First Measurement of Hard Exclusive π

The polarized cross-section ratio σ_{LT^{'}}/σ_{0} from hard exclusive π^{-}Δ^{++} electroproduction off an unpolarized hydrogen target has been extracted based on beam-spin asymmetry measurements using a 10.2 GeV/10.6 GeV incident electron beam and the CLAS12 spectrometer at Jefferson Lab. The study, which provides the first observation of this channel in the deep-inelastic regime, focuses on very forward-pion kinematics in the valence regime, and photon virtualities ranging from 1.5 GeV^{2} up to 7 GeV^{2}. The reaction provides a novel access to the d-quark content of the nucleon and to p→Δ^{++} transition generalized parton distributions. A comparison to existing results for hard exclusive π^{+}n and π^{0}p electroproduction is provided, which shows a clear impact of the excitation mechanism, encoded in transition generalized parton distributions, on the asymmetry.

First CLAS12 Measurement of Deeply Virtual Compton Scattering Beam-Spin Asymmetries in the Extended Valence Region.

Deeply virtual Compton scattering (DVCS) allows one to probe generalized parton distributions describing the 3D structure of the nucleon. We report the first measurement of the DVCS beam-spin asymmetry using the CLAS12 spectrometer with a 10.2 and 10.6 GeV electron beam scattering from unpolarized protons. The results greatly extend the Q^{2} and Bjorken-x phase space beyond the existing data in the valence region and provide 1600 new data points measured with unprecedented statistical uncertainty, setting new, tight constraints for future phenomenological studies.

First Measurement of Λ Electroproduction off Nuclei in the Current and Target Fragmentation Regions.

We report results of Λ hyperon production in semi-inclusive deep-inelastic scattering off deuterium, carbon, iron, and lead targets obtained with the CLAS detector and the Continuous Electron Beam Accelerator Facility 5.014 GeV electron beam. These results represent the first measurements of the Λ multiplicity ratio and transverse momentum broadening as a function of the energy fraction (z) in the current and target fragmentation regions. The multiplicity ratio exhibits a strong suppression at high z and an enhancement at low z. The measured transverse momentum broadening is an order of magnitude greater than that seen for light mesons. This indicates that the propagating entity interacts very strongly with the nuclear medium, which suggests that propagation of diquark configurations in the nuclear medium takes place at least part of the time, even at high z. The trends of these results are qualitatively described by the Giessen Boltzmann-Uehling-Uhlenbeck transport model, particularly for the multiplicity ratios. These observations will potentially open a new era of studies of the structure of the nucleon as well as of strange baryons.

Observation of Correlations between Spin and Transverse Momenta in Back-to-Back Dihadron Production at CLAS12.

We report the first measurements of deep inelastic scattering spin-dependent azimuthal asymmetries in back-to-back dihadron electroproduction in the deep inelastic scattering process. In this reaction, two hadrons are produced in opposite hemispheres along the z axis in the virtual photon-target nucleon center-of-mass frame, with the first hadron produced in the current-fragmentation region and the second in the target-fragmentation region. The data were taken with longitudinally polarized electron beams of 10.2 and 10.6 GeV incident on an unpolarized liquid-hydrogen target using the CLAS12 spectrometer at Jefferson Lab. Observed nonzero sinΔϕ modulations in ep→e^{'}pπ^{+}X events, where Δϕ is the difference of the azimuthal angles of the proton and pion in the virtual photon and target nucleon center-of-mass frame, indicate that correlations between the spin and transverse momenta of hadrons produced in the target- and current-fragmentation regions may be significant. The measured beam-spin asymmetries provide a first access in dihadron production to a previously unexplored leading-twist spin- and transverse-momentum-dependent fracture function. The fracture functions describe the hadronization of the target remnant after the hard scattering of a virtual photon off a quark in the target particle and provide a new avenue for studying nucleonic structure and hadronization.

Phenotypic and genotypic antibiotic resistance patterns in Salmonella Typhimurium and its monophasic variant from pigs in southern Spain.

