Controlled Electromagnetic Field Based Safety System for Handheld Circular Saw.

This paper presents the design of a safety system based on controlled electromagnetic field (CEMF) sensing technology to prevent accidents caused by power tools, especially related to handheld circular saws. The safety system creates an invisible protection bubble of electromagnetic field around the cutting edge. The system can provide early warning or critical warning when a person penetrates the safety bubble. This paper covers how the CEMF technology has been adapted to add value within this application where it needs to coexist with a difficult environment of metallic parts turning thousands of times per minute, strong vibrations, and different ranges of materials to be processed. The proposed contactless solution successfully detects the user, providing enough time for the power tool to totally stop its movement before touching and harming the user. This key property has required a careful optimization of the electromagnetic field generation, the design of a shield circuitry capable of operating properly in a large metal device, and the development of a multi-frame algorithm to address the stringent requirements related to the ability of the system to react to both very fast and very slow events. The feasibility of the system has been validated by a virtual testbench.

Dosimetry-based high-activity therapy with 131I-metaiodobenzylguanidine (131I-mIBG) and topotecan for the treatment of high-risk refractory neuroblastoma.

PURPOSE: Patients with high-risk neuroblastoma have an increased risk of recurrence and relapse of disease and a very poor prognosis. 131I-metaiodobenzylguanidine (131I-mIBG) in combination with topotecan as a radiosensitizer can be an effective and relatively well-tolerated agent for the treatment of refractory neuroblastoma. The aim of this retrospective study was to evaluate response and outcome of combined therapy with 131I-mIBG and topotecan. METHODS: Ten patients, between 3 and 20 years of age, were included. Nine patients had been refractory to several lines of chemotherapy and radiotherapy. One patient with a very high-risk neuroblastoma had received only induction therapy. Response was graded according to the International Neuroblastoma Staging System. RESULTS: Regarding treatment response, two patients achieved complete remission, one with relapse at 16 months, five achieved a partial remission, four showed progression at between 1 and 18 months; two showed stable disease with progression at between 1 and 5 months, and one showed progressive disease. Eight of the ten patients died with overall survival between 4 and 63 months, and two patients were still alive without disease at the time of this report: 52 and 32 months (patient had received only induction therapy). Acute and subacute adverse effects were mainly haematological, and one patient developed a differentiated thyroid cancer. CONCLUSION: In patients with high-risk refractory neuroblastoma, administration of high activities of 131I-mIBG in combination with topotecan was found to be an effective therapy, increasing overall survival and progression-free survival. Further studies including a larger number of patients and using 131I-mIBG for first-line up-front therapy are warranted.

Myocardial MIBG scintigraphy in genetic Parkinson's disease as a model for Lewy body disorders.

PURPOSE: To identify myocardial sympathetic denervation patterns suggestive of Lewy body (LB) pathology in patients with genetic and idiopathic parkinsonisms by 123I-metaiodobenzylguanidine (MIBG) scintigraphy. METHODS: We retrospectively analysed myocardial MIBG images acquired with a dual-head gamma camera and low-energy high-resolution collimator (LEHR) in 194 patients with suspected synucleinopathy or atypical parkinsonism, including 34 with genetic Parkinson's disease (PD; 4 PARK1, 8 PARK2 and 22 PARK8), 85 with idiopathic PD (iPD), 6 with idiopathic REM sleep behaviour disorder (iRBD), 17 with dementia with LB (DLB), 40 with multiple system atrophy (MSA) and 12 with progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP), and in 45 healthy controls. We calculated heart-to-mediastinum MIBG uptake ratios (HMR) at 15 min and 4 h (HMR4H) for the LEHR and standardized medium-energy collimators, to obtain classification accuracies and optimal cut-off values for HMR using supervised classification and ROC analyses. RESULTS: While patients with LB disorders had markedly lower HMR4HLEHR than controls (controls 1.86 ± 0.26, iPD 1.38 ± 0.29, iRBD 1.23 ± 0.09, PARK1 1.20 ± 0.09, DLB 1.17 ± 0.11; p < 0.05), for the remaining patient categories differences were smaller (PARK8 1.51 ± 0.32; p < 0.05) or not significant (MSA 1.82 ± 0.37, PSP 1.59 ± 0.23, PARK2 1.51 ± 0.30; p > 0.05). The diagnostic accuracy of HMR4HLEHR was highest in patients with LB disorders (PARK1, iPD, DLB, iRBD; 89% to 97%) and lowest in those with PARK2, PARK8, PSP and MSA (65% to 76%), with an optimal HMR4HLEHR cut-off value of 1.72 for discriminating most patients with LB disorders including iPD and 1.40 for discriminating those with aggressive LB spectrum phenotypes (DLB, PARK1 and iRBD). CONCLUSION: Our study including patients with a wide spectrum of genetic and idiopathic parkinsonisms with different degrees of LB pathology further supports myocardial MIBG scintigraphy as an accurate tool for discriminating patients with LB spectrum disorders.

