A Review of Technologies and Techniques for Indoor Navigation Systems for the Visually Impaired.

Technologies and techniques of location and navigation are advancing, allowing greater precision in locating people in complex and challenging conditions. These advances have attracted growing interest from the scientific community in using indoor positioning systems (IPSs) with a higher degree of precision and fast delivery time, for groups of people such as the visually impaired, to some extent improving their quality of life. Much research brings together various works that deal with the physical and logical approaches of IPSs to give the reader a more general view of the models. These surveys, however, need to be continuously revisited to update the literature on the features described. This paper presents an expansion of the range of technologies and methodologies for assisting the visually impaired in previous works, providing readers and researchers with a more recent version of what was done and the advantages and disadvantages of each approach to guide reviews and discussions about these topics. Finally, we discuss a series of considerations and future trends for the construction of indoor navigation and location systems for the visually impaired.

Prolonged social lockdown during COVID-19 pandemic and hip fracture epidemiology.

PURPOSE: To analyse the impact of prolonged mandatory lockdown due to COVID-19 on hip fracture epidemiology. METHODS: Retrospective case-control study of 160 hip fractures operated upon between December 2019 and May 2020. Based on the date of declaration of national lockdown, the cohort was separated into two groups: 'pre-COVID time' (PCT), including 86 patients, and 'COVID time' (CT), consisting of 74 patients. All CT patients tested negative for SARS-CoV-2. Patients were stratified based on demographic characteristics. Outcome measures were 30-day complications, readmissions and mortality. A logistic regression model was run to evaluate factors associated with mortality. RESULTS: Age, female/male ratio, body mass index and American Society of Anaesthesia score were similar between both groups (p > 0.05). CT patients had a higher percentage of Charlson ≥ 5 and Rockwood Frailty Index ≥ 5 scores (p < 0.05) as well as lower UCLA and Instrumental Activities of Daily Living scores (p < 0.05). This translated into a higher hemiarthroplasty/total hip arthroplasty ratio during CT (p = 0.04). Thromboembolic disease was higher during CT (p = 0.02). Readmissions (all negative for SARS-CoV-2) were similar between both groups (p = 0.34). Eight (10.8%) casualties were detected in the CT group, whereas no deaths were seen in the control group. Logistic regression showed that frailer (p = 0.006, OR 10.46, 95%CI 8.95-16.1), less active (p = 0.018, OR 2.45, 95%CI 1.45-2.72) and those with a thromboembolic event (p = 0.005, OR 30, 95%CI 11-42) had a higher risk of mortality. CONCLUSION: Despite testing negative for SARS-CoV-2, CT patients were less active and frailer than PCT patients, depicting an epidemiological shift that was associated with higher mortality rate.

Detection of Neospora caninum DNA in cases of bovine and ovine abortion in the South-West of Scotland.

Neospora caninum is a commonly diagnosed cause of reproductive losses in farmed ruminants worldwide. This study examined 495 and 308 samples (brain, heart and placenta) which were collected from 455 and 119 aborted cattle and sheep fetuses, respectively. DNA was extracted and a nested Neospora ITS1 PCR was performed on all samples. The results showed that for bovine fetuses 79/449 brain [17.6% (14.2-21.4)], 7/25 heart [28.0% (12.1-49.4)] and 5/21 placenta [23.8% (8.2-47.2)] were PCR positive for the presence of Neospora DNA. Overall 82/455 [18.0% (14.6-21.7)] of the bovine fetuses tested positive for the presence of N. caninum DNA in at least one sample. None (0/308) of the ovine fetal samples tested positive for the presence of Neospora DNA in any of the tissues tested. The results show that N. caninum was associated with fetal losses in cattle (distributed across South-West Scotland), compared to sheep in the same geographical areas where no parasite DNA was found. Neospora is well distributed amongst cattle in South-West Scotland and is the potential cause of serious economic losses to the Scottish cattle farming community; however, it does not appear to be a problem amongst the Scottish sheep flocks.

Subtle Microwave-Induced Overheating Effects in an Industrial Demethylation Reaction and Their Direct Use in the Development of an Innovative Microwave Reactor.

