Unexpected Delayed Incursion of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza H5N1 (Clade 2.3.4.4b) Into the Antarctic Region.

The current highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1 panzootic is having substantial impacts on wild birds and marine mammals. Following major and widespread outbreaks in South America, an incursion to Antarctica occurred late in the austral summer of 2023/2024 and was confined to the region of the Antarctic Peninsula. To infer potential underlying processes, we compiled H5N1 surveillance data from Antarctica and sub-Antarctic Islands prior to the first confirmed cases.

The Spanish Familial Pancreatic Cancer Registry (PANGENFAM): a decade follow-up of individuals at high-risk for pancreatic cancer.

The Spanish Familial Pancreatic Cancer Registry (PANGENFAM) was established in 2009 and aims to characterize the genotype and phenotype of familial pancreatic cancer (FPC). Furthermore, an early detection screening program for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is provided to healthy high-risk individuals from FPC and hereditary pancreatic cancer families (first-degree relatives). This article describes our experience over the last 10 years in high-risk screening. Hereditary and familial pancreatic cancer families were identified through the oncology and gastroenterology units. High-risk individuals underwent annual screening with endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) and magnetic resonance (MRI) from age 40 or 10 years younger than the youngest affected family member. Results: PANGENFAM has enrolled 290 individuals from 143 families, including 52 PDAC cases and 238 high-risk individuals. All high-risk individuals eligible for screening were offered to enter the surveillance program, with 143 currently participating. Pancreatic abnormalities were detected in 94 individuals (median age 53 years (29-83), with common findings including cystic lesions and inhomogeneous parenchyma. Imaging test concordance was 66%. Surgical intervention was performed in 4 high-risk individuals following highly suspicious lesions detected by imaging. PANGENFAM is a valuable resource for science innovation, such as biobanking, with clinical and imaging data available for analysis. For high-risk families, it may offer a potential for early diagnosis. Collaboration with other national and international registries is needed to increase our understanding of the disease biology and to standardize criteria for inclusion and follow-up, optimizing cost-effectiveness and efficacy.

The best linear unbiased prediction (BLUP) method as a tool to estimate the lifetime risk of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma in high-risk individuals with no known pathogenic germline variants.

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is the fourth leading cause of cancer-related death in the Western world. The number of diagnosed cases and the mortality rate are almost equal as the majority of patients present with advanced disease at diagnosis. Between 4 and 10% of pancreatic cancer cases have an apparent hereditary background, known as hereditary pancreatic cancer (HPC) and familial pancreatic cancer (FPC), when the genetic basis is unknown. Surveillance of high-risk individuals (HRI) from these families by imaging aims to detect PDAC at an early stage to improve prognosis. However, the genetic basis is unknown in the majority of HRIs, with only around 10-13% of families carrying known pathogenic germline mutations. The aim of this study was to assess an individual's genetic cancer risk based on sex and personal and family history of cancer. The Best Linear Unbiased Prediction (BLUP) methodology was used to estimate an individual's predicted risk of developing cancer during their lifetime. The model uses different demographic factors in order to estimate heritability. A reliable estimation of heritability for pancreatic cancer of 0.27 on the liability scale, and 0.07 at the observed data scale as obtained, which is different from zero, indicating a polygenic inheritance pattern of PDAC. BLUP was able to correctly discriminate PDAC cases from healthy individuals and those with other cancer types. Thus, providing an additional tool to assess PDAC risk HRI with an assumed genetic predisposition in the absence of known pathogenic germline mutations.

