Improving the consistency of experimental swine dysentery inoculation strategies.

Swine dysentery (SD) caused by pathogenic Brachyspira spp. is an economic challenge for the swine industry. In research settings, experimental reproduction of swine dysentery typically relies on intragastric inoculation which has shown variable success. This project aimed to improve the consistency of the experimental inoculation protocol used for swine dysentery in our laboratory. Over six experiments, we evaluated the influence of group housing in inoculated pigs using a frozen-thawed broth culture of strongly hemolytic B. hyodysenteriae strain D19 (Trial A), compared the relative virulence of B. hyodysenteriae strains D19 and G44 (Trial B), compared inoculum volumes (50 mL vs 100 mL) for G44 and B. hampsonii 30446 (Trial C), and performed three independent trials evaluating intragastric inoculation using different oral inoculation methods: oral feed balls (Trial D), and oral syringe bolus of 100 mL (Trial E) or 300 mL (Trial F). Intragastric inoculation with a fresh broth culture of B. hyodysenteriae strain G44 resulted in a shorter incubation period and a higher proportionate duration of mucohemorrhagic diarrhea (MMHD) compared to D19. Intragastric inoculation with either 50 or 100 mL of B. hampsonii 30446 or B. hyodysenteriae (G44) were statistically equivalent. Oral inoculation with 100 mL or 300 mL also yielded similar results to intragastric inoculation but was more expensive due to the additional work and supplies associated with syringe training. Our future research will use intragastric inoculation with 100 mL of a fresh broth culture containing B. hyodysenteriae strain G44 as it yields a high incidence of mucohaemorrhagic diarrhea with a reasonable cost.

Online Databases of Genome Editing in Cardiovascular and Metabolic Diseases.

Metabolic and cardiovascular diseases are world-concerning pathologies that affect an important percentage of the population. Nowadays, advances in the genetic background of these diseases allow new approaches to models and therapies, as well as different gene edition trials. Furthermore, technological improvements in gene editing go along with the development of new online and biocomputational tools that provide us alternative ways to explore pathologies. In this chapter, historical gene editing methods are discussed but focusing on CRISPR-Cas system in detail and also online resources available to perform these types of experiments. Here, the different strategies for gene editing and their online tools are gathered, putting the light on its application in the study and treatment of cardiovascular and metabolic diseases.

Morphological Electrical and Hardness Characterization of Carbon Nanotube-Reinforced Thermoplastic Polyurethane (TPU) Nanocomposite Plates.

The impacts on the morphological, electrical and hardness properties of thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) plates using multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) as reinforcing fillers have been investigated, using MWCNT loadings between 1 and 7 wt%. Plates of the TPU/MWCNT nanocomposites were fabricated by compression molding from extruded pellets. An X-ray diffraction analysis showed that the incorporation of MWCNTs into the TPU polymer matrix increases the ordered range of the soft and hard segments. SEM images revealed that the fabrication route used here helped to obtain TPU/MWCNT nanocomposites with a uniform dispersion of the nanotubes inside the TPU matrix and promoted the creation of a conductive network that favors the electronic conduction of the composite. The potential of the impedance spectroscopy technique has been used to determine that the TPU/MWCNT plates exhibited two conduction mechanisms, percolation and tunneling conduction of electrons, and their conductivity values increase as the MWCNT loading increases. Finally, although the fabrication route induced a hardness reduction with respect to the pure TPU, the addition of MWCNT increased the Shore A hardness behavior of the TPU plates.

The Alusti Test, a Functional Assessment Scale Applicable to the Geriatric Population.

