Linear impurity modes in an electrical lattice: Theory and experiment.

We examine theoretically and experimentally the localized electrical modes existing in a bi-inductive electrical lattice containing a bulk or a surface capacitive impurity. By means of the formalism of lattice Green's functions, we are able to obtain closed-form expressions for the frequencies of the impurity (bound-state) eigenmodes and for their associated spatial profiles. This affords us a systematic understanding of how these mode properties change as a function of the system parameters. We test these analytical results against experimental measurements, in both the bulk and surface cases, and find very good agreement. Last, we turn to a series of quench experiments, where either a parameter of the lattice or the lattice geometry itself is rapidly switched between two values or configurations. In all cases, we are able to naturally explain the results of such quench experiments from the larger analytical picture that emerges as a result of the detailed characterization of the impurity-mode solution branches.

Identification of the Photoreceptor Transcriptional Co-Repressor SAMD11 as Novel Cause of Autosomal Recessive Retinitis Pigmentosa.

Retinitis pigmentosa (RP), the most frequent form of inherited retinal dystrophy is characterized by progressive photoreceptor degeneration. Many genes have been implicated in RP development, but several others remain to be identified. Using a combination of homozygosity mapping, whole-exome and targeted next-generation sequencing, we found a novel homozygous nonsense mutation in SAMD11 in five individuals diagnosed with adult-onset RP from two unrelated consanguineous Spanish families. SAMD11 is ortholog to the mouse major retinal SAM domain (mr-s) protein that is implicated in CRX-mediated transcriptional regulation in the retina. Accordingly, protein-protein network analysis revealed a significant interaction of SAMD11 with CRX. Immunoblotting analysis confirmed strong expression of SAMD11 in human retina. Immunolocalization studies revealed SAMD11 was detected in the three nuclear layers of the human retina and interestingly differential expression between cone and rod photoreceptors was observed. Our study strongly implicates SAMD11 as novel cause of RP playing an important role in the pathogenesis of human degeneration of photoreceptors.

Test para la detección temprana de las dificultades en el aprendizaje de la lectura y escritura / Test for the early detection of learning difficulties in reading and writing

Introducción: el diagnóstico de la dislexia se suele producir varios años después de que se inicie el aprendizaje de la lectoescritura. Para entonces muchos niños disléxicos ya saben lo que es el fracaso escolar y la pérdida de autoestima. Con un diagnóstico temprano se pueden evitar muchos de esos problemas. Además los programas de intervención son mucho más eficaces cuanto más tempranamente se apliquen. Objetivos: el objetivo de este estudio fue elaborar una prueba de diagnóstico precoz de la dislexia, basada en los déficits de procesamiento fonológico que presentan estos niños, aplicable a los cuatro años de edad, antes de que se enfrenten a la lectura. Material y métodos: la prueba consta de seis subtareas con cinco ítems cada una que se puede pasar entre seis y diez minutos. Las seis subtareas evalúan los principales componentes del procesamiento fonológico: discriminación de fonemas, segmentación de sílabas, identificación de fonemas, repetición de pseudopalabras, memoria verbal a corto plazo y fluidez verbal. Resultados: los datos obtenidos de una muestra de 298 niños de cuatro años muestran una buena fiabilidad y una alta validez de constructo de la prueba. Se proporcionan valores normativos en percentiles y puntos de corte por debajo de los cuales se consideran niños de riesgo de sufrir una dislexia. Conclusiones: la aplicación de esta sencilla prueba en las consultas pediátricas y en las clases de Educación infantil a los niños de cuatro años de edad permitirá detectar aquellos con riesgo de sufrir dislexia para poder intervenir lo más tempranamente posible, antes de se enfrenten al aprendizaje de la lectorescritura (AU)