Impact of CT-measured sarcopenic obesity on postoperative outcomes following colon cancer surgery.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to investigate the influence of sarcopenic obesity on anastomotic leak following elective colon resection for non-metastatic colon cancer. Secondary outcomes included overall morbidity, mortality and length of hospital stay. METHODS: This retrospective observational study, conducted at a colorectal surgery referral centre, spanned from January 1, 2015, to January 1, 2020. A total of 544 consecutive patients who underwent elective colon resection were included in the analysis, excluding patients with rectal cancer, urgent surgery, absence of anastomosis, lack of imaging, multivisceral resections and synchronic tumours. RESULTS: Postoperative complications were observed in 177 (32.3%) patients, with 51 (9.31%) classified as severe (Clavien-Dindo > II). Sarcopenic obesity was identified in 9.39% of the sample and emerged as an independent predictor of increased overall morbidity [OR 2.15 (1.14-3.69); p = 0.016] and 30-day mortality [OR 5.07 (1.22-20.93); p = 0.03] and was significantly associated with the development of anastomotic leak [OR 2.95 (1.41-6.18); p = 0.007]. Furthermore, it increased the risk of reoperation and was linked to a prolonged length of hospital stay. CONCLUSIONS: CT-measured sarcopenic obesity demonstrates a discernible correlation with an elevated risk of postoperative morbidity and mortality in the context of colon cancer surgery.

Structural, Vibrational, and Magnetic Characterization of Orthoferrite LaFeO3 Ceramic Prepared by Reaction Flash Sintering.

LaFeO3 perovskite ceramics have been prepared via reaction flash technique using Fe2O3 and La2O3 as precursors. The obtained pellets have been investigated using several techniques. The formation of LaFeO3 has been clearly confirmed by X-ray diffraction. The scanning electron microscopy micrographs have shown the microporous character of the obtained pellets due to the low temperature and dwell time used in the synthesis process (10 min at 1173 K). The orthorhombic-rhombohedral phase transition has been observed at approximately 1273 K in differential thermal analysis measurements, which also allows us to determine the Néel temperature at 742 K. The fitted Mössbauer spectra exposed the presence of a single sextet ascribed to the Fe+3 ions in the tetrahedral site. Finally, magnetic measurements at room temperature indicate the antiferromagnetic character of the sample.

Impact of Sarcopenic Obesity on Long-Term Cancer Outcomes and Postoperative Complications After Gastrectomy for Gastric Cancer.

BACKGROUND: The prevalence of sarcopenia in gastric cancer (GC), although varying among the reported studies, is around 60%. In the last few years, it has been recognised that sarcopenia can also occur not only in patients with weight loss and low body weight, but also in patients with normal or increased body mass index. Therefore, the term sarcopenic obesity (SO) is a new definition that further expands the implications of altered body composition. The aim of this study was to assess the impact of SO on the perioperative morbidity and the survival of GC patients undergoing gastrectomy by evaluating body composition on CT images. METHODS: Preoperative CT scans were obtained from all patients with a diagnosis of GC undergoing gastrectomy with curative intent between January 2012 and December 2019. Skeletal muscle mass index (SMMI) and visceral adipose tissue (VAT) cross-sectional area at the level of the transverse processes of the third lumbar vertebra (L3) were measured. Sarcopenia and obesity were defined according to sex-specific cut-off points. RESULTS: After analysing 190 patients, the prevalence of SO was 21.1% (40 patients) and sarcopenia was 14.7% (28 patients). Multivariate analysis showed that corporal composition was an independent factor of overall survival (p = 0.049). Logistic regression was performed to identify risk factors associated with postoperative complications. SO was identified as a risk factor for serious Clavien-Dindo complications > IIIb/IV [OR 2.82 (1.1-7.1); p = 0.028]. CONCLUSION: SO was a risk factor for severe postoperative complications as well as worse long-term oncological after a gastrectomy for GC.

