Ocean Species Discoveries 1-12 - A primer for accelerating marine invertebrate taxonomy.

Background: Discoveries of new species often depend on one or a few specimens, leading to delays as researchers wait for additional context, sometimes for decades. There is currently little professional incentive for a single expert to publish a stand-alone species description. Additionally, while many journals accept taxonomic descriptions, even specialist journals expect insights beyond the descriptive work itself. The combination of these factors exacerbates the issue that only a small fraction of marine species are known and new discoveries are described at a slow pace, while they face increasing threats from accelerating global change. To tackle this challenge, this first compilation of Ocean Species Discoveries (OSD) presents a new collaborative framework to accelerate the description and naming of marine invertebrate taxa that can be extended across all phyla. Through a mode of publication that can be speedy, taxonomy-focused and generate higher citation rates, OSD aims to create an attractive home for single species descriptions. This Senckenberg Ocean Species Alliance (SOSA) approach emphasises thorough, but compact species descriptions and diagnoses, with supporting illustrations and with molecular data when available. Even basic species descriptions carry key data for distributions and ecological interactions (e.g., host-parasite relationships) besides universally valid species names; these are essential for downstream uses, such as conservation assessments and communicating biodiversity to the broader public. New information: This paper presents thirteen marine invertebrate taxa, comprising one new genus, eleven new species and one re-description and reinstatement, covering wide taxonomic, geographic, bathymetric and ecological ranges. The taxa addressed herein span three phyla (Mollusca, Arthropoda, Echinodermata), five classes, eight orders and twelve families. Apart from the new genus, an updated generic diagnosis is provided for four other genera. The newly-described species of the phylum Mollusca are Placiphorellamethanophila Voncina, sp. nov. (Polyplacophora, Mopaliidae), Lepetodrilusmarianae Chen, Watanabe & Tsuda, sp. nov. (Gastropoda, Lepetodrilidae), Shinkailepasgigas Chen, Watanabe & Tsuda, sp. nov. (Gastropoda, Phenacolepadidae) and Lyonsiellaillaesa Machado & Sigwart, sp. nov. (Bivalvia, Lyonsiellidae). The new taxa of the phylum Arthropoda are all members of the subphylum Crustacea: Lepechinellanaces Lörz & Engel, sp. nov. (Amphipoda, Lepechinellidae), Cuniculomaeragrata Tandberg & Jazdzewska, gen. et sp. nov. (Amphipoda, Maeridae), Pseudionellapumulaensis Williams & Landschoff, sp. nov. (Isopoda, Bopyridae), Mastigoniscusminimus Wenz, Knauber & Riehl, sp. nov. (Isopoda, Haploniscidae), Macrostylispapandreas Jonannsen, Riehl & Brandt, sp. nov. (Isopoda, Macrostylidae), Austroniscusindobathyasellus Kaiser, Kniesz & Kihara, sp. nov. (Isopoda, Nannoniscidae) and Apseudopsisdaria Esquete & Tato, sp. nov. (Tanaidacea, Apseudidae). In the phylum Echinodermata, the reinstated species is Psychropotesbuglossa E. Perrier, 1886 (Holothuroidea, Psychropotidae).The study areas span the North and Central Atlantic Ocean, the Indian Ocean and the North, East and West Pacific Ocean and depths from 5.2 m to 7081 m. Specimens of eleven free-living and one parasite species were collected from habitats ranging from an estuary to deep-sea trenches. The species were illustrated with photographs, line drawings, micro-computed tomography, confocal laser scanning microscopy and scanning electron microscopy images. Molecular data are included for nine species and four species include a molecular diagnosis in addition to their morphological diagnosis.The five new geographic and bathymetric distribution records comprise Lepechinellanaces Lörz & Engel, sp. nov., Cuniculomaeragrata Tandberg & Jazdzewska, sp. nov., Pseudionellapumulaensis Williams & Landschoff, sp. nov., Austroniscusindobathyasellus Kaiser, Kniesz & Kihara, sp. nov. and Psychropotesbuglossa E. Perrier, 1886, with the novelty spanning from the species to the family level. The new parasite record is Pseudionellapumulaensis Williams & Landschoff, sp. nov., found in association with the hermit crab Pagurusfraserorum Landschoff & Komai, 2018.

Why avoid naming diseases after animals? The case of "Molluscum contagiosum".

