First measurements of an imaging heavy ion beam probe at the ASDEX Upgrade tokamak.

The imaging heavy ion beam probe (i-HIBP) diagnostic has been successfully commissioned at ASDEX Upgrade. The i-HIBP injects a primary neutral beam into the plasma, where it is ionized, leading to a fan of secondary (charged) beams. These are deflected by the magnetic field of the tokamak and collected by a scintillator detector, generating a strike-line light pattern that encodes information on the density, electrostatic potential, and magnetic field of the plasma edge. The first measurements have been made, demonstrating the proof-of-principle of this diagnostic technique. A primary beam of 85/87Rb has been used with energies ranging between 60 and 72 keV and extracted currents up to 1.5 mA. The first signals have been obtained in experiments covering a wide range of parameter spaces, with plasma currents (Ip) between 0.2 and 0.8 MA and on-axis toroidal magnetic field (Bt) between 1.9 and 2.7 T. Low densities appear to be critical for the performance of the diagnostic, as signals are typically observed only when the line integrated density is below 2.0-3.0 × 1019 m-2 in the central interferometer chord, depending on the plasma shape. The strike line moves as expected when Ip is ramped, indicating that current measurements are possible. Additionally, clear dynamics in the intensity of the strike line are often observed, which might be linked to changes in the edge profile structure. However, the signal-to-background ratio of the signals is hampered by stray light, and the image guide degradation is due to neutron irradiation. Finally, simulations have been carried out to investigate the sensitivity of the expected signals to plasma density and temperature. The results are in qualitative agreement with the experimental observations, suggesting that the diagnostic is almost insensitive to fluctuations in the temperature profile, while the signal level is highly determined by the density profile due to the beam attenuation.

Cambios en el dolor y el posicionamiento craneocervical en pacientes con trastornos temporomandibulares de origen miofascial tratados con terapia miofuncional / Changes in pain and craniocervical positioning in patients with temporomandibular disorders of myofascial origin treated with myofunctional therapy

Antecedentes: La asociación entre el posicionamiento craneocervical (PCC) y los trastornos temporomandibulares (TTM) ha sido intensamente investigada, pero todavía hay controversias entre clínicos e investigadores. Objetivo: Analizar los cambios en el dolor y el PCC en pacientes con TTM de origen miofascial tratados con terapia miofuncional. Método: Estudio experimental, longitudinal y prospectivo. Se evaluaron 16 pacientes de ambos sexos, edad promedio 31,62±10,61 años, con diagnóstico de TTM de origen miofascial (según los criterios diagnósticos para la investigación de los TTM), que habían recibido 10 sesiones de MAR grado ivde Maitland de la articulación temporomandibular combinadas con el uso de un dispositivo interoclusal de descompresión articular. Antes y después de esa intervención se evaluó: el PCC por fotografía analizada a través del programa SAPO; dolor espontáneo y dolor a la presión. Se analizó la normalidad de las variables mediante la prueba de Shapiro-Wilks. Para las comparaciones antes-después se aplicó la prueba t de Student para muestras pareadas. Se consideró significativo un valor p<0,05. Resultado: Se observó una disminución estadísticamente significativa del dolor espontáneo y a la presión. No se encontraron diferencias en las variables del PCC (p<0,05). Conclusión: Luego del tratamiento con MAR grado iv de Maitland de la articulación temporomandibular y el dispositivo interoclusal de descompresión articular, se observó una disminución estadística y clínicamente significativa del dolor espontáneo y a la presión. No se encontraron diferencias en las variables del PCC.

Background: The association between craniocervical positioning (CCP) and temporomandibular disorders (TMD) has been intensively investigated but there are still controversies between clinicians and researchers. Objective: To analyze the changes in pain and CCP in patients with TMD of myofascial origin treated with myofunctional therapy. Method: Experimental, longitudinal and prospective study. Sixteen patients of both sexes were included, mean age 31.62±10.61 years, with a diagnosis of TMD of myofascial origin (according to diagnostic criteria for investigation of TMD). They received 10 sessions of Maitland grade iv MAR of the temporomandibular joint combined with the use of an interocclusal joint decompression device before and after treatment. The following were evaluated: the PCC by photography analyzed through the SAPO program; spontaneous pain and pain on pressure. The normality of the variables was evaluated using the Shapiro-Wilks Test. For the before-after comparisons, the Student's t test was applied for paired samples. A P<.05 was considered significant. Result: There is a statistically significant decrease in spontaneous pain and pressure. No differences were found in the PCC variables (P<.05). Conclusion: After treatment with Maitland grade iv MAR of the temporomandibular joint and interocclusal joint decompression device, a statistically and clinically significant decrease in spontaneous pain and pressure is shown. No differences were found in the PCC variables.