Introduction: the diagnosis of dyslexia usually occurs several years after the literacy learning begins. By then, many dyslexic children have faced academic failure and loss of self-esteem. An early diagnosis could avoid many of these problems. Furthermore, intervention programs are more effective when applied early. Objectives: the aim of this study was to develop a test for the early diagnosis of dyslexia, based on phonological processing deficits presented by these children, and applicable to four years old children, before they face reading. Material and methods: the test consists of six subtasks with five items each, which can be passed between six and ten minutes. The six subtasks evaluate the main components of phonological processing: discrimination of phonemes, syllable segmentation, phoneme identification, repetition of pseudowords, verbal short-term memory and verbal fluency. Results: the data, obtained from a sample of 298 four years old children, show a good reliability and high construct validity of the test. Normative values are given in percentiles and cutoffs, below of which children are considered at risk of suffering dyslexia. Conclusions: the application of this simple test to children in pediatric clinics and early childhood education schools, will allow the detection of children at risk for dyslexia, in order to intervene as early as possible, before they face the literacy learning (AU)

Self-trapping threshold in disordered nonlinear photonic lattices.

We investigate numerically and experimentally the influence of coupling disorder on the self-trapping dynamics in nonlinear one-dimensional optical waveguide arrays. The existence of a lower and upper bound of the effective average propagation constant allows for a generalized definition of the threshold power for the onset of soliton localization. When compared to perfectly ordered systems, this threshold is found to decrease in the presence of coupling disorder.

Optical surface modes in the presence of nonlinearity and disorder.

We investigate numerically the effect of the competition of disorder, nonlinearity, and boundaries on the Anderson localization of light waves in finite-size, one-dimensional waveguide arrays. Using the discrete Anderson-nonlinear Schrödinger equation, the propagation of the mode amplitudes up to some finite distance is monitored. The analysis is based on the calculated localization length and the participation number, two standard measures for the statistical description of Anderson localization. For relatively weak disorder and nonlinearity, a higher disorder strength is required to achieve the same degree of localization at the edge than in the interior of the array, in agreement with recent experimental observations in the linear regime. However, for relatively strong disorder and/or nonlinearity, this behavior is reversed and it is now easier to localize an excitation at the edge than in the interior.

Anderson localization in a periodic photonic lattice with a disordered boundary.

We investigate experimentally the light evolution inside a two-dimensional finite periodic array of weakly coupled optical waveguides with a disordered boundary. For a completely localized initial condition away from the surface, we find that the disordered boundary induces an asymptotic localization in the bulk, centered around the initial position of the input beam.

Bulk and surface magnetoinductive breathers in binary metamaterials.

We investigate theoretically the existence of bulk and surface discrete breathers in a one-dimensional magnetic metamaterial comprised of a periodic binary array of split-ring resonators; the two types of resonators used have different resonant frequencies caused by unequal slit sizes. We use the rotating-wave approximation and construct several types of breather excitations both for the energy-conserving as well as dissipative-driven case; we corroborate these approximate results trough numerically exact computations. We demonstrate that discrete breathers can appear spontaneously in the dissipative-driven system as a result of a fundamental instability.

[Use of non-mydriatic retinography to determine the prevalence of diabetic retinopathy in diabetic patients]. / Estudio de prevalencia de retinopatía diabética en pacientes diabéticos mediante retinógrafo no midriático.

OBJECTIVES: To establish the prevalence and severity of diabetic retinopathy (DR) in a sample of patients from "Health Area 3" in the Community of Madrid using non-mydriatic retinography and telemedicine. METHODS: All patients who had their ocular fundus examined due to one of the following conditions were included in the sample: type 1 diabetes (DM1), type 2 non- insulin-dependent diabetes (DM2NID), and type 2 insulin-dependent diabetes (DM2ID). In all cases, 3-field retinographies were taken of both eyes to be evaluated for the presence of DR, and its severity, by an ophthalmologist at the hospital. RESULTS: No DR was observed in 79% of the patients examined, 9% had a mild non-proliferative DR, 9% had a moderate non-proliferative DR, and 1% had a severe non-proliferative DR. The estimated prevalence of DR in "Health Area 3" of the Community of Madrid was thus 21%. In 12% of the examinations the retinographies were considered "low quality", thus requiring a second evaluation at hospital. CONCLUSIONS: The use of non-mydriatic retinography and telemedicine is an adequate method for the screening of DR among the diabetic population.

