Characterization of PAHs bound to ambient ultrafine particles around runways at an international airport.

The impact of airport activities on air quality, is not sufficiently documented. In order to better understand the magnitude and properly assess the sources of emissions in the sector, it is necessary to establish databases with real data on those pollutants that could have the greatest impact on both health and the environment. Particulate matter (PM), especially ultrafine particles, are a research priority, not only because of its physical properties, but also because of its ability to bind highly toxic compounds such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Samples of PM were collected in the ambient air around the runways at Barajas International Airport (Madrid, Spain) during October, November and December 2021. Samples were gathered using three different sampling systems and analysed to determine the concentration of PAHs bound to PM. A high-volume air sampler, a Berner low-pressure impactor, and an automated off-line sampler developed in-house were used. The agreement between the samplers was statistically verified from the PM and PAH results. The highest concentration of PM measured was 31 µg m-3, while the concentration of total PAH was 3 ng m-3, both comparable to those recorded in a semi-urban area of Madrid. The PAHs showed a similar profile to the particle size distribution, with a maximum in the 0.27-0.54 µm size range, being preferentially found in the submicron size fractions, with more than 84% and around 15-20% associated to UFPs. It was found that the ratio [PAHs(m)/PM(m)] was around 10-4 in the warmer period (October), whereas it more than doubled in the colder months (November-December). It is significant the shift in the relative distribution of compounds within these two periods, with a notable increase in the 5 and 6 ring proportions in the colder period. This increase was probably due to the additional contribution of other external sources, possibly thermal and related to combustion processes, as supported by the PAH diagnostic ratios.

[Translated article] Posterior malleolar fractures: Indications and surgical approaches.

Posterior malleolus fractures are frequent injuries, present in 7-44% of all ankle fractures. The objective of this study is to review the evidence to indicate the fixation of this fracture and to choose the appropriate surgical approach. The classic indications for fixation were fragment size greater than 25-30% of the articular surface and displacement greater than 2mm. However, current evidence suggests that, rather than size, factors such as syndesmotic instability, intra-articular step-off greater than 1-2mm, plafond impaction and the presence of intercalary fragments should be considered. When comparing the different surgical approaches, the literature supports the use of posterior approaches and reserves the recommendation of the traditional approach for exceptional cases. For the treatment of this injury it is essential to know the anatomy of the ankle and to consider all the factors described above, in addition to the presence of concomitant injuries.

Posterior malleolar fractures: Indications and surgical approaches. / Fracturas de maléolo posterior: indicaciones de fijación y vías de abordaje.

Posterior malleolus fractures are frequent injuries, present in 7-44% of all ankle fractures. The objective of this study is to review the evidence to indicate the fixation of this fracture and to choose the appropriate surgical approach. The classic indications for fixation were fragment size greater than 25-30% of the articular surface and displacement greater than 2 mm. However, current evidence suggests that, rather than size, factors such as syndesmotic instability, intra-articular step-off greater than 1-2 mm, plafond impaction and the presence of intercalary fragments should be considered. When comparing the different surgical approaches, the literature supports the use of posterior approaches and reserves the recommendation of the traditional approach for exceptional cases. For the treatment of this injury it is essential to know the anatomy of the ankle and to consider all the factors described above, in addition to the presence of concomitant injuries.

Low-cost system for sunlight incidence angle measurement using optical fiber.

The development and optimization of renewable energy systems are some of the most necessary topics to advance towards secure and sustainable energy models. Photovoltaic energy is one of those sustainable options that could contribute to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. The optimal angle of solar incidence producing the highest absorption in a day is an important parameter to install photovoltaic systems. This value is often estimated using simulation models based on geographic location; however, those models ignore the influence of nearby obstruction objects, albedo, and local weather conditions. Such a problem is addressed in this work by designing a system to estimate the optimum angle of solar incidence for the photovoltaic panels. The system is based on an arrangement of 33 measurement points spaced in arcs every 45 degrees in azimuth and every 22.5 degrees in elevation, which provides a wide range for analysis. The light captured by each optical fiber is transmitted to a flat array where the power is measured using a single RGB camera.

Protective effects of melatonin on changes occurring in the experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis model of multiple sclerosis.