The Use of Ultrasound Imaging for Upper Extremity Lymphedema after Breast Cancer: A Systematic Review.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to analyze the different applications of ultrasound (US) in upper extremity lymphedema (UEL) after breast cancer. METHODS: A systematic review of the literature was performed in line with the PRISMA statement using MEDLINE/PubMed databases from January 1970 to December 2021. Articles describing the application of US in patients with UEL after breast cancer were included. The quality of the study, the level of reproducibility, and the different applications and type of US technique were analyzed. RESULTS: In total, 30 articles with 1,193 patients were included in the final review. Five different applications were found: (1) diagnosis of UEL (14 studies found a direct correlation between lymphedema and morphological and/or functional parameters); (2) staging/severity of UEL (9 studies found a direct correlation between the clinical stage and the soft-tissue stiffness/texture/thickness); (3) therapeutic assessment (3 studies found an improvement in the circulatory status or in the muscle/subcutaneous thickness after conservative treatments); (4) prognosis assessment of UEL (1 study found a correlation between the venous flow and the risk of UEL); and (5) surgical planning (3 studies determined the location of the lymphatic vessel for lymphovenous anastomosis [LVA] surgery). CONCLUSION: Morphological and functional parameters have been correlated with the diagnosis, stage, therapeutic effect, prognosis of UEL, and surgical planning of LVA.

Mechanical Alloying as a Way to Produce Metastable Single-Phase High-Entropy Alloys beyond the Stability Criteria.

Various stability criteria developed for high-entropy alloys are applied to compositions produced by mechanical alloying. While they agree with the annealed samples, these criteria fail to describe the as-milled metastable systems, highlighting the ability of mechanical alloying to overcome the limitations imposed by these criteria. The criteria are based on atomic size (Ω ≥ 1.1 and δr ≤ 6.6%) and/or electronegativity misfit, as well as on mixing enthalpy (Λ>0.95 J mol-1K-1 and -5 kJ mol-1<∆Hmix<0), or purely thermodynamic (ϕYe>20; ϕKing>1; Teff<500 K). These criteria are applied to several compositions found in the literature and to two metastable fcc solid solutions produced by mechanical alloying with compositions Al0.75CoXFeNi with X = Cr and Mn. Single-phase microstructures are stable up to above 600 K, leading to more stable multiphase systems after annealing above this temperature. Mössbauer spectrometry shows that, whereas the alloy with Cr is paramagnetic in the as-milled and annealed state, the alloy with Mn changes from paramagnetic to ferromagnetic behavior (Curie temperature ~700 K) after annealing. Thermomagnetic experiments on annealed samples show for both compositions some hysteretic events at high temperatures (850 to 1000 K), probably ascribed to reversible ordering phenomena.

S3: An AI-Enabled User Continuous Authentication for Smartphones Based on Sensors, Statistics and Speaker Information.

Continuous authentication systems have been proposed as a promising solution to authenticate users in smartphones in a non-intrusive way. However, current systems have important weaknesses related to the amount of data or time needed to build precise user profiles, together with high rates of false alerts. Voice is a powerful dimension for identifying subjects but its suitability and importance have not been deeply analyzed regarding its inclusion in continuous authentication systems. This work presents the S3 platform, an artificial intelligence-enabled continuous authentication system that combines data from sensors, applications statistics and voice to authenticate users in smartphones. Experiments have tested the relevance of each kind of data, explored different strategies to combine them, and determined how many days of training are needed to obtain good enough profiles. Results showed that voice is much more relevant than sensors and applications statistics when building a precise authenticating system, and the combination of individual models was the best strategy. Finally, the S3 platform reached a good performance with only five days of use available for training the users' profiles. As an additional contribution, a dataset with 21 volunteers interacting freely with their smartphones for more than sixty days has been created and made available to the community.

How animals distribute themselves in space: energy landscapes of Antarctic avian predators.