A systematic study of the conventional and microwave (MW) kinetics of an industrially relevant demethylation reaction is presented. In using industrially relevant reaction conditions the dominant influence of the solvent on the MW energy dissipation is avoided. Below the boiling point, the effect of MWs on the activation energy Ea and k0 is found nonexistent. Interestingly, under reflux conditions, the microwave-heated (MWH) reaction displays very pronounced zero-order kinetics, displaying a much higher reaction rate than observed for the conventionally thermal-heated (CTH) reaction. This is related to a different gas product (methyl bromide, MeBr) removal mechanism, changing from classic nucleation into gaseous bubbles to a facilitated removal through escaping gases/vapors. Additionally, the use of MWs compensates better for the strong heat losses in this reaction, associated with the boiling of HBr/water and the loss of MeBr, than under CTH. Through modeling, MWH was shown to occur inhomogeneously around gas/liquid interfaces, resulting in localized overheating in the very near vicinity of the bubbles, overall increasing the average heating rate in the bubble vicinity vis-à-vis the bulk of the liquid. Based on these observations and findings, a novel continuous reactor concept is proposed in which the escaping MeBr and the generated HBr/water vapors are the main driving forces for circulation. This reactor concept is generic in that it offers a viable and low cost option for the use of very strong acids and the managed removal/quenching of gaseous byproducts.

Dynamic behaviour of multilamellar vesicles under Poiseuille flow.

Surfactant solutions exhibit multilamellar surfactant vesicles (MLVs) under flow conditions and in concentration ranges which are found in a large number of industrial applications. MLVs are typically formed from a lamellar phase and play an important role in determining the rheological properties of surfactant solutions. Despite the wide literature on the collective dynamics of flowing MLVs, investigations into the flow behavior of single MLVs are scarce. In this work, we investigate a concentrated aqueous solution of linear alkylbenzene sulfonic acid (HLAS), characterized by MLVs dispersed in an isotropic micellar phase. Rheological tests show that the HLAS solution is a shear-thinning fluid with a power law index dependent on the shear rate. Pressure-driven shear flow of the HLAS solution in glass capillaries is investigated using high-speed video microscopy and image analysis. The so obtained velocity profiles provide evidence for a power-law fluid behaviour of the HLAS solution and images show a flow-focusing effect of the lamellar phase in the central core of the capillary. The flow behavior of individual MLVs shows analogies with that of unilamellar vesicles and emulsion droplets. Deformed MLVs exhibit typical shapes of unilamellar vesicles, such as parachute and bullet-like. Furthermore, MLV velocity follows the classical Hetsroni theory for droplets provided that the power law shear dependent viscosity of the HLAS solution is taken into account. The results of this work are relevant for the processing of surfactant-based systems in which the final properties depend on the flow-induced morphology, such as cosmetic formulations and food products.

Effects of the mineralocorticoid receptor antagonist eplerenone in experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis.

There is growing evidence indicating that mineralocorticoid receptor (MR) expression influences a wide variety of functions in metabolic and immune response. The present study explored if antagonism of the MR reduces neuroinflammation in the spinal cord of mice with experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE). Eplerenone (EPLE) (100 mg/kg dissolved in 30% 2-hydroxypropyl-ß-cyclodextrin) was administered intraperitoneally (i.p.) daily from EAE induction (day 0) until sacrificed on day 17 post-induction. The MR blocker (a) significantly decreased the inflammatory parameters TLR4, MYD88, IL-1ß, and iNOS mRNAs; (b) attenuated HMGB1, NLRP3, TGF-ß mRNAs, microglia, and aquaporin4 immunoreaction without modifying GFAP. Serum IL-1ß was also decreased in the EAE+EPLE group. Moreover, EPLE treatment prevented demyelination and improved clinical signs of EAE mice. Interestingly, MR was decreased and GR remained unchanged in EAE mice while EPLE treatment restored MR expression, suggesting that a dysbalanced MR/GR was associated with the development of neuroinflammation. Our results indicated that MR blockage with EPLE attenuated inflammation-related spinal cord pathology in the EAE mouse model of Multiple Sclerosis, supporting a novel therapeutic approach for immune-related diseases.

