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Representatives of the subfamily Lonsdaleiinae Chapman, 1893 are common in the Mississippian of the western Palaeotethys. A general analysis of the origin, distribution and evolution of that subfamily has been undertaken. The most probable hypothesis for the origin of the genus Lonsdaleia McCoy, 1849 is to acquire colonialism via the genus Axophyllum Milne Edwards and Haime, 1851. Actinocyathus d’Orbigny, 1849 would be a descendant of Lonsdaleia by increasing integration in the colonies. The first occurrences of Lonsdaleia have been recorded in the lower Visean from northern Britain and northern Tianshan Mountains of northwestern China, but the diversification and migration to the whole Palaeotethys only happened in the late Visean. Three hypotheses are proposed on that matter. The Serpukhovian was also a period of migrations and diversification for these genera. Both Lonsdaleia and Actinocyathus have been recorded in Bashkirian refuges, the Sverdrup Basin in northern Laurasia and the Tindouf Basin in northern Africa, respectively. The division of the western Palaeotethys into six subprovinces based on the distribution of corals is proposed.

Autoimmune hepatitis is a chronic inflammatory disease of the liver. The etiology is partly unknown and commonly affects women of all ages. It is characterized by increase in transaminase and immunoglobulin G levels, autoantibodies, and portal inflammatory infiltrate with interface hepatitis in the liver biopsy. The treatment is based on the combination of corticoids and azathioprine, but 20-40% of patients require second- or third-line therapies due to intolerance or insufficient response. Here, we will revise the most important aspects regarding the diagnosis and treatment of autoimmune hepatitis emphasizing the challenges faced in clinical practice.

Introduction We performed cost-effectiveness and cost-utility analyses of the modified International Consortium on Acute Promyelocytic Leukemia protocol in Mexico for the treatment of acute promyelocytic leukemia Acute Promyelocytic Leukemia. Methods We performed a three-state Markov analysis: stable disease (first line complete response [CR]), disease event (relapse, second line response and CR) and death. The modified IC-APL protocol is composed of three phases: induction, consolidation and maintenance. Cost and outcomes were used to calculate incremental cost-effectiveness ratios (ICERs); quality-adjusted life-years were used to calculate incremental cost-utility ratios (ICURs). Results The CR was achieved in 18 patients (90%), treated with the IC-APL protocol as the first-line option; one patient (5%) died in induction, another one never achieved CR (5%); of the 18 patients that achieved CR, 1 relapsed (5.5%). The median treatment cost of the IC-APL protocol was $21,523 USD. The average life-year in our study was 7.8 years, while the average quality-adjusted life-year (QALY) was 6.1 years. When comparing the ICER between the IC-APL and the all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) plus arsenic trioxide (ATO) protocols, we found the different costs of $6497, $19,133 and $17,123 USD in Italy, the USA and Canada, respectively. In relation to the ICUR, we found the different costs to be $13,955 and $11,979 USD in the USA and Canada, respectively. Conclusion Taking into account the similar response rates, lower cost and easy access to the modified IC-APL regimen, we consider it a cost-effective and cost-utility protocol, deeming it the treatment of choice for our population.

Resumen Introduccion y objetivos Recientemente, el polvo desertico se ha reconocido en Asia como desencadenante de infarto agudo de miocardio. En Espana, las entradas de polvo sahariano estan relacionadas con empeoramientos de la calidad del aire debidos a aumentos en las concentraciones de material particulado en el aire ambiental. Nuestro objetivo es dilucidar si los eventos de polvo sahariano tienen relacion con la incidencia de sindrome coronario agudo (SCA) en pacientes que habitan cerca del norte de Africa, la mayor fuente global de polvo desertico. Metodos Se analizan prospectivamente los datos de 2.416 pacientes consecutivos hospitalizados por SCA en un hospital terciario (Islas Canarias, Espana), desde diciembre de 2012 hasta diciembre de 2017. La Red Europea de Calidad del Aire midio las concentraciones de material particulado de diametro aerodinamico Resultados Los eventos de polvo sahariano observados los dias 0 a 5 tras el inicio del SCA no mostraron asociacion significativa con la incidencia de SCA. Los cocientes de tasas de incidencia de las concentraciones de PM10 1, 2, 3, 4 y 5 dias antes del inicio del SCA (para cambios de 10 μg/m3) fueron 1,27 (IC95%, 0,87-1,85), 0,92 (IC95%, 0,84-1,01), 0,74 (IC95%, 0,45-1,22), 0,98 (IC95%, 0,87-1,11) y 0,95 (IC95%, 0,84-1,06). Conclusiones Es poco probable que la exposicion a polvo sahariano tenga relacion con la incidencia de SCA.

Clinically significant portal hypertension (CSPH), defined as a hepatic venous pressure gradient (HVPG) ≥10 mmHg, persists 24 weeks after sustained virological response (SVR) in up to 78% of patients with HCV-related cirrhosis treated with direct-acting antivirals. These patients remain at risk of decompensation. However, long-term paired clinical and hemodynamic data are not available for this population.We conducted a prospective multicenter study in 226 patients with HCV-related cirrhosis and CSPH who achieved SVR after antiviral therapy. Patients with CSPH 24 weeks after end of treatment (SVR24) were offered another hemodynamic assessment 96 weeks after end of treatment (SVR96).All patients were clinically evaluated. Out of 176 patients with CSPH at SVR24, 117 (66%) underwent an HVPG measurement at SVR96. At SVR96, 55/117 (47%) patients had HVPG10 mmHg and 53% had CSPH (65% if we assume persistence of CSPH in all 59 non-evaluated patients). The proportion of high-risk patients (HVPG ≥16 mmHg) diminished from 41% to 15%. Liver stiffness decreased markedly after SVR (median decrease 10.5 ± 13 kPa) but did not correlate with HVPG changes (30% of patients with liver stiffness measurement13.6 kPa still had CSPH). Seventeen (7%) patients presented with de novo/additional clinical decompensation, which was independently associated with baseline HVPG ≥16 mmHg and history of ascites.Patients achieving SVR experienced a progressive reduction in portal pressure during follow-up. However, CSPH may persist in up to 53-65% of patients at SVR96, indicating persistent risk of decompensation. History of ascites and high-risk HVPG values identified patients at higher risk of de novo or further clinical decompensation.As a major complication of cirrhosis, clinically significant portal hypertension (CSPH) is associated with adverse clinical outcomes. Herein, we show that CSPH persists at 96 weeks in just over half of patients with HCV-related cirrhosis, despite HCV elimination by direct-acting antivirals. Despite viral cure, patients with CSPH at the start of antiviral treatment remain at long-term risk of hepatic complications and should be managed accordingly.