[Oculomotor response to the vertical cephalic autorotatory test in patients with benign paroxistic positional vertigo of the posterior canal]. / Respuesta oculomotora al test de autorrotación cefálica vertical en pacientes con vértigo posicional paroxístico benigno del conducto posterior.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the eye movement response to the head auto-rotation test (HART) in the vertical plane in patients with benign paroxysmal positional vertigo. DESIGN: A transversal, descriptive study. SETTING UP: Outpatient clinic in a general Hospital. INDIVIDUALS: 34 posterior canal BPPV cases with a video-oculographic diagnosis, older than 18 years old, 7 of them were not able to perform the HART. INTERVENTION: HART was performed by a an electrooculographic system with simultaneous recording of head movement by an acelerometer in the vertical plane (Vorteq, Micromedical Instruments). The HART with eyes fixation was performed 3 times to determine its reliability. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Gain, asymmetry and phase for the vertical VOR respectively. A statistical analysis was carried out to determine the test reliability and the number of individuals with an abnormal result. RESULTS: Gain is the only variable that showed a reproducible result in the HART for the active head movement at 1-2 Hz (test-retest reliability 0.83-0.89). The values of gain showed a moderate correlation at the frequencies 1-3 Hz (correlation 0.60-0.87). Asymmetry and phase were not reproducible variables (correlation < 0.55). Thirteen of 27 (48%) patients presented a decrease of the vertical gain, another 13 showed normal values and one case showed raised values. CONCLUSION: Gain is the only useful variable in the vertical HART. Forty-eight percent of patients with posterior canal BPPV have a reduced vertical gain, suggesting an impairment of inferior vestibular nerve function.

Indicadores de calidad: estudio estructura personal académico en escuelas universitarias públicas de fisioterapia / Quality assurance indicators: research of academic staff in public universities where there is physiotherapy career

El objetivo del estudio es analizar la dotación de personal docente de las universidades públicas españolas que imparten el título de fisioterapia así como la ratio alumnos-profesor como indicador de calidad. Material y método. Se envió por correo electrónico un cuestionario a los directores de las 23 Escuelas Universitarias públicas que imparten la titulación de fisioterapia en el año 2004, siendo el número de cuestionarios válidos (n = 15). Resultados. La media de profesores que imparten docencia teórico-práctica en la titulación es de 38,13 (DS 15,11) con un coeficiente de variación de 39,6 %. La media de profesores que imparten docencia clínica es de 20,07 (DS 10,99) y el coeficiente de variación 54,7 %. La ratio alumnos-profesor en docencia teórico-práctica tiene un valor medio de 6,68 (DS 2,80) un coeficiente de variación de 41,9 %. Mientras que la media de la ratio en docencia clínica es 8,36 alumnos por profesor (DS 3,3) con un coeficiente de variación del 39,7 %. Conclusiones. Se observan diferencias marcadas entre universidades tanto en número como en estructura del personal docente. Estas diferencias también se producen en las ratios de alumnos por profesor tanto en docencia teórica como clínica

The goal of this research is to analyse the staff of professors in the spanish public universities where there is Physiotherapy career, besides the rate student-professor as a sign of quality. Setting and apparatus. One questionnaire was sent by e-mail to the Deans of the 23 public Universities teaching Physiotherapy studies during the year 2004. The number of valid questionnaires was n = 15. Results. The mean of professors who teach both theoretical and practical lesson in the Physiotherapy career is 38.13 (DS 15.11), with a variation quotient of 39,6 %. The mean of professors teaching clinical trainning is 20.07 (DS 10.99), and the variation quotient is 54.7 %. The rate student-professor in the theoretical and practical lessons is 6.68 on average (DS 2.8), and the variation quotient is about 41.9 %. However, the rate mean of clinical training is 8.36 students per each professor (DS 3.3), and the variation quotient is about 39.7 %. Conclusions. Several importants differences were found between the Universities, not only in the number but also in the structure of the professors staff. There were also those differences between the rates student-professor both in theoretical and in clinical training lessons

[Reference values for the vestibulo-ocular reflex response to the head shaking and the bithermal caloric tests]. / Valores poblacionales de referencia para video- oculografía en el test de agitación cefálica y la prueba calórica bitérmica.