INTRODUCTION: Decreases in functional ability generate dependence, limiting people's quality of life. Assessment tools are needed to evaluate functional abilities of the older adults that can objectively and accurately assess any type of user. Such proper or adapted tools are not always available. The aim of this study was to demonstrate the usefulness and universal application of the Alusti Test, a functional assessment scale, in the older population and to evaluate the sensitivity to change of the Alusti Test short version (Alusti-S) in a psychogeriatric hospitalized population. METHODS: Longitudinal study was conducted in a psychogeriatric clinic in Navarra, Spain. The study sample comprised 539 persons of 65 years and older hospitalized at a psychogeriatric clinic (mean age 82.8 ± 7.3 years). The sensitivity to change was assessed upon admission and discharge through the application of three tests: Barthel Index, Complete Alusti Test, and Alusti-S. RESULTS: We verified sensitivity to change, as illustrated by an improvement of 24.7%, 13.8%, and 16.0%, respectively. Due to the greater functional deterioration upon admission, the improvement margin in the three tests was higher in patients over 85 years of age and in women. CONCLUSION: We consider the Alusti Test an innovative functional assessment tool due to its simplicity, sensitivity, and suitability to universal application in psychogeriatric populations. Correlating recommended physical activity based on the functional ability of the person, based on the Alusti Test, is a pending task that could be of interest for the sake of efficient interventions.

Effects and Economic Sustainability of Biochar Application on Corn Production in a Mediterranean Climate.

The effects of two types of biochar on corn production in the Mediterranean climate during the growing season were analyzed. The two types of biochar were obtained from pyrolysis of Pinus pinaster. B1 was fully pyrolyzed with 55.90% organic carbon, and B2 was medium pyrolyzed with 23.50% organic carbon. B1 and B2 were supplemented in the soil of 20 plots (1 m2) at a dose of 4 kg/m2. C1 and C2 (10 plots each) served as control plots. The plots were automatically irrigated and fertilizer was not applied. The B1-supplemented plots exhibited a significant 84.58% increase in dry corn production per square meter and a 93.16% increase in corn wet weight (p << 0.001). Corn production was no different between B2-supplemented, C1, and C2 plots (p > 0.01). The weight of cobs from B1-supplemented plots was 62.3%, which was significantly higher than that of cobs from C1 and C2 plots (p < 0.01). The grain weight increased significantly by 23% in B1-supplemented plots (p < 0.01) and there were no differences between B2-supplemented, C1, and C2 plots. At the end of the treatment, the soil of the B1-supplemented plots exhibited increased levels of sulfate, nitrate, magnesium, conductivity, and saturation percentage. Based on these results, the economic sustainability of this application in agriculture was studied at a standard price of €190 per ton of biochar. Amortization of this investment can be achieved in 5.52 years according to this cost. Considering the fertilizer cost savings of 50% and the water cost savings of 25%, the amortization can be achieved in 4.15 years. If the price of biochar could be reduced through the CO2 emission market at €30 per ton of non-emitted CO2, the amortization can be achieved in 2.80 years. Biochar markedly improves corn production in the Mediterranean climate. However, the amortization time must be further reduced, and enhanced production must be guaranteed over the years with long term field trials so that the product is marketable or other high value-added crops must be identified.

History of influenza immunization in COVID-19 patients: impact on mortality.

INTRODUCTION: In the context of the COVID-19 pandemic, there is concern regarding the impact of the influenza season. OBJECTIVE: To analyze the impact of influenza immunization history on patients with SARS-CoV-2 infection. METHODS: Patients older than 18 years with COVID-19, registered between March and August 2020, were included. Data were analyzed using Fisher's exact test and Student's t-test. To evaluate the impact on mortality, a logistic regression model was used; the relationship between the percentage of patients who received the influenza vaccine and mortality was determined with Pearson's correlation coefficient. RESULTS: 16,879 participants were included; 17 % had a history of influenza vaccination. Mortality was lower in the group with a history of vaccination (3.5 % vs. 7 %, p < 0.0001). The vaccination rate had an inverse relationship with the mortality rate (Pearson's r: -0.922, p = 0.026). CONCLUSIONS: Previous influenza immunization was an independent protective factor for mortality in patients with COVID-19. Although further studies are needed to determine a causal relationship, it would be reasonable to increase influenza immunization in the general population.