BACKGROUND: Energy landscapes provide an approach to the mechanistic basis of spatial ecology and decision-making in animals. This is based on the quantification of the variation in the energy costs of movements through a given environment, as well as how these costs vary in time and for different animal populations. Organisms as diverse as fish, mammals, and birds will move in areas of the energy landscape that result in minimised costs and maximised energy gain. Recently, energy landscapes have been used to link energy gain and variable energy costs of foraging to breeding success, revealing their potential use for understanding demographic changes. METHODS: Using GPS-temperature-depth and tri-axial accelerometer loggers, stable isotope and molecular analyses of the diet, and leucocyte counts, we studied the response of gentoo (Pygoscelis papua) and chinstrap (Pygoscelis antarcticus) penguins to different energy landscapes and resources. We compared species and gentoo penguin populations with contrasting population trends. RESULTS: Between populations, gentoo penguins from Livingston Island (Antarctica), a site with positive population trends, foraged in energy landscape sectors that implied lower foraging costs per energy gained compared with those around New Island (Falkland/Malvinas Islands; sub-Antarctic), a breeding site with fluctuating energy costs of foraging, breeding success and populations. Between species, chinstrap penguins foraged in sectors of the energy landscape with lower foraging costs per bottom time, a proxy for energy gain. They also showed lower physiological stress, as revealed by leucocyte counts, and higher breeding success than gentoo penguins. In terms of diet, we found a flexible foraging ecology in gentoo penguins but a narrow foraging niche for chinstraps. CONCLUSIONS: The lower foraging costs incurred by the gentoo penguins from Livingston, may favour a higher breeding success that would explain the species' positive population trend in the Antarctic Peninsula. The lower foraging costs in chinstrap penguins may also explain their higher breeding success, compared to gentoos from Antarctica but not their negative population trend. Altogether, our results suggest a link between energy landscapes and breeding success mediated by the physiological condition.

Transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS) in Spain. Clinical-epidemiological considerations in relation to a multicenter registry.

OBJECTIVE: this study aimed to determine the epidemiological, technical and clinical data of transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS) performed by Interventional Radiology departments in Spain. Furthermore, the total number of TIPS carried out in Spain was determined and compared with other countries. MATERIAL AND METHODS: a retrospective study was performed with the approval of the Ethical Committee of the Spanish Society of Interventional Radiology (SERVEI). A survey was performed with 31 items (demographic, technical and clinical data) for data acquisition on the current status of TIPS in Spain. The survey was sent to the 49 hospitals that SERVEI included in a previous registry with data of TIPS performed in Spain in 2016. RESULTS: of the 49 centers surveyed, 33 (67.35 %) replied to the survey. These centers had completed 265 of the 415 TIPS that year in Spain. The most frequent indication was upper GI bleeding from gastroesophageal varices, which accounted for 144 (54.33 %); 62.26 % of the TIPS were performed urgently and 37.7 % on a scheduled basis. The technical success was 89.16 ± 20.9 %, with a rebleeding rate of 17.9 %. Sixty-nine patients (26.03 %) presented complications, 19.62 % of them minor and 6.41 % major. The 30-day mortality related to the disease was 14.33 %, while mortality at one year was 18.49 %. CONCLUSION: notably in our study, the complications of TIPS did not show a clear relationship with the number of procedures performed. With regard to other countries like the United States and France, the number of TIPS in Spain per million inhabitants is currently substantially lower. There were no significant changes compared to the number completed in 2013.

Endovascular occlusion of iatrogenic lumbar artery pseudoaneurysm using liquid embolic agent: Case report.

We describe a case of iatrogenic pseudoaneurysm of the fourth lumbar artery as a complication after transpedicular screw fixation in the lumbar spine. The lesion was succesfully occluded with endovascular liquic embolic agent infusion and the patient was fully recovered.

COVID-19 Outbreak: Infection Control and Management Protocol for Vascular and Interventional Radiology Departments-Consensus Document.

COVID-19 (SARS-CoV-2 virus) pandemic was recently declared by the WHO as a global health emergency. A group of interventional radiology senior experts developed a consensus document for infection control and management of patients with COVID-19 in interventional radiology (IR) departments. This consensus statement has been brought together at short notice with the help of different protocols developed by governmental entities and scientific societies to be adapted to the current reality and needs of IR Departments. Recommendations are the specific strategies to follow in IR departments, preventive measures and regulations, step by step for donning and doffing personal protective equipment, specific IR procedures which can not be delayed, and aerosol-generating procedures in IR with COVID-19 patients. It is advisable with this document to be adapted to local workplace policies.

Influence of Milling Time on the Homogeneity and Magnetism of a Fe70Zr30 Partially Amorphous Alloy: Distribution of Curie Temperatures.