[Usefulness and reliabitlity of musculoskeletal point of care ultrasound in family practice (2): Muscle injuries, osteoarthritis, rheumatological diseases and eco-guided procedures]. / Utilidad y fiabilidad de la ecografía clínica musculoesquelética en medicina familiar (2): lesiones musculares, artrosis, enfermedades reumatológicas y procedimientos ecoguiados.

This article is a continuation of the review initiated in the previous issue about the usefulness of musculoskeletal point of care ultrasound in Primary Care, completing the scenarios of muscle injuries, osteoarthritis, rheumatological diseases and eco-guided procedures.

Compact Embedded Wireless Sensor-Based Monitoring of Concrete Curing.

This work presents the design, construction and testing of a new embedded sensor system for monitoring concrete curing. A specific mote has been implemented to withstand the aggressive environment without affecting the measured variables. The system also includes a real-time monitoring application operating from a remote computer placed in a central location. The testing was done in two phases: the first in the laboratory, to validate the functional requirements of the developed devices; and the second on civil works to evaluate the functional features of the devices, such as range, robustness and flexibility. The devices were successfully implemented resulting in a low cost, highly reliable, compact and non-destructive solution.

Low-Power Low-Cost Wireless Flood Sensor for Smart Home Systems.

This paper presents the design of a wireless flood sensor to detect the presence of water on home floors, providing early warning of water leaks. A wireless sensor network has been deployed to gather the measurements from the sensor nodes. A control central coordinates the network and processes the data. Users can remotely inquire for the presence of water, status of the batteries for a specific node, the type of liquid and information about its functionality and alarms, thanks to a proprietary software application. The alerts are also communicated to the user within the home through an audible siren. The designed device is optimized in terms of costs, ease of deployment and maintenance, thus making it widely acceptable to end users.

[Usefulness and reliabitlity of musculoskeletal point of care ultrasound in family practice (1): Knee, shoulder and enthesis]. / Utilidad y fiabilidad de la ecografía clínica musculoesquelética en medicina familiar (1): rodilla, hombro y entesis.

Musculoskeletal ultrasound (MSU) is a technique which has been extended to practically all medical specialties that comprise this pathology. Family Doctor (FD) has not been away from this process due to its great wide of competences, using it in different scenarios inside his common practice in which he can get profits in a reliable, efficient and effective way. Ultrasound equipment incorporation in Primary Care (PC) centers is an increasing reality, contributing to high ranges of accessibility, immediacy and clinic handle capability, and thus, together with the high prevalence in this area in locomotor apparatus, turns MSU into an strategic action for the improvement of the resolving capacity and consequently for the health care. To ensure proficiency among users, it's being necessary to define the benefits and potential risks its use can cause, as well as its different scenarios, avoiding unnecessary explorations and optimizing the investment of this resource at PC level. This paper pretends to summarize the state of the art of the musculoskeletal ultrasound and its benefits for the FD into this efficient and effective scenarios.

A Wireless Sensor System for Real-Time Monitoring and Fault Detection of Motor Arrays.

