 He detectors, for establishing the sensitivity limits and use of CLYCs in low background conditions. A careful characterization of the intrinsic $$\alpha $$ α and $$\gamma $$ γ -ray background in the detectors was required and done with dedicated measurements. It was found that the $$\alpha $$ α activities in the two CLYC crystals differ by a factor of three, and the use of Monte Carlo simulations and a Bayesian unfolding method allowed us to determine the specific $$\alpha $$ α activities from the $$^{238}$$ 238 U and $$^{232}$$ 232 Th decay chains. The simulations and unfolding also revealed that the $$\gamma $$ γ -ray background registered in the detectors is dominated by the intrinsic activity of the components of the detector such as the aluminum housing and photo-multiplier and that the activity within the crystal is low in comparison. The data from the neutron flux measurements with the two detectors were analyzed with different methodologies: one based on an innovative $$\alpha $$ α /neutron pulse shape discrimination method and one based on the subtraction of the intrinsic $$\alpha $$ α background that masks the neutron signals in the region of interest. The neutron sensitivity of the CLYCs was calculated by Monte Carlo simulations with MCNP6 and GEANT4. The resulting thermal neutron fluxes are in good agreement with complementary flux measurement performed with $$^{3}$$ 3 He detectors, but close to the detection limit imposed by the intrinsic $$\alpha $$ α activity.

Abstract During the second long shutdown period of the CERN accelerator complex (LS2, 2019-2021), several upgrade activities took place at the n_TOF facility. The most important have been the replacement of the spallation target with a next generation nitrogen-cooled lead target. Additionally, a new experimental area, at a very short distance from the target assembly (the NEAR Station) was established. In this paper, the core commissioning actions of the new installations are described. The improvement in the n_TOF infrastructure was accompanied by several detector development projects. All these upgrade actions are discussed, focusing mostly on the future perspectives of the n_TOF facility. Furthermore, some indicative current and future measurements are briefly reported.

In this study, the convective heating/cooling process assisted by US irradiation is analyzed with the aims of developing a new convective heat transfer correlation. Heat transfer experiments were conducted with different copper machined geometries (cube, sphere and cylinder), fluid velocities (0.93–5.00 × 10−3 m/s), temperatures (5–60 °C), and US intensities (0–6913 W/m2) using water as heat transfer fluid. The Nusselt (Nu) equation was obtained by assuming an apparent Nu number in the US-assisted process, expressed as the sum of contributions of the forced convection and cavitation-acoustic streaming effects. The Nu equation was validated with two sets of experiments conducted with a mixture of ethylene glycol and water (1:1 V/V) or a CaCl2 aqueous solution (30 g/L) as immersion media, achieving a satisfactory reproduction of experimental data, with mean relative deviations of 17.6 and 17.8%, respectively. In addition, a conduction model with source term and the proposed correlation were applied to the analysis of US-accelerated heating kinetics of dry-cured ham reported in literature. Results demonstrated that US improves heating of ham slices because of the increased heat transfer coefficients and the direct absorption of US power by the foodstuff.

73Ge(n,γ) cross sections were measured at the neutron time-of-flight facility n_TOF at CERN up to neutron energies of 300 keV, providing for the first time experimental data above 8 keV. Results indicate that the stellar cross section at kT=30 keV is 1.5 to 1.7 times higher than most theoretical predictions. The new cross sections result in a substantial decrease of 73Ge produced in stars, which would explain the low isotopic abundance of 73Ge in the solar system. Keywords: Nucleosynthesis, Neutron capture, s process, Germanium, n_TOF