In this work, the mechanically alloyed Fe70Zr30 (at. %) composition has been used to study the influence of milling time on its homogeneity and magnetic properties. The microstructure and Fe environment results show the formation of an almost fully amorphous alloy after 50 h of milling in a mixture of pure 70 at. % Fe and 30 at. % Zr. The soft magnetic behavior of the samples enhances with the increase of the milling time, which is ascribed to the averaging out of the magnetocrystalline anisotropy as the crystal size decreases and the amorphous fraction increases. The formation of a non-perfectly homogenous system leads to a certain compositional heterogeneity, motivating the existence of a distribution of Curie temperatures. The parameters of the distribution (the average Curie temperature, T C ¯ , and the broadening of the distribution, ∆ T C ) have been obtained using a recently reported procedure, based on the analysis of the approach towards the saturation curves and the magnetocaloric effect. The decrease of ∆ T C and the increase of T C ¯ with the milling time are in agreement with the microstructural results. As the remaining α-Fe phase decreases, the amorphous matrix is enriched in Fe atoms, enhancing its magnetic response.

Paraganglioma of the cauda equina: MR and angiographic findings.

Paragangliomas of the cauda equina are rare benign highly vascular tumors and occur almost exclusively in the cauda equina and filum terminale of the spinal cord. We present a case spinal paraganglioma of the cauda equina in a 75-year-old male with an emphasis on magnetic resonance imaging and conventional angiography findings.

Partial splenic embolization and peg-IFN plus RBV in liver transplanted patients with hepatitis C recurrence: safety, efficacy and long-term outcome.

BACKGROUND: There is limited information on the long-term outcome in liver transplant (LT) subjects undergoing partial splenic embolization (PSE) prior to full dose pegylated interferon/ribavirin (peg-IFN/RBV). METHODS: Retrospective review of eight LT subjects after PSE and antiviral therapy. RESULTS: Baseline platelets and neutrophils were <50 000 cells/mL and <1000 cells/mL in 75% and 50%. Mean splenic infarction volume was 85 +/- 13%. PSE produced major complications in three (37.5%): recurrent sterile netrophilic ascites and renal insufficiency (n = 2), and splenic abscess (n = 1). Full-dose peg-IFN/RBV was started in seven (87.5%), with two early withdrawals (28.6%) despite early virological response (toxicity and infection); both subjects died. Anemia led to RBV dose-adjustment in six (86%), with human recombinant erythropoietin (EPO) use in four (57%). No peg-IFN adjustments or granulocyte-colonies stimulating factor were needed. Two patients reached sustained virological response (SVR) (28.6%). Two non-responders maintained prolonged therapy with biochemical/histological improvement. After a median follow-up of 151 wk, we observed significant improvements in hematological parameters, aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, international normalized ratio, and prothrombin activity. CONCLUSIONS: Extensive PSE after LT produced significant morbidity (37.5%). Peg-IFN/RBV was completed in five out of seven (71%), with SVR in two (28.6%). RBV adjustement due to anemia was high despite EPO use. Only patients able to complete or maintain antiviral therapy survived, with long-term significant benefits in hematological parameters and liver function tests.

Portosystemic encephalopathy in a patient treated with peritoneal dialysis.

We present a case of a 75-year-old man with end-stage renal disease caused by immunoglobulin A nephropathy who developed hepatic encephalopathy 15 months after starting continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis therapy. Liver test results were normal except for hyperammonemia (ammonia, 317 microg/dL [186 micromol/L]) and mildly increased alkaline phosphatase and gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase levels. Abdominal ultrasonography showed normal liver architecture, and color Doppler ultrasonography showed a normal splenic-portal axis with hepatopetal blood flow. Histological examination of a laparoscopic liver biopsy specimen showed moderate fibrosis limited to portal tracts without necrosis or inflammation. Magnetic resonance angiography and percutaneous transhepatic portal angiography showed a large shunt between the left gastric and azygous veins, with blood flowing from the portal vein to the superior vena cava. The patient was transferred to hemodialysis treatment, and although his condition improved slightly, episodes of encephalopathy did not disappear. Surgical ligation of the left gastric vein was performed. In the 8 months after surgery, he has experienced no further episodes of hepatic encephalopathy or hyperammonemia. We speculate that increased intra-abdominal pressure and vasodilation caused by peritoneal dialysis solutions in a patient with a spontaneous portosystemic shunt resulted in ammonia-rich blood flow from the portal vein to the superior vena cava and encephalopathy. In addition, it is possible that chronic hepatic hypoxia caused by hypoperfusion from portosystemic shunting contributed to the development of liver fibrosis. To our knowledge, this is the first report of spontaneous portosystemic shunt encephalopathy in a patient with a noncirrhotic liver undergoing peritoneal dialysis.