Prueba de interacción en el análisis molecular de varianza / Test of interaction in the analysis of molecular variance

La diversidad genómica, expresada en las diferencias entre haplotipos moleculares de un conjunto de individuos, puede dividirse en componentes de variabilidad entre y dentro de algún factor de clasificación de los individuos. Para tal partición de varianzas, se usa análisis molecular de la varianza (AMOVA), el cual se construye a partir de las distancias multivariadas entre pares de haplotipos. El AMOVA clásico permite evaluar la significancia estadística de dos o más factores jerárquicos y consecuentemente no existe prueba de interacción entre factores. Sin embargo, existen situaciones donde los factores que clasifican a los individuos están cruzados y no anidados, es decir todos los niveles de un factor se encuentran representados en cada nivel del otro factor. Este trabajo propone una prueba estadística para evaluar la interacción entre factores cruzados en un AMOVA No-Jerárquico. La hipótesis nula de interacción establece que las diferencias moleculares entre individuos de distintos niveles de un factor son las mismas para todos los niveles del otro factor que los clasifica. La propuesta de análisis de interacción de factores a partir de distancias en un AMOVA No-Jerárquico comprende: cálculo de la matriz de distancia y partición de la misma en bloques, posterior cálculo de residuos y análisis de varianza no-paramétrico sobre los residuos. Su implementación es ilustrada en escenarios simulados y real. Los resultados sugieren que la prueba de interacción propuesta para el AMOVA No- Jerárquico presenta alta potencia.

The genomic diversity, expressed in the differences between molecular haplotypes of a group of individuals, can be divided into components of variability between and within some factor of classification of the individuals. For such variance partitioning, molecular analysis of variance (AMOVA) is used, which is constructed from the multivariate distances between pairs of haplotypes. The classical AMOVA allows the evaluation of the statistical significance of two or more hierarchical factors and consequently there is no interaction test between factors. However, there are situations where the factors that classify individuals are crossed rather than nested, that is, all the levels of a factor are represented in each level of the other one. This paper proposes a statistical test to evaluate the interaction between crossed factors in a Non-Hierarchical AMOVA. The null hypothesis of interaction establishes that the molecular differences between individuals of different levels of a factor are the same for all the levels of the other factor that classifies them. The proposed analysis of interaction in a Non- Hierarchical AMOVA includes: calculation of the distance matrix and partition of it into blocks, subsequent calculation of residuals and analysis of non-parametric variance on the residuals. Its implementation is illustrated in simulated and real scenarios. The results suggest that the proposed interaction test for the Non-Hierarchical AMOVA presents high power.

Aminopropyl-modified mesoporous silica SBA-15 as recovery agents of Cu(II)-sulfate solutions: Adsorption efficiency, functional stability and reusability aspects.

Hybrid mesoporous materials are potentially useful for metal ion scavenging and retrieval because of their high surface areas, controlled accessibility and tailored functionalization. Some aspects that are linked to the performance of HMM include pore accessibility, stability of the organic functions and reusability. Knowledge of these aspects is critical in the design of adsorption-desorption protocols. In this work we produce and characterize propylamino-substituted large pore silica (SBA-15-N), which is submitted to Cu(II) adsorption from copper sulfate solutions, followed by desorption in acid media and material regeneration. We find that the hybrid material is an efficient adsorbent (1.15-1.75mmol Cu(II)g(-1)), although a fraction of the organic groups is lost during the adsorption process. An X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) study demonstrates that the contents of amino groups are higher in the material surface, leading to different behaviors in Cu(II) complexation along the material. These materials can be regenerated by exposure to acidic media. Thermal processing of the hybrid materials leads to better durability in aqueous solutions during reprocessing, due to enhanced polycondensation of the inorganic framework. Thermally treated samples, once regenerated, are efficient adsorbents in a second step of Cu(II) adsorption. We discuss the materials processing factors involved in the improved adsorption of Cu(II), its quantitative release and reusability of the material.