The presently reported study provides the length–weight relations (LWR) for 23 species from headwater streams of the Bodoquena Plateau, which is located on the southern border of the Brazilian Pantanal. The following species were studied Steindachnerina brevipinna (Eigenmann et Eigenmann, 1889); Characidium zebra Eigenmann, 1909; Bryconops melanurus (Bloch, 1794); Aphyocharax dentatus Eigenmann et Kennedy, 1903; Astyanax lacustris Lütken, 1875; Astyanax lineatus (Perugia, 1891); Brachychalcinus retrospina Boulenger, 1892; Creagrutus meridionalis Vari et Harold, 2001; Hemigrammus lunatus Durbin, 1918; Hyphessobrycon eques (Steindachner, 1882); Hyphessobrycon luetkeni (Boulenger, 1887); Jupiaba acanthogaster (Eigenmann, 1911); Moenkhausia bonita Benine, Castro et Sabino, 2004; Odontostilbe pequira (Steindachner, 1882); Piabarchus analis (Eigenmann, 1914); Serrapinus calliurus (Boulenger, 1900); Hoplerythrinus unitaeniatus (Spix et Agassiz, 1829); Hypostomus basilisko Tencatt, Zawadzki et Froelich, 2014; Otocinclus vittatus Regan, 1904; Rineloricaria parva (Boulenger, 1895); Cichlasoma dimerus (Heckel, 1840); Crenicichla lepidota Heckel, 1840; Poecilia reticulata Peters, 1859. Specimens were collected in February and October of 2016. This study represents the first LWR data for 13 species and the maximum standard length for Astyanax lacustris and Moenkhausia bonita.

The neutron capture cross section of 154Gd was measured from 1 eV to 300 keV in the experimental area located 185 m from the CERN n_TOF neutron spallation source, using a metallic sample of gadolinium, enriched to 67% in 154Gd. The capture measurement, performed with four C6D6 scintillation detectors, has been complemented by a transmission measurement performed at the GELINA time-of-flight facility (JRC-Geel), thus minimising the uncertainty related to sample composition. An accurate Maxwellian averaged capture cross section (MACS) was deduced over the temperature range of interest for s process nucleosynthesis modelling. We report a value of 880(50) mb for the MACS at kT=30 keV, significantly lower compared to values available in literature. The new adopted 154Gd(n,γ) cross section reduces the discrepancy between observed and calculated solar s-only isotopic abundances predicted by s-process nucleosynthesis models. Keywords: s process, 154Gd, Neutron time of flight, n_TOF

This work reports on accurate, high-resolution measurements of the 25Mg(n,γ)26Mg and 25Mg(n,tot) cross sections in the neutron energy range from thermal to about 300 keV, leading to a significantly improved 25Mg(n,γ)26Mg parametrization. The relevant resonances for n+25Mg were characterized from a combined R-matrix analysis of the experimental data. This resulted in an unambiguous spin/parity assignment of the corresponding excited states in 26Mg. With this information experimental upper limits of the reaction rates for 22Ne(α,n)25Mg and 22Ne(α,γ)26Mg were established, potentially leading to a significantly higher (α,n)/(α,γ) ratio than previously evaluated. The impact of these results has been studied for stellar models in the mass range 2 to 25 M⊙.

Abstract Background Manganese peroxidases (MnPs) are, together with lignin peroxidases and versatile peroxidases, key elements of the enzymatic machineries secreted by white-rot fungi to degrade lignin, thus providing access to cellulose and hemicellulose in plant cell walls. A recent genomic analysis of 52 Agaricomycetes species revealed the existence of novel MnP subfamilies differing in the amino-acid residues that constitute the manganese oxidation site. Following this in silico analysis, a comprehensive structure–function study is needed to understand how these enzymes work and contribute to transform the lignin macromolecule. Results Two MnPs belonging to the subfamilies recently classified as MnP-DGD and MnP-ESD—referred to as Ape-MnP1 and Cst-MnP1, respectively—were identified as the primary peroxidases secreted by the Agaricales species Agrocybe pediades and Cyathus striatus when growing on lignocellulosic substrates. Following heterologous expression and in vitro activation, their biochemical characterization confirmed that these enzymes are active MnPs. However, crystal structure and mutagenesis studies revealed manganese coordination spheres different from those expected after their initial classification. Specifically, a glutamine residue (Gln333) in the C-terminal tail of Ape-MnP1 was found to be involved in manganese binding, along with Asp35 and Asp177, while Cst-MnP1 counts only two amino acids (Glu36 and Asp176), instead of three, to function as a MnP. These findings led to the renaming of these subfamilies as MnP-DDQ and MnP-ED and to re-evaluate their evolutionary origin. Both enzymes were also able to directly oxidize lignin-derived phenolic compounds, as seen for other short MnPs. Importantly, size-exclusion chromatography analyses showed that both enzymes cause changes in polymeric lignin in the presence of manganese, suggesting their relevance in lignocellulose transformation. Conclusions Understanding the mechanisms used by basidiomycetes to degrade lignin is of particular relevance to comprehend carbon cycle in nature and to design biotechnological tools for the industrial use of plant biomass. Here, we provide the first structure–function characterization of two novel MnP subfamilies present in Agaricales mushrooms, elucidating the main residues involved in catalysis and demonstrating their ability to modify the lignin macromolecule.