INTRODUCCIÓN: En el contexto de la pandemia de COVID-19 existe inquietud en cuanto al impacto de la temporada de influenza. OBJETIVO: Analizar el impacto del antecedente de inmunización contra influenza en pacientes con infección por SARS-CoV-2. MÉTODOS: Se incluyeron pacientes mayores de 18 años con COVID-19, registrados entre marzo y agosto de 2020. Los datos fueron analizados mediante las pruebas exacta de Fisher y t de Student. Para evaluar el impacto en la mortalidad se utilizó un modelo de regresión logística; la relación entre el porcentaje de pacientes a quienes se aplicó la vacuna contra la influenza y la mortalidad fue determinada con el coeficiente de correlación de Pearson. RESULTADOS: Se incluyeron 16 879 participantes; 17 % tuvo antecedente de vacunación contra influenza. La mortalidad fue menor en el grupo con historia de vacunación (3.5 % versus 7 %, p < 0.0001). El porcentaje de vacunación presentó una relación inversa con el porcentaje de mortalidad (r de Pearson ­ 0.922, p = 0.026). CONCLUSIONES: La inmunización contra la influenza fue un factor protector independiente de mortalidad en pacientes con COVID-19. Aunque son necesarios más estudios para determinar la relación causal, será razonable incrementar la inmunización contra influenza en la población general.

Optoacoustic mesoscopy shows potential to increase accuracy of allergy patch testing.

BACKGROUND: Differentiation between irritant and allergic skin reactions in epicutaneous patch testing is based largely on subjective clinical criteria, with the risk of high intraobserver and interobserver variability. Novel dermatological imaging using optoacoustic mesoscopy allows quantitative three-dimensional assessment of microvascular biomarkers. OBJECTIVES: We investigated the potential of optoacoustic imaging to improve the precision of patch test evaluation. METHODS: Sixty-nine test reactions and 48 healthy skin sections in 52 patients with suspected type IV allergy were examined using raster-scan optoacoustic mesoscopy. RESULTS: We identified biomarkers from the optoacoustic images. Allergic reactions were associated with higher fragmentation of skin vasculature than irritant reactions (19.5 ± 9.7 vs 14.3 ± 3.7 fragments/100 pixels2 ; P < .05), as well as lower ratio of low- to high-frequency acoustic signals (1.6 ± 0.5 vs 2.0 ± 0.6, P < .05). Allergic reactions graded "++" showed higher vessel fragmentation than reactions graded "+" (25.4 ± 13.2 vs 17.1 ± 6.5 fragments/100 pixels2 ; P < .05). A linear model combining the biomarkers fragmentation and frequency ratio could differentiate allergic from irritant test reactions with an area under the receiving operator characteristic curve of 0.80 (95% confidence interval 0.64-0.91), reaching a sensitivity of 81% and specificity of 63%. CONCLUSIONS: Optoacoustic mesoscopy shows potential to help in differentiating between allergic and irritant test reactions based on novel biomarkers that may reflect vasodilation, vessel tortuosity, and edema.

Broadband mesoscopic optoacoustic tomography reveals skin layers: publisher's note.

This publisher's note contains corrections to Opt. Lett.39, 6297 (2014)OPLEDP0146-959210.1364/OL.39.006297.

Optical features of human skin revealed by optoacoustic mesoscopy in the visible and short-wave infrared regions.

Detailed assessment of skin conditions or the efficacy of skin treatments could greatly benefit from noninvasively assessing the distribution of cutaneous and subcutaneous structures and biomolecules. We considered ultrawideband raster scan optoacoustic mesoscopy with an extended wavelength range from visible to short-wave infrared and observed previously unseen high-resolution images of lipids colocalized with water, melanin, and hemoglobin distribution in human skin. Based on this contrast, the technique resolves subcutaneous fat, the pilosebaceous unit with complete hair strand and bulb, dermal microvasculature, and epidermal structures. We further visualize melanoidins that form via the Maillard reaction in the ultrathin stratum corneum layer, analyze their absorption spectrum, and separate them from the melanin layer. The suggested method may allow novel interrogation of skin conditions, possibly impacting diagnostics and medical and cosmetic treatments.

