Revision of the cranaid genera Phalangodus, Iquitosa and Aguaytiella (Opiliones: Laniatores: Gonyleptoidea).

The monotypic genus Temucus Roewer, 1943, originally placed in Pachylinae (Gonyleptidae) is transferred to the Cranainae (Cranaidae) and synonymized with Phalangodus Gervais, 1842, therefore Phalangodus palpiconus (Roewer, 1943) comb. nov. is proposed. The synonymy is based on the following features: (i) the outline of dorsal scutum type alpha; (ii) the thickened pedipalpal claw in males; (iii) pedipalpal femur with a few ventral enlarged tubercles restricted to the median ventral region, and a conspicuous group of very large and acuminated tubercles basally; (iv) ventral plate of penis with a rather elevated number of cylindrical, straight and sharp distal pairs of setae and a notorious reduction in the number of the basal pairs of setae; (v) penis stylus straight, its distal tip rounded in a mushroom-like shape without stylar caps. The record of P. palpiconus to Chile is doubtful. We also propose the revalidation of Iquitosa Roewer, 1943, hitherto considered a junior synonym of Phalangodus. Iquitosa is revised and the male of its type species, I. poecilis, is reported for the first time. Aguaytiella Goodnight & Goodnight, 1943, a monotypic genus which superficially resembles Iquitosa is also revised. In this article, we report data of male genitalia of Iquitosa and Aguaytiella, providing redescriptions and diagnoses of those genera and species, and a discussion of their relationship with other cranaids.

A pilot study to assess the feasibility and uptake of MindDEC, a mindfulness-based self-management course for type 2 diabetes.

OBJECTIVE: The study aimed to investigate the feasibility of a remote mindfulness based self-management intervention for individuals with type 2 diabetes. It is important to further our understanding of how to improve self-management to improve health outcomes and low levels of uptake to self-management courses. METHOD: 29 participants with type 2 diabetes were recruited from the University Hospital Coventry and Warwickshire NHS trust. Three groups of participants engaged with a remote mindfulness based self-management intervention, which were delivered sequentially. After each intervention was complete, patient feedback was retrieved and implemented into the following intervention. The quantitative analysis comprised of descriptive statistics, independent sample t-test, paired sample t-test and multiple regression analysis. A qualitative analysis was also conducted through reflexive thematic analysis (RTA) to understand participant's perspective on the intervention. RESULTS: There was a total of 17 who attended the course (59 %) and a total drop out of 12 participants over the three courses (41 %). The qualitative findings reported three main themes: (1) Eating to manage my emotions rather than my diabetes (2) Implementing mindfulness has helped me manage my emotions (3) Medication rather than self-management behaviours control my diabetes. The focus group feedback included participants' appreciation of the community aspect of the intervention and their perception that the current course was more interactive compared to previous interventions. In addition, participants highlighted the importance of offering the course at an earlier stage of diagnosis to provide further support at the beginning of their diabetes journey. No significant findings were reported for the independent sample t-test, paired sample t-test and multiple regression analysis. CONCLUSION: The qualitative findings suggested that the course was beneficial, especially in demonstrating how mindfulness could aid self-management for individuals living with type 2 diabetes. Further funding and trials are warranted to improve the quality of technology used and to assess impact on diabetes control and mental health.

Thermometries for Single Nanoparticles Heated with Light.

The development of efficient nanoscale photon absorbers, such as plasmonic or high-index dielectric nanostructures, allows the remotely controlled release of heat on the nanoscale using light. These photothermal nanomaterials have found applications in various research and technological fields, ranging from materials science to biology. However, measuring the nanoscale thermal fields remains an open challenge, hindering full comprehension and control of nanoscale photothermal phenomena. Here, we review and discuss existent thermometries suitable for single nanoparticles heated under illumination. These methods are classified in four categories according to the region where they assess temperature: (1) the average temperature within a diffraction-limited volume, (2) the average temperature at the immediate vicinity of the nanoparticle surface, (3) the temperature of the nanoparticle itself, and (4) a map of the temperature around the nanoparticle with nanoscale spatial resolution. In the latter, because it is the most challenging and informative type of method, we also envisage new combinations of technologies that could be helpful in retrieving nanoscale temperature maps. Finally, we analyze and provide examples of strategies to validate the results obtained using different thermometry methods.