Complications of cirrhosis are the main cause of hospital admissions in liver units. In areas where HCV is prevalent, most of these admissions are attributable to HCV-related cirrhosis (HCV-cirrhosis). This study assessed the impact of direct-acting antivirals (DAA) in the profile of patients with liver disease admitted to a referral liver unit from a university hospital.We registered hospital admissions resulting from cirrhosis to the Liver Unit of the Hospital Clinic of Barcelona, from 2011 to 2014 (pre-DAA period) and from 2015 to 2019 (post-DAA period).From a total of 14,865 hospital admissions, 10,053 resulted from cirrhosis (corresponding to 6,272 patients). The number and proportion of hospital admissions because of HCV-cirrhosis remained stable during the period 2011-2014 (525 per year, 48.8% of the total), but decreased progressively after 2015 (p0.001), reaching300 (27.1%) admissions in 2019. Similarly, HCV-cirrhosis accounted for 3,885 inpatient days per year (44.9%) during the pre-DAA period and decreased steadily after 2015 (p0.001), reaching only 1,909 inpatient days (22%) in 2019. The figures for intensive care unit admissions followed a similar pattern. By means of a slope analysis (binomial regression model), we predicted that HCV-cirrhosis hospital admissions will be residual by 2025 (2.3%, 95% CI 0-10.9%). By contrast, we observed a significant increase in hospital admissions because of metabolic-associated fatty liver disease (5-fold) and autoimmune hepatitis (4-fold) during the study period.In summary, our data showed a profound reduction in HCV-cirrhosis hospitalisation burden since 2015, coincident with the wide use of DAAs in Spain. Our predictions suggest that, by 2025, HCV-cirrhosis will be a marginal cause of hospital admissions for patients with liver disease.Over the past few years, the wide use of antiviral drugs that cure HCV has had a significant effect on patients being admitted to hospital. Most patients with HCV and cirrhosis are treated (and often cured) in the community and, thus, the number of hospital admissions because of severe forms of HCV has decreased drastically. HCV is no longer the first cause of admission into liver units and, in only a few years from now, it is likely to be only a residual cause of hospitalisation.

Background Since 2006 breast cancer has been the leading cause of death by cancer in Mexican women. Recently several studies have shown the relationship of neutrophil-lymphocyte index (NLI) and breast cancer as a predictor of overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS). Methods The study included 2711 patients of the Institute of Breast Diseases (FUCAM) treated since April 2006 to March 2011. The NLI and its relation with OS and DFS were evaluated. A receiver operating characteristic curve was used to obtain the cut-off point of greater sensitivity and specificity for the NLI. A multivariate analysis was used to analyze the clinical parameters of prognostic factor. Results 342 patients were included for the analysis. The follow-up time average of 80.1 months and the mean of NLI was 2.1. In this model, sensitivity was 66.7% (95% CI: 46–64) p = 0.04. The Kaplan–Meier analysis was applied to evaluate OS and the DFS of all patients according to the NLI, comparing two groups: ≤2.1 and ≥ 2.1. No differences were reported between these groups. In triple negative patients (n = 32), patients with NLI > 2.1 had a shorter DFS in comparison to patients with NLI 2.1 pretreatment, lymph node stage and Ki-67 were correlated independently with the DFS. Conclusions Our study suggests that there is a relationship between the NLI and the breast cancer DFS; especially in triple negative subtypes.

It is important to know which patients with hepatitis C are likely to develop liver-related complications after achieving a sustained virological response (SVR) to direct-acting antiviral (DAA) therapy. We aimed to describe the incidence of liver-related events in a population of patients with HCV-associated compensated advanced chronic liver disease (cACLD) who achieved SVR and to identify non-invasive parameters that predict the occurrence of liver-related events.This 2-center prospective study included 572 patients with cACLD who had been treated with DAAs and had achieved SVR. Patients had liver stiffness measurement (LSM) ≥10 kPa at baseline and had never decompensated (Child-Pugh class A). Laboratory work-up and LSM were performed at baseline and at 1 year of follow-up.The median follow-up was 2.8 years during which 32 patients (5.6%) presented with a liver-related event. The incidence rate (IR) of portal hypertension-related decompensation was 0.34/100 patient-years. These patients all had baseline LSM20 kPa, and LSM did not improve during follow-up in 4 out of 5 of them. Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) occurred in 25 patients (IR 1.5/100 patient-years). Albumin levels at follow-up (hazard ratio [HR] 0.08; 95% CI 0.02-0.25) and LSM10 kPa at follow-up (HR 0.33; 95% CI 0.11-0.96) were independently associated with the risk of HCC. Combining both predictors identified 2 groups with differing risk of HCC occurrence: those with LSM ≥20 kPa at follow-up or those with LSM between 10-20 kPa and albumin levels4.4 g/dl were at the highest risk (IR ≥1.9/100 patient-years). Visual nomograms predicting HCC risk based on LSM and albumin at 1 year of follow-up were constructed.In patients with HCV-related cACLD who have achieved SVR with DAAs, HCC is the most frequent liver-related event. Both albumin levels and LSM are useful for stratifying patients based on their risk of developing HCC during follow-up.New oral antivirals can cure chronic hepatitis C infection, however patients with advanced chronic liver disease are still at risk of presenting with liver-related complications. The most frequent complication after oral antiviral therapy in asymptomatic patients with advanced chronic liver disease was liver cancer. The use of simple parameters such liver stiffness and albumin levels after treatment can help to identify patients at higher or lower risk of liver cancer.

