Effect of silk fibroin microparticles on cellular immunity and liver of gilthead seabream (Sparus aurata L.) with and without experimental skin injuries.

Silk fibroin (SF) microparticles were administered in the diet of gilthead seabream with or without experimental skin wounds to study the effects on cellular immunity and liver. A commercially available diet was enriched with varying amount of SF: 0, 50 and 100 mg kg-1 (representing the control, SF50 and SF100 diets respectively). The animals were fed for 30 days and half of them were sampled. Similar experimental wounds were then performed on the rest of fish, and they continued to be fed the same diet. At 7 days post-wounding, samples were taken from the wounded fish. Cellular immunity was studied on head kidney leucocytes (phagocytosis, respiratory and peroxidase content) and liver status (histological study and gene expression) were studied. Our results showed that experimental wounds affect both cellular immunity (by decreasing leucocyte respiratory burst and peroxidase activity) and altered liver histology (by inducing vascularisation and congestion of blood vessels). In addition, it influences the expression of genes that serve as markers of oxidative stress, endoplasmic reticulum stress and apoptosis. The highest dose of SF (SF100) increased the phagocytic capacity of leucocytes the most, as well as the expression of genes related to blood vessel formation in the liver. Furthermore, increased expression of antioxidant genes (cat and gsr) and decreased expression of genes related to reticulum endoplasmic stress (grp94 and grp170) and apoptosis (nos and jnk) were detected in these fish fed with SF100 and wounded. In conclusion, fed fish with SF100 had many beneficial effects as cellular immunostimulant and hepatoprotection in wounded fish. Its use could be of great interest for stress management in farmed fish conditions.

Automated FerryBox monitoring reveals the first recorded river induced crude oil seep transport to the Strait of Magellan in southern Patagonia.

This study presents the first documented occurrence of a natural crude oil seep plume associated with river discharge along the Strait of Magellan in southern Patagonia in modern times. Between September and December 2022, hydrocarbon signals were detected using a crude oil sensor integrated into a FerryBox system that traversed the Strait of Magellan and several channels of southern Patagonia, covering approximately 510 km. The highest levels of crude oil signals were observed in the mid-basin of the Strait of Magellan. These signals exhibited a strong negative correlation with sea surface salinity, coinciding with the water discharge from the San Juan River. Notably, during periods of high river discharge, typically exceeding 15 m3 s-1, a distinct crude oil plume was detected moving towards the Magellan Strait. Conversely, when river discharge fell below this threshold, no noticeable crude oil signal was observed. As river discharge decreased and winds intensified during the austral summer, the crude oil signal gradually dissipated. This observation suggests that the dispersion of crude oil becomes limited during periods of low river discharge, as buoyant currents remain confined close to the coast. Historical records indicate that this seep has been releasing hydrocarbons into the Strait of Magellan for at least the past 120 years, implying a long history of chronic crude oil input into this relatively isolated region of the world. This finding shows the potential contribution to the understanding of marine ecosystems dynamics and potential pollutants in poorly studied regions through the use of automated monitoring FerryBox system, enabling both spatial and temporal high-resolution surveys.

Roadmap to DILI research in Europe. A proposal from COST action ProEuroDILINet.

In the current article the aims for a constructive way forward in Drug-Induced Liver Injury (DILI) are to highlight the most important priorities in research and clinical science, therefore supporting a more informed, focused, and better funded future for European DILI research. This Roadmap aims to identify key challenges, define a shared vision across all stakeholders for the opportunities to overcome these challenges and propose a high-quality research program to achieve progress on the prediction, prevention, diagnosis and management of this condition and impact on healthcare practice in the field of DILI. This will involve 1. Creation of a database encompassing optimised case report form for prospectively identified DILI cases with well-characterised controls with competing diagnoses, biological samples, and imaging data; 2. Establishing of preclinical models to improve the assessment and prediction of hepatotoxicity in humans to guide future drug safety testing; 3. Emphasis on implementation science and 4. Enhanced collaboration between drug-developers, clinicians and regulatory scientists. This proposed operational framework will advance DILI research and may bring together basic, applied, translational and clinical research in DILI.

Nonlinear confocal positioner for micron-scale target alignment.

