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Context. One of the long-term goals of exoplanet science is the atmospheric characterization of dozens of small exoplanets in order to understand their diversity and search for habitable worlds and potential biosignatures. Achieving this goal requires a space mission of sufficient scale that can spatially separate the signals from exoplanets and their host stars and thus directly scrutinize the exoplanets and their atmospheres.Aims. We seek to quantify the exoplanet detection performance of a space-based mid-infrared (MIR) nulling interferometer that measures the thermal emission of exoplanets. We study the impact of various parameters and compare the performance with that of large single-aperture mission concepts that detect exoplanets in reflected light.Methods. We have developed an instrument simulator that considers all major astrophysical noise sources and coupled it with Monte Carlo simulations of a synthetic exoplanet population around main-sequence stars within 20 pc of the Sun. This allows us to quantify the number (and types) of exoplanets that our mission concept could detect. Considering single visits only, we discuss two different scenarios for distributing 2.5 yr of an initial search phase among the stellar targets. Different apertures sizes and wavelength ranges are investigated.Results. An interferometer consisting of four 2 m apertures working in the 4–18.5 μ.m wavelength range with a total instrument throughput of 5% could detect up to ≈550 exoplanets with radii between 0.5 and 6 R⊕ with an integrated S/N ≥ 7. At least ≈160 of the detected exoplanets have radii ≤1.5 R⊕. Depending on the observing scenario, ≈25–45 rocky exoplanets (objects with radii between 0.5 and 1.5 R⊕) orbiting within the empirical habitable zone (eHZ) of their host stars are among the detections. With four 3.5 m apertures, the total number of detections can increase to up to ≈770, including ≈60–80 rocky eHZ planets. With four times 1 m apertures, the maximum detection yield is ≈315 exoplanets, including ≤20 rocky eHZ planets. The vast majority of small, temperate exoplanets are detected around M dwarfs. The impact of changing the wavelength range to 3–20 μm or 6–17 μm on the detection yield is negligible.Conclusions. A large space-based MIR nulling interferometer will be able to directly detect hundreds of small, nearby exoplanets, tens of which would be habitable world candidates. This shows that such a mission can compete with large single-aperture reflected light missions. Further increasing the number of habitable world candidates, in particular around solar-type stars, appears possible via the implementation of a multi-visit strategy during the search phase. The high median S/N of most of the detected planets will allow for first estimates of their radii and effective temperatures and will help prioritize the targets for a second mission phase to obtain high-S/N thermal emission spectra, leveraging the superior diagnostic power of the MIR regime compared to shorter wavelengths.

Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA) is a systemic disease characterized by symmetric polyarthritis. Its pathophysiology is essentially inflammatory and autoimmune. It affects 1% of the population and is potentially disabling. Half of the patients with RA have extra-articular manifestations (e.g. skin, eyes, cardiac and pulmonary conditions). Interstitial Lung Disease associated with RA (ILD-RA) is an early manifestation of AR, and their presence increases up to three times the risk of death. The presentation of ILD-RA ranges from subclinical inflammation to severe pulmonary fibrosis. Accurate diagnosis of the ILD-RA is hampered by the absence of symptoms in the early stages of the disease. High Resolution Computed Tomography (HR-CT) is a sensitive method for the assessment of pulmonary abnormalities in RA. Although ILD is a known complication of RA, details about the etiology and risk factors are poorly understood. The aim of this study was to present a case of ILD-RA and describe clinical manifestations in elderly. Information is beneficial for identifying patients at risk, and provides fundamental knowledge for the development of appropriate therapeutic strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biological soil crusts (biocrusts) influence hydrological and erosive processes in drylands, and their effects increase with hypothetic successional development. Runoff and raindrops, both dependent on rain intensity, are among the main causes of erosion in these areas. However, little is known about the existence of soil loss nonlinearity in relation to rain intensity and crust types; this nonlinearity could control biocrust succession and dynamics. The assumption of biocrust types as successional stages, which allow space-for-time sampling, makes it advisable to include all the successional stages when exploring possible nonlinearity. We considered seven types of crusts, three physical and four biological. We created four rainfall intensity levels in controlled laboratory conditions: 18, 60, 120, and 240 mm/h. In all but the last, we conducted the experiments at two levels of antecedent soil moisture. Generalized Lineal Models enabled us to test for differences. These analyses confirmed previous knowledge regarding the significant effect of rainfall intensity, crust type and antecedent soil moisture and their interactions on runoff and soil loss, despite the small sample size of the sample units. For example, runoff, and particularly soil loss, decreased along succession. Moreover, some results were novel: the runoff coefficient increased only up to 120 mm/h of rain intensity. A decoupling between runoff and soil loss occurred at high intensities. Soil loss increased as rainfall intensity increased only up to 60 mm/h, and then it decreased, mainly due to physical crusts, because of the formation of a water sheet on the surface due to the incoming rainwater exceeding the drainage capacity. Although soil loss was greater in the incipient cyanobacteria than in the most developed lichen biocrust (Lepraria community), the protection provided by any biocrust against soil loss was great compared to the physical crust, and almost as strong at all rain intensities. Soil loss increased with antecedent soil moisture only in physical crusts. Biocrusts resisted the rain splash even at a rainfall intensity of 240 mm/h., Competing Interests: CG was employed by SGS Tecnos SAU. The remaining authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Lázaro, Gascón and Rubio.)

Conclusion: A reduction in the percentage of correct responses in the olfactory test indirectly indicated increased albuminuria and worse glomerular filtration rate (GFR) in diabetic patients. The olfactory function test is an indirect indicator of early microvascular complications in diabetic patients., Objectives: Diabetes mellitus is a highly prevalent disease that causes numerous complications. The aim of this study was to determine whether olfactory and taste sensations are related to renal failure in diabetic patients., Methods: We studied 61 patients diagnosed with diabetes mellitus, mean age = 65.9 years (SD = 16.8), 54.1% male. We evaluated olfactory and taste sensations by determining the capacity of detection, identification and percentage of correct responses of the 29 components of the Barcelona Smell-taste Test-24 (BAST-24). We determined the relationship between these results and glycosylated haemoglobin (HbA1c), creatinine, albumin/creatinine, albuminuria and GFR (normal = GFR ≥ 60 ml/min/1.73 m(2); impaired renal function = GFR < 60 ml/min/1.73 m(2))., Results: There was no significant relationship between HbA1c and olfactory and taste sensations. There was a significant relationship between the percentage of correct responses and albuminuria (p = 0.03) and between identification of odours through the olfactory nerve and GFR (p = 0.029), and the percentage of correct responses and GFR (p = 0.03). There was no significant relationship between taste and renal failure.

Several studies have shown a carcinogenic effect of inhaled or injected cadmium in rats. This carcinogenity has not yet been confirmed in humans. We have performed a study with 48 Wistar male rats, to which we have administered either cadmium sulphide (0.2 mg/Kg/day) or the same doses of placebo for four or eight days. 24 hours after the last administration, the rats were euthanised and an autopsy was performed. The histologic changes in the lung of the cadmium-exposed group were diffuse areas of alveolar collapse due to narrowing of the bronchioles secondary to the alteration of the surrounding connective tissue, with compensating alveolar emphysema near these foci and also at the periphery of the lung. There was also an increased number of intra-alveolar macrophages. We also noticed small foci of dysplasia in the alveolar epithelium. Ultrastructural changes were inspecific but suggested a toxic effect of cadmium on the epithelium. These findings, absent in the control group, confirm that intrathoracic injection of cadmium is associated with an increased tendency to the development of pulmonary emphysema and with dysplastic changes in the alveolar epithelium (peribronchiolar alveolar dysplasia).