Introduction Diagnosis of severe hepatitis C recurrence is based on analytical and histological criteria but there is little information about their correlation. Aim To assess the accuracy of laboratory criteria for the diagnosis of fibrosing cholestatic hepatitis (FCH). Patients and methods Retrospective analysis of prospectively collected data form HCV positive patients who underwent liver transplantation (LT) between 2000 and 2014 in two European university hospitals. Patients were classified according to laboratory criteria such as FCH, cholestatic hepatitis (CH) and non-cholestatic acute hepatitis (NCAH). Histological characteristics were also evaluated. Results Seventy patients with acute HCV recurrence within the first year after LT with an available liver biopsy were included in the study. Most patients were male (70%) with a median age of 58 years (50–64) and infected with genotype 1b (71.4%). Median time from LT to diagnosis of recurrence was 2.96 months (2.1–5.3). Thirty-nine patients were classified as FCH, 21 as CH and 10 as NCAH. Marked hepatocyte ballooning and ductular reaction were associated with the presence of FCH with an OR of 4.66 (p = 0.047) and 20.58 (p = 0.025), respectively. Considering liver biopsy as the gold standard, the sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values of the analytical criteria were 0.8, 0.5, 0.3 and 0.9, respectively. However, correlation between histological and analytical criteria was poor (k = 0.033). Discussion Analytical criteria may be used to rule out the presence of FCH, but a biopsy is mandatory to confirm the diagnosis. Ductular reaction and hepatocyte ballooning were independent predictors of FCH.

Resumen Objetivo Conocer las caracteristicas clinicas y epidemiologicas de los pacientes con enfermedad pulmonar obstructiva cronica (EPOC) y aislamiento de especies de Aspergillus en muestra respiratoria e identificar factores que nos ayuden a diferenciar entre colonizacion e infeccion. Metodos Estudio de cohortes retrospectivo en el que se incluyeron todos los pacientes con EPOC y aislamiento de Aspergillus spp. en muestra respiratoria durante un periodo de 12 anos. Se asignaron los pacientes a 2 categorias: colonizacion y aspergilosis pulmonar (AP), que incluye las diferentes formas de presentacion clinica. Se aplico un modelo de regresion logistica binaria para identificar los factores predictores de desarrollo de AP. Resultados Un total de 123 pacientes fueron incluidos en el estudio: 48 (39%) colonizados y 75 (61%) con AP: 68 con AP invasiva probable y 7 con AP cronica. No hubo correlacion entre el riesgo de AP y los estadios espirometricos de la clasificacion GOLD. Se identificaron como factores predictores independientes de AP en pacientes con EPOC la oxigenoterapia domiciliaria (OR: 4,39; IC 95%: 1,60-12,01; p = 0,004), las bronquiectasias (OR: 3,61; IC 95%: 1,40-9,30; p = 0,008), la hospitalizacion en los 3 meses previos al ingreso (OR: 3,12; IC 95%: 1,24-7,87; p = 0,016) y la terapia antifungica frente a Candida spp. en el mes previo (OR: 3,18; IC 95%: 1,16-8,73; p = 0,024). Conclusiones La oxigenoterapia continua domiciliaria, las bronquiectasias, la hospitalizacion en los 3 meses previos al ingreso y la utilizacion de terapia antifungica frente a Candida spp. en el mes previo se asocian a mayor riesgo de AP en pacientes con EPOC.

T91 ferritic-martensitic steel was exposed to Li, Na and K molten carbonates at 650??C under dynamic conditions up to 1000 h. After testing, three descaling methods, two from the ISO8407 and one from the ISO17245 stan-dards were applied to remove the corrosion products and determine the corrosion rates. The two ISO8407 methods were more appropriate although the procedure required several steps to fully remove the corrosion products. The ISO17245 method led to a higher mass loss affecting probably the base material. Oxides identi-fication was performed by XRD following step by step layers removal. Li-, Na-, K-containing oxides and chro-mates/chromites were detected. info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion

Excessive fluoride content in groundwater can cause serious risks to human health, and sources of groundwater intended for human consumption should be treated to reduce fluoride concentrations down to acceptable levels. In the particular case of the island of Tenerife (Canary Islands, Spain), the water supply comes mainly from aquifers of volcanic origin with a high content of fluorides that make them unacceptable for human consumption without prior conditioning treatment. The treatments that generate a high rejection of water are not acceptable because water is a scarce natural resource of high value. An electrocoagulation process was investigated as a method to treat natural groundwater from volcanic soils containing a hazardously high fluoride content. The operating parameters of an electrocoagulation reactor model with parallel plate aluminum electrodes were optimized for batch and continuous flow operations. In the case of the batch operation, acidification of the water improved the removal efficiency of fluoride, which was the highest at pH 3. However, operation at the natural pH of the water achieved elimination efficiencies between 82 and 92%, depending on the applied current density. An optimum current density of 5 mA/cm2 was found in terms of maximum removal efficiency, and the kinetics of fluoride removal conformed to pseudo-second-order kinetics. In the continuous-flow operation, with the optimal residence time of 10 min and a separation of 0.5 cm between the electrodes, it was observed that the current density that would be applied would depend on the initial concentration of fluoride in the raw water. Thus, an initial fluoride concentration of 6.02 mg/L required a current density >7.5 mA/cm2 to comply with the legal guidelines in the product water, while for an initial concentration of 8.98 mg/L, the optimal current density was 10 mA/cm2. Under these operating conditions, the electrocoagulation process was able to reduce the fluoride concentration of natural groundwater to below 1.5 mg/L according to WHO guidelines with an operating cost between 0.20 and 0.26 €/m3 of treated water.