[Cognitive sequelae in immunomediated encephalitis: cohort of patients in Argentina]. / Secuelas cognitivas en encefalitis inmunomediadas: cohorte de pacientes en Argentina.

INTRODUCTION: Autoimmune encephalitis represents a group of immune-mediated neurological disorders. At present, the description of the chronic cognitive sequela is scarce. The objective of this study was to characterize the cognitive after effects of different types of autoimmune encephalitis in a cohort from a single center in Argentina. METHODS: Prospective, observational, cross-sectional study of patients under follow-up at a hospital in Buenos Aires city, with a diagnosis of probable and definitive immune-mediated encephalitis. Epidemiological, clinical, paraclinical and treatment related variables were evaluated. Cognitive sequela was determined through a neurocognitive evaluation performed at least a year after the clinical presentation. RESULTS: Fifteen patients were included. All had diminished results in at least one test. Memory was the most affected domain. Patients who were under immunosuppressive treatment at the time of evaluation presented lower results in serial learning (mean -2.94; standard deviation 1.54) versus those who weren't under treatment (mean -1.18; standard deviation 1.40; p = 0.05). The same pattern was observed on the recognition test of treatment group (mean -10.34; standard deviation 8.02) versus treatment-free group (mean -1.39; standard deviation 2.21; p =0.003). Patients with status epilepticus had poorer results in the recognition test (mean -7.2; standard deviation 7.91) compared to those without it (mean -1.47; standard deviation 2.34; p = 0.05). CONCLUSION: Our results show that, despite the monophasic course of this disease, all patients had persistent cognitive damage beyond the year of onset. Larger prospective studies are required to confirm our findings.

Introducción: Las encefalitis inmunomediadas son un desorden neurológico de origen autoinmune. Actualmente es escasa la descripción de las secuelas cognitivas crónicas. El objetivo del presente trabajo fue caracterizar la secuela cognitiva de diferentes tipos de encefalitis inmunomediadas en una cohorte de un centro único de Argentina. Métodos: Estudio prospectivo, observacional, transversal, de pacientes en seguimiento en un hospital de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires, con diagnóstico de encefalitis inmunomediada probable y definitiva. Se evaluaron variables epidemiológicas, clínicas, paraclínicas y tratamiento. Se determinó la secuela cognitiva a través de una evaluación neurocognitiva realizada a partir del año de la presentación clínica. Resultados: Fueron incluidos 15 pacientes, todos con resultado disminuido en al menos un test. La memoria fue el dominio más afectado. Aquellos que se encontraban bajo tratamiento inmunosupresor al momento de evaluarse presentaron menores resultados en el aprendizaje seriado (media -2.94; desvío estándar 1.54) versus los que se encontraban sin tratamiento (media -1.18; desvío estándar 1.40; p = 0.05) y en la prueba de reconocimiento (media -10.34; desvío estándar 8.02) versus sin tratamiento (media -1.39; desvío estándar 2.21; p = 0.003). Los pacientes con estatus epiléptico tuvieron resultados deficitarios en la prueba de reconocimiento (media -7.2; desvío estándar 7.91) en comparación a los que no lo tenían (media -1.47; desvío estándar 2.34; p = 0.05). Conclusión: Nuestros resultados demuestran que, a pesar del curso monofásico de la enfermedad, todos los pacientes presentan daño cognitivo persistente más allá del año del inicio del cuadro. Estudios prospectivos de mayor envergadura serían necesarios para confirmar nuestros hallazgos.

[Conservation surgery and early rehabilitation in massive necrotizing fasciitis of the lower limbs] / Cirugía de conservación y rehabilitación temprana en fascitis necrotizante masiva de miembros inferiores.

