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Severe hypokalaemia causing rhabdomyolysis (RML) in primary aldosteronism (PA) is a rare entity, and only a few cases have been reported over the last four decades. This systematic review and case report aims to gather all published data regarding a hypokalaemic RML as presentation of PA in order to contribute to the early diagnosis of this extremely rare presentation. With the use of PubMed Central, EMBASE, and Google Scholar, a thorough internet-based search of the literature was conducted to identify articles and cases with RML secondary to hypokalaemia due to PA between June 1976 and July 2023. The case study concerns a 68-year-old male patient with hypokalaemic RML at presentation of PA. In the systematic review of the literature, 37 cases of RML secondary to hypokalaemia due to PA have been reported to date. In summary, the median age was 47.5 years, the male/female ratio was 17/21, all patients presented symptoms (weakness and/or myalgia), all the patients were hypertensive, and only four patients had complications with acute kidney injury (AKI). Although PA rarely presents with RML, it should be suspected when marked hypokalaemia and hypertension are also present. Early detection and management are essential to reduce the frequency of manifestations such as AKI.

Abstract Background Diagnosis of mature-onset diabetes of the young (MODY), a non-autoimmune monogenic form of diabetes mellitus, is confirmed by genetic testing. However, a positive genetic diagnosis is achieved in only around 50% of patients with clinical characteristics of this disease. Results We evaluated the diagnostic utility of transcriptomic analysis in patients with clinical suspicion of MODY but a negative genetic diagnosis. Using Nanostring nCounter technology, we conducted transcriptomic analysis of 19 MODY-associated genes in peripheral blood samples from 19 patients and 8 healthy controls. Normalized gene expression was compared between patients and controls and correlated with each patient’s biochemical and clinical variables. Z-scores were calculated to identify significant changes in gene expression in patients versus controls. Only 7 of the genes analyzed were detected in peripheral blood. HADH expression was significantly lower in patients versus controls. Among patients with suspected MODY, GLIS3 expression was higher in obese versus normal-weight patients, and in patients aged 25 years at diabetes onset. Significant alteration with respect to controls of any gene was observed in 57.9% of patients. Conclusions Although blood does not seem to be a suitable sample for transcriptomic analysis of patients with suspected MODY, in our study, we detected expression alterations in some of the genes studied in almost 58% of patients. That opens the door for future studies that can clarify the molecular cause of the clinic of these patients and thus be able to maintain a more specific follow-up and treatment in each case.

Thermal sintering has traditionally been the most popular sintering method to enhance conductivity after the printing process in the manufacturing of printed electronics. Nevertheless, in recent years, there has been a growing interest in electrical sintering as an alternative method to overcome some of the limitations of thermal curing. This paper makes a comparative study of both sintering methods in terms of surface morphology, electrical dc conductance, and radiofrequency performance for different applied voltage waveforms. To this end, microstrip transmission lines have been inkjet-printed using nanoparticle-based silver ink on flexible polyimide substrate. The traces have been tested under different sintering conditions, achieving electrical sintering resistivity values only 2.3 times higher than that of bulk silver. This implies a 62% reduction in comparison with the best resistivity value achieved using thermal sintering in our samples. The main novelty of this contribution lies in the analysis of RF behavior as a function of electrical sintering conditions. Lower resistivities have been achieved with slower voltage ramps or allowing higher density current during sintering. It has also been proved that electrically sintered lines have similar RF performance than high-temperature thermally sintered lines in terms of insertion losses, regardless of their very different surface topology. Therefore, we can take advantage of the benefits that electrical sintering offers over thermal sintering regarding significant shorter sintering times maintaining suitable RF performance.

A smartphone-based platform for the diagnosis of parasitic infections has been developed, tested and validated. The system is capable of making automatic and accurate analysis of millimetric colorimetric arrays in centrifuge collection tubes, which are well established tools used in clinical analysis. To that end, an Android-based software application has been developed, making use of the smartphone rear camera, enabling precise image processing of the colorimetric spot arrays. A low-cost plastic accessory has been developed using 3D-printing to provide controlled illumination, fixed sample positioning and cell phone attachment. The platform was then tested repeatedly for its size detection, edge blurriness and colour detection capabilities. A minimum spot radius of 175 μm is detectable when using the developed app, with a tolerance of 15%, corresponding to 0.25% of the area where the spot array is printed. Spot edge definition has been studied up to 40% of blurriness, resulting in a low average percentage error of 1.24%. Colour detection follows the well-known Gamma correction function. Finally, the whole platform was tested and validated using real DNA to analyse for accurate discrimination of Trypanosomatid species, which are responsible for devastating diseases in humans and livestock. The smartphone-based platform can be further extended to other clinical analysis. Its simplicity and reliable performance mean it can be used in remote, limited-resource settings by relatively unskilled technicians/nurses, where diagnostic laboratories are sparsely distributed. The results can however be sent easily via the smartphone to medical experts as well as government health agencies.

Abstract Background The resting metabolic rate (RMR) decrease, observed after an obesity reduction therapy is a determinant of a short-time weight regain. Thus, the objective of this study was to evaluate changes in RMR, and the associated hormonal alterations in obese patients with a very low-calorie ketogenic (VLCK)-diet induced severe body weight (BW) loss. Method From 20 obese patients who lost 20.2 kg of BW after a 4-months VLCK-diet, blood samples and body composition analysis, determined by DXA and MF-Bioimpedance, and RMR by indirect calorimetry, were obtained on four subsequent visits: visit C-1, basal, initial fat mass (FM) and free fat mass (FFM); visit C-2, − 7.2 kg in FM, − 4.3 kg in FFM, maximal ketosis; visit C-3, − 14.4 kg FM, − 4.5 kg FFM, low ketosis; visit C-4, − 16.5 kg FM, − 3.8 kg FFM, no ketosis. Each subject acted as his own control. Results Despite the large BW reduction, measured RMR varied from basal visit C-1 to visit C-2, − 1.0%; visit C-3, − 2.4% and visit C-4, − 8.0%, without statistical significance. No metabolic adaptation was observed. The absent reduction in RMR was not due to increased sympathetic tone, as thyroid hormones, catecholamines, and leptin were reduced at any visit from baseline. Under regression analysis FFM, adjusted by levels of ketonic bodies, was the only predictor of the RMR changes (R2 = 0.36; p