In some areas of the world, antiviral therapy for chronic hepatitis C (CHC) is not available for all patients. The optimal interval for liver stiffness measures (LSM) and noninvasive scores to assess fibrosis progression has not been studied. We evaluated the usefulness of consecutive LSM, APRI, FIB-4 and Forns scores to predict disease progression.Patients with CHC and at least two annual LSM within 3 years were followed for a minimum of 5 years. Noninvasive scores were assessed. Evolution of LSM and scores were expressed as change/year (Delta).623 non-cirrhotic patients were included. Median baseline LSM was 6.6 kPa (IQR 5.4-8.4). During a median follow-up of 6 years, 61(9.7%) patients developed cirrhosis. Baseline LSM ≥ F2 and Forns ≥ 6.9 were the main predictors of cirrhosis (C-index 0.97). The addition of Delta variables did not improve its prediction. In patients with mild fibrosis (F0-1), progression to ≥F2 occurred in 80 (23%) within the first 3 years. Baseline BMI ≥ 24 kg/mBaseline LSM and Forns are highly predictive of cirrhosis development. In patients with mild CHC, BMI 24 and LSM 5.9, the likelihood of progression is very low, allowing for a significant spacing of noninvasive assessments over time.

Resumen Introduccion y objetivos El impacto de la intervencion coronaria percutanea (ICP) sobre oclusiones coronarias cronicas totales (OCT) presenta controversias. Se analizan los resultados agudos y al seguimiento en nuestro entorno. Metodos Registro prospectivo de ICP sobre OCT en 24 centros durante 2 anos. Resultados Se realizaron 1.000 ICP sobre OCT en 952 pacientes. La mayoria tenia sintomas (81,5%) y cardiopatia isquemica previa (59,2%), y hubo intentos de desobstruccion previos en un 15%. El SYNTAX anatomico fue 19,5 ± 10,6 y tenia J-score > 2 el 17,3%. El procedimiento fue retrogrado en 92 pacientes (9,2%). La tasa de exito fue del 74,9%, mayor en aquellos sin ICP previa (el 82,2 frente al 75,2%; p = 0,001), con J-score ≤ 2 (el 80,5 frente al 69,5%; p = 0,002) y con el uso de ecografia intravascular (el 89,9 frente al 76,2%; p = 0,001), que fue predictor independiente del exito. Por el contrario, lesiones calcificadas, > 20 mm o con munon proximal romo lo fueron de fracaso. El 7,1% tuvo complicaciones, como perforacion (3%), infarto (1,3%) o muerte (0,5%). Al ano de seguimiento, el 88,2% mejoro clinicamente en caso de ICP exitosa (frente al 34,8%; p Conclusiones Los pacientes del Registro Iberico con OCT tratados con ICP presentan complejidad clinico-anatomica, tasas de exito y complicaciones similares a los de otros registros nacionales e importante impacto de la recanalizacion exitosa en la mejoria funcional, que a su vez se asocio con menor mortalidad.

During the present study, the effect of five semi-humid experimental diets with different proportions of crab and squid were tested, on juveniles of the red octopus, Octopus maya. For this, five prepared diets based on crab and squid (SC50, SC60, SC70, SC80, and SC90; the number indicates the percentage of squid in each diet), were fed to juvenile O. maya during 60 days. Feeding and growth rates, survival, glycogen content in muscle, soluble protein and digestive enzymes activity in digestive gland (DG), fatty acids and amino acid composition of diets and octopus juvenile were determined. Higher growth, survival and nutritional condition was obtained with diets SC50, SC60 and SC70 compared to SC80 and SC90 (P < .05). A direct relation between glycogen concentration in the muscle and the digestive gland (DG), as well as soluble protein in the DG were also obtained for octopuses fed these three diets. Higher alkaline and acid protease activity were found on octopuses fed SC60 and SC90, respectively (P < .05). Results suggest that a proportion of 70% squid and 30% crab may be considered adequate to satisfy nutritional requirements for the fattening of O. maya juveniles. Nevertheless, a proportion of 30% of crab in the diet, is still high, regarding production costs and profitability, and further research will focus on the total replacement of crab by less expensive raw material with similar nutritional value, to increase economic viability of commercial O. maya culture.

Introduction Hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) is a disorder caused by severe immune activation. There are no specific criteria to establish the diagnosis in adults; however, the HLH-04 criteria are among the most commonly used. The HScore is a non-validated tool that can also be useful for HLH diagnosis. Patients and Methods We describe the prognostic factors and outcomes of 64 adults diagnosed with HLH in a reference medical center in Mexico City. We included patients ≥ 18 years with HLH, diagnosed and treated at our institution from 1998 to 2016. Results The median age was 35 years (range, 18-77 years). The underlying cause of HLH was lymphoma in 33 (51.56%) patients (MA-HLH). Cutaneous involvement was more frequent in MA-HLH (33.33%), when compared with patients with non-malignancy associated HLH (NM-HLH) (9.68%) (P = .022). Neurologic symptoms were more frequent in NM-HLH (25.81%) versus MA-HLH (6.06%) (P = .032). After a median follow-up of 14 months (range, 0-216 months), 30-day mortality was 26.56%. Three-year overall survival (OS) was higher for patients with MA-HLH compared with patients with NM-HLH (41% vs. 22.5%; P = .046). Multivariate analysis showed that the presence of nosocomial infection and neurologic symptoms were statistically significant predictors of inferior OS (P = .034 and P = .033, respectively). Conclusion In this series of adults with HLH, patients with nosocomial infections and neurologic symptoms had a statistically significant worse OS. In the largest series in Latin America, the most common cause of HLH was T-cell lymphoma. In our population, NM-HLH presented a higher mortality.

In this work, in situ chemical oxidation (ISCO) with alkali activated persulfate has been tested for the elimination of HCH isomers and other chlorinated compounds in groundwater from Sabinanigo (Sardas landfill), which was contaminated by solid and liquid wastes illegally dumped in the area by a company producing lindane. Due to the site lithology and the type of pollutants found in groundwater (HCHs and chlorobenzenes) alkali (NaOH) activated persulfate (PS) was selected as oxidant. The influence of variables such as PS concentration (42–200 mM) and NaOH:PS molar ratio (2:1 to 4:1) on chlorinated compound abatement has been studied and a kinetic model to predict the composition of all chlorinated organic compounds (COCs) in the aqueous phase with time was obtained. It was found that a fast initial hydrodechlorination reaction took place in which HCH isomers reacted to trichlorobenzenes (mainly 1,2,4 TCB) at pH ≥ 12. Mono-, di-, tri and tetrachlorobenzenes remaining were oxidized without producing aromatic intermediates. At the condition tested a first order kinetic model for COCs and PS concentration was obtained. Zero order alkali concentration was obtained while pH was being kept at 12 for the whole reaction time.