For over 200 years, the name molluscum contagiosum-a dermatological disease-has unfairly associated molluscs (the second largest group of animals on the planet) with this highly contagious infectious disease. Herein, arguments are presented demonstrating the serious problem of continuing to use this name, including animal welfare concerns. Thus, to minimize any unnecessary impacts on the biodiversity and conservation of molluscs, we follow WHO best practices in naming diseases to suggest the use of the new term 'wpox' or 'water warts' as a synonym for molluscum contagiosum.

The high biodiversity of benthic organisms in a coastal ecosystem revealed by an integrative approach / A alta biodiversidade de organismos bentônicos em um ecossistema costeiro revelada por uma abordagem integrativa

Abstract Increasing habitat modification and species loss demand consistent efforts to describe and understand biodiversity patterns. The BIOTA/FAPESP Program was created in this context and it has been a successful initiative to promote studies on biodiversity and conservation in Brazil. The BIOTA/Araçá is an interdisciplinary project that provided a detailed evaluation of the biodiversity of Araçá Bay, a coastal seascape located on the North coast of the state of São Paulo, Southeast Brazil. The bay encompasses multiple habitats, such as beaches, mangroves, rocky shores, and a tidal flat, and provides important ecosystem services. Unfortunately, the bay is the subject of complex social-environmental conflicts that oppose economic, social, and environmental demands (i.e., the expansion of neighboring harbor activities vs. small-scale artisanal fisheries and protection of biodiversity). The present study presents a survey of the benthic species occurring in the different habitats of Araçá Bay, including data obtained during the BIOTA/Araçá project and previous assessments of the area. The benthic species play an important role in marine environments and studying the diversity of these organisms that live associated with the bottom is indispensable for comprehending the environment's functioning. The macrofauna, meiofauna, and microorganisms associated with soft and hard bottom were listed, and additional information, such as the habitat and geographical distribution, were provided for each species. The checklist includes 826 species, almost 70% recorded during the BIOTA/Araçá project. The most speciose taxa were the annelids (225 spp.), mollusks (194 spp.), and crustaceans (177 spp.). Seven benthic species are endemic to Araçá Bay, 14 are considered threatened, and seven are economically exploited. Furthermore, the bay is the type locality of many taxa, and 11 new benthic species were described based on specimens sampled during the project. This project shows the importance of Araçá Bay as a unique biologically rich environment and highlights the need for conservation efforts in light of the current threats.

Resumo O aumento da modificação dos habitats e da perda de espécies demanda esforços consistentes para descrever e compreender os padrões de biodiversidade. O programa BIOTA/FAPESP foi criado nesse contexto e é uma iniciativa de sucesso para promover estudos em biodiversidade e conservação no Brasil. O BIOTA/Araçá é um projeto interdisciplinar que promoveu uma avaliação detalhada da biodiversidade da Baía do Araçá, um ecossistema costeiro localizado ao Norte do estado de São Paulo, Sudeste do Brasil. A baía engloba múltiplos habitats, tais como praias, manguezais, costões rochosos, e uma planície de maré, e também fornece importantes serviços ecossistêmicos. Infelizmente, a baía está sujeita à conflitos sócio-ambientais complexos que contrastam demandas econômicas, sociais e ambientais (i.e. a expansão das atividades do porto vizinho vs. a pesca artesanal de pequena escala e a proteção da biodiversidade). O presente estudo apresenta um levantamento das espécies bentônicas que ocorrem nos diferentes habitats da Baía do Araçá, incluindo dados obtidos durante o projeto BIOTA/Araçá e de investigações realizadas anteriormente na área. As espécies bentônicas desempenham um papel importante no ambiente marinho, e estudar a diversidade desses organismos que vivem associados ao fundo é indispensável para compreender o funcionamento do meio ambiente. A macrofauna, meiofauna, e microorganismos associados aos fundos consolidado e inconsolidado foram listados, e informações adicionais foram fornecidas para cada espécie, tais como a distribuição geográfica e nos habitats. O checklist inclui 826 espécies, quase 70% registradas durante o projeto BIOTA/Araçá. Os taxa mais especiosos foram os anelídeos (225 spp.), moluscos (194 spp.), e crustáceos (177 spp.). Entre as espécies bentônicas listadas, sete são endêmicas da Baía do Araçá, 14 são consideradas ameaçadas de extinção, e sete são exploradas economicamente. A baía é a localidade tipo de vários taxa, e 11 novas espécies bentônicas foram descritas com base em espécimes amostrados durante o projeto. Este projeto mostra a importância da Baía do Araçá como um ambiente de riqueza biológica única e demonstra a necessidade de esforços para a sua conservação considerando as atuais ameaças.