OBJECTIVE: To obtain reference values for the vestibulo-ocular reflex response to the head-shaking nystagmus and the bithermal caloric test in the spanish population. DESIGN: A descriptive study. SET UP: General hospital. INDIVIDUALS: One hundred and seven healthy sex and age stratified voluntiers were included. The final sample included 97 individuals over 18 years of age. INTERVENTION: Spontaneous nystagmus (SN), head-shaking nystagmus (HSN) and caloric induced nystagmus were explored. The eyes movement was recorded by a video-oculographic system. The SN or HSN was considered significant when at least 6 consecutive beats with a slow phase velocity of 2 degrees/sec were detected. The caloric test was performed with water flow at 250mL/20 s at 30 degrees C and 44 degrees C with an interval of 10 minutes between irrigations. The percentage of canal paresis (CP) and directional preponderance (DP) was calculated using maximum slow phase velocity and the Jongkees index formula. MAIN OUTCOME MEASUREMENTS: Presence of SN, horizontal and vertical SHN, percentage of CP and DP. RESULTS: SN was found in 10,3% individuals (6 women and 4 men). Horizontal HSN was also observed in 9 women and 10 men (19,5%), and vertical HSN in 8 women and 10 men (18,6%). The mean and 95 percentil for CP were 13,10 and 28,60 in women and 11,02 and 27,30 in men. For DP, the mean and 95 percentil were 11,76 and 35,80 in women and 11,58 and 28,65 in men. The 5 percentils for slow phase velocity of nystagmus after each irrigation were 6,30; 5,14; 5,96; 4,02 degrees/s (left ear 44 degrees, right ear 44 degrees, left ear 30 degrees, right ear 30 degrees, respectively) in the group of women; and 5,82; 6,99; 5,67; 4,55 degrees/s in men (with the same irrigation sequence). CONCLUSION: Results presented should be considered as a population-based norms and may be useful as references for water bithermal test for VOG studies. The SN or HSN could be observed in subjects without vestibular pathology.

[Susceptibility of Enterococcus genus to new antimicrobial agents]. / Sensibilidad del género Enterococcus a nuevos antimicrobianos.

The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of resistance to different antibiotics in 109 clinical strains of Enterococcus isolated consecutively in hospital over a four-month period in 2002. The strains were identified by species using the semiautomatic system Microscan walk away 40 (Dade Behring) and the API20 STREP system (Biomerieux). Three different methods for the susceptibility study were used: Sensititre, E-test and disc diffusion. The percentage of Enterococcus faecalis and Enterococcus faecium isolated was 92% and 8%, respectively. The following resistance to Enterococcus faecalis was detected: erythromycin (53%), telithromycin (36%), penicillin (2%), ampicillin (1%), vancomycin, teicoplanin and linezolid (0%), high level resistance to streptomycin (51%) and gentamicin (32%). A high percentage of strains resistant to penicillin and ampicillin was detected in E. faecium (six of nine strains). For two species, high susceptibility to linezolid and glycopeptides was found.

Comparación del método de microdilución (sensititre®) con el E-test® para el estudio de sensibilidad de Streptococcus pneumoniae / Comparison of the microdilution methos (Sensititre) with E-Test to study of susceptibility of streptococcus pneumoniae

La aparición de resistencias frente Streptococcus pneumoniae ha incrementado la necesidad de procesos seguros para estudiar la sensibilidad. Se han estudiado las características analíticas de dos sistemas comerciales de sensibilidad: E-test® (Ab Biodisk, Solna, Suecia) y Sensititre® (AcuMed, Westlake, Ohio). Cuando se usa E-test®, el 77 por ciento de los aislamientos mostraron resistencia de alto nivel a la penicilina y eritromicina. Por otra parte, cuando se emplea Sensititre® los resultados de resistencia obtenidos fueron: 83 por ciento y 79 por ciento para penicilina y eritromicina, respectivamente. Cuando se compara los resultados de los dos métodos, para la eritromicina, se encontraron dos discrepancias graves. El método Sensititre® permite analizar la resistencia de otros trece antibióticos (AU)