BACKGROUND: Melatonin has been related to the pathophysiology of multiple sclerosis (MS), and its anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory properties have been proved in numerous neurodegenerative diseases. This study aimed to find out whether a melatonin supplement in MS is able to act as a benefit to its clinical status, i.e. oxidative stress, inflammation and indirect biomarkers of bacterial dysbiosis, lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and LPS-binding protein (LBP), verifying its therapeutic potential and its possible clinical use in patients with MS. METHODS: The animal MS model, experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), was employed whereby 25 male Dark Agouti rats (5 animals per group) were divided into: a control group (not manipulated); a control+vehicle group; a control+melatonin group; an EAE group; an EAE+melatonin group. Melatonin was administered daily for 51 days, at a dose of 1 mg/kg body weight/i.p., once a day, five days a week. RESULTS: The results from the administration of melatonin demonstrated an improvement in clinical status, a diminution in oxidative stress and inflammation, as well as in bacterial dysbiosis. CONCLUSION: Melatonin could play an effective role against MS, either alone or as a therapy combined with traditional agents.

The mechanochemical synthesis of PbTe nanostructures: following the Ostwald ripening effect during milling.

A fundamental understanding of the Ostwald ripening effect (ORE) during the mechanochemical synthesis of PbTe nanostructures is presented. The ripening process involves the coarsening of larger particles from those of smaller size; this phenomenon was systematically evaluated at different stages of milling by microscopy analyses (AFM, TEM, STEM and HRTEM). At the early stage of milling, smaller particles and quantum dots are eventually dissolved to lower the total energy assciated with their surfaces. The ripening process - during milling - involves short-range mass transfer among particles. HRTEM analyses allowed us to identify that coarsening occurs by thermo-mechanically activated cooperative mechanisms. The detachment of the atoms from smaller particles to form bigger ones plays a major role in the particle coarsening. It was found that the coarsening process was not limited to crystalline nanostructures; so grain boundaries, edge dislocations and boundaries among crystalline and amorphous phases also play an important role to determine how species migration contributes to generate coarse particles. Those serve as sites for inducing coarsening in an equivalent way as surfaces do. Secondary ion mass spectrometry and elemental chemical mapping (EDX-STEM) revealed that both the purity and the chemical homogeneity of the PbTe nanostructures are prominent features of this material. Additionally, a direct band gap enhancement (780 nm) compared to bulk PbTe (3859 nm) was detected. It occurred due to the quantum confinement effect, lattice imperfections and even surface properties of the nanostructures. It is important to point out that the whole optical behaviour of the PbTe nanostructures was dependent upon the embedded nanoparticles and quantum dots in the clusters and coarse particles ranging from 15 nm to 35 nm.

A CFD approach to understand nasoseptal perforations.

INTRODUCTION: Nasoseptal perforations (NSP) are becoming common in the modern world, and can cause a wide variety of symptoms, including a sensation of nasal obstruction, epistaxis, crusting, dryness, headache, nasal pain and a whistling sound. There is an extensive range of surgical treatment techniques, but reported results were rarely statistically significant. The lack of consistent surgical results may be related to the lack of knowledge about the pathophysiology of NSP and how they affect the nasal flow. Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) has proved to be a very useful tool to study nasal function. METHODS: We have used CFD software (the program MECOMLAND® and the Digbody® tool for virtual surgery) to investigate the behaviour of the parameters R-[Formula: see text] based on CFD results, when four subjects underwent virtual surgery to induce a septal perforation: two subjects with healthy noses and two patients suffering from nasal airway obstruction. For each case a CFD study was performed, before and after creating an anterior (close to nostrils) or a posterior (close to choanae) NSP. RESULTS: In all cases analyzed, a posterior septal perforation did not result in a significant volumetric flow rate [Formula: see text] through the perforation between nasal passages. However, for anterior defects only in those nasal cavities considered diseased or unhealthy, high values of [Formula: see text] were found. CONCLUSION: The induced NSP only rendered significant flow alterations in noses with preexisting nasal airway obstruction alterations, whereas in nasal cavities considered as normal the creation of a NSP did not produce significant differences between both sides. We strongly suggest that this finding can explain the variety of symptoms and the number of asymptomatic patients bearing NSP.