Self-reported perceptions and knowledge of telemedicine in medical students and professionals who enrolled in an online course in Peru.

BACKGROUND: Telemedicine has become more relevant during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, medical students and professionals do not acquire competences in telemedicine during their training. Our objective was to describe the self-reported perception and baseline knowledge of telemedicine among medical students and professionals enrolled in a virtual course. METHODS: Cross-sectional study that included physicians or medical students aged 18 years or older who were interested in a free virtual telemedicine course and who completed the data collection questionnaire. We used a Likert scale to assess the self-reported perceptions of four domains related to telemedicine. The participants were grouped into three levels for each domain: low, medium and high. We also objectively assessed telemedicine knowledge by means of 10 questions, with a cut-off point of 50% of correct answers. The Fisher's exact test, the Chi-square test, and the Mann-Whitney U test were used for the comparison of categorical data. A p-value < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. RESULTS: We included 161 participants: 118 medical students and 43 physicians. We observed no significant differences between medical students and physicians in self-reported perceptions of knowledge, security, or utility of telemedicine. However, students had a high self-reported perception of the disadvantages of telemedicine especially related to patient security (p = 0.018), efficiency of care (p = 0.040), and the possibility of medical malpractice (p = 0.010) compared to physicians. Nearly half of the students (n = 53,44.9%) and physicians (n = 22,51.7%) answered 50% or more of the questions related to telemedicine knowledge correctly. CONCLUSION: Among the physicians and medical students enrolled in the course, the students perceived the disadvantages of telemedicine more frequently. Although physicians and students have limited knowledge of telemedicine, there appears to be no influence of experience and prior training in telemedicine.

Linfadenitis tuberculosa en niños: Revisión sistemática de reportes de caso

Objetivo: Realizar una revisión sistemática de casos de linfadenitis tuberculosa en niños publicados en la literatura hasta abril de 2022. Materiales y Métodos: Se buscó reportes de casos de linfadenitis tuberculosa por M. tuberculosis en niños, en las bases de datos de Scopus, PubMed, Science Direct, Web of Science, LILACs, Ovid MEDLINE, EBSCO y BMJ Case Reports. Resultados: Se seleccionó 41 reportes, que informaron 46 pacientes. La mayoría fueron varones (52,2%), de 8,5 (5-12) años, con tiempo de enfermedad de 2 (1-5) meses. Las manifestaciones clínicas más frecuentes fueron linfadenopatía palpable (60,9%), fiebre (52,2%) y tos (26,1%). También se encontró pérdida de peso (17,4%), escrófula (15,2%), dificultad respiratoria (13%), hiporexia (13%), dolor localizado (13%), exantema cutáneo (13%), sudoración nocturna (4,3%), dolor abdominal (4,3%) e ictericia (2,2%). Los ganglios cervicales fueron los más comprometidos (71,4%). Solo 17,4% tuvo compromiso pulmonar asociado. El PPD fue positivo en 77,1%, la baciloscopia en 17,2%, la histopatología en 94,1% y el cultivo en 58,8%. Conclusiones: La linfadenitis tuberculosa en niños fue más frecuente en varones, entre 5 y 12 años, inmunizados por BCG y sin contacto conocido de tuberculosis. Los síntomas más frecuentes fueron linfadenopatía palpable, fiebre y tos. Además, se presentaron cuadros atípicos con dificultad respiratoria, dolor localizado, exantema cutáneo, dolor abdominal e ictericia. Los ganglios cervicales fueron los más afectados. El estudio histopatológico fue la prueba con mayor sensibilidad diagnóstica detectando el 94,1% de casos.