La gammagrafía y la colangiorresonancia de hígado y vías biliares (CRMN) desplazaron la prueba de la sonda duodenal (PSD) en el estudio de ictericia colestásica por atresia de las vías biliares extrahepáticas (AVBE). Demostrar utilidad de la PSD asociada a ultrasonido de abdomen (USA), en el diagnóstico de AVBE. Cuatro casos con ictericia colestásica se sometieron a PSD y USA; uno de ellos, a CRMN. La PSD fue negativa para bilis en los 4; el USA no demostró vesícula, o la demostró pequeña o irregular, o detectó cordón fibroso; la CRMN mostró quiste de colédoco, pero no AVBE asociada; cirugía y patología documentaron AVBE en los 4. La PSD asociada a USA demuestra ausencia de bilis en el duodeno y anormalidad de la vesícula, respectivamente, lo que conduce a exploración quirúrgica en 24 a 48 h.

Ticks are a globally distributed group of hematophagous ectoparasites that parasitize terrestrial vertebrates such as amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals. Ticks are vectors and reservoirs of pathogens that play an important role in wildlife and human health. Rickettsia is one of the bacteria transmitted by ticks, which some pathogenic species can cause rickettsiosis, a zoonotic disease that can cause serious harm to humans and animals. More information is necessary on the interactions between ticks and wildlife despite the fifty-seven ticks species already identified in Colombia. The objective of the present study was to determine the associations between ticks parasitizing wildlife and bacteria of the genus Rickettsia in six departments of Colombia. One hundred eighty-five ticks (80 larvae, 78 nymphs, and 27 adults) were collected from 55 wildlife species (amphibians, birds, mammals, and reptiles). Nine tick species were identified, and Rickettsia bellii, Rickettsia felis, ‘Candidatus Rickettsia colombianensi’ and Rickettsia parkeri were detected. Our results contribute to the current knowledge of tick-associated rickettsiae and the role of wildlife in their transmission dynamics.