DigBody®: A new 3D modeling tool for nasal virtual surgery.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Recent studies have demonstrated that a significant number of surgical procedures for nasal airway obstruction (NAO) have a high rate of surgical failure. In part, this problem is due to the lack of reliable objective clinical parameters to aid surgeons during preoperative planning. Modeling tools that allow virtual surgery to be performed do exist, but all require direct manipulation of computed tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data. Specialists in Rhinology have criticized these tools for their complex user interface, and have requested more intuitive, user-friendly and powerful software to make virtual surgery more accessible and realistic. In this paper we present a new virtual surgery software tool, DigBody®. METHODS: This new surgery module is integrated into the computational fluid dynamics (CFD) program MeComLand®, which was developed exclusively to analyze nasal airflow. DigBody® works directly with a 3D nasal model that mimics real surgery. Furthermore, this surgery module permits direct assessment of the operated cavity following virtual surgery by CFD simulation. RESULTS: The effectiveness of DigBody® has been demonstrated by real surgery on two patients based on prior virtual operation results. Both subjects experienced excellent surgical outcomes with no residual nasal obstruction. CONCLUSIONS: This tool has great potential to aid surgeons in modeling potential surgical maneuvers, minimizing complications, and being confident that patients will receive optimal postoperative outcomes, validated by personalized CFD testing.

Experience and Security of the Hand-Assisted Laparoscopic Nephrectomy of a Living Donor in a Public Health Center.

BACKGROUND: Hand-assisted laparoscopic nephrectomy (HALDN) is currently the procedure of choice for obtaining living donor kidneys for transplantation. In our institution, it has been the standard procedure for 5 years. Previous studies have shown the same function of the graft as that obtained by open surgery, with a lower rate of bleeding and no differences in complications. We sought to demonstrate the experience and safety of HALDN compared with open donor nephrectomy in healthy donors for kidney transplantation. METHODS: A retrospective analytical observational study was conducted, reviewing the records of the living donors for kidney transplant undergoing open donor nephrectomy or HALDN in our center from March 1, 2009, to March 1, 2016. Renal function was assessed by the estimated glomerular filtration rate by the Modification of Diet in Renal Disease method before and after donation, as well as bleeding (mL), and complications (according to Clavien), performing a comparative analysis between the two techniques using parametric or nonparametric tests. RESULTS: A total of 179 living donor nephrectomies were performed during the study period-31 open donor nephrectomy (17.3%) and 148 HALDN (82.7%)-without relevant baseline differences, except for creatinine. HALDN has a shorter surgical time (156,473 ± 87.75 minutes vs 165,484 ± 69.95 minutes) and less bleeding (244.59 ± 416.08 mL vs 324.19 ± 197.986 mL) and a shorter duration of hospital stay (3.74 ± 1.336 days vs 4.75 ± 1.226 days). There were no significant differences in surgical complications at 30 days, or graft loss reported; there were 3 conversions (1.7%) from the HALDN to the open technique. There were no differences in renal function in the donors or recipients at the 5th day or the month after surgery. CONCLUSIONS: Laparoscopic nephrectomy has replaced open surgery as the gold standard for living kidney donors. HALDN is a safe and feasible procedure when compared with open donor nephrectomy, achieving a shorter surgical time with less bleeding, and no difference in the number of complications. This procedure lowers costs by decreasing the duration of the hospital stay, making is feasible to perform it at any institution with appropriately trained personnel.

Biomarcadores Salivales en Pacientes Diagnosticados con Fibrosis Quística, Concepción, 2016 / Salivary Biomarkers in Patients Diagnosed with Cystic Fibrosis, Concepción, 2016

RESUMEN: El odontólogo como profesional integral del área de la salud, debe tener conocimiento acerca de distintas manifestaciones bioquímicas que pueden tener repercusión en la cavidad oral. El objetivo del trabajo fue determinar las manifestaciones bioquímicas y alteraciones en biomarcadores salivales en la cavidad oral producto de la fibrosis quística o del consumo crónico de medicamentos para el tratamiento de la FQ. Se seleccionó un total de cinco personas con fibrosis quística y cuatro personas sanas, pertenecientes a la ciudad de Concepción en la Octava Región de Chile. Se midió pH salival, capacidad buffer, concentración de proteínas totales, tasa de flujo salival estimulado y se determinó presencia de ciertas enzimas salivales en pacientes que padecen la enfermedad. Se pudo evidenciar que el pH salival en sujetos con fibrosis quística tiende a ser mayor a los valores de referencia, la tasa de flujo salival es mucho menor al igual que la capacidad buffer, la concentración de proteínas totales en saliva se encuentra igual a los valores de referencia y se determinó la presencia biomarcadores salivales a través de la técnica de electroforesis. La fibrosis quística afecta de muchas formas a las personas que la padecen, genera cambios a nivel de los biomarcadores salivales como también en la cavidad oral, por lo que el odontólogo debe estar capacitado para identificar estos cambios y poder tratar de la mejor manera a todo tipo de paciente.