Necrotizing fasciitis is a life-threatening infection. Early diagnosis and treatment are essential. Reconstruction techniques and rehabilitation protocols have been poorly described. The objective of this work is to describe the results of timely treatment for limb preservation and early rehabilitation in a case of massive necrotizing fasciitis of the lower limbs. We present a case of necrotizing fasciitis in the lower limbs, treated surgically with a negative aspiration system, muscle flaps, and skin graft. We describe his rehabilitation protocol and the results at one year of follow-up.

La fascitis necrotizante es una infección potencialmente letal. Es esencial un diagnóstico y tratamiento temprano. Las técnicas de reconstrucción y los protocolos de rehabilitación han sido escasamente descritos. El objetivo de este trabajo es describir los resultados del tratamiento oportuno para la conservación de miembros y la rehabilitación temprana en un caso de fascitis necrotizante masiva de miembros inferiores. Presentamos un caso de fascitis necrotizante en miembros inferiores, tratado quirúrgicamente mediante sistema de aspiración negativa, colgajos musculares e injerto cutáneo. Describimos su protocolo de rehabilitación y los resultados al año de seguimiento.

A late Middle Pleistocene Middle Stone Age sequence identified at Wadi Lazalim in southern Tunisia.

The late Middle Pleistocene, starting at around 300 ka, witnessed large-scale biological and cultural dynamics in hominin evolution across Africa including the onset of the Middle Stone Age that is closely associated with the evolution of our species-Homo sapiens. However, archaeological and geochronological data of its earliest appearance are scarce. Here we report on the late Middle Pleistocene sequence of Wadi Lazalim, in the Sahara of Southern Tunisia, which has yielded evidence for human occupations bracketed between ca. 300-130 ka. Wadi Lazalim contributes valuable information on the spread of early MSA technocomplexes across North Africa, that likely were an expression of large-scale diffusion processes.

Frequency and nature of adverse drug reactions in elderly in-patients of two Indian medical college hospitals.

BACKGROUND: Adverse drug reactions (ADRs) are a major public health problem in the elderly. Although the Indian elderly represent 12.8% of the entire global elderly population, data on prevalence and predictors of ADRs in elderly Indians is extremely limited. AIM: To determine the prevalence, severity, preventability, length of hospital stays, and risk factors for ADRs in hospitalized Indian elderly. SETTING: Medicine wards of two tertiary care teaching hospitals. DESIGN: Prospective study was conducted between July 2007 and December 2009. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In-patients of either sex and aged ≥ 60 years were included and monitored for ADRs throughout their hospital stay. Severity (Hartwig et al. scale), preventability (Shumock and Thornton criteria) and increased length of stay (considering underlying disease, ADR, and discussion with clinicians) were assessed. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS: Bivariate analysis and subsequently multivariate logistic regression were used to determine the risk factors for developing ADRs. RESULTS: Over the study period, among the 920 patients monitored, 296 patients (32.2%) experienced 419 ADRs. Among all ADRs, 48.4% (203) were preventable. Majority of ADRs [226 (53.9%)] were moderate in severity. Therapeutic classes of drugs frequently associated with ADRs were the drugs used in diabetes [76 (18.1%)] and antibacterials for systemic use [54 (12.9%)]. ADRs increased the hospital stay in 5.9% (54) of patients. Female gender [Odds Ratio: 1.52, 95% Confidence Interval:1.04-2.22, P=0.03] was observed as the influential risk factor for ADRs. CONCLUSION: One third of hospitalized elderly experienced ADRs. Interventions focused at preventable ADRs should be developed and implemented to reduce their implications.

[Intra-articular fracture of the calcaneus associated with injury to lateral collateral ligaments of the ankle]. / Fractura intraarticular de calcáneo asociada a lesión de ligamentos colaterales laterales del tobillo.

Calcaneal fractures are the most frequent of the tarsus (3.5% of all fractures). Young adults are mainly affected, being more frequent in men (5.9:1). On the other hand, ligament injuries associated with fracture of the calcaneus are very infrequent. We describe a case of a 39 year old patient who suffered ankle trauma. He presented instability in plantar flexion and inversion. A fracture of the calcaneus was diagnosed. During surgery, a complete lesion of the lateral ligament complex was found. The reduction and osteosynthesis associated with ligament reconstruction was performed. We consider important to confirm the stability of the ankle after a calcaneus fracture. Lack of diagnosis in this type of injuries can evolve into chronic instability.