Occurrence and genetic diversity of Enterocytozoon bieneusi (Microsporidia) in owned and sheltered dogs and cats in Northern Spain.

Enterocytozoon bieneusi is an obligate intracellular protist-like fungi parasite that infects numerous mammal hosts including humans, raising concerns of zoonotic transmission. There is little information available on the presence and diversity of E. bieneusi genotypes in companion animals. Here, we determined the occurrence and genetic diversity of E. bieneusi in domestic dogs and cats from Northern Spain. A total of 336 genomic DNA samples extracted from canine (n = 237) and feline (n = 99) faecal specimens were retrospectively investigated. The presence of E. bieneusi was assessed by PCR of the rRNA internal transcribed spacer (ITS) gene. The parasite was detected in 3.0% (3/99) and 0.8% (2/237) of the cats and dogs examined, respectively. All three feline positive samples were from stray cats living in an urban setting, whereas the two canine samples were from owned dogs living in rural areas. Sequence analysis revealed the presence of two genotypes in dogs, BEB6 and PtEb IX, and two genotypes in cats, D and Peru11. The identification of Peru11 in a cat and BEB6 in a dog constitutes the first report of those genotypes in such hosts as well as first report in Spain. This is also the first evidence of genotype D in cats and PtEb IX in dogs in Spain. Three out of the four genotypes, BEB6, D and Peru11, have been previously reported as human pathogens and are potentially zoonotic indicating that dogs and cats need to be considered potential sources of human infection and environmental contamination.

Pilot Study of the Mirabilis System Prototype for Rapid Noninvasive Uterine Myoma Treatment Using an Ultrasound-Guided Volumetric Shell Ablation Technique.

STUDY OBJECTIVE: The primary objective of this pilot study was to evaluate the safety and acute tissue ablation efficacy of a transabdominal high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) prototype device that uses ultrasound imaging guidance for rapid noninvasive ablation of uterine myomas. The secondary objective was to assess preliminary myoma-related symptom improvement and myoma volume reduction at 3 to 6 months post-treatment in subsets of patients. DESIGN: Multicenter prospective single-arm pilot study (Canadian Task Force classification II-2). SETTING: University-affiliated teaching hospital and private community hospital. PATIENTS: Women with a diagnosis of symptomatic uterine myomas planning to undergo hysterectomy. INTERVENTIONS: Seventy-three women underwent transabdominal ultrasound-guided HIFU treatment using a volumetric ablation technique referred to as "shell ablation," in which the HIFU energy is deposited in patterns that partially encapsulate the peripheral region of the targeted myoma(s). Patients were divided into 2 sequential cohorts, the development cohort (the first 37 patients treated) and the validation cohort (the final 36 patients treated). Development cohort treatments were performed for dose-ranging purposes to identify the optimum HIFU treatment parameters, whereas the validation cohort treatments were performed to validate these final settings. Sixty-five patients (89.0%) received only prophylactic oral, sublingual, or intramuscular analgesia before treatment, sometimes with oral anxiolytics. The remaining 8 patients (11.0%) were anesthetized before treatment. Sixty-seven patients (91.8%) then had scheduled hysterectomies between 0 and 179 days after treatment completion. Adverse events were monitored until study exit, which ranged from 10 to 191 days post-treatment. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: The primary efficacy endpoint measured in all 73 patients was the nonperfused volume (NPV) of tissue produced, which was assessed between 0 and 7 days post-treatment either by tissue sectioning after hysterectomy or by gadolinium-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging. Secondary efficacy endpoints were also measured in subsets of patients who were prospectively scheduled for delayed hysterectomies: Changes in menstrual blood loss (MBL), symptom severity (SS), and quality of life (QOL) scores were assessed using validated techniques at 3 months post-treatment in 10 patients and changes in treated myoma volume were assessed using magnetic resonance imaging at 3 to 6 months post-treatment in 14 patients. In all 73 patients, there were no reports of any serious adverse device effects, including no damage to any extrauterine collateral tissues or the abdominal skin. In the development cohort, a mean NPV of 17.9 ± 24.9 cm3 (range, 0-123.0) was produced in a mean total treatment time of 4.9 ± 2.4 minutes (range, 1.1-11.3). These metrics improved in the validation cohort, where a mean NPV of 44.9 ± 58.5 cm3 (range, 0-284.7) was produced in a mean total treatment time of 3.6 ± 2.1 minutes (range, 1.5-9.5). In the subsets of patients with data available, there was a significant improvement in QOL score (median, 16.5 point increase; p = .011), an improving trend in SS score (median, 13.5 point decrease; p = .254), and a significant improvement in treated myoma volume (mean, 24.0% decrease; p = .013). In 8 patients who had above-average MBL scores at baseline and regular menstrual cycle lengths during follow-up, there was also a significant improvement in MBL score (median, 40.8% decrease; p = .035). CONCLUSION: Ultrasound-guided HIFU ablation with the prototype device demonstrated an excellent safety profile and produced clinically relevant NPVs in a mean total treatment time of under 4 minutes using the final validated treatment settings. Short-term clinical efficacy metrics assessed in subsets of patients were encouraging, and larger studies should be conducted to confirm these results (ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT01946178).