ABSTRACT: The dentist as an integral health professional must have knowledge of various biochemical manifestations that may have repercussions on the oral cavity. The objective of the study was to determine the biochemical manifestations and salivary biomarker alterations in the oral cavity resulting from cystic fibrosis or chronic consumption of drugs for the treatment of CF. We selected a total of five people with cystic fibrosis and four healthy people, from the city of Concepcion in the eighth region of Chile. Salivary pH, buffer capacity, total protein concentration, stimulated salivary flow rate and the presence of certain salivary enzymes were measured in patients suffering from the disease. It was observed that the salivary pH in subjects with cystic fibrosis tends to be higher than the reference values, the salivary flow rate and buffer capacity are less than normal, the total protein concentration in saliva is equal to the reference values and the presence of salivary biomarkers was determined through the electrophoresis technique. Cystic fibrosis affects those who suffer the disease in many ways, it generates changes at the salivary biomarker level, as well as in the oral cavity. The dentist must therefore, be able to identify these changes in order to treat them in the best possible approach for all types of patients.

Robust nondimensional estimators to assess the nasal airflow in health and disease.

There are significant variations of both human nose shapes and airflow patterns inside nasal cavities, so it is difficult to provide a comprehensive medical identification using a universal template for what otolaryngologists consider normal breathing at rest. In addition, airflow patterns present even more random characteristics in diseased nasal cavities. To give a medical assessment to differentiate the nasal cavities in health and disease, we propose 2 nondimensional estimators obtained from both medical images and computational fluid dynamics. The first mathematical estimator ϕ is a function of geometric features and potential asymmetries between nasal passages, while the second estimator R represents in fluid mechanics terms the total nasal resistance that corresponds to the atmosphere-choana pressure drop. These estimators only require global information such as nasal geometry and magnitudes of flow determined by simulations under laminar conditions. We find that these estimators take low and high values for healthy and diseased nasal cavities, respectively. Our study, based on 24 healthy and 25 diseased Caucasian subjects, reveals that there is an interval of values associated with healthy cavities that clusters in a small region of the plane ϕ-R. Therefore, these estimators can be seen as a first approximation to provide nasal airflow data to the clinician in a noninvasive method, as the computed tomography scan that provides the required images is routinely obtained as a result of the preexisting naso-sinusal condition.

Blend design tools for Medium Combustion Plants (MCP) firing biomass wastes.

A feasible alternative for agricultural or forestry waste management is the operation of a distributed network of sustainable Medium Combustion Plants (MCPs). However, one of the main factors that hinder its development is the propensity to operational problems derived from corrosion, slagging and fouling characteristics of both bottom and fly ashes. Therefore, a cost-effective approach for these multi-product MCP could be based on predictive tools for an optimal formulation of a fuel blend. This work focuses on the assessment of the ability of these methods to provide guidance for preventing ash-related operational problems and to provide fuel-blending rules. The more widespread tools pertain to two types: compositional classification based on chemical analysis of laboratory ashes, and thermodynamic prediction of the most likely species and phases. Both criterion numbers and compositional maps are ranking methods based on the chemical analysis at a given ashing temperature. Thermodynamic equilibrium modeling is not constrained by any difference in the physical conditions of the MCP compared to those in the laboratory. Both kind of prediction tools have been validated in an MCP firing olive tree pruning residues as well as its typical blends in order to mimic a plausible pattern of fuels along a full year operating campaign. An intensive experimental campaign encompasses plant monitoring and off-line analysis of the ashes along the process line. Interpretation of compositional plots has revealed to be potentially sensitive to ashing temperature. Here are presented examples showing how this variable could lead to either insignificant differences or to a substantial disparity in the a priori fuel diagnosis. Some inconsistencies have been observed between the predictions based on criterion numbers, even for the same fuel and for ranking rules specifically formulated for biomasses. Moreover, it does not match consistently with the information obtained from phase diagrams. Therefore, their use should be limited to the case of a well-established selection of a fuel index for a well-defined fuel provided empirical evidence of an enough good description of the ash behavior, which is not the most frequent case. Thermodynamic equilibrium calculations allow a more precise prediction of the main species in the condensed phase, without the constraint of the ashing temperature. Elemental closure of main ash-forming elements with the chemical analysis of the process ashes presents small differences, and their proximity localization on the phase diagrams denote similar prediction between predicted and process ashes.