Objetivo: estudio sobre reperfusión intestinal con una doble finalidad: a) valorar la utilidad de la medición del flujo capilar intestinal mediante láser-doppler para el estudio de la reperfusión intestinal; y b) comparar el efecto de las formas racémica y levo del ácido folínico en su tratamiento. Diseño experimental: modelo murino de isquemia intestinal mediante clampaje completo de la arteria mesentérica superior durante 90 minutos. Se compara la evolución de tres grupos de tratamiento: suero salino, ácido folínico y ácido levofolínico. Se analiza la evolución de parámetros bioquímicos (niveles de creatín kinasa, láctico deshidrogenasa y fosfatasa alcalina a los 60 minutos y dos y siete días de restablecer el flujo sanguíneo), flujo capilar en yeyuno e íleon mediante láser-doppler (durante isquemia y tras primera hora de reperfusión), lesión mucosa intestinal, y curva de supervivencia. Resultados: el láser-doppler permitió analizar con fiabilidad el efecto de los tratamientos sobre el flujo capilar durante reperfusión intestinal. El ácido levofolínico mejoró el flujo capilar en el íleon a partir de los 25 minutos de reperfusión, a la vez que disminuyó la lesión mucosa en el mismo tramo intestinal el séptimo día de evolución (p < 0,05). En cambio, produjo un aumento inicial de los enzimas séricos durante la reperfusión, y no modificó la supervivencia. Conclusiones: los cambios en la microcirculación valorados con láser-doppler han mostrado cierta relación con las variaciones observadas en los estudios anatomopatológicos. No se ha podido demostrar que la forma levo del ácido folínico ejerza mayor protección que el compuesto racémico.Objective: an intestinal reperfusion study with two aims: a) to assess the usefulness of intestinal capillary blood flow measurement by laser-Doppler for intestinal reperfusion studies; and b) to compare the effects of racemic and levo forms of folinic acid in treating the syndrome. Experimental design: a murine model of intestinal ischemia by completely clamping the superior mesenteric artery for 90 minutes. A comparison was made of three treatment groups: saline, folinic acid, and levo-folinic acid. The following factors were analyzed: changes in biochemical parameters (levels of creatine kinase, lactic dehydrogenase, and alkaline phosphatase at 60 minutes, and at two and seven days after restoring blood flow), capillary flow in the jejunum and ileum by laser-Doppler (during ischemia and after the first hour of reperfusion), intestinal mucosa injury, and survival curve. Results: laser-Doppler provided reliable data on how the different treatments affected capillary flow during intestinal reperfusion. Levo-folinic acid improved capillary flow in the ileum after 25 minutes of reperfusion, and also reduced mucosal injury in the same stretch of intestine by the seventh day post-reperfusion (p < 0.05). On the other hand, it produced an initial increase in serum enzymes during reperfusion, and did not modify survival. Conclusions: the changes observed in intestinal capillary blood flow measurement by laser-Doppler have similarities with the effects of drugs on pathological mucosal changes. We could not prove that the levo form of folinic acid has a stronger protective effect versus racemic folinic acid in intestinal ischemia-reperfusion syndrome.

[fr] Nous avons étudié le degré de superposition entre la diète du bouquetin (Capra pyrenaica, cerf (Cervus elaphus), daim (Dama dama) et mouflon (Ovis musimon) dans le Parc National de Cazorla, Segura et Las Villas (SE de l'Espagne). Pour l'évaluation de la diète, nous nous sommes basés sur les contenus stomachaux. Les espèces les plus consommées par les quatre herbivores étaient Quercus rotundifolia, Phillyrea latifolia, Rosmarinus officinalis, Oryzopsis paradoxa et Festuca arundinacea. Le bouquetin et le cerf montraient la diète la plus semblable (53,77o de superposition) puisque tous deux broutaient une grande quantité de matière ligneuse. Le mouflon et le daim montraient des habitudes similaires au niveau de l'alimentation, mangeant des herbes et consommant une grande quantité de graminées. Les diètes du bouquetin et du cerf ne se superposaient que très peu avec celles, respectivement, du daim et mouflon. Le mouflon consommait beaucoup de mégaphorbes tandis que le daim consommait surtout des chamaephytes et le cerf principalement arbres et arbrisseaux. Aucun des quatre ongulés étudiés montrait des diètes très strictes (broutage ou consommateur de graminées); cependant, on peut signaler que le bouquetin et le cerf présentaient plus des caractères de brouteurs tandis que le mouflon et le daim mangeaient casi-exclusivement des herbes. [es] En el presente estudio se analiza la relación trófica y el grado de solapamiento de dieta entre la cabra montés fCapra pyrenaica), el ciervo (Cervus elaphus), el gamo (Dama dama) y el muflón (Ovis musimon) en el Parque Nacional de Cazorla, Segura y Las Villas. La dieta se evaluó a partir de los contenidos gástricos. La especies más consumidas por los cuatro herbívoros fueron Quercus rotundifolia, Phillyrea latifolia, Rosmarinus officinalis, Oryzopsis paradoxa y Festuca arundinacea. Los dos ungulados con la dieta más similar fueron el ciervo y la cabra montés (53,7% de solapamiento), de hábitos ramoneadores y consumidores de grandes cantidades de leñosas. El gamo y el muflón tienen dietas similares, comportándose como pastadores y consumiendo principalmente gramíneas. Los niveles de solapamiento entre la dieta de la cabra montés y el ciervo por un lado, y el gamo y muflón por otro, son muy bajos. El muflón ha sido el mayor consumidor de herbáceas no graminoides, el gamo consume mayoritariamente caméfitos y el ciervo árboles y arbustos principalmente. Ninguno de los cuatro mostró una dieta estrictamente ramoneadora o pastadora, aunque el ciervo y la cabra montés se comportan básicamente como ramoneadores, mientras que el gamo y el muflón principalmente como pastadores.