Due to the fact that mitochondrial defects and oxidative stress have been related with obesity and breast cancer is more aggressive in women with obesity, we investigated if postmenopausal Mexican-Mestizo women with breast cancer presented somatic mutations in the sequence of the ATP6 and/or ND3 genes. Twenty one postmenopausal Mexican-Mestizo women with breast cancer who underwent mastectomy or breast conserving surgery were studied. Height and weight were used to calculate body mass index. DNA from tumor tissue samples and blood leukocytes was amplified by polymerase chain reaction and sequenced the ATP6 and ND3 mitochondrial genes. Ages ranged from 46 to 82. According to World Health Organization criteria among the 21 women, 7 had a normal BMI, 7 were overweight and 7 had obesity. In regard to the molecular study, after sequencing the coding region of ATP6 and ND3 genes of the DNA obtained from both leukocytes and tumor tissue, we did not find somatic mutations. All of the changes that we found in both genes were polymorphisms: in ATP6, we identified in ten patients 3 non-synonymous nucleotide changes and in ND3 we observed that six patients presented polymorphisms, three of them were synonymous and two non-synonymous. To our knowledge, this constitutes the first report where the complete sequence of the ATP6 and ND3 genes has been analyzed in postmenopausal Mexican-Mestizo women with breast cancer and diverse BMI. Our results differ with those reported in Caucasian and Asian populations, possibly due to ethnic differences.

Collagens extracted from different tissues and fish species display different physicochemical properties, thus novel sources require characterization. Gulf corvina (Cynoscion othonopterus) is processed industrially for food. Of the by-products, the swim bladder is used for fish maw, but other tissues are treated as waste. In the present study, pepsin-soluble collagen from Gulf corvina skin and swim bladder was extracted and characterized. Skin produced a higher collagen yield (82 ± 1.53 %) than swim bladder (69 ± 1.60 %). Both collagens exhibited electrophoresis bands corresponding to ([α1(I)]2α2(I)) and β chains, all characteristic of type I collagen. Spectra analysis showed the collagens to maintain their triple-helix structure. The skin collagen had a lower denaturation temperature (29.8 °C) than the swim bladder collagen (32.5 °C), due to its relatively low imino acid content (168 vs. 190 /1000 residues, respectively). Both collagens were highly soluble in acidic pH ranges; Zeta potential values were 5.5 for the skin collagen and 6.2 for the swim bladder collagen. Gulf corvina skin and swim bladder are excellent sources of type I collagen with similar physicochemical properties.

Recent findings unveil the pharmacological modulation of imidazoline I2 receptors (I2-IR) as a novel strategy to face unmet medical neurodegenerative diseases. In this work, we report the chemical characterization, three-dimensional quantitative structure-activity relationship (3D-QSAR) and ADMET in silico of a family of benzofuranyl-2-imidazoles that exhibit affinity against human brain I2-IR and most of them have been predicted to be brain permeable. Acute treatment in mice with 2-(2-benzofuranyl)-2-imidazole, known as LSL60101 (garsevil), showed non-warning properties in the ADMET studies and an optimal pharmacokinetic profile. Moreover, LSL60101 induced hypothermia in mice while decreased pro-apoptotic FADD protein in the hippocampus. In vivo studies in the familial Alzheimer's disease 5xFAD murine model with the representative compound, revealed significant decreases in the protein expression levels of antioxidant enzymes superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase in hippocampus. Overall, LSL60101 plays a neuroprotective role by reducing apoptosis and modulating oxidative stress., This work was supported by Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades, Agencia Estatal de Investigación (Spain, PID2019-107991RB-I00, PID2019-106285RB), the Basque Government (IT1211/19) and Generalitat de Catalunya (GC) (2017SGR106). The project leading to these results has received funding from “la Caixa” Foundation (ID 100010434) under agreement CI18-00002. This activity has received funding from the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT). This body of the European Union receives support from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme. C.G.-F, F.V., C.E., S.R.-A., A.B., and M.P. Financial support was provided for F.V. (University of Barcelona, APIF_2017), S.R.-A. (Generalitat de Catalunya, 2018FI_B_00227), A.B. (Institute of Biomedicine UB_2018), J.A.G.-S. is a member emeritus of the Institut d’Estudis Catalans (Barcelona, Catalonia). E.H.-H. is supported by a predoctoral scholarship (FPI/2102/2018; Consejería de Innovación, Investigación y Turismo del Gobierno de las Islas Baleares y del Fondo Social Europeo). M.R., T.D., and K.N. kindly acknowledge the project funded by the Ministry of Science and Technological Development of the Republic of Serbia, Contract No. 451-03-68/2020-14/200161, and HORISON 2020-COST-Action CA18133 ERNEST: European Research Network on Signal Transduction. E. M. acknowledges funding to Severo Ochoa: CEX2019-917S. M.I.L, A.L.M. and J.B. gratefully acknowledge support from Xunta de Galicia (ED431C 2018/21 and ED431G 2019/02) and European Regional Development Fund (ERDF)., With funding from the Spanish government through the ‘Severo Ochoa Centre of Excellence’ accreditation (CEX2019-000917-S).