Auditorías clínicas del procedimiento de la artroplastia total de cadera y su impacto en la mejora de la calidad asistencial / Clinical audits of the procedure of the total hip arthroplasty and its impact on the improvement of the quality care

Introducción. Las auditorías clínicas son el análisis crítico y sistemático de la calidad de la asistencia médica. La artroplastia total de cadera (ATC) primaria es un proceso habitual y coste-efectivo, aunque se dispone de poca información sobre la calidad asistencial de ella. Objetivo. Evaluar el impacto de un ciclo de auditorías clínicas en la calidad asistencial en el procedimiento de la ATC primaria por enfermedad no traumática. Pacientes y métodos. Se realizó un ciclo de 2 auditorías (primera auditoría en el 2005 y segunda auditoría en el 2007). Se incluyó a pacientes de ambos sexos con ATC primaria por enfermedad no traumática y un seguimiento de 6 meses. Se adoptaron como indicadores de gestión: el tiempo (días) de estancia ingresado en el hospital y el índice (porcentaje) de reingresos, y como indicadores de la práctica clínica: el índice (porcentaje) de luxación y el índice (porcentaje) de infección. Se compararon estos índices entre ambas auditorías. Resultados. Se estudió a un total de 160 pacientes: 79 y 81, primera y segunda auditoría, respectivamente. Indicadores de gestión: la mediana (rango) de los días de ingreso fue 8 (7-78) y 7 (6-16), p<0,001; el porcentaje de reingresos, el 5% (4/79) y 0 (0/81), p=0,057. Indicadores de la práctica clínica: el porcentaje de luxación fue el 8% (6/79) y 0 (0/81), p=0,013; y el porcentaje de infección el 1% (1/79) y el 1% (1/81), p=1. En un análisis multivariante no se encontraron otros factores relacionados con estos indicadores. Conclusiones. La implementación de un ciclo de auditorías clínicas ha mejorado la calidad asistencial del procedimiento de ATC primaria por enfermedad no traumática(AU)

Background. Clinical audits are critical and systematic quality analysis of medical care. Total hip arthroplasty (THA) is a routine practice and cost-effective, although there is little information on the quality of care of it. Objective. To evaluate the impact of a clinical audit cycle in the quality of care in the primary THA procedures for non-traumatic cause. Patients and methods. A series of two audits (first audit in 2005 and second one in 2007) were performed. Patients of both sexes with non-traumatic primary THA and with a follow-up of 6 months were included. Time (days) in hospital stay and the rate (percentage) of readmissions were used as indicators of management; and as indicators of clinical practice: the index (percentage) of dislocation and the rate (percentage) of infection. Both audits were compared with respect to these indicators. Results. A total of 160 patients (79 and 81, first and second audit respectively) were analysed. Management indicators: median (range) of hospital stay was 8 (7-78) and 7 (6-16), p<0.001, and the percentage of readmissions 5% (4/79) and 0 (0/81), p=0.057. Indicators of clinical practice: the rate of dislocation was 8% (6/79) and 0 (0/81), p=0.013, and the rate of infection 1% (1/79) and 1% (1/81), p=1. A multivariate analysis did not find other factors related to these indicators. Conclusions. The implementation of a clinical audit cycle has improved the quality of care of primary THA procedures for non-traumatic cause(AU)

[Clinical audits of the procedure of the total hip arthroplasty and its impact on the improvement of the quality care]. / Auditorías clínicas del procedimiento de la artroplastia total de cadera y su impacto en la mejora de la calidad asistencial.

BACKGROUND: Clinical audits are critical and systematic quality analysis of medical care. Total hip arthroplasty (THA) is a routine practice and cost-effective, although there is little information on the quality of care of it. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the impact of a clinical audit cycle in the quality of care in the primary THA procedures for non-traumatic cause. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A series of two audits (first audit in 2005 and second one in 2007) were performed. Patients of both sexes with non-traumatic primary THA and with a follow-up of 6 months were included. Time (days) in hospital stay and the rate (percentage) of readmissions were used as indicators of management; and as indicators of clinical practice: the index (percentage) of dislocation and the rate (percentage) of infection. Both audits were compared with respect to these indicators. RESULTS: A total of 160 patients (79 and 81, first and second audit respectively) were analysed. Management indicators: median (range) of hospital stay was 8 (7-78) and 7 (6-16), p<0.001, and the percentage of readmissions 5% (4/79) and 0 (0/81), p=0.057. Indicators of clinical practice: the rate of dislocation was 8% (6/79) and 0 (0/81), p=0.013, and the rate of infection 1% (1/79) and 1% (1/81), p=1. A multivariate analysis did not find other factors related to these indicators. CONCLUSIONS: The implementation of a clinical audit cycle has improved the quality of care of primary THA procedures for non-traumatic cause.

Micropropagation of Glandularia perakii Cov. et Schn. (Verbenaceae), a native species with ornamental potential

Glandularia perakii is a perennial species with beautiful violet flowers that grows in the stony soil of Mendocine pedemont. A plentiful and prolonged flowering confers it an important ornamental potential. In this paper, a method of propagation of G. perakii from nodal segments is reported. Proliferating microshoot cultures were obtained by placing nodal segment on Murashige and Skoog medium (MS) supplemented with 20 g.L-1 of sucrose without growth regulators. In this medium multiplication rate after 20 days was 7.9. Rooted plants were acclimatized successfully.