Las fracturas de calcáneo son las más frecuentes del tarso (3.5% de todas las fracturas). Afectan a adultos jóvenes, siendo más frecuentes en hombres (5.9:1). Por otro lado, las lesiones ligamentarias asociadas a fractura de calcáneo no son muy frecuentes. Presentamos un caso de un paciente de 39 años que sufrió entorsis de tobillo. Mostraba inestabilidad en flexión plantar e inversión. Radiografías mostraron una fractura de calcáneo. Durante la cirugía se evidenció una lesión completa del complejo ligamentario lateral. Se realizó la reducción y osteosíntesis asociada a la reconstrucción ligamentaria. Ante fracturas de calcáneo es importante corroborar la estabilidad del tobillo. La falta de diagnóstico en este tipo de lesiones puede generar inestabilidades crónicas.

Diffusive mixing of polymers investigated by Raman microspectroscopy and microrheology.

Diffusive mixing in a model polymer blend of limited miscibility (i.e., the pair polydimethylsiloxane/polyisobutene) is investigated. The diffusion process is followed in the actual droplet-based microstructure of the polymer blend, as opposed to the ideal planar geometry used in previous studies (Brochard et al. Macromolecules 1983, 16, 1638; Composto et al. Nature 1987, 328, 234). In our experiments we combine Raman microspectroscopy and video particle-tracking microrheology. The first technique allows us to monitor local concentration of the two polymers with high spatial resolution both inside and outside a micrometer-size droplet of the dispersed phase. In addition, microrheology enables to follow how the local viscosity inside the droplet changes during the diffusion. The polymer viscosity inside the droplet is determined by video tracking the Brownian motion of a polystyrene bead microinjected into the droplet. The microspectroscopic and microrheological data are combined to estimate the concentration dependence of the monomer friction factor of the two species, which is a key parameter to calculate the interdiffusion coefficient D. Numerical calculations based on such concentration-dependent interdiffusion coefficient D and several alternative models of the polymer diffusion are compared to the experimental concentration profiles. A satisfactory agreement is found for the so-called "slow theory" (Brochard et al.). A phenomenological model improving the agreement of the model with the experimental data is also presented.

Potentially inappropriate medication use in elderly patients: a study of prevalence and predictors in two teaching hospitals.

BACKGROUND: Geriatrics is an emerging clinical specialty in India. Information about the appropriateness of prescription medication use among the elderly in India is limited. AIMS: To determine the prevalence and predictors of potentially inappropriate medication (PIM) use, and assess the relationship between PIM use and adverse drug reactions (ADRs) in the hospitalized elderly. SETTINGS: Medicine wards at two teaching hospitals. DESIGN: Prospective observational study. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Patients aged > 60 years admitted to medicine wards between January 2008 and June 2009 were included and reviewed for PIM use according to the Beers Criteria 2003 (BC). Severity of PIM use was classified as per BC as 'high' or 'low'. ADRs observed in the study patients were also recorded. STATISTICAL ANALYSIS: Association between ADRs and PIM use was assessed using Chi Square test. Bivariate analysis and subsequently multivariate logistic regression was used to identify predictors of PIM use. RESULTS: PIM use was observed in 191 of 814 enrolled patients. At least one PIM at admission and during hospital stay was received by 2.4% (20) and 22.1% (180) patients respectively. High-severity PIM use showed a higher prevalence compared to low severity [26.8% (218) vs. 5.5% (45)]. Amongst the patients who received polypharmacy (> or = 5 concurrent medications), 1.4% (5/362) and 22.1% (163/736) patients received PIMs at admission and during hospital stay respectively. Use of aspirin/clopidogrel/diclofenac in the presence of blood clotting disorder or anticoagulant therapy (8.3%) was the most commonly encountered PIM use. Medications not listed in BC were associated with increased occurrence of ADRs compared to medications listed in BC (349 vs. 11) (chi2 =98.4, P<0.001). Increased number of concurrent medications' use (> or = 9) during the stay in medicine wards was identified as an influential predictor of PIM use [Odds ratio: 1.9, 95% Confidence Interval: 1.34-2.69, P<0.001) in the hospitalized elderly. CONCLUSION: PIM use was common (23.5%) among the elderly patients during their stay in medicine wards in two tertiary care hospitals. Measures targeted only at BC medications may do little to change the risk of ADRs in elderly.