It was previously shown that during August the export of Saharan dust to the Atlantic was strongly affected by the difference of the 700-hPa geopotential height anomaly between the subtropics and the tropics over North Africa, which was termed the North African Dipole Intensity (NAFDI). In this work a more comprehensive analysis of the NAFDI is performed, focusing on the entire summer dust season (June–September), and examining the interactions between the mid-latitude Rossby waves (MLRWs) and NAFDI. Widespread and notable aerosol optical depth (AOD) monthly anomalies are found for each NAFDI-phase over the dust corridors off the Sahara, indicating that NAFDI presents intra-seasonal variability and drives dust transport over both the Mediterranean basin and the North Atlantic. Those summer months with the same NAFDI-phase show similar AOD-anomaly patterns. Variations in NAFDI-phase also control the displacement of the Saharan Heat Low (SHL) westwards or eastwards through horizontal advection of temperature over Morocco-Western Sahara or eastern Algeria-Western Libya, respectively. The connection between the SHL and the NAFDI is quantified statistically by introducing two new daily indexes that account for their respective phases (NAFDI daily index -NAFDIDI-, and SHL longitudinal shift index -SHLLSI-) and explained physically using the energy equation of the atmospheric dynamics. The Pearson's correlation coefficient between the one–day-lag SHLLSI and the NAFDIDI for an extended summer season (1980–2013) is 0.78. A positive NAFDI is associated with the West-phase of the SHL, dust sources intensification on central Algeria, and positive AOD anomalies over this region and the Subtropical North Atlantic. A negative NAFDI is associated with the East-phase of the SHL, and positive AOD anomalies over central-eastern Sahara and the central-western Mediterranean Sea. The results point out that the phase changes of NAFDI at intra-seasonal time scale are conducted by those MLRWs that penetrate deeply into the low troposphere. This work is part of the research activities developed by the WMO SDS-WAS Regional Centre for Northern Africa, Middle East and Europe, held by AEMET and BSC-CNS. This study also contributes to Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service (CAMS). Our acknowledgment to ECMWF for providing MACC-dust reanalysis. The authors wish to thank NCEP/NCAR Reanalysis Project. We acknowledge NASA LADS for providing MODIS data. The University of Granada (Spain) and its “Physics and Space Sciences” PhD Programme are acknowledged by A. J. Gómez-Peláez and E. Cuevas. AEROATLAN project (CGL2015-17 66229-P), co-funded by the Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness of Spain and the European Regional Development Fund contributed to this study. Sara Basart acknowledges the CICYT project (CGL2013-46736). 3.708 JCR (2017) Q1, 54/241 Environmental Sciences, 16/86 Meteorology and Atmospheric Sciences UEC

In recent years, literature has paid particular attention to analyzing different sources of knowledge as determinants of innovation. Much of the research interest has focused on discussing the role of Public Research Organizations (PRO) in the generation and transfer of knowledge. This paper has two main objectives. Firstly, we explore the factors related to the performance of ICT research groups from Argentinean PRO in terms of both technology transfer and scientific productivity. Secondly, we analyze the relation between groups’ scientific productivity and their technology transfer performance. Our motivation for considering these two dimensions of performance is to analyze comparatively the factors associated with both performance indicators, based on the idea that in Argentina the research groups that are more orientated towards technological transfer are different from those focused on scientific activities stemming from the evidence of some characteristics of Latin American innovation systems and the recent dynamic of ICT in Argentina. The empirical analysis is based on information gathered from 314 Argentine ICT research groups. Results show that scientific productivity is positively related to the proportion of PhD holders, the linkages with other institutions for R&D and the funding coming from national scientific institutions – CONICET and ANPCyT–. Results also evidence that technology transfer activities are associated with linkages that groups hold with other institutions of technological developments. Instead, the greater the funding that groups receive from universities, the lower their transfer activities will be. Finally, the results not only suggest the absence of the linear model of innovation, but the existence of a completely opposite relationship: scientific productivity is negatively associated with groups’ technological performance.

Persulfate (PS) activated with iron to generate sulfate radicals was employed in the oxidation of Diuron (selected as an example of priority pollutant), Caffeine and Ibuprofen (examples of emerging pollutants whose consumption is widespread). The effect of iron valence (0, 2 and 3) and particle size of Zero-Valent Iron (ZVI) was studied in a batch isothermal reactor at 20 °C. The efficiency of the process was evaluated in terms of pollutant and TOC removal, as well as oxidant and iron consumption. Moreover Microtox standard procedure was employed in ecotoxicity measurements. When Fe2+ was employed as PS activator, an undesired reaction consumed both Fe2+ and SO 4 - . However, in case of ZVI, the release of Fe2+ to the media occurs at the particles surface through acid corrosion and reaction with PS. This allows a controlled production rate of SO 4 - through a slow release of Fe2+ by selecting the proper particle size, which helps minimizing this undesirable reaction increasing the efficiency of the oxidant. Better results were obtained with ZVI than with Fe2+ especially when regeneration of Fe3+ to Fe2+ through oxidation intermediates did not occur. A kinetic model capable of describing the evolution of pollutant, oxidant, and iron concentrations (at the different oxidation stages) as well as the mineralization was proposed and validated.

Background Breast cancer is the most common among women in our country, and its treatment is based on prognostic factors to categorise patients into different risk groups. In this study, the clinical and pathological features that play a role as a prognostic factor in a representative population with breast cancer in Mexico are described. Material and methods A descriptive analysis of the clinical and pathological features of women diagnosed with breast cancer, in a period from June 2005 to May 2014; registered in a database and calculated by simple frequencies. Results A total of 4411 patients were included, the average age at diagnosis was 53 years, 19.7% were diagnosed by mammography screening program and 80.3% derived from any signs or symptoms. Regarding the stages at diagnosis, 6.8% were carcinoma in situ, 36% at early stages (I and IIA), 45% locally advanced (IIB to IIIC), 7.7% metastatic and 3.9% unclassifiable. A 79% were ductal histology, lobular 7.8% and the rest, other types. Of ductal carcinomas, 9.1% were grade I, 54.1% grade II, and 34.6% grade III. Regarding the biological subtypes, 65.7% were luminal, 10.9% luminal Her positive, 8.7% pure Her 2 positive and 14.6% triple negative. Conclusion In the present study, we described the clinical and pathologic features of a group of Mexican women with breast cancer that might reflect a national landscape, and represent the prognostic factors to determine groups of risk and treatment decisions.