Improved graft function in liver-transplanted patients after partial splenic embolization: reversal of splenic artery steal syndrome?

AIM: To describe the functional effect of partial splenic embolization (PSE) in liver-transplanted (LT) patients with hypersplenism and hepatitis C virus (HCV) recurrence. PATIENTS AND METHODS: From May 2002 to May 2005, five LT patients with persistent hypersplenism, viral recurrence and graft dysfunction underwent PSE prior to pegylated interferon/ribavirin (peg-IFN/RBV). RESULTS: The mean splenic size was 19.5 cm (16-21) and there was evidence of an enlarged splenic artery (10.7+/-1 mm). PSE produced a median splenic infarction of 90% and a significant reduction in the splenic artery diameter to 5.8+/-0.4 mm (p=0.04). PSE significantly improved hematologic parameters, bilirubin levels, prothrombin activity, international normalized ratio and the Model for End-stage Liver Disease (MELD) score despite high HCV-RNA (6.2 log10 IU/mL). It was demonstrated histologic amelioration of ischemic changes in all subjects. PSE allowed the safe use of full-dose peg-IFN plus RBV in all subjects. CONCLUSIONS: In HCV LT patients with chronic graft dysfunction and cholestasis the improvement in the liver function following PSE might be due to the reversal of an undiagnosed splenic artery steal syndrome related to chronic hypersplenism masked by HCV recurrence.

Safe use of pegylated interferon/ribavirin in hepatitis C virus cirrhotic patients with hypersplenism after partial splenic embolization.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Partial splenic embolization (PSE) is a non-surgical alternative for the treatment of hypersplenism. Thrombocytopenia precludes the use of pegylated interferon (peg-IFN) and ribavirin in cirrhotic patients with hepatitis C virus (HCV). We aimed to evaluate the role of PSE as a procedure allowing combined HCV therapy in this setting. METHODS: A retrospective analysis of the safety and rate of sustained virological response (SVR) after a full-dose course of peg-IFN plus ribavirin in eight HCV cirrhotic patients with severe hypersplenism undergoing PSE at a tertiary centre in Madrid, Spain, from May 2002 to August 2004. RESULTS: Six patients (75%) were in Child-Pugh class B (median score 7). PSE significantly improved the mean platelet (P = 0.012), leucocyte (P = 0.017) and haemoglobin (P = 0.035) levels, and prothrombin activity (P = 0.012). After a mean of 20 weeks after PSE all patients started weight-adjusted ribavirin plus peg-IFN-alpha2b (n = 6) or 180 microg/week of peg-IFN-alpha2a (n = 2). Six subjects (75%) completed therapy with no peg-IFN dose reductions; the dose of ribavirin was reduced in two patients reaching haemoglobin levels of less than 10 g/dl (one also received erythropoietin and granulocyte colony-stimulating factor because of neutrophil counts < 300 cells/microl). Three patients (38%) achieved SVR. Portal vein thrombosis was observed in 50% of patients, but did not preclude antiviral therapy. The pathogenic mechanism was multifactorial. It was successfully managed with anticoagulant therapy in two cases. CONCLUSIONS: PSE allowed the safe use of peg-IFN plus ribavirin in HCV cirrhotic patients with severe cytopenias who otherwise would never have been treated. The rate of SVR was 38%.