Estudio de la sensibilidad de Streptococcus pneumoniae en La Rioja / Study of the susceptibility of Streptococcus pneumoniae in La Rioja

No disponible

Ausencia de efectos secundarios en una sobredosificación accidental de ropivacaína / Absece of sid effects after an accidental ropivacaine overdose

No disponible

Sensibilidad de Streptococcus pneumoniae a nuevos fármacos / Susceptibility of Sreptococcus pneumoniae to new antibiotics

La resistencia de Streptococcus pneumoniae a diferentes antimicrobianos ha aumentado en todo el mundo. Nuevos antibióticos como estreptograminas, ketólidos y oxazolidinonas pueden ser una buena alternativa a otros antimicrobianos, beta-lactámicos o macrólidos. La sensibilidad a Quinupristin/Dalfopristin, Telitromicina y Linezolid fue determinada en 54 cepas de Streptococcus pneumoniae aisladas en el laboratorio de microbiología del Hospital San Millán-San Pedro. Ninguna fue resistente. Todas las cepas tenían valores de CMI <_ 1 mg/l para la Quinupristin/Dalfopristin. Los diámetros de inhibición obtenidos para Telitromicina y Linezolid oscilaron entre 23 y 37 mm para la Telitromicina y 28 y 45 mm para Linezolid. Por lo tanto, estos antibióticos pueden utilizarse en un futuro en el tratamiento de infecciones del tracto respiratorio. (AU)

Evaluación del tiempo de respuesta global de un laboratorio de urgencias con impresión remota / Evaluation of the global turnaround time in an emergency laboratory with remote printing

En el presente artículo se realiza una evaluación del tiempo de respuesta (TR) global de un laboratorio de urgencias, en el que el envío de resultados desde el laboratorio hasta el Servicio de Urgencias es mediante impresión remota, y se compara con los tiempos de respuesta obtenidos en el mismo laboratorio cuando el envío de resultados era mediante celadores. Se estudiaron 225 peticiones repartidas en los tres turnos laborales ( mañana, tarde y noche), en las que se analiza el tiempo transcurrido desde la solicitud del análisis hasta su recepción en el laboratorio y el tiempo intralaboratorio. Se considera importante realizar estudios periódicos del tiempo de respuesta y proponer medidas de mejora, así como reevaluar el resultado de la implantación de estas medidas. (AU)

Tratamiento de lumbalgias en el puerperio mediante reeducación sensitivo-perceptivo-motriz / Treatment back pain in the puerperant with sensory-perceptive-motor re-education

Durante el embarazo se producen una serie de alteraciones mecánicas en el segmento lumbopélvico que conllevarán una lesión total o parcial de algunos receptores, con la consiguiente modificación de la cantidad y calidad del mensaje aferente sensorial, que a su vez alterará la percepción y en consecuencia los programas motores. Esto puede provocar una lumbalgia mecánica crónica debido a una perturbación del bucle funcional sensitivo perceptivo motor entre el sistema nervioso y el efector (músculo, articulación). Para resolver el problema no debemos contentarnos con reeducar únicamente el aspecto motor, ya que no es suficiente estimular una parte del bucle para que el paciente se recupere de la patología, hay que estimular el conjunto funcional. Para prevenir nuevos episodios lumbálgicos enseñaremos al paciente cómo proteger mecánicamente su segmento lumbopélvico mediante ejercicios de reeducación sensitivo perceptivo motriz, para ello atenderemos a una serie de etapas: estimulación de receptores cutáneos, estimulación de receptores articulares y musculares, toma de conciencia de la posición del raquis lumbar, solicitaciones sobre planos estables y posteriormente sobre planos inestables. (AU)