ResumenAntecedentesEl cáncer de mama es el más frecuente en la población femenina de nuestro país, y su tratamiento se basa en factores pronóstico que categorizan a las pacientes en diferentes grupos de riesgo. En el presente trabajo se describen las características clínicas y patológicas que desempeñan un papel como factores pronóstico, en una serie representativa de la población con cáncer de mama en México.Material y métodosSe realizó un análisis descriptivo de las características clinicopatológicas de mujeres con diagnóstico cáncer de mama, de junio del 2005 a mayo del 2014, registradas en una base de datos y calculando la información por frecuencias simples.ResultadosUn total de 4,411 pacientes fueron incluidas; la edad promedio al diagnóstico fue de 53 años, el 19.7% fueron diagnosticadas mediante el programa de mastografía de pesquisa y el 80.3% derivadas por algún signo o síntoma. Con relación a las etapas al momento del diagnóstico, el 6.8% correspondieron a carcinoma in situ, el 36% a etapas tempranas (I y IIA), el 45% localmente avanzados (IIB a IIIC), el 7.7% metastásicos y el 3.9% no clasificables. El 79% fueron de tipo histológico ductal, el 7.8% lobulillar y el resto otras histologías. De los carcinomas ductales, el 9.1% fueron grado I, el 54.1% grado II y el 34,6% grado III. Con relación a los subtipos biológicos, el 65.7% fueron luminales, el 10.9% luminales Her positivo, el 8.7% Her 2 puro y el 14.6% triple negativo.ConclusiónEn el presente estudio se describen las características clinicopatológicas de un grupo de mujeres mexicanas con cáncer de mama que pudieran reflejar un panorama nacional y que representan factores pronóstico para determinar el riesgo y la toma de decisiones terapéuticas.AbstractBackgroundBreast cancer is the most common among women in our country, and its treatment is based on prognostic factors to categorize patients into different risk groups. In this study, the clinical and pathological features that play a role as a prognostic factor in a representative population with breast cancer in México are described.Material and methodsA descriptive analysis of the clinical and pathological features of women diagnosed with breast cancer, in a period from June 2005 to May 2014; registered in a database and calculated by simple frequencies.ResultsA total of 4,411 patients were included, the average age at diagnosis was 53 years, 19.7% were diagnosed by mammography screening program and 80.3% derived from any signs or symptoms. Regarding the stages at diagnosis, 6.8% were carcinoma in situ, 36% at early stages (I and IIA), 45% locally advanced (IIB to IIIC), 7.7% metastatic and 3.9% unclassifiable. A 79% were ductal histology, lobular 7.8% and the rest, other types. Of ductal carcinomas, 9.1% were grade I, 54.1% grade II, and 34.6% grade III. Regarding the biological subtypes, 65.7% were luminal, 10.9% luminal Her positive, 8.7% pure Her 2 positive and 14.6% triple negative.ConclusionIn the present study, we described the clinical and pathologic features of a group of Mexican women with breast cancer that might reflect a national landscape, and represent the prognostic factors to determine groups of risk and treatment decisions.

Vascular calcification is a major risk for cardiovascular disease and implies the transformation of smooth muscle cells to an osteoblastic phenotype as a consequence of dysregulation of calcium and phosphate metabolism. Fibroblast growth factor (FGF) 23 is the most potent phosphate regulator. Observational studies suggest that high levels of FGF23 are related to cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. In this work, we determined the levels of both the intact and the carboxi-terminal fragments of circulating FGF23 in 133 patients with established cardiovascular disease, the expression of FGF23, its receptors 1 and 3, and its co-receptor Klotho in vascular fragments of aorta, carotid and femoral in 43 out of this group of patients, and in a control group of 20 organ donors. Patients with atherosclerosis and vascular calcification presented increased levels of FGF23 respect to the control group. Vascular immunoreactivity for FGF23 was also significantly increased in patients with vascular calcification as compared to patients without calcification and to controls. Finally, gene expression of FGF23 and RUNX2 were also higher and directly related in vascular samples with calcification. Conversely, expression of Klotho was reduced in patients with cardiovascular disease when comparing to controls. In conclusion, our findings link the calcification of the vascular tissue with the expression of FGF23 in the vessels and with the elevation of circulating levels this hormone.

Based at Izaña Observatory (~2400 m a.s.l. in Tenerife), we performed 1-h resolution measurements of elemental composition of dust in the Saharan Air Layer (SAL) and studied the variability of the ratios of these elements to aluminium (elemental ratios). In a period (~1 week) of continuous dust presence (50–200 μg/m), we observed rapid variations of dust composition; some elemental ratios changed by a factor 2 in a few (5–8) hours. The lowest variability (Normalized Variability Range, %) was found for Si/Al (9%) and Fe/Al (9%), followed by the ratios of K, Ti, Mg, Mn, Ca and Sr to Al (20–80%), and the highest for S/Al, Na/Al and Cl/Al (110–160%) and a number of trace metals (Cr, Cu, Ni, Zn, Zr) and Br (>200%). This variability was induced by the alternating impacts of three of the large North African dust sources: NE Algeria (rich in evaporite minerals bearing Ca, S, Sr, K and Mg and in illite mineral), Western Sahara to Bechar region (containing Na, S and Cl rich Yermosol soils) and SW Sahara – Western Sahel (rich in illite and hematite). We traced the variability in large-scale meteorology using the so-called North African Dipole Intensity (NAFDI: strength of the subtropical Saharan high -Morocco-to the monsoon tropical low -Nigeria-). The mobilization of dust from the different sources was associated with westward propagating Harmattan pulses linked to the change of phase of NAFDI (- to +), the associated westward shifts of the Saharan Heat Low and convective monsoon inflow. We found a correlation between dust composition in the SAL and NAFDI: moderate NAFDI values (0 to +2.5) were associated with Ca, K, Na, Mg and S rich dust linked to dust sources in NE Algeria, whereas higher NAFDI values (+2.5 to +4) were linked to Fe rich dust (Ca, Na and S depleted) linked to dust sources in SW Sahara – Western Sahel. The results of this study also show that some trace elements (Br, Cr, Ni, Zn and Zr) are influenced by industrial emissions into North Africa., This study was performed within the project VARDUST-SAL (PGC2018-099166-BI00), funded by the Ministry of Science, Research and Innovation of Spain, the Research State Agency of Spain and the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). JLD is awarded with a posdoc contract Agustín de Bethencourt, funded by the Program Fomento de Transferencia del Conocimiento, funded by the Cabildo de Tenerife. A stage of JLD at the INFN was funded by the Universidad de La Laguna

In the last few years, the More Electric Aircraft concept has been proposed as a solution not only for increasing the efficiency of the entire aircraft, but also for reducing CO2 and NOx emissions. However, to purse the increased electrification of aircraft, certain challenges, such as safety, security and reliability, need to be overcome. In the literature, component redundancy is usually proposed as the only way to improve aircraft safety. However, this paper presents a method that allows the concept of redundancy to be replaced by the combination of a new algorithm and a recently developed device, which makes it possible to decentralize the traditional aircraft power system architecture, thereby increasing fault tolerance on aircraft. This algorithm detects where the fault takes place, calculates new hardware configuration options based on minimizing power losses, decides which choice is the optimal one and reconfigures the system to avoid the detected fault. To analyse whether the proposed methodology works properly, a series of tests were run in a MATLAB ® simulator. The results show that the decentralized algorithm is able to find alternative paths and continue operating powered loads when a fault occurs in aircraft DC power systems.