De acuerdo con las guías internacionales vigentes respecto a problemas de contaminación radiológica ambiental, es necesario evaluar y conocer los niveles de radón intramuros, especialmente debido a que el radón y sus hijos son el principal causante de la dosis de radiación natural que recibe el ser humano. Algunos países han establecido instituciones y programas nacionales encargadas del estudio del radón y su interrelación con el cáncer pulmonar y la salud pública. En este trabajo se presentan mediciones de radón intramuros en algunos países latinoamericanos, siendo los participantes Argentina, Brasil, Ecuador, México, Perú y Venezuela. Se usaron diferentes tecnologías y métodos para este esfuerzo común, presentando los niveles de radón intramuros en lugares específicos de cada uno de los países participantes. Finalmente, este trabajo fue hecho con el ánimo de integrar las instituciones latinoamericanas avocadas a las mediciones de radón intramuros. doi: https://doi.org/10.22201/igeof.00167169p.2002.41.4.494

Most of the natural radiation dose to man comes from radon gas and its progeny. Several countries have established national institutions and national programs in charge of the study of radon and its connection with lung cancer risk and public health. In this paper an indoor radon measurements in Latin American countries is presented. The participants in this work were from Argentina, Brazil, Ecuador, Mexico, Peru and Venezuela. Many different techniques are used in this common effort, and the indoor radon levels in specific locations in each of the participant countries are presented.

El presente trabajo tiene como finalidad ampliar el conocimiento de las características tecnológicas de la madera de Dendropanax arboreus (L.) Planch & Decne. Para lo cual se realizó un estudio anatómico, se determinaron las propiedades físicas, la madera de tensión y los índices de calidad de pulpa para papel, y se calcularon a partir de la densidad las propiedades mecánicas. Se utilizaron muestras de madera de siete alturas y tres zonas de la sección transversal de cinco árboles. Los vasos presentaron placa perforada escaleriforme, longitud de 959.48µ y diámetro de 73.31µ; y las fibras una longitud de 1343.73µ, un diámetro de 27.73µ y un grosor de pared de 4.68µ. La madera presentó densidad básica media (0.44 g⋅cm-3), contracción volumétrica total media (11.17 %), contracciones lineales altas (7.0 T y 4.14 %R), relación de anisotropía baja (1.69), índices de calidad de pulpa para papel buenos y las propiedades mecánicas resultaron de bajas a muy bajas. La madera de tensión se encontró en forma dispersa y aislada. En general, no se presentó una tendencia marcada por parte de las variables analizadas en los diferentes diámetros o alturas estudiadas. En función de los resultados, la madera presenta un amplio espectro de utilización excepto para usos estructurales.