This paper presents a novel target positioner system that exhibits high sensitivity and accuracy. Specifically, the system is capable of precisely locating rough target surfaces within a micron-scale in the focal plane. The high sensitivity comes from the nonlinear detection scheme which uses the two-photon-absorption process in a Si-photodiode and a CMOS sensor at 1550 [nm]. The setup employs a confocal configuration that is easy to align and does not require a conjugated focal plane selective aperture (pinhole), thus demonstrating its feasibility and tilt tolerance of the target. Moreover, the system offers high accuracy up to 5 [µm], which corresponds to the step size of the focus scanning. The presented positioner system has potential applications in microfabrication with lasers and laser-driven plasma accelerators even at high repetition rates, limited by the detection bandwidth of the photodiode. Additionally, the principle can be extended to cameras if spatial information is needed and the system design can be extended to other spectral ranges with minimal changes.

Effects of bisphenol F, bisphenol S, and bisphenol AF on cultured human osteoblasts.

Bisphenol A (BPA) analogs, like BPA, could have adverse effects on human health including bone health. The aim was to determine the effect of BPF, BPS and BPAF on the growth and differentiation of cultured human osteoblasts. Osteoblasts primary culture from bone chips harvested during routine dental work and treated with BPF, BPS, or BPAF for 24 h at doses of 10-5, 10-6, and 10-7 M. Next, cell proliferation was studied, apoptosis induction, and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity. In addition, mineralization was evaluated at 7, 14, and 21 days of cell culture in an osteogenic medium supplemented with BP analog at the studied doses. BPS treatment inhibited proliferation in a dose-dependent manner at all three doses by inducing apoptosis; BPF exerted a significant inhibitory effect on cell proliferation at the highest dose alone by an increase of apoptosis; while BPAF had no effect on proliferation or cell viability. Cell differentiation was adversely affected by treatment with BPA analogs in a dose-dependent, observing a reduction in calcium nodule formation at 21 days. According to the results obtained, these BPA analogs could potentially pose a threat to bone health, depending on their concentration in the organism.

[Prevalence of myasthenia gravis in Colombia]. / Prevalencia de la miastenia grave en Colombia.

TITLE: Prevalencia de la miastenia grave en Colombia.

Antimicrobial resistance in Gram-negative bacilli in Spain: an experts' view.

BACKGROUND: Antibiotic resistance in Gram-negative bacilli poses a serious problem for public health. In hospitals, in addition to high mortality rates, the emergence and spread of resistance to practically all antibiotics restricts therapeutic options against serious and frequent infections. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this work is to present the views of a group of experts on the following aspects regarding resistance to antimicrobial agents in Gram-negative bacilli: 1) the current epidemiology in Spain, 2) how it is related to local clinical practice and 3) new therapies in this area, based on currently available evidence. METHODS: After reviewing the most noteworthy evidence, the most relevant data on these three aspects were presented at a national meeting to 99 experts in infectious diseases, clinical microbiology, internal medicine, intensive care medicine, anaesthesiology and hospital pharmacy. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: Subsequent local debates among these experts led to conclusions in this matter, including the opinion that the approval of new antibiotics makes it necessary to train the specialists involved in order to optimise how they use them and improve health outcomes; microbiology laboratories in hospitals must be available throughout a continuous timetable; all antibiotics must be available when needed and it is necessary to learn to use them correctly; and the Antimicrobial Stewardship Programs (ASP) play a key role in quickly allocating the new antibiotics within the guidelines and ensure appropriate use of them.

Neutron time-of-flight detectors (nTOF) used at Sandia's Z-Machine.

Neutron time-of-flight (nTOF) detectors have been used on Sandia National Laboratories' Z-Machine for inertial confinement fusion and magnetized liner fusion experiments to infer physics parameters including the apparent fuel-ion temperature, neutron yield, the magnetic-radius product (BR), and the liner rho-r. Single-paddle, dual-paddle, and co-axial scintillation nTOF detectors are used in axial lines-of-sight (LOS) and LOS that are 12° from the midplane. Detector fabrication, characterization, and calibration are discussed.

Inferring neutron yields using indium activation samples for small fractions of tritium added to deuterium fuel in inertial confinement fusion (ICF) experiments.

In inertial confinement fusion experiments, the neutron yield is an important metric for thermonuclear fusion performance. Neutron activation diagnostics can be used to infer neutron yields. The material used for neutron activation diagnostic undergoes a threshold reaction so that only neutrons having energies above the threshold energy are observed. For thermonuclear experiments using deuterium (D) and tritium (T) fuel constituents, neutrons arising from D + D reactions (DD-neutrons) and neutrons resulting from D + T reactions (DT-neutrons) are of primary interest. Indium has two neutron activation reactions that can be used to infer yields of DD-neutrons and DT-neutrons. One threshold is high enough that only DT-neutrons can induce activation, the second reaction can be activated by both DD-neutrons and DT-neutrons. Thus, to obtain the DD-neutron yield, the contribution made by DT-neutrons to the total induced activity must be extracted. In DD-fuel experiments, DT-neutrons arise from secondary reactions, which are significantly lower in number than primary DD-neutrons, and their contribution to the inferred DD-neutron yield can be ignored. When the DD- and DT-neutron yields become comparable, such as when low tritium fractions are added to DD-fuel, the contribution of DT-neutrons must be extracted to obtain accurate yields. A general method is described for this correction to DD-neutron yields.