Background The presence of deep neck abscesses is potentially serious; they can lead to death in a short period of time. The vacuum-assisted closure (V.A.C.) therapy has been used in many areas of surgery for complex wound healing. This treatment modality has recently been considered in the field of head and neck surgery. Objective Evaluate the efficacy of healing therapy using V.A.C. therapy in deep neck abscesses. Material and methods Open-label trial. Patients with deep neck abscesses were included using V.A.C. therapy vs. conventional therapy. Cultures were taken before and during surgery, and prior to primary wound closure. The percentages of healing, viable tissue, wound healing time, and hospital stay were evaluated. Results A total of 18 patients were included. Affected neck spaces: submaxilar 29%, parapharyngeal 22%, submental 21% and masticatory 13%. The final postsurgical culture was negative in 78%. Viable tissue of the wound for the V.A.C. group was 42%, and for the control group was 36% (p = 0.025). Healing time was 22 ± 6 days and 38 ± 15.5, respectively (p = 0.01). The mean number of hospital stay was 12 days for both groups. Conclusions Therapy with V.A.C. is useful in the treatment of deep neck abscesses; it decreased healing time as a result of more viable tissue allowing suture closure of the wound in a shorter period.

OBJECTIVE: Evaluate whether the meterological parameters affecting revenues in patients with ST-segment and non-ST-segment elevation ACS. DESIGN: A prospective cohort study was carried out. SETTING: Coronary Care Unit of Hospital Universitario de Canarias PATIENTS: We studies a total of 307 consecutive patients with a diagnosis of ST-segment and non-ST-segment elevation ACS. We analyze the average concentrations of particulate smaller than 10 and 2.5μm diameter, particulate black carbon, the concentrations of gaseous pollutants and meteorological parameters (wind speed, temperature, relative humidity and atmospheric pressure) that were exposed patients from one day up to 7 days prior to admission. INTERVENTIONS: None. VARIABLES OF INTEREST: Demographic, clinical, atmospheric particles, concentrations of gaseous pollutants and meterological parameters. RESULTS: A total of 138 (45%) patients were classified as ST-segment and 169 (55%) as non-ST-segment elevation ACS. No statistically significant differences in exposure to atmospheric particles in both groups. Regarding meteorological data, we did not find statistically significant differences, except for higher atmospheric pressure in ST-segment elevation ACS (999.6±2.6 vs. 998.8±2.5 mbar, P=.008). Multivariate analysis showed that atmospheric pressure was significant predictor of ST-segment elevation ACS presentation (OR: 1.14, 95% CI: 1.04-1.24, P=.004). CONCLUSIONS: In the patients who suffer ACS, the presence of higher number of atmospheric pressure during the week before the event increase the risk that the ST-segment elevation ACS. Objetivo: Evaluar si los parámetros meteorológicos influyen en los ingresos de pacientes con síndrome coronario agudo (SCA) con y sin elevación del ST. Diseño: Cohorte prospectiva. Ámbito: Unidad Coronaria del Hospital Universitario de Canarias. Pacientes: Se estudió un total de 307 pacientes consecutivos con el diagnóstico de SCA con y sin elevación del ST. Analizamos las concentraciones medias de partículas con tamaño inferior a 10 y 2,5 μm de diámetro, partículas de carbono negro, concentraciones de gases contaminantes y los parámetros meteorológicos a los que estuvieron expuestos los pacientes desde el día anterior hasta 7 días previos al ingreso. Intervenciones: Ninguna. Variables de interés: principales Demográficas, clínicas, partículas atmosféricas, contaminantes en fase gas y parámetros meteorológicos. Resultados: Del total, 138 (45%) pacientes fueron clasificados como SCA con elevación del ST y 169 (55%) sin elevación del ST. No encontramos diferencias estadísticamente significativas en la exposición a partículas atmosféricas entre ambos grupos. Respecto a los datos meteorológicos, no encontramos diferencias estadísticamente significativas, a excepción de una mayor presión atmosférica en el SCA con elevación del ST (999,6 ± 2,6 vs. 998,8 ± 2,5 mbar, P = 0,008). El análisis multivariante mostró que la presión atmosférica fue predictor significativo de presentación del SCA con elevación del ST (OR: 1,14 IC 95%: 1,04 a 1,24; p = 0,004). Conclusiones: En los pacientes que sufren un SCA, la presencia de cifras más elevadas de presión atmosférica durante la semana previa al evento incrementa el riesgo de que dicho SCA sea con elevación del ST. Sin financiación 1.231 JCR (2016) Q4, 31/33 Critical Care Medicine UEC

Hepatitis C recurrence after liver transplantation is universal and increases morbidity and mortality in these patients. The development of new direct antiviral agents against the hepatitis C virus is a major treatment advance. Pre-transplant treatment avoids graft infection and sometimes improves liver function, allowing the patient to be withdrawn from the transplant waiting list. Delaying treatment until the postpostransplant period may be advisable in patients with advanced cirrhosis. Generally, antiviral therapy after liver transplantation is provided in patients with histological evidence of the disease. In these patients, treatment is more effective in the initial stages of the disease. The choice of antiviral therapy in these patients is based on the degree of liver function, the presence of renal failure, and potential drug-drug interactions.