Objective: To conduct a systematic review of tuberculous lymphadenitis cases in children published until April 2022. Materials and methods: Case reports of tuberculous lymphadenitis by M. tuberculosis in children were searched in Scopus, PubMed, Science Direct, Web of Science, LILACs, Ovid MEDLINE, EBSCO, and BMC Case Reports databases. Results: Forty-one reports were selected and a total of 46 patients were included. The majority were males (52,2%) of 8,5 (5-12) years old. The time of disease was 2 (1-5) months. The most frequent clinical manifestations were palpable lymphadenopathy (60,9%), fever (52,2%) and cough (26,1%). Weight loss (17,4%), scrofula (15,2%), respiratory distress (13%), hyporexia (13%), localized pain (13%), skin rash (13%), night sweats (4.3%), abdominal pain (4.3%) and jaundice (2,2%) were also founded. Cervical nodes were most frequently involved (71,4%). Only 17,4% were associated with lung involvement. PPD was positive in 77.1%, bacilloscopy in 17.2%, histopathology in 94,1% and culture in 58,8%. Conclusions: Tuberculous lymphadenitis in children was more frequent in boys, between 5 and 12 years, immunized by BCG and without known contact with tuberculosis. The principal symptoms were palpable lymphadenopathy, fever and cough. However, atypical symptoms were respiratory difficulty, localized pain, skin rash, abdominal pain, and jaundice. Cervical nodes were the most affected. The test with greatest sensitivity was the histopathological study which detected 94,1% of cases.

Self-perceived competencies on evidence-based medicine in medical students and physicians registered in a virtual course: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: Evidence-based medicine (EBM) is defined as the integration of the best available evidence from scientific studies with clinical experience (and context) and with patients' values and preferences. The objective of the present study was to describe self-perceived EBM competencies in physicians and medical students enrolled in a massive virtual EBM course. METHODS: Analytical cross-sectional study. People interested in a free virtual EBM course fulfilled their data in a virtual form for their registration in September 2020. In this form, 22 competencies related to four dimensions of EBM were evaluated: asking a clinical question, search, analysis, and application; using a 5-option Likert scale. The resulting database was analyzed, selecting people who claimed to be physicians or medical students of 18 years or more. RESULTS: 1793 participants were included: 1130 medical students and 663 physicians; more than 80% lived in Peru. The frequency of participants who agreed or strongly agreed with feeling qualified in each competence ranged: from 39.2% to 57.8% for the competencies of the 'Asking a clinical question' dimension, from 39.2% to 56.1% for 'Search,' from 19.9% to 32.0% for 'Analysis,' and from 19.6% to 29.9% for 'Application.' Both in physicians and students, the lowest frequencies were for the competencies of interpretation of impact measures, graphs, and results of systematic reviews; as well as shared decision making and calculation of expected benefit. Physicians who graduated more recently scored better on competencies from search and analysis dimensions. CONCLUSION: Among physicians and medical students enrolled in the course, self-perception of competencies was lower in the dimensions of analysis and application. More recently graduated physicians seem to have a greater self-perception of their research and analysis skills, probably due to curricular updates.List of abbreviations: EBM: Evidence-based medicine; CIMBE, for its acronym in Spanish: International Course on Evidence-Based Medicine; SOCIMEP, for its acronym in Spanish: Peruvian Medical Student Scientific Society.

A multi-institutional randomized controlled trial comparing first-generation transrectal high-resolution micro-ultrasound with conventional frequency transrectal ultrasound for prostate biopsy.

Objectives: To study high-frequency 29 MHz transrectal side-fire micro-ultrasound (micro-US) for the detection of clinically significant prostate cancer (csPCa) on prostate biopsy, and validate an image interpretation protocol for micro-US imaging of the prostate. Materials and methods: A prospective randomized clinical trial was performed where 1676 men with indications for prostate biopsy and without known prostate cancer were randomized 1:1 to micro-US vs conventional end-fire ultrasound (conv-US) transrectal-guided prostate biopsy across five sites in North America. The trial was split into two phases, before and after training on a micro-US image interpretation protocol that was developed during the trial using data from the pre-training micro-US arm. Investigators received a standardized training program mid-trial, and the post-training micro-US data were used to examine the training effect. Results: Detection of csPCa (the primary outcome) was no better with the first-generation micro-US system than with conv-US in the overall population (34.6% vs 36.6%, respectively, P = .21). Data from the first portion of the trial were, however, used to develop an image interpretation protocol termed PRI-MUS in order to address the lack of understanding of the appearance of cancer under micro-US. Micro-US sensitivity in the post-training group improved to 60.8% from 24.6% (P < .01), while specificity decreased (from 84.2% to 63.2%). Detection of csPCa in the micro-US arm increased by 7% after training (32% to 39%, P < .03), but training instituted mid-trial did not affect the overall results of the comparison between arms. Conclusion: Micro-US provided no clear benefit over conv-US for the detection of csPCa at biopsy. However, it became evident during the trial that training and increasing experience with this novel technology improved the performance of this first-generation system.