Aquatic fauna from the Takarkori rock shelter reveals the Holocene central Saharan climate and palaeohydrography.

The abundant faunal remains from the Takarkori rock shelter in the Tadrart Acacus region of southwestern Libya are described. The material that covers the period between 10,200 to 4650 years cal BP illustrates the more humid environmental conditions in the Central Sahara during early and middle Holocene times. Particular attention is focussed on the aquatic fauna that shows marked diachronic changes related to increasing aridification. This is reflected in the decreasing amount of fish remains compared to mammals and, within the fish fauna, by changes through time in the proportion of the species and by a reduction of fish size. The aquatic fauna can, in addition, be used to formulate hypotheses about the former palaeohydrographical network. This is done by considering the possible location of pre-Holocene relic populations combined with observations on the topography and palaeohydrological settings of the Central Sahara.

Guidelines for hypertension management in primary care: is local adaptation possible?

OBJECTIVE: Hypertension affects more than one billion people worldwide. There has been much discussion about clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) following the proposal of lower thresholds for starting pharmacological treatment. Some smaller groups or institutions could benefit from adapting CPGs to their local context, a process that requires high-quality CPGs with few points of conflict in their recommendations. To address this issue, we have compared high-quality hypertension CPGs and highlighted conflicting recommendations. METHODS: CPGs were searched in MEDLINE, Embase, the Cochrane Library, as well as specific websites. Only CPGs published between 2016 and 2019 were included. We defined CPGs as high-quality if the 'rigor of development' and 'editorial independence' AGREE II domains were scored at least 60%. We compared recommendations made by high-quality CPGs and highlighted areas of conflict (defined as disagreements between more than two CPGs). RESULTS: Nineteen CPGs were identified. The highest scoring domain was 'scope and purpose' (74.3%) and the lowest scoring was 'applicability' (40.0%). Eight CPGs were rated as high quality. Most CPG recommendations on the management of hypertension were consistent. Conflicting recommendations were regarding blood pressure (BP) levels to initiate pharmacotherapy and therapeutic goals, particularly in patients with low cardiovascular risk and older patients. CONCLUSION: It is possible to adapt hypertension CPGs once high-quality documents have been identified with agreement between most recommendations. Guideline developers can focus on the adaption process and concentrate efforts on implementation.

Flow-induced concentration gradients in shear-banding of branched wormlike micellar solutions.

HYPOTHESIS: Shear-banding of branched wormlike solutions is a topic of active investigation which has not been fully elucidated. Here, we surmise that flow-induced microstructuring in the shear banding regime is associated with spatial concentration gradients. EXPERIMENTS: The experiments focus on the flow-induced behavior of a CTAB/NaSal wormlike micellar system. A unique approach based on a microfluidic-spitter geometry, combined with particle-image velocimetry and high-speed video microscopy, is used to separate the streams flowing out from the core and the near wall zones of the microchannel. FINDINGS: Here, we present the first direct experimental evidence of the correlation between phase separation and shear banding. By increasing the pressure-drop across a microcapillary, the onset of a grainy texture close to the wall, showing a flow-induced demixing effect, is observed. We use a splitter to measure effluent streams from the center and the near-wall zones in terms of viscosity, conductance and dry mass. We observe that phase-separation induced by the flow correlates with chemical concentration gradients. This confirms our hypothesis that shear-induced local de-mixing of the system is strongly related to chemical concentration gradients.