Kombucha analogs from maqui juice: Consortium age and sugar concentration effects on anthocyanin stability and its relationship with antioxidant activity and digestive enzyme inhibition.

The fermentation of maqui juice (MJ), by incorporating kombucha as a starter culture, produces beverages with variable and stable anthocyanin contents. The metabolic effect of kombucha starter cultures obtained at different fermentation times was explored on the anthocyanin stability of maqui (Aristotelia chilensis (Mol.) Stuntz) juice supplemented at different concentrations of sucrose and fermented at different times. The stability of anthocyanins was associated with the levels of catechin detected in the fermentation system. This study concludes that the fermentation of MJ with sucrose (10%) and kombucha consortium of 7-days old, promotes the release and accumulation of phenolic compounds that act as co-pigments, with the best response in quality parameters of beverages such as color intensity, tone, hyperchromic effect, and a significant bathochromic shift. Finally, the additive effect of phenolic constituents with stable anthocyanins, confers to kombucha analogs an outstanding antioxidant quality and inhibitory effects on key enzymes in digestive processes.

The Radiation Environment of Ceres and Implications for Surface Sampling.

Ceres is a large water-rich dwarf planet located within the asteroid belt. Its surface displays evidence of material sourced from a deep subsurface liquid brine layer within recent geologic time, making it a candidate ocean world with possible present-day activity. However, Ceres lacks a substantial atmosphere and likely does not possess a global magnetic field. Therefore, any material emplaced or exposed on the surface will be subject to weathering by charged particles of solar and galactic origin. We have evaluated the effect of charged particle radiation on material within the near-surface of Ceres and find that the timescale for radiation-induced modification and destruction of organics and endogenic material is ∼100 Myr to 1 Gyr within the top 10-20 cm of the surface. Furthermore, we find that the timescale for sterilization of any putative living organisms contained within material at these depths is <500 kyr. Future missions to the surface may therefore consider targeting regions with geologic ages that fall between these two timescales to avoid the risk of backward contamination while ensuring that sampled material is not heavily radiation processed.

Cytotoxic and antioxidant activities of selected Lamiales species from Mexico.

CONTEXT: Methanol extracts obtained from eight species belonging to four families of the Lamiales order native to Mexico were investigated for biological action. OBJECTIVE: Cytotoxicity and antioxidant activity of methanol extracts have been investigated. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Cytotoxic activity was evaluated by the sulphorhodamine B protein staining assay against KB (nasopharyngeal), HEp-2 (larynx), HF-6 (colon), MCF7 (breast), PC-3 (prostate), and Ca Ski (cervix) carcinoma cell lines. To analyze the antioxidant activity, common stable radicals chromogens, 2,2-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulfonic acid (ABTS+) and DPPH (1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl) were used. The ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) and the total phenolic content of the samples were also determined. RESULTS: Some of the extracts, such as Limosella aquatica L. (Scrophulariaceae), Mimulus glabratus Kunth. (Phrymaceae), Pedicularis mexicana Zucc. ex Benth. (Orobanchaceae), and Penstemon campanulatus (Cav.) Willd. (Plantaginaceae) displayed remarkably selective cytotoxic activity. However, the extract from Veronica americana (Raf.) Schwein (Plantaginaceae) showed the highest activity with IC50 values of 1.46 and 0.169 g/ µL on PC-3 and HF-6 cells, respectively. With the exception of M. glabratus, all the extracts showed different degrees of antioxidant activity with IC50 values from 0.89 up to 1.8 in the ABTS assay; from 0.49 up to 1.25 mg/mL in the DPPH assay and with the FRAP evaluation, 36 to 68 equivalents in mM of FeSO4. V. americana also showed the highest antoxidant activity with IC50 values from 0.491 and 0.892 mg/mL, on DPPH and ABTS assays, respectively. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: These findings demonstrated that the species studied have great potential cytotoxic and antioxidant activity.