Introduction: Aryl-alcohol oxidase (AAO) shows a pronounced duality as oxidase and dehydrogenase similar to that described for other glucose-methanol-choline (GMC) oxidase/dehydrogenase superfamily proteins involved in lignocellulose decomposition. In this work, we detail the overall mechanism of AAOs from Pleurotus eryngii and Bjerkandera adusta for catalyzing the oxidation of natural aryl-alcohol substrates using either oxygen or quinones as electron acceptors and describe the crystallographic structure of AAO from B. adusta in complex with a product analogue.Methods: Kinetic studies with 4-methoxybenzyl and 3-chloro-4- methoxybenzyl alcohols, including both transient-state and steady-state analyses, along with interaction studies, provide insight into the oxidase and dehydrogenase mechanisms of these enzymes. Moreover, the resolution of the crystal structure of AAO from B. adusta allowed us to compare their overall folding and the structure of the active sites of both AAOs in relation to their activities.Results and Discussion: Although both enzymes show similar mechanistic properties, notable differences are highlighted in this study. In B. adusta, the AAO oxidase activity is limited by the reoxidation of the flavin, while in P. eryngii the slower step takes place during the reductive half-reaction, which determines the overall reaction rate. By contrast, dehydrogenase activity in both enzymes, irrespective of the alcohol participating in the reaction, is limited by the hydroquinone release from the active site. Despite these differences, both AAOs are more efficient as dehydrogenases, supporting the physiological role of this activity in lignocellulosic decay. This dual activity would allow these enzymes to adapt to different environments based on the available electron acceptors.

Summary: Iron serves as a cofactor for enzymes involved in several steps of protein translation, but the control of translation during iron limitation is not understood at the molecular level. Here, we report a genome-wide analysis of protein translation in response to iron deficiency in yeast using ribosome profiling. We show that iron depletion affects global protein synthesis and leads to translational repression of multiple genes involved in iron-related processes. Furthermore, we demonstrate that the RNA-binding proteins Cth1 and Cth2 play a central role in this translational regulation by repressing the activity of the iron-dependent Rli1 ribosome recycling factor and inhibiting mitochondrial translation and heme biosynthesis. Additionally, we found that iron deficiency represses MRS3 mRNA translation through increased expression of antisense long non-coding RNA. Together, our results reveal complex gene expression and protein synthesis remodeling in response to low iron, demonstrating how this important metal affects protein translation at multiple levels.

El presente estudio busca comparar la eficacia de un calentamiento estándar con la de un calentamiento estandar+estimulación eléctrica muscular (EEM), en pruebas de fuerza explosiva. Se llevó a cabo con 22 sujetos, los cuales se sometieron a seis sesiones de adaptación a la EEM, mejorando la tolerancia a la electricidad un 189.65%. Se tomaron medidas del ácido láctico en sangre, de la altura alcanzada en SJ y CMJ, así como envelocidad en 20 m, inmediatamente después de realizar los dos métodos de calentamiento. Ninguna diferencia significativa en las pruebas se encontró entre ambos métodos de calentamiento. Se halló una mayor acumulación de ácido láctico en sangre cuando los sujetos realizaron calentamiento + electroestimulación (t(21) = 2.89 psujetos que toleraron más EEM en las sesiones previas obtuvieron mejores resultados en la prueba de CMJ.PALABRAS CLAVE.- Electroestimulación, potenciación-postactivación, calentamiento, ácido láctico.

Common variable immunodeficiency (CVID) is the most prevalent primary immunodeficiency. Here the authors perform single-cell omics analyses in CVID-discordant monozygotic twins and show epigenetic and transcriptional alterations associated with activation in memory B cells.