Secuelas cognitivas en encefalitis inmunomediadas: cohorte de pacientes en Argentina / Cognitive sequelae in immunomediated encephalitis: cohort of patients in Argentina

Resumen Introducción: Las encefalitis inmunomediadas son un desorden neurológico de origen autoinmune. Actual mente es escasa la descripción de las secuelas cognitivas crónicas. El objetivo del presente trabajo fue caracterizar la secuela cognitiva de diferentes tipos de encefalitis inmunomediadas en una cohorte de un centro único de Argentina. Métodos: Estudio prospectivo, observacional, trans versal, de pacientes en seguimiento en un hospital de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires, con diagnóstico de encefalitis inmunomediada probable y definitiva. Se evaluaron variables epidemiológicas, clínicas, paraclínicas y tra tamiento. Se determinó la secuela cognitiva a través de una evaluación neurocognitiva realizada a partir del año de la presentación clínica. Resultados: Fueron incluidos 15 pacientes, todos con resultado disminuido en al menos un test. La memoria fue el dominio más afectado. Aquellos que se encon traban bajo tratamiento inmunosupresor al momento de evaluarse presentaron menores resultados en el aprendizaje seriado (media -2.94; desvío estándar 1.54) versus los que se encontraban sin tratamiento (media -1.18; desvío estándar 1.40; p = 0.05) y en la prueba de reconocimiento (media -10.34; desvío estándar 8.02) ver sus sin tratamiento (media -1.39; desvío estándar 2.21; p = 0.003). Los pacientes con estatus epiléptico tuvieron resultados deficitarios en la prueba de reconocimiento (media -7.2; desvío estándar 7.91) en comparación a los que no lo tenían (media -1.47; desvío estándar 2.34; p = 0.05). Conclusión: Nuestros resultados demuestran que, a pesar del curso monofásico de la enfermedad, todos los pacientes presentan daño cognitivo persistente más allá del año del inicio del cuadro. Estudios prospectivos de mayor envergadura serían necesarios para confirmar nuestros hallazgos.

Abstract Introduction: Autoimmune encephalitis represents a group of immune-mediated neurological disorders. At present, the description of the chronic cognitive sequela is scarce. The objective of this study was to characterize the cognitive after effects of different types of autoimmune encephalitis in a cohort from a single center in Argentina. Methods: Prospective, observational, cross-sectional study of patients under follow-up at a hospital in Buenos Aires city, with a diagnosis of probable and definitive immune-mediated encephalitis. Epidemiological, clini cal, paraclinical and treatment related variables were evaluated. Cognitive sequela was determined through a neurocognitive evaluation performed at least a year after the clinical presentation. Results: Fifteen patients were included. All had di minished results in at least one test. Memory was the most affected domain. Patients who were under im munosuppressive treatment at the time of evaluation presented lower results in serial learning (mean -2.94; standard deviation 1.54) versus those who weren't under treatment (mean -1.18; standard deviation 1.40; p = 0.05). The same pattern was observed on the recognition test of treatment group (mean -10.34; standard deviation 8.02) versus treatment-free group (mean -1.39; standard deviation 2.21; p =0.003). Patients with status epilepticus had poorer results in the recognition test (mean -7.2; standard deviation 7.91) compared to those without it (mean -1.47; standard deviation 2.34; p = 0.05). Conclusion: Our results show that, despite the mo nophasic course of this disease, all patients had persis tent cognitive damage beyond the year of onset. Larger prospective studies are required to confirm our findings.

Complexity and Challenges in Noncontact High Temperature Measurements in Microwave-Assisted Catalytic Reactors.

The complexity and challenges in noncontact temperature measurements inside microwave-heated catalytic reactors are presented in this paper. A custom-designed microwave cavity has been used to focus the microwave field on the catalyst and enable monitoring of the temperature field in 2D. A methodology to study the temperature distribution in the catalytic bed by using a thermal camera in combination with a thermocouple for a heterogeneous catalytic reaction (methane dry reforming) under microwave heating has been demonstrated. The effects of various variables that affect the accuracy of temperature recordings are discussed in detail. The necessity of having at least one contact sensor, such as a thermocouple, or some other microwave transparent sensor, is recommended to keep track of the temperature changes occurring in the catalytic bed during the reaction under microwave heating.