The high incidence of human salmonellosis and multi-drug resistant (MDR) strains of Salmonella Typhimurium (ST) is of concern to global public and animal health. Our research, by means of the broth microdilution method, evaluated the Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) distribution of 12 antimicrobials against a collection of 73 ST and mST and S. typhimurium monophasic variant 4,[5],12:i:- (mST) isolates from slaughtered pigs reared in extensive systems in southern Spain, and also 12 resistance-associated genes or antimicrobial resistance (AMR) determinants using qPCR. Our data revealed that 98.6% of strains were MDR, with resistance to cephalothin/tetracycline/sulfamethoxazole-trimethoprim/ampicillin/chloramphenicol being the most common pattern (55.6%). Regarding AMR determinants, the most significantly (p < 0.05) genes detected by qPCR were sul1 and aadA2 (89% of strains positive), aadA1 and dfrA12 (87.7%), and blaTEM and tet(B) (86.3% and 84.9%, respectively). Up to date information on ST antimicrobial resistance patterns is essential for epidemiological surveillance programs to support animal and public health. The high number of MDR isolates and variability regarding resistance determinants revealed in this study highlights the role of animals reared in extensive systems as a source of resistant Salmonella strains.

Desempeño del método de suma de discos comparado con el método bidimensional en la estimación cuantitativa del derrame pericárdico / Performance of the method of disks compared to the bidimensional method in the quantitative estimation of pericardial effusion

Resumen Introducción: La ecocardiografía bidimensional es la técnica más efectiva para el diagnóstico del derrame pericárdico, gracias a sus altas sensibilidad y especificidad. Objetivo: Analizar la superioridad del método de suma de discos comparado con el método bidimensional en la estimación del derrame pericárdico por medio de ecocardiografía, tomando como referencia el volumen de líquido pericárdico extraído por pericardiocentesis o cirugía abierta. Método: Estudio retrospectivo de seguimiento de una cohorte basado en registros médicos y archivos de ecocardiografía. Se empleó un diseño pareado en el que cada imagen fue leída por el método bidimensional y por el método de suma de discos. Se incluyeron derrames pericárdicos graves, definidos clínicamente o por parámetros ecocardiográficos, que requirieran drenaje. El desempeño de los métodos de estimación bidimensional y de suma de discos, tomando como referencia la extracción por intervención, se cuantificó mediante áreas bajo la curva operador-receptor (auROC). Resultados: Se analizaron 40 registros, tomando como referencia el volumen obtenido por extracción; con un auROC de 0.81 (intervalo de confianza del 95% [IC95%]: 0.73-0.89), el desempeño diagnóstico del método de suma de discos fue significativamente mayor (p = 0.0335) que el del método bidimensional (auROC: 0.73; IC95%: 0.63-0.83). La estimación realizada por el método de suma de discos subestimó en promedio 51.3 ml (IC95%: −156.2-53.5). Conclusiones: En pacientes con derrame pericárdico e indicación de drenaje o taponamiento cardíaco, el método de suma de discos es superior en comparación con el método bidimensional en el estudio ecocardiográfico para la estimación cuantitativa del derrame pericárdico, ya que discrimina mejor respecto al método bidimensional.

Abstract Introduction: Two-dimensional echocardiography is the most effective technique for diagnosing pericardial effusion due to its high sensitivity and specificity. Objective: The superiority of the method of disks was compared with the bidimensional method in the estimation of pericardial effusion by echocardiography, taking as reference the volume of pericardial fluid removed by pericardiocentesis or open surgery. Method: Retrospective follow-up study of a cohort, based on medical records and echocardiography files. A paired design was used, each image was read by the bidimensional method and by the method of disks. Severe pericardial effusions defined clinically or by echocardiographic parameters, that required drainage were included. The performance of the bidimensional and disks estimation methods, taking the volume removed as a reference, was quantified using areas under the receiver operating characteristic curve (auROC). Results: 40 records were analyzed, taking as a reference the volume obtained by extraction, with an auROC of 0.81 (95% CI: 0.73-0.89) the diagnostic performance of the disks method was significantly higher (p = 0.0335) than the bidimensional method (auROC 0.73, 95% CI: 0.63-0.83). The estimate made by the disks method underestimated an average of 51.3 ml (95% CI: -156.2-53.5). Conclusions: In patients with pericardial effusion with indication of cardiac drainage or tamponade, the disks method is superior in comparison with the bidimensional method in the echocardiographic study of the quantitative estimation of pericardial effusion, discriminating better than the bidimensional method.