[Orthotopic liver transplantation. Experience in the University Hospital of Monterrey, N.L]. / Trasplante hepático ortotpico. Experiencia en el Hospital Universitario de Monterrey, N.L.

INTRODUCTION: Several programs of organ and tissues transplantation have been developed for over a decade at the University Hospital. OBJECTIVE: To describe long term complications and survival in the liver transplant program at the University Hospital, UANL. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The long term complications and survival were analyzed in the liver transplant program at the University Hospital Dr. José Eleuterio González in the period between 1991 and 2011. RESULTS: Ninety six liver transplants were performed during this period, four of them received one re-transplant and one patient received 2 retransplants. Most common long term complications were metabolic 62%, bony 31% and infectious 28%. Median survival was 78 months. CONCLUSIONS: Liver transplant program at the University Hospital UANL has grown, being the most active in the state of Nuevo Leon, with 1-, 5- and 10-years survival of 66.1, 53.3 and 46.2%, respectively.

Disease burden, management patterns and multidisciplinary clinical approaches for patients with MPS IVA and VI in selected Latin American Countries.

BACKGROUND: There is a paucity of real-world epidemiological data on patients with mucopolysaccharidoses (MPS) in Latin America. This real-world study assessed the disease burden, management patterns and multidisciplinary clinical approaches for MPS-IVA and MPS-VI patients in Latin America (Colombia, Ecuador, Mexico, Peru). METHODS: Data were collected from physicians/specialists experienced in treating MPS patients between April-June 2020, via an online patient-diary survey. RESULTS: Overall, 29 physicians/specialists participated in this study. Data from 98 patients were analyzed (MPS-IVA, 71 patients and MPS-VI, 27 patients). Mean age for MPS-IVA patients was 17.5 years and for MPS-VI patients was 11.6 years, and the majority were females (52% and 78%, respectively). MPS-IVA and VI patients presented a high absenteeism from school (55% and 37%, respectively; <18 years age) and workplace (78% and 100%, respectively; >18 years age), indicating an impact of the disease on some aspects of the patients' quality of life. The onset of the first symptom occurred at the age of 3.1 years for MPS-IVA patients and at 1 year for MPS-VI, with delay in diagnosis (3.5-3.9 years from symptom onset) and enzyme replacement therapy (ERT) initiation (1.1-3.6 years from diagnosis). ERT interruptions were observed for MPS-IVA (48%) and MPS-VI patients (44%), with non-availability of medication recorded as the main reason for non-adherence (46% and 60% patients, respectively). ERT showed noticeable treatment benefits in MPS-IVA/VI patients, with stabilization/reduction in complications or the number of surgeries. A multidisciplinary clinical team approach was used for patient management. CONCLUSION: The disease burden for MPS-IVA/VI was high in Latin America, with consistent management, treatment and socio-demographic trends throughout the region.

Differences in the presentation and treatment of primary liver tumors at a hepatology center and an oncology center.