Effect of storage temperature on the lag time of Geobacillus stearothermophilus individual spores.

The lag times (λ) of Geobacillus stearothermophilus single spores were studied at different storage temperatures ranging from 45 to 59 °C using the Bioscreen C method. A significant variability of λ was observed among individual spores at all temperatures tested. The storage temperature affected both the position and the spread of the λ distributions. The minimum mean value of λ (i.e. 10.87 h) was observed at 55 °C, while moving away from this temperature resulted in an increase for both the mean and standard deviation of λ. A Cardinal Model with Inflection (CMI) was fitted to the reverse mean λ, and the estimated values for the cardinal parameters Tmin, Tmax, Topt and the optimum mean λ of G. stearothermophilus were found to be 38.1, 64.2, 53.6 °C and 10.3 h, respectively. To interpret the observations, a probabilistic growth model for G. stearothermophilus individual spores, taking into account λ variability, was developed. The model describes the growth of a population, initially consisting of N0 spores, over time as the sum of cells in each of the N0 imminent subpopulations originating from a single spore. Growth simulations for different initial contamination levels showed that for low N0 the number of cells in the population at any time is highly variable. An increase in N0 to levels exceeding 100 spores results in a significant decrease of the above variability and a shorter λ of the population. Considering that the number of G. stearothermophilus surviving spores in the final product is usually very low, the data provided in this work can be used to evaluate the probability distribution of the time-to-spoilage and enable decision-making based on the "acceptable level of risk".

Autotrophic and heterotrophic denitrification for simultaneous removal of nitrogen, sulfur and organic matter.

The aim of this investigation was to assess the startup and operation of a laboratory-scale hybrid UASB-Anaerobic Filter Reactor (UASFB) of 1 L volume, kept at 30°C, in order to carry out a simultaneous autotrophic and heterotrophic denitrification process. First, the heterotrophic and autotrophic populations were separately enriched, with specific cultures and subsequently the UASFB was inoculated with 2 g L(-1) of volatile suspended solids (VSS), with a ratio of 1.5:1 (autotrophs: heterotrophs). The influent or synthetic wastewater used was composed of: Na2S2O3·5H2O, CH3COOK, NaNO3, NaHCO3, K2HPO4, NH4Cl and saline solution. The concentrations varied depending on the organic loading rate (OLR), nitrogen loading rate (NLR) and sulfur loading rate (SLR) applied. In the UASFB reactor, two experimental conditions were tested and assessed: (i) COD/N ratio of 3.6 and SLR of 0.75 kg S m(-3) d(-1); and (ii) COD/N ratio of 5.8 and SLR of 0.25 kg S m(-3) d(-1). The results obtained demonstrated that an inoculum coming from an anaerobic reactor was able to carry out the process, obtaining a maximum nitrate removal of 85.3% in the first stage of operation and 99.5% in the second stage. The recovery of sulfur in form of sulfate in the effluent did not present a tendency to stabilize during the measured time, with a maximum thiosulfate removal of 32.5%, when the SLR was lowered to 0.25 kg S m(-3) d(-1). The maximum organic matter elimination, measured as COD, was 75.8%, which indicates the relatively good performance and behavior of the heterotrophic microorganisms.