Multidimensional, High Precision Measurements of Beam Single Spin Asymmetries in Semi-inclusive π

High precision measurements of the polarized electron beam-spin asymmetry in semi-inclusive deep inelastic scattering (SIDIS) from the proton have been performed using a 10.6 GeV incident electron beam and the CLAS12 spectrometer at Jefferson Lab. We report here a high precision multidimensional study of single π^{+} SIDIS data over a large kinematic range in Bjorken x, fractional energy, and transverse momentum of the hadron as well as photon virtualities Q^{2} ranging from 1-7 GeV^{2}. In particular, the structure function ratio F_{LU}^{sinϕ}/F_{UU} has been determined, where F_{LU}^{sinϕ} is a twist-3 quantity that can reveal novel aspects of emergent hadron mass and quark-gluon correlations within the nucleon. The data's impact on the evolving understanding of the underlying reaction mechanisms and their kinematic variation is explored using theoretical models for the different contributing transverse momentum dependent parton distribution functions.

Time Series Transcriptomic Analysis of Bronchoalveolar Lavage Cells from Piglets Infected with Virulent or Low-Virulent Porcine Reproductive and Respiratory Syndrome Virus 1.

Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) has evolved to escape the immune surveillance for a survival advantage leading to a strong modulation of host's immune responses and favoring secondary bacterial infections. However, limited data are available on how the immunological and transcriptional responses elicited by virulent and low-virulent PRRSV-1 strains are comparable and how they are conserved during the infection. To explore the kinetic transcriptional signature associated with the modulation of host immune response at lung level, a time-series transcriptomic analysis was performed in bronchoalveolar lavage cells upon experimental in vivo infection with two PRRSV-1 strains of different virulence, virulent subtype 3 Lena strain or the low-virulent subtype 1 3249 strain. The time-series analysis revealed overlapping patterns of dysregulated genes enriched in T-cell signaling pathways among both virulent and low-virulent strains, highlighting an upregulation of co-stimulatory and co-inhibitory immune checkpoints that were disclosed as Hub genes. On the other hand, virulent Lena infection induced an early and more marked "negative regulation of immune system process" with an overexpression of co-inhibitory receptors genes related to T-cell and NK cell functions, in association with more severe lung lesion, lung viral load, and BAL cell kinetics. These results underline a complex network of molecular mechanisms governing PRRSV-1 immunopathogenesis at lung level, revealing a pivotal role of co-inhibitory and co-stimulatory immune checkpoints in the pulmonary disease, which may have an impact on T-cell activation and related pathways. These immune checkpoints, together with the regulation of cytokine-signaling pathways, modulated in a virulence-dependent fashion, orchestrate an interplay among pro- and anti-inflammatory responses. IMPORTANCE Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) is one of the major threats to swine health and global production, causing substantial economic losses. We explore the mechanisms involved in the modulation of host immune response at lung level performing a time-series transcriptomic analysis upon experimental infection with two PRRSV-1 strains of different virulence. A complex network of molecular mechanisms was revealed to control the immunopathogenesis of PRRSV-1 infection, highlighting an interplay among pro- and anti-inflammatory responses as a potential mechanism to restrict inflammation-induced lung injury. Moreover, a pivotal role of co-inhibitory and co-stimulatory immune checkpoints was evidenced, which may lead to progressive dysfunction of T cells, impairing viral clearance and leading to persistent infection, favoring as well secondary bacterial infections or viral rebound. However, further studies should be conducted to evaluate the functional role of immune checkpoints in advanced stages of PRRSV infection and explore a possible T-cell exhaustion state.

La importancia de la geriatría transversal en la cirugía abdominal oncológica / The importance of cross-speciality geriatrics in abdominal oncologic surgery

Introducción. El paciente de edad avanzada es el usuario más frecuente en los centros sanitarios. La Geriatría transversal comparteel proceso asistencial con el cirujano atendiendo la esfera cognitiva, funcional y social del paciente, con el objetivo de optimizar loscuidados (tales como mantenimiento de la independencia funcional, nutrición, detección del deterioro cognitivo…) ofreciendo unacobertura integral y reduciendo complicaciones, costes y estancia hospitalaria de manera sobreañadida. El objetivo del trabajo esdar visibilidad a la contribución que el geriatra puede llevar acabo en los servicios de Cirugía General. Material y métodos. Seriede casos mediante estudio descriptivo retrospectivo en el que se analizaron los pacientes mayores de 75 años intervenidos de cáncerde colón durante el año 2021 en el Hospital Central de la Cruz Roja mediante cirugía programada y su evolución clínica posteriora los 6 meses. Resultados: 10 pacientes (80% mujeres), edad media 76,4 años (±3,2), Escala Cruz Roja Funcional media de 1/5(±0,9), con índice de Barthel modificado 80/100 (±15,2), Escala Cruz Roja Mental de 0/5 (±0,6). Índice de Charlson medio de 4,3puntos (±2,2) con 60% enfermedades cardiovasculares, 20% insuficiencia renal crónica y 20% neumopatías. Destacó la elevadapolifarmacia (100%) y desnutrición (60%) previo a la cirugía. El 50% presentó delirium y el 40% padeció insuficiencia cardiacadescompensada. Conclusiones. La Geriatría transversal ayuda a detectar necesidades silentes y debe participar en la atenciónmulticomponente tanto previa a la cirugía (prehabilitación) como en la hospitalización y seguimiento posterior, colaborando con el cirujano en la atención al paciente crónico complejo geriátrico. (AU)