INTRODUCTION AND AIMS: Primary liver cancer is a public health problem in Mexico and the world. Liver transplantation (LT) is the ideal treatment for early hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Our aim was to evaluate the characteristics of patients with HCC and cholangiocarcinoma (CC) at two centers and identify transplantation candidates. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective observational study was conducted at the Hepatology Center (HC) and the University Center Against Cancer (UCAC), within the time frame of 2012-2018. HCC or intrahepatic CC was confirmed in 109 patients. Staging classifications, transplant selection models, and a predictive model for post-LT recurrence were applied to the HCC patients. RESULTS: Of the total population, 93% (n=102) presented with cirrhosis, 86% (n=94) had HCC (HC: 58%, UCAC: 42%), and 14% (n=15) had intrahepatic CC (HC: 40%, UCAC: 60%). Of the HC patients with HCC, Okuda I-II, BCLC A-B, and AFP levels <100ng/m predominated, whereas Okuda II-III, BCLC C-D, and AFP levels >1000ng/mL predominated in the UCAC patients. Half of the HC population with HCC met the criteria for LT, in contrast to 23% of the UCAC patients. Fifteen patients were evaluated for LT, and at present, six have undergone transplantation. CONCLUSIONS: The most frequent primary liver tumor was HCC. Patients from the HC presented with earlier-stage disease and a high number of them met the criteria for LT. Only patients from the HC underwent transplantation.

Differences in the presentation and treatment of primary liver tumors at a hepatology center and an oncology center. / Diferencias de la presentación y tratamiento en las neoplasias primarias de hígado en un centro de hepatología y un centro oncológico.

INTRODUCTION AND AIMS: Primary liver cancer is a public health problem in Mexico and the world. Liver transplantation (LT) is the ideal treatment for early hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Our aim was to evaluate the characteristics of patients with HCC and cholangiocarcinoma (CC) at two centers and identify transplantation candidates. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective observational study was conducted at the Hepatology Center (HC) and the University Center Against Cancer (UCAC), within the time frame of 2012-2018. HCC or intrahepatic CC was confirmed in 109 patients. Staging classifications, transplant selection models, and a predictive model for post-LT recurrence were applied to the HCC patients. RESULTS: Of the total population, 93% (n = 102) presented with cirrhosis, 86% (n = 94) had HCC (HC: 58%, UCAC: 42%), and 14% (n = 15) had intrahepatic CC (HC: 40%, UCAC: 60%). Of the HC patients with HCC, Okuda I-II, BCLC A-B, and AFP levels < 100 ng/m predominated, whereas Okuda II-III, BCLC C-D, and AFP levels > 1,000 ng/mL predominated in the UCAC patients. Half of the HC population with HCC met the criteria for LT, in contrast to 23% of the UCAC patients. Fifteen patients were evaluated for LT, and at present, six have undergone transplantation. CONCLUSIONS: The most frequent primary liver tumor was HCC. Patients from the HC presented with earlier-stage disease and a high number of them met the criteria for LT. Only patients from the HC underwent transplantation.

The avalanche-like behaviour of large-scale haemodynamic activity from wakefulness to deep sleep.

Increasing evidence suggests that responsiveness is associated with critical or near-critical cortical dynamics, which exhibit scale-free cascades of spatio-temporal activity. These cascades, or 'avalanches', have been detected at multiple scales, from in vitro and in vivo microcircuits to voltage imaging and brain-wide functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) recordings. Criticality endows the cortex with certain information-processing capacities postulated as necessary for conscious wakefulness, yet it remains unknown how unresponsiveness impacts on the avalanche-like behaviour of large-scale human haemodynamic activity. We observed a scale-free hierarchy of co-activated connected clusters by applying a point-process transformation to fMRI data recorded during wakefulness and non-rapid eye movement (NREM) sleep. Maximum-likelihood estimates revealed a significant effect of sleep stage on the scaling parameters of the cluster size power-law distributions. Post hoc statistical tests showed that differences were maximal between wakefulness and N2 sleep. These results were robust against spatial coarse graining, fitting alternative statistical models and different point-process thresholds, and disappeared upon phase shuffling the fMRI time series. Evoked neural bistabilities preventing arousals during N2 sleep do not suffice to explain these differences, which point towards changes in the intrinsic dynamics of the brain that could be necessary to consolidate a state of deep unresponsiveness.

Selection methodology with scoring system: application to Mexican plants producing podophyllotoxin related lignans.