Suckling induces a daily rhythm in the preoptic area and lateral septum but not in the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis in lactating rabbit does.

Maternal behavior in the rabbit is restricted to a brief nursing period every day. Previously, we demonstrated that this event induces daily rhythms of Period1 (PER1) protein, the product of the clock gene Per1, in oxytocinergic and dopaminergic populations in the hypothalamus of lactating rabbit does. This is significant for the periodic production and ejection of milk, but the activation of other areas of the brain has not been explored. Here, we hypothesised that daily suckling would induce a rhythm in the preoptic area, lateral septum, and bed nucleus of the stria terminalis, which are important areas for the expression of maternal behavior in mammals, including the rabbit. To this end, we analysed PER1 expression in those areas through a complete 24-h cycle at lactation day 7. Does were scheduled to nurse during either the day at 10:00 h [zeitgeber time (ZT)03] or the night at 02:00 h (ZT19). Non-pregnant, non-lactating females were used as controls. In contrast to control females, lactating does showed a clear, significant rhythm of PER1 that shifted in parallel with the timing of nursing in the preoptic area and lateral septum. We determined that the maximal expression of PER1 at 8 h after scheduled nursing decreased significantly at 24 and 48 h after the absence of suckling. This effect was more pronounced in the lateral septum than in the preoptic area. We conclude that daily suckling is a powerful stimulus inducing rhythmic activity in brain structures in the rabbit that appear to form part of a maternal entrainable circuit.

Amphotericin B deoxycholate versus liposomal amphotericin B: effects on kidney function.

BACKGROUND: The incidence of invasive fungal infections has increased globally as a result of several factors. Conventional amphotericin B (sodium deoxycholate) has been used as standard therapy for the treatment of invasive fungal infections; however, it is associated with adverse drug reactions, including acute kidney injury (AKI). New formulations of amphotericin B have aimed to improve the safety profile of the conventional formulation. OBJECTIVES: This review aimed to assess the effects of amphotericin B deoxycholate versus liposomal amphotericin B on kidney function. SEARCH METHODS: We searched Cochrane Kidney and Transplant's Specialised Register to 10 March 2015 through contact with the Trials' Search Co-ordinator using search terms relevant to this review. SELECTION CRITERIA: We included randomised controlled trials (RCTs) that compared amphotericin B sodium deoxycholate with liposomal amphotericin B. DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS: Two authors independently assessed studies for eligibility and conducted risk of bias evaluation. MAIN RESULTS: We included 12 studies (2298 participants) in this review. Of these, 10 were meta-analysed (2172 participants). Liposomal amphotericin B was found to be significantly safer than conventional amphotericin B in terms of serum creatinine increase (RR 0.49, 95% CI 0.40 to 0.59). There was significant decrease in all infusion-related reactions in the liposomal group compared with the conventional group: fever (4 studies, 1092 participants): RR 0.39, 95% CI 0.28 to 0.55; I(2) = 32%); chills and/or rigours (5 studies, 1081 participants): RR 0.27, 95% CI 0.15 to 0.48; I(2) = 75%); fever and/or rigours (2 studies, 720 participants): RR 0.68, 95% CI 0.52 to 0.90; I(2) = 58%); nausea (6 studies, 1187 participants): RR 0.50, 95% CI 0.35 to 0.72; I(2) = 0%); and vomiting (3 studies, 1019 participants): RR 0.51, 95% CI 0.27 to 0.95; I(2) = 61%). Overall, risk of bias in included studies was low or unclear for most domains. However, blinding of participants and personnel, blinding of outcome assessment and other bias (funding) tended to have a high risk of bias. The sensitivity analysis performed did not change the significance of difference in favour of the liposomal formulation. Assessment for publication bias found that review results were robust. AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS: Current evidence suggests that liposomal amphotericin B is less nephrotoxic than conventional amphotericin B (when the effect on kidney function is measured as an increase in serum creatinine level equal to or greater than two-fold from the baseline level). We also found that there were fewer infusion-related reactions associated with the liposomal formulation.