Introduction. The older patient is the most frequent user in healthcare centers. Cross-speciality geriatrics shares the care processwith the surgeon attending the cognitive, functional and social sphere of the patient, with the aim of optimizing care (such asmaintenance of functional independence, nutrition, detection of cognitive deterioration...) offering a comprehensive coverage andreducing complications, costs and hospital stay in a superadded way. The aim of this study is to give visibility to the contributionthat geriatricians can make in general surgery services. Material and methods. Case series by retrospective descriptive study inwhich patients over 75 years of age operated on for colon cancer during the year 2021 in the Central Hospital of the Red Cross byscheduled surgery and their clinical evolution after 6 months were analyzed. Results: 10 patients (80% women), mean age 76.4years (±3.2), mean Functional Red Cross Scale of 1/5 (±0.9), with modified Barthel index 80/100 (±15.2), Mental Red Cross Scaleof 0/5 (±0.6). Mean Charlson index of 4.3 points (±2.2) with 60% cardiovascular disease, 20% chronic renal failure and 20% pneumopathies. The high polypharmacy (100%) and malnutrition (60%) prior to surgery stood out. Fifty percent presented deliriumand 40% suffered from decompensated heart failure. Conclusions. Cross-speciality geriatrics helps to detect silent needs and shouldparticipate in multicomponent care both prior to surgery, during hospitalization and subsequent follow-up, collaborating with thesurgeon in the care of the geriatric complex chronic patient. (AU)

The jigsaw of PRRSV virulence.

Porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV) is the causative agent of the, probably, most economically important disease for the pig industry worldwide. This disease, characterised by producing reproductive failure in sows and respiratory problems in growing pigs, appeared in the late 1980s in the United States and Canada. Since its appearance, strains capable of producing higher mortality rates as well as greater severity in clinical signs and lesions than classical strains have been identified. However, since the first reports of these "virulent" PRRSV outbreaks, no homogeneity and consensus in their description have been established. Moreover, to the authors' knowledge, there is no published information related to the criteria that a PRRSV strain should fulfil to be considered as a "virulent" strain. In this review, we revise the terminology used and gather the information related to the main characteristics and differences in clinical signs, lesions, viral replication and tropism as well as immunological parameters between virulent and classical PRRSV strains and propose a first approximation to the criteria to define a virulent PRRSV strain.

Observation of Beam Spin Asymmetries in the Process ep→e

The observation of beam spin asymmetries in two-pion production in semi-inclusive deep inelastic scattering off an unpolarized proton target is reported. The data presented here were taken in the fall of 2018 with the CLAS12 spectrometer using a 10.6 GeV longitudinally spin-polarized electron beam delivered by CEBAF at JLab. The measured asymmetries provide the first opportunity to extract the parton distribution function e(x), which provides information about the interaction between gluons and quarks, in a collinear framework that offers cleaner access than previous measurements. The asymmetries also constitute the first ever signal sensitive to the helicity-dependent two-pion fragmentation function G_{1}^{⊥}. A clear sign change is observed around the ρ mass that appears in model calculations and is indicative of the dependence of the produced pions on the helicity of the fragmenting quark.

Photoproduction of the f_{2}(1270) Meson Using the CLAS Detector.

The quark structure of the f_{2}(1270) meson has, for many years, been assumed to be a pure quark-antiquark (qq[over ¯]) resonance with quantum numbers J^{PC}=2^{++}. Recently, it was proposed that the f_{2}(1270) is a molecular state made from the attractive interaction of two ρ mesons. Such a state would be expected to decay strongly to final states with charged pions due to the dominant decay ρ→π^{+}π^{-}, whereas decay to two neutral pions would likely be suppressed. Here, we measure for the first time the reaction γp→π^{0}π^{0}p, using the CEBAF Large Acceptance Spectrometer detector at Jefferson Lab for incident beam energies between 3.6 and 5.4 GeV. Differential cross sections, dσ/dt, for f_{2}(1270) photoproduction are extracted with good precision due to low backgrounds and are compared to theoretical calculations.