Role and challenges of severe asthma services: insights from the UK registry.

Severe bronchial asthma affects at least 5% of the asthmatic population and remains a clinical challenge. Data from the UK National Registry for Severe Asthma suggest that dedicated centers may improve asthma control, quality of life, reduce healthcare use and oral steroid burden. A multidisciplinary approach through complete lung function evaluation, optimization of adherence to treatment and immunological characterization are key issues to improve patients' care. In this paper, we provide an overview of the challenges of managing patients with severe asthma and the role of dedicated services.

Mottness at finite doping and charge-instabilities in cuprates.

The influence of the Mott physics on the doping-temperature phase diagram of copper oxides represents a major issue that is subject of intense theoretical and experimental effort. Here, we investigate the ultrafast electron dynamics in prototypical single-layer Bi-based cuprates at the energy scale of the O-2p→Cu-3d charge-transfer (CT) process. We demonstrate a clear evolution of the CT excitations from incoherent and localized, as in a Mott insulator, to coherent and delocalized, as in a conventional metal. This reorganization of the high-energy degrees of freedom occurs at the critical doping pcr ≈0.16 irrespective of the temperature, and it can be well described by dynamical mean field theory calculations. We argue that the onset of the low-temperature charge instabilities is the low-energy manifestation of the underlying Mottness that characterizes the p < pcr region of the phase diagram. This discovery sets a new framework for theories of charge order and low-temperature phases in underdoped copper oxides.

Ultrafast evolution and transient phases of a prototype out-of-equilibrium Mott-Hubbard material.

The study of photoexcited strongly correlated materials is attracting growing interest since their rich phase diagram often translates into an equally rich out-of-equilibrium behaviour. With femtosecond optical pulses, electronic and lattice degrees of freedom can be transiently decoupled, giving the opportunity of stabilizing new states inaccessible by quasi-adiabatic pathways. Here we show that the prototype Mott-Hubbard material V2O3 presents a transient non-thermal phase developing immediately after ultrafast photoexcitation and lasting few picoseconds. For both the insulating and the metallic phase, the formation of the transient configuration is triggered by the excitation of electrons into the bonding a1g orbital, and is then stabilized by a lattice distortion characterized by a hardening of the A1g coherent phonon, in stark contrast with the softening observed upon heating. Our results show the importance of selective electron-lattice interplay for the ultrafast control of material parameters, and are relevant for the optical manipulation of strongly correlated systems.

Structural Texture Induced in SnSe Thermoelectric Compound via Open Die Pressing.

Outstanding ZT values registered on single crystals recently renewed the interest of thermoelectric community for SeSn compound. Owing to the strong anisotropy of the phenomenon, so far only single crystals proved to be the suitable for its application. Here we present the production and the characterization of bulk polycrystalline materials processed by open die pressing, aimed at reducing the gap with single crystal materials by taking advantage from the highly texture degree derived by the processing and by the improved phonon scattering promoted by grain boundaries. The resulting bulks display good compaction, improved mechanical properties and strong texture of the phase. Structural and morphological analyses confirmed the successful orientation according to the (400) cleavage plane. The structural transition responsible for the ultra-low thermal conductivity has been investigated and possible irreversible effects on the starting phase due to thermal cycling have been evaluated. Preliminary measurements of thermal conductivity are reported.

Field-Driven Mott Gap Collapse and Resistive Switch in Correlated Insulators.

Mott insulators are "unsuccessful metals" in which Coulomb repulsion prevents charge conduction despite a metal-like concentration of conduction electrons. The possibility to unlock the frozen carriers with an electric field offers tantalizing prospects of realizing new Mott-based microelectronic devices. Here we unveil how such unlocking happens in a simple model that shows the coexistence of a stable Mott insulator and a metastable metal. Considering a slab subject to a linear potential drop, we find, by means of the dynamical mean-field theory, that the electric breakdown of the Mott insulator occurs via a first-order insulator-to-metal transition characterized by an abrupt gap collapse in sharp contrast to the standard Zener breakdown. The switch on of conduction is due to the field-driven stabilization of the metastable metallic phase. Outside the region of insulator-metal coexistence, the electric breakdown occurs through a more conventional quantum tunneling across the Hubbard bands tilted by the field. Our findings rationalize recent experimental observations and may offer a guideline for future technological research.

Nanoscale orbital excitations and the infrared spectrum of a molecular Mott insulator: A15-Cs3C60.

