POEMS (POLYMERIC OPTO-ELECTRO-MECHANICAL SYSTEMS) FOR ADVANCED NEURAL INTERFACES.

There has been a growing interest in optical neural interfaces which is driven by the need for improvements in spatial precision, real-time monitoring, and reduced invasiveness. Here, we present unique microfabrication and packaging techniques to build implantable optoelectronics with high precision and spatial complexity. Material characterization of our hybrid polymers shows minimal in vitro degradation, greater flexibility, and lowest optical loss (4.04-4.4 dB/cm at 670 nm) among other polymers reported in prior studies. We use the developed methods to build Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory's (LLNL's) first ultra-compact, lightweight (0.38 g), scalable and minimally invasive thin-film optoelectronic neural implant that can be used for chronic studies of brain activities. The paper concludes by summarizing the progress to date and discussing future opportunities for flexible optoelectronic interfaces in next generation clinical applications.

Mobile microscopy and telemedicine platform assisted by deep learning for the quantification of Trichuris trichiura infection.

Soil-transmitted helminths (STH) are the most prevalent pathogens among the group of neglected tropical diseases (NTDs). The Kato-Katz technique is the diagnosis method recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) although it often presents a decreased sensitivity in low transmission settings and it is labour intensive. Visual reading of Kato-Katz preparations requires the samples to be analyzed in a short period of time since its preparation. Digitizing the samples could provide a solution which allows to store the samples in a digital database and perform remote analysis. Artificial intelligence (AI) methods based on digitized samples can support diagnosis by performing an objective and automatic quantification of disease infection. In this work, we propose an end-to-end pipeline for microscopy image digitization and automatic analysis of digitized images of STH. Our solution includes (a) a digitization system based on a mobile app that digitizes microscope samples using a 3D printed microscope adapter, (b) a telemedicine platform for remote analysis and labelling, and (c) novel deep learning algorithms for automatic assessment and quantification of parasitological infections by STH. The deep learning algorithm has been trained and tested on 51 slides of stool samples containing 949 Trichuris spp. eggs from 6 different subjects. The algorithm evaluation was performed using a cross-validation strategy, obtaining a mean precision of 98.44% and a mean recall of 80.94%. The results also proved the potential of generalization capability of the method at identifying different types of helminth eggs. Additionally, the AI-assisted quantification of STH based on digitized samples has been compared to the one performed using conventional microscopy, showing a good agreement between measurements. In conclusion, this work has presented a comprehensive pipeline using smartphone-assisted microscopy. It is integrated with a telemedicine platform for automatic image analysis and quantification of STH infection using AI models.

Neural Correlates of Phrase Quadrature Perception in Harmonic Rhythm: An EEG Study Using a Brain-Computer Interface.

For the sake of establishing the neural correlates of phrase quadrature perception in harmonic rhythm, a musical experiment has been designed to induce music-evoked stimuli related to one important aspect of harmonic rhythm, namely the phrase quadrature. Brain activity is translated to action through electroencephalography (EEG) by using a brain-computer interface. The power spectral value of each EEG channel is estimated to obtain how power variance distributes as a function of frequency. The results of processing the acquired signals are in line with previous studies that use different musical parameters to induce emotions. Indeed, our experiment shows statistical differences in theta and alpha bands between the fulfillment and break of phrase quadrature, an important cue of harmonic rhythm, in two classical sonatas.

Clima organizacional y calidad de atención del profesional de la salud de un Centro de Salud de Huánuco, Perú / Organizational Climate and Quality of Care according to Professionals from a Health Center in Huánuco, Peru

Introducción: La calidad constituye un desafío y una prioridad en las instituciones de servicios de salud y uno de los aspectos principales y más influyentes para el logro de este atributo es el clima organizacional. Objetivo: Identificar la relación entre el clima organizacional y la calidad de atención. Métodos: Estudio observacional, de corte transversal y de tipo correlacional realizado el año 2020 en profesionales de la salud del Centro de Salud "Aparicio Pomares" de Huánuco, Perú. Población conformada por 53 trabajadores. Se aplicó el cuestionario de clima organizacional y el cuestionario de calidad de atención. El análisis de los datos consistió en el contraste de correlaciones de Rho de Spearman. Resultados: En general, el clima organizacional promedio fue de 3,43 (de 1 a 5) y la calidad de atención promedia fue de 3,44 (de 1 a 5). Se encontró relación significativa entre el clima organizacional y la calidad de atención, con p ≤ 8804; 0,000. Y, se encontró relación significativa entre la calidad de atención y las dimensiones del clima organizacional como Credibilidad (p ≤ 8804; 0,000), Respeto (p ≤ 0,000), Imparcialidad (p ≤ 8804; 0,000), Orgullo (p ≤ 8804; 0,022) y Camaradería (p ≤ 0,000). Conclusiones: Se evidenció relación entre el clima organizacional y la calidad de atención de los profesionales de Atención Primaria de Salud de un Centro de Salud de Huánuco, Perú(AU)

Introduction: Quality is a challenge and a priority in healthcare institutions. One of the main and most influential aspects for the achievement of this aspect is the organizational climate. Objective: To identify the relationship between organizational climate and quality of care. Methods: An observational, cross-sectional and correlational study was conducted in 2020 with health professionals of Aparicio Pomares de Huánuco Health Center, in Peru. The study population consisted of 53 workers. The organizational climate and quality of care questionnaires were applied. Data analysis consisted in Spearman's rho correlation test. Results: Generally speaking, the average organizational climate was 3.43 and the average quality of care was 3.44, both within a 1-5 scale. A significant relationship was found between organizational climate and quality of care, accounting for P≤ 8804; 0.000. In addition, a significant relationship was found between quality of care and organizational climate dimensions such as credibility (P≤ 8804; 0.000), respect (P ≤ 8804; 0.000), impartiality (P≤ 8804; 0.000), pride (P≤ 8804; 0.022), and camaraderie (P≤ 8804; 0.000). Conclusions: A relationship was shown between the organizational climate and the quality of care in primary level professionals from a Health Center in Huánuco, Peru(AU)

[Antiparasite therapy]. / Terapéutica antiparasitaria.

The lack of any parasite vaccine makes prevention against parasitic diseases to be based, as in the past, in ecological measures such as the environmental health and vector control to interrupt the biological cycle; on the other hand, it is also based in anti-parasite drugs. Once the disease has been acquired it is just possible to take medication. Studies on the way of action allow to understand more about the physiology of the parasite and, on the other hand, to understand better the physiology of the parasite allows to design new more effective drugs. However, the vast majority of these new drugs have been obtained thanks to intelligent and selective screening of generic molecules more than from the result of the knowledge of the biochemistry of the parasite. Despite all this, it is well known the mechanisms of action of many antiparasite drugs which have led us, when possible, to the discussion about possible targets to give an idea of how the rational approximation to design new medicaments is done.