Broadband mesoscopic optoacoustic tomography reveals skin layers.

We have imaged for the first time to our knowledge human skin in vivo with a raster-scan optoacoustic mesoscopy system based on a spherically focused transducer with a central frequency of 102.8 MHz and large bandwidth (relative bandwidth 105%). Using tissue phantoms we have studied the ability of the system to image vessels of sizes within the anatomically significant range from the key anatomical vasculature sites. The reconstructed images from experiments in vivo show several structures from the capillary loops at the dermal papillae, the horizontal plexus, and the difference between the dermis and the epidermis layers.

Quality control in clinical raster-scan optoacoustic mesoscopy.

Optoacoustic (photoacoustic) mesoscopy bridges the gap between optoacoustic microscopy and macroscopy and enables high-resolution visualization deeper than optical microscopy. Nevertheless, as images may be affected by motion and noise, it is critical to develop methodologies that offer standardization and quality control to ensure that high-quality datasets are reproducibly obtained from patient scans. Such development is particularly important for ensuring reliability in applying machine learning methods or for reliably measuring disease biomarkers. We propose herein a quality control scheme to assess the quality of data collected. A reference scan of a suture phantom is performed to characterize the system noise level before each raster-scan optoacoustic mesoscopy (RSOM) measurement. Using the recorded RSOM data, we develop a method that estimates the amount of motion in the raw data. These motion metrics are employed to classify the quality of raw data collected and derive a quality assessment index (QASIN) for each raw measurement. Using simulations, we propose a selection criterion of images with sufficient QASIN, leading to the compilation of RSOM datasets with consistent quality. Using 160 RSOM measurements from healthy volunteers, we show that RSOM images that were selected using QASIN were of higher quality and fidelity compared to non-selected images. We discuss how this quality control scheme can enable the standardization of RSOM images for clinical and biomedical applications.

Increase in the frequency of scurvy in children with food selectivity: A case series. / Aumento de la frecuencia de escorbuto en niños con selectividad alimentaria: serie de casos.

Scurvy is a disease caused by vitamin C deficiency. Although rare, in recent years, the number of scurvy cases in children with eating disorders has increased. Its manifestations are varied because vitamin C is a cofactor in numerous processes, such as collagen synthesis. The typical skin manifestations include petechiae, bruising, and hyperkeratosis. Mucosal involvement manifests as gingivitis with hypertrophy, bleeding, and loss of teeth. The diagnosis is based on clinical findings and may be confirmed by measuring plasma vitamin C levels. The objective of this study was to describe a cohort of patients diagnosed with scurvy in recent years, its clinical manifestations, and findings in relation to their eating behavior and neurodevelopmental disorders.

El escorbuto es una enfermedad producida por déficit de vitamina C. Aunque es poco frecuente, en los últimos años observamos un incremento de casos en niños con trastornos de la conducta alimentaria. Sus manifestaciones son variadas, ya que esta vitamina actúa como cofactor en numerosos procesos, como la síntesis de colágeno. Las manifestaciones cutáneas características son las petequias, equimosis e hiperqueratosis. El compromiso mucoso se manifiesta como gingivitis con hipertrofia, hemorragias y pérdida de piezas dentarias. El diagnóstico es clínico y puede confirmarse mediante la determinación de la vitamina C plasmática. El objetivo de este trabajo es describir una cohorte de pacientes diagnosticados en los últimos años, manifestaciones clínicas y hallazgos en relación con su conducta alimentaria y trastornos del neurodesarrollo.