The quantum physics of ions and electrons behind low-energy spectra of strongly correlated molecular conductors, superconductors and Mott insulators is poorly known, yet fascinating especially in orbitally degenerate cases. The fulleride insulator Cs3C60 (A15), one such system, exhibits infrared (IR) spectra with low temperature peak features and splittings suggestive of static Jahn-Teller distortions with a breakdown of orbital symmetry in the molecular site. That is puzzling, since there is no detectable static distortion, and because the features and splittings disappear upon modest heating, which they should not. Taking advantage of the Mott-induced collapse of electronic wavefunctions from lattice-extended to nanoscale localized inside a caged molecular site, we show that the unbroken spin and orbital symmetry of the ion multiplets explains the IR spectrum without adjustable parameters. This demonstrates the importance of a fully quantum treatment of nuclear positions and orbital momenta in the Mott insulator sites, dynamically but not statically distorted. The observed demise of these features with temperature is explained by the thermal population of a multiplet term whose nuclear positions are essentially undistorted, but whose energy is very low-lying. That term is in fact a scaled-down orbital excitation analogous to that of other Mott insulators, with the same spin 1/2 as the ground state, but with a larger orbital momentum of two instead of one.

A diagnosis of prostate cancer and pursuit of active surveillance is not followed by weight loss: potential for a teachable moment.

BACKGROUND: Obesity is a risk factor for incident prostate cancer (PC) as well as risk of disease progression and mortality. We hypothesized that men diagnosed with lower-risk PC and who elected active surveillance (AS) for their cancer management would likely initiate lifestyle changes that lead to weight loss. METHODS: Patients were enrolled in the Prostate Active Surveillance Study (PASS), a multicenter prospective biomarker discovery and validation study of men who have chosen AS for their PC. Data from 442 men diagnosed with PC within 1 year of study entry who completed a standard of care 12-month follow-up visit were analyzed. We examined the change in weight and body mass index (BMI) over the first year of study participation. RESULTS: After 1 year on AS, 7.5% (33/442) of patients had lost 5% or more of their on-study weight. The proportion of men who lost 5% or more weight was similar across categories of baseline BMI: normal/underweight (8%), overweight (6%) and obese (10%, χ2 test P=0.44). The results were similar for patients enrolled in the study 1 year or 6 months after diagnosis. By contrast, after 1 year, 7.7% (34/442) of patients had gained >5% of their weight. CONCLUSIONS: Only 7.5% of men with low-risk PC enrolled in AS lost a modest (⩾5%) amount of weight after diagnosis. Given that obesity is related to PC progression and mortality, targeted lifestyle interventions may be effective at this 'teachable moment', as men begin AS for low-risk PC.

Colorectal cancer detection in an asymptomatic population: fecal immunochemical test for hemoglobin vs. fecal M2-type pyruvate kinase.

INTRODUCTION: Screening programs for colorectal cancer (CRC) are mainly based on a first-line fecal immunochemical test for hemoglobin (FIT). Fecal M2-type pyruvate kinase (M2-PK) has been evaluated in clinical settings showing promising results for early CRC detection. However, the impact of fecal M2-PK assessment on the performance of first-round CRC screening programs is not known. We investigated whether fecal M2-PK alone or in combination with FIT may improve CRC screening efficacy in the general population. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 1027 asymptomatic subjects (median age 66 [59-74] years; females 504 [49.1%]), identified through the general practitioners' rosters, were invited for the collection of 2 fecal samples for FIT and M2-PK evaluation. Participants with at least positive one fecal test were referred for colonoscopy. Quality indicators for screening performance were calculated and analyzed using Fisher's exact test. RESULTS: Overall, 572 subjects underwent both FIT and M2-PK assessment (participation rate 55.7%): 93 participants showed positive results for at least one test (positivity rate 16.3%). Only 10 patients were positive for both tests. Attendance rate to colonoscopy was 86.0% and a total of 65 adenomas and 7 cancers were detected. Combined use of FIT and fecal M2-PK permitted the identification of 18 more neoplasm (25%) without improving colonoscopy workload, as deduced by the comparable number needed to scope (P = 0.402). CONCLUSION: The addition of M2-PK testing to FIT offers the potential to detect additional neoplasms that either do not bleed or only bleed intermittently without reducing participation rate and without increasing endoscopy workload.

Influence of Cu, TiO2 Nanoparticles and Carbon Nano-Horns on Tribological Properties of Engine Oil.