As most anticancer drugs are derived from natural sources, the screening of local medicinal flora should be considered a primary step in the search for new sources for antineoplastic agents. In Mexico, more than 6000 medicinal plant species are used for the treatment of various diseases, including cancer. A multifactorial plant selection method, employing various criteria was designed and applied in order to select alternative sources of podophyllotoxin lignan analogues. For each criterion (chemotaxonomy, traditional medical uses and published scientific data), an arbitrary score system was ascribed to the species and the sum of these enabled us to compare potential candidates. The resulting selected plants were tested for cytotoxic activity and the compounds responsible for this activity were evaluated by liquid chromatography-mass spectroscopy (LC-MS). Around 50 species from the Mexican flora were initially considered. From these, six species were selected by referring to the results from the scoring system and these were then collected. Three extracts were evaluated as being highly cytotoxic against three different cancer cell lines. Finally, podophyllotoxin-like lignans could be identified by observing the fragmentation pattern on mass spectra, obtained from the LC-MS in two species: Linum scabrellum and Hyptis suaveolens.

Towards an operational system for oil-spill forecast over Spanish waters: initial developments and implementation test.

The ESEOO Project, launched after the Prestige crisis, has boosted operational oceanography capacities in Spain, creating new operational oceanographic services and increasing synergies between these new operational tools and already existing systems. In consequence, the present preparedness to face an oil-spill crisis is enhanced, significantly improving the operational response regarding ocean, meteorological and oil-spill monitoring and forecasting. A key aspect of this progress has been the agreement between the scientific community and the Spanish Search and Rescue Institution (SASEMAR), significantly favoured within the ESEOO framework. Important achievements of this collaboration are: (1) the design of protocols that at the crisis time provide operational state-of-the-art information, derived from both forecasting and observing systems; (2) the establishment, in case of oil-spill crisis, of a new specialized unit, named USyP, to monitor and forecast the marine oceanographic situation, providing the required met-ocean and oil-spill information for the crisis managers. The oil-spill crisis scenario simulated during the international search and rescue Exercise "Gijón-2006", organized by SASEMAR, represented an excellent opportunity to test the capabilities and the effectiveness of this USyP unit, as well as the protocols established to analyze and transfer information. The results presented in this work illustrate the effectiveness of the operational approach, and constitute an encouraging and improved base to face oil-spill crisis.

MDR1/P-glycoprotein and MRP-1 mRNA and protein expression in non-small cell lung cancer.

BACKGROUND: Multiple drug resistance (MDR), both inherent and acquired, is a serious problem in non-small cell lung carcinomas (NSCLC). The purpose of this study was to investigate the prevalence of expression of genes encoding drug efflux pumps, MDR1 and MRP-1, at both the mRNA and protein levels, in this type of cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Tumour specimens (38 cases) were analysed using immunohistochemistry and, where possible (30 cases), also using reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction. RESULTS: The results from this analysis indicated that either, or both, drug efflux pumps were frequently expressed in NSCLC. Expression of mrp1 was found to be predominant over mdr1 at the mRNA level, while MDR1 P-gp was more frequently detected than MRP-1 protein. In some cases, proteins encoding pumps were detected without corresponding mRNAs--possibly due to differing sensitivities of the analysis techniques. CONCLUSION: Future studies of mdr1 and mrp1 using increased-sensitivity qPCR techniques, in parallel with protein analysis, in larger cohorts of cases may help to elucidate the role of drug efflux pumps in NSCLC multiple drug resistance.

Outcomes and Surgical Complications in Kidney Transplantation.