Prevalence of mycoplasma-like lung lesions in pigs from commercial farms from Spain and Portugal.

BACKGROUND: Mycoplasma hyopneumoniae causes a chronic respiratory disease that produces important economic losses due to poor productive performance, increased mortality and costs for several control strategies. The prevalence of mycoplasma-like lesions (MLL) at abattoir has been widely studied in different countries, making use of different scoring systems. However, most of them are difficult to apply in abattoirs with high number of pigs sacrificed per hour. For that reason, it is necessary to adapt the scoring system to the reality of the modern abattoir, even if there is a loss of accuracy. Our purpose was to investigate the prevalence and severity of MLL at abattoirs in Spain and Portugal using a 0 to 5 scoring system adapted to abattoirs with high number of sacrificed pigs per hour and to highlight the histopathological diagnosis as confirmatory method to identify patterns of pneumonia correlated to gross lesions. RESULTS: Cranioventral pulmonary consolidation, a typical MLL, was the most frequent lung lesion (30.97 %) detected at the abattoir, followed by dorsocaudal infarcts with pleurisy (12.51 %) and pleurisy alone (6.26 %). The average score for all examined lungs at abattoir was 1.99 out of 5 points. The histopathological study revealed that the 78.17 % of the randomly selected lungs with MLL presented microscopic lesions compatible with M. hyopneumoniae infection. Most bronchointerstitial and interstitial pneumonia lesions had a chronic course while most suppurative and fibrinous bronchopneumonia lesions had an acute course and a higher degree of severity. The combination of microscopic lesions more frequently observed was bronchointerstitial pneumonia + interstitial pneumonia + suppurative bronchopneumonia. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of MLL at abattoir was 30.97 %, however, after microscopic examination the real prevalence of lungs with lesions compatible with M. hyopneumoniae infection was reduced up to 24.21 %. The six more prevalent combinations of lesions in the microscopic study involved the 66.13 % of examined lungs, and in all of them, microscopic lesions characteristic of M. hyopneumoniae infection were found, what supports the importance of M. hyopneumoniae as a primary pathogen in cases of PRDC.

Beam Spin Asymmetry in Semi-Inclusive Electroproduction of Hadron Pairs.

A first measurement of the longitudinal beam spin asymmetry A_{LU} in the semi-inclusive electroproduction of pairs of charged pions is reported. A_{LU} is a higher-twist observable and offers the cleanest access to the nucleon twist-3 parton distribution function e(x). Data have been collected in the Hall-B at Jefferson Lab by impinging a 5.498-GeV electron beam on a liquid-hydrogen target, and reconstructing the scattered electron and the pion pair with the CLAS detector. One-dimensional projections of the A_{LU}^{sinϕ_{R}} moments are extracted for the kinematic variables of interest in the valence quark region. The understanding of dihadron production is essential for the interpretation of observables in single-hadron production in semi-inclusive DIS, and pioneering measurements of single-spin asymmetries in dihadron production open a new avenue in studies of QCD dynamics.

Improved Λp Elastic Scattering Cross Sections between 0.9 and 2.0 GeV/c as a Main Ingredient of the Neutron Star Equation of State.

Strange matter is believed to exist in the cores of neutron stars based on simple kinematics. If this is true, then hyperon-nucleon interactions will play a significant part in the neutron star equation of state. Yet, compared to other elastic scattering processes, there is very little data on Λ-N scattering. This experiment utilized the CEBAF Large Acceptance Spectrometer (CLAS) detector to study the Λp→Λp elastic scattering cross section in the incident Λ momentum range 0.9-2.0 GeV/c. These are the first data on this reaction since the 1970s. The new cross sections have significantly better accuracy and precision than the existing world data, and the techniques developed here can also be used in future experiments.

First Measurement of Timelike Compton Scattering.

We present the first measurement of the timelike Compton scattering process, γp→p^{'}γ^{*}(γ^{*}→e^{+}e^{-}), obtained with the CLAS12 detector at Jefferson Lab. The photon beam polarization and the decay lepton angular asymmetries are reported in the range of timelike photon virtualities 2.25