This paper presents a wireless fault detection system for industrial motors that combines vibration, motor current and temperature analysis, thus improving the detection of mechanical faults. The design also considers the time of detection and further possible actions, which are also important for the early detection of possible malfunctions, and thus for avoiding irreversible damage to the motor. The remote motor condition monitoring is implemented through a wireless sensor network (WSN) based on the IEEE 802.15.4 standard. The deployed network uses the beacon-enabled mode to synchronize several sensor nodes with the coordinator node, and the guaranteed time slot mechanism provides data monitoring with a predetermined latency. A graphic user interface offers remote access to motor conditions and real-time monitoring of several parameters. The developed wireless sensor node exhibits very low power consumption since it has been optimized both in terms of hardware and software. The result is a low cost, highly reliable and compact design, achieving a high degree of autonomy of more than two years with just one 3.3 V/2600 mAh battery. Laboratory and field tests confirm the feasibility of the wireless system.

Psychological Practice with Unaccompanied Immigrant Minors: Clinical and Legal Considerations.

Among youth who migrate to the United States from Latin America, unaccompanied immigrant minors (UIMs)-traveling without a parent or caregiver-are a unique subpopulation facing substantial challenges before, during, and after migration. UIMs often migrate as a result of traumatic experiences in their home countries, but are also vulnerable to experiencing trauma pre and post-migration. These experiences are compounded by the impact of prolonged separation from caregivers who migrated earlier (pre-migration) and caregivers who were left behind (post-migration). Once in the US, UIMs are typically considered undocumented and often do not have the legal representation necessary to successfully navigate immigration proceedings in a system designed for adults. Further, they often live in areas with increased rates of poverty and community violence and can face stigmatization and exclusion from important protective activities. UIMs are therefore at risk for psychological distress, including depression, anxiety, and posttraumatic stress. This article provides an overview of typical experiences for UIMs, discusses the accompanying legal and clinical implications, and offers recommendations for psychological practice at the level of providers, training programs, and child-serving systems. For example, providers might incorporate family-based and trauma-focused interventions to enhance resilience and psychological well-being, in addition to support in navigating interactions with the legal system. Clinical training programs can provide education about the experiences of UIMs, while clinicians can advocate at the systems level to promote social integration of UIMs into school systems and a more humane immigration system focused on meeting the needs of these vulnerable children.

HLA is not predictive of posttransplant diabetes mellitus.

AIMS: New-onset posttransplant diabetes mellitus (PTDM) is a frequent complication of kidney transplantation. The goal of this study was to identify if the tendency to develop PTDM was associated to the HLA, as is seen in the general population. METHODS: A retrospective study was made of 525 patients who underwent renal transplantation between 1997 and 2004. They were divided into three categories depending on the diabetic status before and after kidney transplantation. The HLA profile of each patient was identified for class 1 and class 2 antigens including HLA-A, HLA-B, and DR-R. Antigen frequencies were calculated and gene frequencies derived. These were compared among the three groups and with the published data for the Puerto Rico population. Other variables studied included weight, age, gender, and family history. RESULTS: Seventy-two of 526 (13.7%) were diabetic before transplantation; 92/453 (20.3%) developed PTDM after kidney transplantation. Pretransplant diabetics showed a higher incidence of A3 (0.1102 vs 0.0869 vs 0.0361), DR4 (0.3334 vs 0.1932 vs 0.2124), and DR-13 (0.1835 vs 0.1115 vs 0.1175) than nondiabetics and the normal Puerto Rican population. Posttransplant diabetics showed a higher A3 (0.1154) and a higher DR3 (0.0675 vs 0.0295 vs 0.0022) than nondiabetics and normal population. CONCLUSION: PTDM was not associated statistically with the HLA in this group of transplant recipients, although A3 and DR3 were higher. Patients with the phenotype that is related to diabetes in the normal population did not have a higher incidence of diabetes in this series.

Assessing the risk of infection and rejection in Hispanic renal transplant recipients by means of an adenosine triphosphate release assay.