High accuracy astigmatic-focusing system for laser targets.

An accurate location of the focal position with respect to a solid target is a key task for different applications, for instance, in laser driven plasma acceleration for x-ray generation where minimum required intensities are above 1014W/cm2. For such practical applications, new approaches for focus location and target delivery techniques are needed to achieve the required intensity, repeatability, and stability. There are different techniques to accomplish the focusing and target positioning task such as interferometry-, microscopy-, astigmatism-, and nonlinear-optics-based techniques, with their respective advantages and limitations. We present improvements of a focusing technique based on an astigmatic method with potential applications where maximum intensity at the target position is necessary. The presented technique demonstrates high accuracy up to 5 µm, below the Rayleigh range, and also its capability to work in rough surfaces targets and tilt tolerance of the target, with respect to the normal of the target surface.

Direct Measurement of Resonances in

We have performed the first direct measurement of two resonances of the ^{7}Be(α,γ)^{11}C reaction with unknown strengths using an intense radioactive ^{7}Be beam and the DRAGON recoil separator. We report on the first measurement of the 1155 and 1110 keV resonance strengths of 1.73±0.25(stat)±0.40(syst) eV and 125_{-25}^{+27}(stat)±15(syst) meV, respectively. The present results have reduced the uncertainty in the ^{7}Be(α,γ)^{11}C reaction rate to ∼9.4%-10.7% over T=1.5-3 GK, which is relevant for nucleosynthesis in the neutrino-driven outflows of core-collapse supernovae (νp process). We find no effect of the new, constrained reaction rate on νp-process nucleosynthesis.

Radiative Capture on Nuclear Isomers: Direct Measurement of the

We present the first direct measurement of an astrophysical reaction using a radioactive beam of isomeric nuclei. In particular, we have measured the strength of the key 447-keV resonance in the ^{26m}Al(p,γ)^{27}Si reaction to be 432_{-226}^{+146} meV and find that this resonance dominates the thermally averaged reaction rate for temperatures between 0.3 and 2.5 GK. This work represents a critical development in resolving one of the longest standing issues in nuclear astrophysics research, relating to the measurement of proton capture reactions on excited quantum levels, and offers unique insight into the destruction of isomeric ^{26}Al in astrophysical plasmas.

Factors Associated with Contraceptive Use in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Background: Globally 10% of women have an unmet need for contraception, with higher rates in sub-Saharan Africa. Programs to improve family planning (FP) outcomes require data on how service characteristics (e.g., geographic access, quality) and women's characteristics are associated with contraceptive use. Materials and Methods: We combined data from health facility assessments (2018 and 2019) and a population-based regional household survey (2018) of married and in-union women ages 15-49 in the Kigoma Region of Tanzania. We assessed the associations between contraceptive use and service (i.e., distance, methods available, personnel) and women's (e.g., demographic characteristics, fertility experiences and intentions, attitudes toward FP) characteristics. Results: In this largely rural sample (n = 4,372), 21.7% of women used modern reversible contraceptive methods. Most variables were associated with contraceptive use in bivariate analyses. In multivariate analyses, access to services located <2 km of one's home that offered five methods (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 1.57, confidence interval [CI] = 1.18-2.10) and had basic amenities (aOR = 1.66, CI = 1.24-2.2) increased the odds of contraceptive use. Among individual variables, believing that FP benefits the family (aOR = 3.65, CI = 2.18-6.11) and believing that contraception is safe (aOR = 2.48, CI = 1.92-3.20) and effective (aOR = 3.59, CI = 2.63-4.90) had strong associations with contraceptive use. Conclusions: Both service and individual characteristics were associated with contraceptive use, suggesting the importance of coordination between efforts to improve access to services and social and behavior change interventions that address motivations, knowledge, and attitudes toward FP.

Efficacy and safety of onabotulinumtoxin A injection in male patients with detrusor overactivity after stress urinary incontinence surgery.