Micropropagation of Glandularia perakii Cov. et Schn. (Verbenaceae), a native species with ornamental potential

Glandularia perakii is a perennial species with beautiful violet flowers that grows in the stony soil of Mendocine pedemont. A plentiful and prolonged flowering confers it an important ornamental potential. In this paper, a method of propagation of G. perakii from nodal segments is reported. Proliferating microshoot cultures were obtained by placing nodal segment on Murashige and Skoog medium (MS) supplemented with 20 g.L-1 of sucrose without growth regulators. In this medium multiplication rate after 20 days was 7.9. Rooted plants were acclimatized successfully. (AU)

A new technique of elbow arthrodesis. A case report.

Many techniques of elbow arthrodesis have been described. We have found them to be technically challenging. Our case report concerns a new technique of elbow arthrodesis using a reconstruction plate and compression screw. In our patient a satisfactory clinical result and sound union were achieved. We recommend further use of this technique.

Eficacia y seguridad de ranitidina 150mg vs 300 mg dos veces por día en úlcera duodenal / Effectiveness and safety of ranitidine 150 mg vs 300 mg twice a day in duodenal ulcer

Trescientos noventa y cuatro pacientes con úlcera duodenal diagnosticada endoscópica fueron randomizados para recibir ranitidina 150 mg bid o ranitidina 300 mg bid en un estudio multicéntrico, prospectivo, doble-ciego, llevado a cabo en 7 países latinoamericanos. La endoscopía a las 4 semanas mostró curación completa de las úlceras en 171 de 196 pacientes (87.2%) tratados con ranitidina 150 mg bid y 178 de 198 (89.9%) tratados con ranitidina 300 mg bid. Ambos regímenes de tratamientos fueron igualmente efectivos, reduciendo rápidamente la incidencia de los síntomas ulcerosos. Es probable que el regimen de dosis elevadas con ranitidina sea adecuado en pacientes con enfermedad ulcerosa severa

Eficacia y seguridad de ranitidina 150mg vs 300 mg dos veces por día en úlcera duodenal / Effectiveness and safety of ranitidine 150 mg vs 300 mg twice a day in duodenal ulcer

Trescientos noventa y cuatro pacientes con úlcera duodenal diagnosticada endoscópica fueron randomizados para recibir ranitidina 150 mg bid o ranitidina 300 mg bid en un estudio multicéntrico, prospectivo, doble-ciego, llevado a cabo en 7 países latinoamericanos. La endoscopía a las 4 semanas mostró curación completa de las úlceras en 171 de 196 pacientes (87.2%) tratados con ranitidina 150 mg bid y 178 de 198 (89.9%) tratados con ranitidina 300 mg bid. Ambos regímenes de tratamientos fueron igualmente efectivos, reduciendo rápidamente la incidencia de los síntomas ulcerosos. Es probable que el regimen de dosis elevadas con ranitidina sea adecuado en pacientes con enfermedad ulcerosa severa (AU)

[Effectiveness and safety of 150 mg vs 300 mg ranitidine twice a day in duodenal ulcer]. / Eficacia y seguridad de Ranitidina 150 mg vs 300 mg dos veces por día en ulcera duodenal.

394 patients with endoscopically diagnosed duodenal ulcer were randomly allocated to treatment with ranitidine 150 bid o ranitidine 300 mg bid in a prospective double-blind multicenter trial conducted in seven LatinoAmerican countries. Endoscopy at 4 weeks showed complete ulcer healing en 171 of 196 patients (87.2%) treated with ranitidine 150 mg bid and 178 of 198 (89.9%) treated with ranitidine 300 mg bid. Both treatment regimens were equally effective at rapidly reducing the incidence of ulcer-related symptoms. It is possible that higher dosage regimen of ranitidine would be useful in patients with more severe duodenal ulcer disease.

Eficacia y seguridad de Ranitidina 150 mg vs 300 mg dos veces por día en ulcera duodenal. / [Effectiveness and safety of 150 mg vs 300 mg ranitidine twice a day in duodenal ulcer]

394 patients with endoscopically diagnosed duodenal ulcer were randomly allocated to treatment with ranitidine 150 bid o ranitidine 300 mg bid in a prospective double-blind multicenter trial conducted in seven LatinoAmerican countries. Endoscopy at 4 weeks showed complete ulcer healing en 171 of 196 patients (87.2

) treated with ranitidine 150 mg bid and 178 of 198 (89.9

) treated with ranitidine 300 mg bid. Both treatment regimens were equally effective at rapidly reducing the incidence of ulcer-related symptoms. It is possible that higher dosage regimen of ranitidine would be useful in patients with more severe duodenal ulcer disease.