INTRODUCTION: Because of the necessary immunosuppression, transplant recipients have a high risk of infection. Conversely, underimmunosuppression carries with it the risk of rejection. It would be quite useful to have a test that could differentiate between infection and rejection in renal transplant patients and better still, to predict which patients are at risk of complications. A new assay, which measures adenosine triphosphate (ATP) synthesis by CD4+ T cells in response to stimulation by phytohemagglutinine (Immuknow assay, Cylex, Inc) is undergoing clinical evaluations. Preliminary investigations suggest that this test could be useful to assess and predict the immune status of patients with other conditions. METHODS: We examined the records of all patients who received a kidney transplant in our program between August 2004 and January 2005. Of 64 patients, 58 had pretransplant and posttransplant ATP level determinations. We searched for associations between ATP levels and immunosuppression type, doses, and levels; creatinine levels; white blood cell count; tissue typing; preformed antibodies; as well as ATP levels on infection and rejection, and changes in ATP levels with time. Chi-square, Fisher, t test, analysis of variance (ANOVA), and relative risks were used for analysis of data. RESULTS: There was no relation between ATP levels and immunosuppression type, doses, or levels; creatinine levels; white blood cell counts; HLA; and panel-reactive antibody (P > 0.05). However, patients with moderate or high pretransplant ATP levels had more rejection episodes (8/10) while patients with ATP levels in the low immune response had more infections (6/11) (P < .001; relative risk [RR] for rejection = 1.2; RR for infection = 4.4). The mean ATP levels for rejection was 423.3 ng/mL versus 268.45 ng/mL for infection and 277.15 ng/mL for no events (ANOVA, P = .0145). Although acute rejections occurred mostly above 300, this was not significant (P = .059; RR = 0.9). Infections were more frequent with ATP under 300 (RR = 7.3) and severe infection (endocarditis, meningitis, peritoneal abscesses, pneumonia, etc) were more frequent under 200 (P < .001). Comparing pretransplant with posttransplant values at the second week an increase correlated with rejection (P < .001, RR = 15.3), while a decrease did not correlate with the infection (P = .845, RR = 1.4). Patients who received antirejection treatment had a decrease in their ATP levels at 5 days (P = .002). CONCLUSION: This ATP release assays helpful in determining the risk of developing infection or rejection, as well as follow-up in the response to therapy.

Diafanización dental de cuatro especies de seláceos (Carcharhinus leucas, Galeocerdo cuvier, Rhizoprionodon longurio y Sphyrna sp) / Dental diaphonization of four salaceos species (Carcharhinus leucas, Galeocerdo Cuvier, Rhizoprionodon longurio and Sphyrna sp)

El estudio morfológico de la dentadura de chondrichthyes representa un carácter taxonómico importante empleado para la clasificación e identificación de diferentes especies. Se diafanizaron dientes de cuatro especies distintas de selacimorfos (Carcharhinus leucas, Galeocerdo cuvier, Rhizoprionodon longurio y Sphyrna sp.) con la finalidad de estandarizar una técnica dental para su transparentación. Estandarizando la técnica de Okumura-Aprile aplicada para la diafanización dental de humanos, se obtuvo una diafanización óptima en las cuatro especies en tratamiento con HCl al 7 % donde se podía observar con claridad la cámara pulpar, por lo que podemos concluir que la técnica de Okumura-Aprile es eficiente en la diafanización dental de tiburones.

The morphological study of the chondrichthyes teeth represents an important taxonomic characteristic used for the classification and identification of different species. The teeth of four different species of selacimorphs (Carcharhinus leucas, Galeocerdo cuvier, Rhizoprionodon longurio and Sphyrna sp.) were diaphonized in order to standardize a dental technique for their transparency. By standardizing the Okumura-Aprile technique applied for the dental diaphonization of humans, an optimal diaphonization was obtained in the four species treated with 7 % HCl where the pulp chamber was clearly observed. Therefore, we may conclude that the OkumuraAprile technique is efficient in shark dental diaphonization.

Idiopathic hemochromatosis: a study in a large Puerto Rican family.

We studied 13 first-degree relatives in a large family with an index case of idiopathic hemochromatosis to detect the relatives with evidence of iron overloading. Serum iron, total iron binding capacity (TIBC), and serum ferritin levels were measured in all family members. We also performed HLA typing to identify the relatives who are homozygous with the proband and genetically predisposed to develop the disease. The family was composed of the parents and 12 siblings including the index case. The mean age of the siblings was 25 years. None presented with evidence of iron overload by the iron biochemical tests. HLA typing demonstrated six homozygous siblings with the proband. In separate analysis these siblings did not present abnormalities in any of the iron biochemical tests. These homozygous relatives were followed for one year after initial evaluation and none presented abnormalities in the iron studies during this period. These results are contradictory to other previous studies done in families with idiopathic hemochromatosis. The most feasible explanations for these findings are the young age of these siblings and the predominance of females among them. We consider that these homozygous relatives must be followed for their life-times with iron studies to detect a possible increase in iron stores as expected in later ages.