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVE: The use of onabotulinumtoxin A (BoNT-A) injection in male patients with detrusor overactivity (DO) after stress urinary incontinence (SUI) surgery has been scarcely described. Our aim was to assess results of this treatment in this specific population. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Retrospective analysis of men with previous SUI surgery who had been treated with a first injection of 100 U BoNT-A because of DO since 2010 in our department. Treatment response was assessed with the Treatment Benefit Scale: 1) greatly improved; 2) improved; 3) not changed; 4) worsened after treatment (Treatment Benefit Scale 1 or 2: treatment response). Complications were classified according to the Clavien-Dindo classification. Treatment continuation was considered present if, at the last visit, patients had received a BoNT-A injection within the preceding 12 months. Pre- and post-treatment urodynamic variables were compared. RESULTS: Eighteen patients were included, median age 71.1 (59.1-83.5) years. Twelve (66.7%) patients reported response to treatment. Two (11.1%) complications were detected: urinary retention requiring clean intermittent catheterization (Clavien-Dindo 2). No complications related to previous SUI surgery were detected. Fifteen (83.3%) patients had a follow-up >12 months (median follow-up 57 [15-89] months) and all of them had discontinued treatment at the end of follow-up. Urodynamic studies showed significant improvement in terms of DO and bladder compliance. CONCLUSION: Although most men with DO after SUI surgery respond to intradetrusor BoNT-A injection, all of them discontinue treatment due to personal reasons. It is a safe procedure, with urinary retention requiring clean intermittent catheterization being the most frequent complication.

Oxigenoterapia con cánula nasal de alto flujo: experiencia en un servicio de urgencias de la ciudad de Bogotá / Oxygen therapy with a high-flow nasal cannula: experience in emergency service in the city of Bogotá

El objetivo de este estudio es analizar desenlaces clínicos de oxigenoterapia con cánula nasal de alto flujo (CNAF) en niños con dificultad respiratoria aguda en un servicio de urgencias. Estudio longitudinal, retrospectivo de datos panel en niños con diagnóstico de dificultad respiratoria moderada- severa. El resultado primario de interés fue ingreso a unidad de cuidados intensivos pediátricos (UCIP) o requerir intubación 24 horas posteriores al inicio de la terapia. Se calcularon medidas de frecuencia y tendencia central. Los grupos se compararon con las pruebas Chi2, Fisher, Wilcoxon y Kruskal-Wallis. El análisis de datos panel balanceados identificó puntos de inflexión en las curvas de normalización de respuesta respiratoria. Un total de 339 niños de 0 a 16 años cumplieron los criterios de inclusión. Mayoría hombres (62,24%), mediana de edad 2 años (RIQ= 0,75-3) y neumonía como principal causa de dificultad respiratoria (33,92%). El ingreso a UCIP (14,5%) y la intubación (0,9%) fue baja en la cohorte. En las primeras tres horas con CNAF se evidenció mejoría en los parámetros respiratorios, sin diferencias significativas entre pacientes con y sin respuesta clínica (frecuencia cardiaca p=0,317; frecuencia respiratoria p=0,423; SatO2 p=0,297; FiO2 p=0,116). No se presentaron eventos adversos ni casos de mortalidad. Los resultados sugieren que la oxigenoterapia con CNAF puede ser una alternativa de soporte respiratorio inicial en niños ≤16 años con dificultad respiratoria moderada a severa. La incidencia de intubación e ingreso a UCIP fue baja. La CNAF fue bien tolerada en los diferentes grupos de edad.

Objective: To analyze clinical outcomes of oxygen therapy with a high-flow nasal cannula (HFNC) in children with acute respiratory distress in an emergency department. We design a longitudinal retrospective study of panel data in children with a diagnosis of moderate-severe respiratory distress. The primary outcome of interest was admission to the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) or requiring intubation 24 hours after initiation of therapy.We calculated the statistics of frequency and central tendency. Finally, the Chi2, Fisher, Wilcoxon and Kruskal-Wallis tests were used to compare groups. Balanced panel data analysis identified inflexion points in the respiratory response normalization curves. Children (n = 339) from zero to 16 years old met the inclusion criteria. Most men (62.24%), median age= 2 years (IQR = 0.75-3) and pneumonia as the main cause of respiratory distress (33.92%). Admission to the PICU (14.5%) and intubation (0.9%) was low in the cohort. In the first three hours with HFNC, improvement in respiratory parameters was evidenced, with no significant differences between patients with and without clinical response (heart rate p = 0.317; respiratory rate p = 0.423; SatO2 p = 0.297; FiO2 p = 0.116). There were no adverse events or mortality cases. The results suggest that oxygen therapy with HFNC can be an alternative for initial respiratory support in children ≤16 years of age with moderate to severe respiratory distress. The incidence of intubation and admission to the PICU was low. The HFNC was well tolerated in the different age groups.

Pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic properties of aerosolized ("vaped") THC in adolescent male and female rats.

RATIONALE: Adolescent exposure to ∆9-tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), the psychotropic constituent of cannabis, might affect brain development, and in rodent models leads to long-term behavioral and physiological alterations. Yet, the basic pharmacology of this drug in adolescent rodents, especially when ingested via ecologically relevant routes like aerosol inhalation, commonly referred to as "vaping," is still poorly characterized. Moreover, sex differences exist in THC metabolism, kinetics, and behavioral effects, but these have not been rigorously examined after vapor dosing in adolescents. OBJECTIVES: We investigated the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of aerosolized THC (30 min inhalation exposure, 25 or 100 mg/ml) in adolescent Wistar rats of both sexes. METHODS: Liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry analysis of THC and its major metabolites was conducted on blood plasma and brain tissue at 5, 30, 60, and 120 min following a 30-min aerosol dosing session. Effects on activity in a novel environment for 120 min after aerosol, and temperature, were measured in separate rats. RESULTS: We found sex-dependent differences in the pharmacokinetics of THC and its active (11-OH-THC) and inactive (11-COOH-THC) metabolites in the blood and brain, along with dose- and sex-dependent effects on anxiety-like and exploratory behaviors; namely, greater 11-OH-THC levels accompanied by greater behavioral effects in females at the low dose but similar hypothermic effects in both sexes at the high dose. CONCLUSIONS: These results provide a benchmark for dosing adolescent rats with aerosolized (or "vaped") THC, which could facilitate adoption by other labs of this potentially human-relevant THC exposure model to understand cannabis effects on the developing brain.

Artificial intelligence and simulation in urology.

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVE: Artificial intelligence (AI) is in full development and its implementation in medicine has led to an improvement in clinical and surgical practice. One of its multiple applications is surgical training, with the creation of programs that allow avoiding complications and risks for the patient. The aim of this article is to analyze the advantages of AI applied to surgical training in urology. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A literary research is carried out to identify articles published in English regarding AI applied to medicine, especially in surgery and the acquisition of surgical skills. RESULTS: Surgical training has evolved over time thanks to AI. A model for surgical learning where skills are acquired in a progressive way while avoiding complications to the patient, has been created. The use of simulators allows a progressive learning, providing trainees with procedures that increase in number and complexity. On the other hand, AI is used in imaging tests for surgical or treatment planning. CONCLUSION: Currently, the use of AI in daily clinical practice has led to progress in medicine, specifically in surgical training.

Efficacy and safety of onabotulinumtoxin A injection in male patients with detrusor overactivity after stress urinary incontinence surgery. / Eficacia y seguridad de la inyección de onabotulinumtoxin A en pacientes varones con hiperactividad del detrusor tras la cirugía para incontinencia urinaria de esfuerzo.

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVE: The use of onabotulinumtoxin A (BoNT-A) injection in male patients with detrusor overactivity (DO) after stress urinary incontinence (SUI) surgery has been scarcely described. Our aim was to assess results of this treatment in this specific population. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Retrospective analysis of men with previous SUI surgery who had been treated with a first injection of 100U BoNT-A because of DO since 2010 in our department. Treatment response was assessed with the Treatment Benefit Scale: 1) greatly improved; 2) improved; 3) not changed; 4) worsened after treatment (Treatment Benefit Scale 1 or 2: treatment response). Complications were classified according to the Clavien-Dindo classification. Treatment continuation was considered present if, at the last visit, patients had received a BoNT-A injection within the preceding 12 months. Pre- and post-treatment urodynamic variables were compared. RESULTS: Eighteen patients were included, median age 71.1 (59.1-83.5) years. Twelve (66.7%) patients reported response to treatment. Two (11.1%) complications were detected: urinary retention requiring clean intermittent catheterization (Clavien-Dindo 2). No complications related to previous SUI surgery were detected. Fifteen (83.3%) patients had a follow-up>12 months (median follow-up 57 [15-89] months) and all of them had discontinued treatment at the end of follow-up. Urodynamic studies showed significant improvement in terms of DO and bladder compliance. CONCLUSION: Although most men with DO after SUI surgery respond to intradetrusor BoNT-A injection, all of them discontinue treatment due to personal reasons. It is a safe procedure, with urinary retention requiring clean intermittent catheterization being the most frequent complication.