Abstract Background The SARS-CoV-2 infection has widely spread to become the greatest public health challenge to date, the COVID-19 pandemic. Different fatality rates among countries are probably due to non-standardized records being carried out by local health authorities. The Spanish case-fatality rate is 11.22%, far higher than those reported in Asia or by other European countries. A multicentre retrospective study of demographic, clinical, laboratory and immunological features of 584 Spanish COVID-19 hospitalized patients and their outcomes was performed. The use of renin-angiotensin system blockers was also analysed as a risk factor. Results In this study, 27.4% of cases presented a mild course, 42.1% a moderate one and for 30.5% of cases, the course was severe. Ages ranged from 18 to 98 (average 63). Almost 60 % (59.8%) of patients were male. Interleukin 6 was higher as severity increased. On the other hand, CD8 lymphocyte count was significantly lower as severity grew and subpopulations CD4, CD8, CD19, and NK showed concordant lowering trends. Severity-related natural killer percent descents were evidenced just within aged cases. A significant severity-related decrease of CD4 lymphocytes was found in males. The use of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors was associated with a better prognosis. The angiotensin II receptor blocker use was associated with a more severe course. Conclusions Age and age-related comorbidities, such as dyslipidaemia, hypertension or diabetes, determined more frequent severe forms of the disease in this study than in previous literature cohorts. Our cases are older than those so far reported and the clinical course of the disease is found to be impaired by age. Immunosenescence might be therefore a suitable explanation for the hampering of immune system effectors. The adaptive immunity would become exhausted and a strong but ineffective and almost deleterious innate response would account for COVID-19 severity. Angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors used by hypertensive patients have a protective effect in regards to COVID-19 severity in our series. Conversely, patients on angiotensin II receptor blockers showed a severer disease.

Background Lactate is an already recognized biomarker for short-term mortality in emergency medical services (EMS). However, how different levels of lactate are associated with short-, mid- and long-term outcomes should be unveiled. Aim To determine how different categories of hyperlactatemia are associated with mortality. We also aim to clinically characterize hyperlactatemia groups. Design A multicenter, prospective, observational study performed between January 2019 and February 2022, considering 48 basic life support units and 5 advanced life support units referring to 4 tertiary care hospitals (Spain). Patients were recruited from phone requests for emergency assistance in adults, evacuated to emergency departments. The primary outcome was in-hospital mortality from any cause within the first to the 365-day period following EMS attendance. The main measures were demographical and biochemical variables, prehospital advanced life support techniques used and patient condition categorized in 24 diseases. Methods Univariate and Cox regression analysis. Results A total of 5072 participants fulfilled inclusion criteria. Group #1 (non-hyperlactatemia) was composed of 2389 subjects (47.1%), Group #2 (mild hyperlactatemia) of 1834 (36.1%), Group #3 (hyperlactatemia) of 333 (6.6%) and, finally, Group #4 (severe hyperlactatemia) of 516 (10.2%). The 1-day mortality was 0.2%, 1.1%, 9% and 22.3% in the four lactate groups, respectively. Long-term mortality (365 days) was 10.2%, 22.7%, 38.7% and 46.7% in the four lactate groups, respectively. Differences between patients' conditions of lactatemia groups were also found. Conclusions Our results demonstrated that prehospital lactate categories were associated with short- and long-term outcomes in a different manner. These results will allow EMS to establish different risk states according to the prehospital lactate categories. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We study the localization properties of the eigenvectors, characterized by their information entropy, of tight-binding random networks with balanced losses and gain. The random network model, which is based on Erdős–Rényi (ER) graphs, is defined by three parameters: the network size N, the network connectivity α , and the losses-and-gain strength γ . Here, N and α are the standard parameters of ER graphs, while we introduce losses and gain by including complex self-loops on all vertices with the imaginary amplitude i γ with random balanced signs, thus breaking the Hermiticity of the corresponding adjacency matrices and inducing complex spectra. By the use of extensive numerical simulations, we define a scaling parameter ξ ≡ ξ ( N , α , γ ) that fixes the localization properties of the eigenvectors of our random network model; such that, when ξ < 0.1 ( 10 < ξ ), the eigenvectors are localized (extended), while the localization-to-delocalization transition occurs for 0.1 < ξ < 10 . Moreover, to extend the applicability of our findings, we demonstrate that for fixed ξ , the spectral properties (characterized by the position of the eigenvalues on the complex plane) of our network model are also universal; i.e., they do not depend on the specific values of the network parameters.