Autonomic dysfunction in parkinsonian LRRK2 mutation carriers.

INTRODUCTION: The aim of this study was to compare autonomic function in PD symptomatic carriers of the LRRK2 mutations and idiopathic Parkinson's disease (iPD) patients. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We studied 25 PD patients: 12 with the LRRK2 mutation (6 G2019S and 6 R1441G), and 13 with iPD. All patients underwent blood pressure and heart rate monitoring during head up tilt, Valsalva maneuver and deep breathing, along with recording of sympathetic skin response (SSR) and cardiac MIBG scintigraphy. RESULTS: Three of the patients with iPD and one of the LRRK2 carriers had orthostatic hypotension. Arterial pressure "overshoot" during phase IV of Valsalva maneuver was less pronounced in patients with iPD. During passive tilt, LRRK2 carries had higher increase of blood pressure than iPD patients MIBG late myocardial/mediastinal uptake ratios were higher in LRRK2 mutation carriers (1.51 ± 0.28 vs 1.32 ± 0.25; p < 0.05). DISCUSSION: Carriers of the LRRK2 mutation had less autonomic impairment than those with iPD as shown by higher cardiac MIBG uptake and a tendency to less impairment of autonomic non-invasive tests. It is important to carry out larger studies comparing the clinical, functional and pathological characteristics of these patients.

Blood group isoantigens ABO (H) in transitional carcinoma of the bladder: a clinicopathological study.

Blood group A, B and H antigens were investigated in 183 paraffin embedded biopsies from 58 patients with transitional cell carcinoma of the urinary bladder, by a modified specific red cell adherence test, direct immunofluorescence with Ulex Europeus lectin and indirect immunoperoxidase method with monoclonal antibodies against blood group antigens. The results were correlated with pathological grade and stage and with the clinical course of patients evaluating the recurrence index and clinical state. Histological findings were roughly correlated with the expression of red cell tissue antigens but not with the presence of precursor H substance in biopsies from patients of blood group A or B, in which a higher proportion of H positive results was appreciated. The clinical course was also related to the presence or absence of blood group antigens in referential biopsies: 90 per cent of negative biopsies corresponded to patients who had high recurrence index whereas 75 per cent of positive biopsies corresponded to patients who had low recurrence index or did not have recurrence for five years; 25 per cent of recurrences observed in patients with referential positive biopsy were invasive whereas the proportion of invasive tumor in recurrence from negative biopsies rises to 73 per cent. In addition, all the final biopsies from patients who died of bladder tumor were negative for blood group antigens. The diagnostic and prognostic significance of these tissue antigens in transitional cell carcinoma of the urinary bladder is discussed, and we conclude that the analysis of blood group antigens in bladder biopsies by established techniques is a useful tool in clinical pathology for the screening and followup of bladder tumors, as previously suggested.

The HLA antigen frequency in the Puerto Rican population

Los estudios de histocompatibilidad han demostrado ser críticos en los campos de trasplante de órganos y pruebas de filiación, y como una valiosa aram investigacional en antropología. EL Laboratório de Histocompatibilidad de Puerto Rico ha operado contínuamente por los últimos 10 años, llevando a cabo casi 3,000 determinaciones de histocompatibilidad para trasplante de riñón, trasplante de médula ósea, pruebas de filiación, y estudios antropológicos. Para el análisis que presentamos en esta publicación, hemos recompilado los datos de 1,880 haplotipos en 940 casos de paternidad. La frecuencia haplotípica verdadeira se derivó directamente de los expedientes de paternidad. La frecuencia de cada antígeno fue entonces determinada para cada una de las especificacidades de HLA-A y B, incluyendo las designaciones "w". De estas determinaciones se construyó una segunda tabla con las frecuencias por antígeno. Este informe debe ser de valor para aquellos investigadores que estudian al sujeto puertorriqueño en áreas tales como trasplante de órganos, antropología, y enfermedades con influencia genética