BACKGROUND: Kidney transplantation is the most cost-effective therapy for end-stage renal disease. Post-operative complications account for 15%-17% of all cases and are associated with significant morbidity. Currently 4.8% of post-transplantation patients have returned to dialysis. Our center's main transplant origin is cadaveric donation. OBJECTIVE: To review surgical complications of kidney transplantation over the past 5 years. METHODS: This was an observational descriptive study that included all patients from 2011 to 2015. RESULTS: A total of 55 cases were reviewed. Diabetic nephropathy was the etiology in 30.9% of cases. Post-surgical complications occurred in 12.7% of patients with a post-operative mortality of 4%. Graft survival at 1 year was 82.4% with a 91% 1-year patient survival. CONCLUSION: Early identification and treatment of surgical complications are critical for patient and graft survival. Complications are low but significant.

Oceanographic conditions in North and Northwest Iberia and their influence on the Prestige oil spill.

Oceanographic conditions at the time of the Prestige oil spill (November 2002) and following months are analyzed based on a set of hydrographic cruises. The ship sank off one of the flanks of the Galician Bank, an offshore seamount, and a major oil spill drifted to the N and NW Iberian coast mainly driven by dominant winds. Coastal circulation was characterized by freshwater plumes and the poleward slope current, and could have affected the fate of the oil spill and influenced stranding places. Seasonal evolution of oceanographic conditions in this particular year is compared with the long-term average and reveals specific features that need to be taken into account in studies of the impact of the oil spill on populations. Spring conditions commenced earlier than other years in the Southern Bay of Biscay, contrastingly in western Iberia. The lack of subsurface intrusion of subtropical waters suggests a low intense penetration of the poleward current in Spanish Biscay slopes. In western Iberia, the slope poleward current observed in late autumn weakens and is exported off slope during upwelling pulses in the spring, with no strong intrusion of the poleward current on the slope at the time of the spring bloom. A description of current velocities near the wreck on the Galician Bank is obtained after the analysis of a mooring line.

Causes for an Incomplete Donation Process at a Tertiary Care Hospital.

INTRODUCTION: This study aims to identify the causes for the incomplete donation process at a tertiary care hospital. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A descriptive, retrospective study was performed; all potential donors reported to the Transplant Service within the period of 2005 to 2014 were included. Descriptive statistics were used across frequencies and proportions for categorical variables, central tendency, and dispersion for continuous variables. RESULTS: The total number of deaths reported at the University Hospital (HU) was 8472, of which 815 (n = 815) were reported to COETRA ("Consejo Estatal de Trasplantes"). Among organ or tissue donors, the main known cause of death was head trauma (HT) in 26% (72). Cardiac arrest (CA) as cause of death provided the largest number of donations (141, 57%); of these, 102 (41%) were male and 39 (16%) were female. In comparison, brain death (BD) provided 104 (43%); of these, 65 (27%) were male, and 39 (16%) were female. The age interval was with a higher donation rate was 45 to 49 y (BD 18, CA 22). Donation request was not performed in 359 patients because of medical contraindication 60% (215), rapid deterioration 18% (64), and incomplete donation process 8% (27). Of 452 organ requests, 207 were not accomplished, because of body integrity 28% (57), family disagreement 20% (42), and no acceptance of BE 13% (26). CONCLUSIONS: Opportunity areas: (1) Ensure the notification of all deaths to Transplant Department for identification of potential donors; (2) Reduce rapid deterioration and raise number of completed donation protocols; (3) Increase the donation rate.

Dawn arrives at Ceres: Exploration of a small, volatile-rich world.

On 6 March 2015, Dawn arrived at Ceres to find a dark, desiccated surface punctuated by small, bright areas. Parts of Ceres' surface are heavily cratered, but the largest expected craters are absent. Ceres appears gravitationally relaxed at only the longest wavelengths, implying a mechanically strong lithosphere with a weaker deep interior. Ceres' dry exterior displays hydroxylated silicates, including ammoniated clays of endogenous origin. The possibility of abundant volatiles at depth is supported by geomorphologic features such as flat crater floors with pits, lobate flows of materials, and a singular mountain that appears to be an extrusive cryovolcanic dome. On one occasion, Ceres temporarily interacted with the solar wind, producing a bow shock accelerating electrons to energies of tens of kilovolts.