New CFD tools to evaluate nasal airflow.

Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) is a mathematical tool to analyse airflow. As currently CFD is not a usual tool for rhinologists, a group of engineers in collaboration with experts in Rhinology have developed a very intuitive CFD software. The program MECOMLAND® only required snapshots from the patient's cross-sectional (tomographic) images, being the output those results originated by CFD, such as airflow distributions, velocity profiles, pressure, temperature, or wall shear stress. This is useful complementary information to cover diagnosis, prognosis, or follow-up of nasal pathologies based on quantitative magnitudes linked to airflow. In addition, the user-friendly environment NOSELAND® helps the medical assessment significantly in the post-processing phase with dynamic reports using a 3D endoscopic view. Specialists in Rhinology have been asked for a more intuitive, simple, powerful CFD software to offer more quality and precision in their work to evaluate the nasal airflow. We present MECOMLAND® and NOSELAND® which have all the expected characteristics to fulfil this demand and offer a proper assessment with the maximum of quality plus safety for the patient. These programs represent a non-invasive, low-cost (as the CT scan is already performed in every patient) alternative for the functional study of the difficult rhinologic case. To validate the software, we studied two groups of patients from the Ear Nose Throat clinic, a first group with normal noses and a second group presenting septal deviations. Wall shear stresses are lower in the cases of normal noses in comparison with those for septal deviation. Besides, velocity field distributions, pressure drop between nasopharynx and the ambient, and flow rates in each nostril were different among the nasal cavities in the two groups. These software modules open up a promising future to simulate the nasal airflow behaviour in virtual surgery intervention scenarios under different pressure or temperature conditions to understand the effects on nasal airflow.

[Cutaneous myiasis due to Cochliomyia hominivorax associated with seborrheic dermatitis]. / Miasis cutánea por Cochliomyia hominivorax asociada a dermatitis seborreica: Case report.

Myiasis is an infestation of tissues and organs of humans and animals by Diptera larvae (flies, horseflies, mosquitoes). They are located at different body sites, and classified clinically as cutaneous, visceral and cavitary. We report a 26-year-old woman with a history of seborrheic dermatitis and recent trip to Brazil. She presented with a seven days history of suppurating wounds in the parieto-occipital area of the scalp. At physical examination we found three ulcers of approximately 1.5 cm each, with multiple mobile larvae inside. The obtained larvae were analyzed, identifying Cochliomyia hominivorax larvae at L2 and L3 stages. The patient was managed successfully with oral antimicrobials and local cleansing. The screwworm Cochliomyia hominivorax in our country is rare. Known risk factors are wounds, poor personal hygiene, extreme ages, psychiatric disorders, presence of specific dermatosis such as psoriasis and seborrheic dermatitis, among others.

Miasis cutánea por Cochliomyia hominivorax asociada a dermatitis seborreica: case report / Cutaneous myiasis due to Cochliomyia hominivorax associated with seborrheic dermatitis

Myiasis is an infestation of tissues and organs of humans and animals by Diptera larvae (flies, horseflies, mosquitoes). They are located at different body sites, and classified clinically as cutaneous, visceral and cavitary. We report a 26-year-old woman with a history of seborrheic dermatitis and recent trip to Brazil. She presented with a seven days history of suppurating wounds in the parieto-occipital area of the scalp. At physical examination we found three ulcers of approximately 1.5 cm each, with multiple mobile larvae inside. The obtained larvae were analyzed, identifying Cochliomyia hominivorax larvae at L2 and L3 stages. The patient was managed successfully with oral antimicrobials and local cleansing. The screwworm Cochliomyia hominivorax in our country is rare. Known risk factors are wounds, poor personal hygiene, extreme ages, psychiatric disorders, presence of specific dermatosis such as psoriasis and seborrheic dermatitis, among others.