The addition of nanoparticles in lubricating oils recently demonstrated to reduce the coefficient of friction and to increase the load-carrying capability of lubricant in coupled surfaces. In this work, different kinds of nanoparticles were tested as additives to engine oil to improve lubrication: copper and titanium oxide nanoparticles and single walled carbon nanohorns (SWCNHs). Two nanoparticle sizes were also tested in case of copper. The tribological properties of these nanofluids were evaluated by Stribeck tests, in order to compare the effect of nanoparticles on friction coefficient and electric contact resistance in different lubrication regimes. Stribeck curves showed that the coefficient of friction was reduced, compared to raw oil, by the action of Cu nanoparticles having 130 nm diameter, leading to a mean decrease of about 17%, and by SWCNHs, with a mean decrease of about 12%. Conversely, no significant changes were detected in presence of Cu nanoparticles having 50 nm diameter or of TiO2. The suspension viscosity and stability were also tested. Wear tests were also carried out, showing a reduction of wear rate up to nearly 50% for Cu nanoparticles (150 nm diameter) and around 30% for SWCNHs. The measurements showed that nanoparticles having size comparable to the mean roughness of coupled surfaces significantly improved the tribological properties of bare oil. An explanation of nanoparticle action is proposed.

Sleep apnea risk in subjects with asthma with or without comorbid rhinitis.

BACKGROUND: As many as 80% of patients with asthma suffer from allergic rhinitis (AR), and rhinitis symptoms are associated with sleep complaints The aim of this cross-sectional study was to assess the prevalence of obstructive sleep apnea syndrome risk in patients with asthma and to explore the association between comorbid rhinitis and obstructive sleep apnea syndrome risk. METHODS: Subjects with asthma were recruited by general practitioners during a control visit. Physicians compiled a questionnaire that assessed the presence of AR according to ARIA (Allergic Rhinitis and Its Impact on Asthma) guidelines and factors influencing the risk of obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (gastroesophageal reflux disease, obesity, smoking). Subjects completed a questionnaire evaluating the presence and severity of AR and the STOP-BANG questionnaire (snoring, tiredness during daytime, observed apnea, high blood pressure, body mass index, age, neck circumference, gender), a validated screening method to identify obstructive sleep apnea syndrome risk. Physicians were blinded to the subjects' questionnaires, ensuring objectivity of the method. RESULTS: The analyses were conducted on 1,941 subjects (males 58%, mean age 48.2 ± 15.2 y): 740 with asthma alone and 1,201 with asthma and AR. STOP-BANG revealed that 52.6% of the subjects were at increased risk of obstructive sleep apnea syndrome: 47.3% of subjects with asthma alone and 55.9% of patients with asthma and AR. Rhinitis was associated with a 1.44 times higher odds ratio for having obstructive sleep apnea syndrome risk. Rhinitis duration and severity were associated with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome risk, although the latter deserved greater importance. The results showed that, once a correction for each of these factors was performed, subjects with AR with an odds ratio of 1.99 were reported to be at risk of obstructive sleep apnea syndrome. CONCLUSIONS: The probable increased risk of obstructive sleep apnea syndrome is associated with the concomitant presence of rhinitis, independent of obesity and other contributors to risk of obstructive sleep apnea syndrome.

Modelling American trypanosomiasis in an endemic zone: application to the initial spread of household infection in the Argentine Chaco.

The complex dynamics of Trypanosoma cruzi infection (Chagas disease) involves different actors and multiple transmission routes. Based on the information currently available, here, we propose a new and more comprehensive model to better understand the dynamics of the infection. This mathematical deterministic model was formulated considering: (i) the three clinical forms in humans: acute, chronic indeterminate and chronic with determinate pathology, (ii) the three main modes of transmission in the human population: vector-borne, congenital and transfusional, (iii) populations of triatomines and dogs as the main domestic reservoirs of T. cruzi and (iv) open populations. A numerical simulation was also performed to estimate the initial spread of the infection in a typical rural household in the endemic zone of the Argentine Gran Chaco. We also analysed the incidence of infected individuals corresponding to each of the three species (humans/triatomines/dogs) over times until the appearance of the first case in the other species. The model predicts that, in the absence of control measures, a few infected individuals are sufficient for the establishment and dispersion of the infection in all the inhabitants of the household. The model proposed and the results obtained allow describing the consequences of the presence of infected individuals in any of the three species considered in the dynamics and the output of the infection.