Inexistence of permafrost at the top of the Veleta peak (Sierra Nevada, Spain)

A 114.5m deep drilling was carried out in August 2000 in the bedrock of the Veleta peak, at 3380m in the massif of Sierra Nevada, Southern Spain. The objective of this work is to analyse temperatures at the first 60m depth of this drilling from September 2002 to August 2013 based on 11 UTL-1 thermal loggers located at different depths, together with air temperatures at the summit of the Veleta peak. Permanent negative temperatures have not been detected in the borehole, which shows evidence of the absence of widespread permafrost conditions nowadays in the highest lands of this massif. Bedrock temperatures oscillated between 3.2°C at 0.6m depth and 2°C at 20m below the surface. The largest temperature ranges were recorded on the most external sensors until 1.2m depth, where values reached 22.3°C. Seasonal temperature variations were significant until 10m depth. The thickness of the seasonal frozen layer was highly variable (0.6-2m) and dependent on annual climate conditions. The mean air temperature at the Veleta peak increased by 0.12°C during the study period. Bedrock temperatures followed diverging trends: a drop of 0.3-0.4°C down to 0.6m depth, a decrease of up to 0.7°C between 4 and 10m, thermal stability at 20m and a rise of 0.2°C that occurred in 2009 at the deepest sensor at 60m. The calculation of the thermal wave damping in the subsoil of the Veleta peak has allowed for quantifying the thermal diffusivity of the rock as (7.05±0.03)10(-7)m(2)/s, which means that the external climate signal arrives with an 8.5-year lag to the sensor at 60m deep. This allows to deduce a trend change in the climate of the area, moving from warmer conditions towards a trend of cooling from 2006 to 2007.

What Is the Role of Developmental Disability in Patient Selection for Pediatric Solid Organ Transplantation?

The National Organ Transplant Act stipulates that deceased donor organs should be justly and wisely allocated based on sound medical criteria. Allocation schemes are consistent across the country, and specific policies are publicly vetted. Patient selection criteria are largely in the hands of individual organ transplant programs, and consistent standards are less evident. This has been particularly apparent for patients with developmental disabilities (DDs). In response to concerns regarding the fairness of transplant evaluations for patients with DDs, we developed a transplant centerwide policy using a multidisciplinary, community-based approach. This publication details the particular policy of our center. All patients should receive individualized assessments using consistent standards; disability should be neither a relative nor an absolute contraindication to transplantation. External review can increase trust in the selection process. Patients in persistent vegetative states should not be listed for transplantation.

Feral finfish, and their relationships with sediments and seawater, as a tool for risk assessment of PAHs in chronically polluted environments

An integrated study has been carried out of the fate and effects of PAHs in fish living in a chronically polluted environment. Total PAH concentrations in different target organs (muscle, liver and gills), have been determined in five species of feral fish and possible histopathological effects and correlations of all these values with concentrations found in sediments and water column have been studied in two of these species. The Potency Equivalent Concentrations and Screening values (SVs), the Biota-to-sediment accumulation factors (BSAFs) and the Toxic Potency Assessment (TEQ) of sediment for fish have been calculated. Results show that levels found in target organs, the TEQs of sediment calculated for fish related to the SVs for fish consumption are of special concern. However, the index of pathologies shows a relatively low impact of PAHs on fish health. The use of feral finfish in risk assessment for PAHs in chronically polluted environments has been proved to be a useful tool to complement environmental diagnoses and improve their accuracy. This approach combines the measurement of total concentrations in different target organs of several appropriate species, the study of histopathological effects, and correlations between all these results and the concentrations found in associated sediments and column water.

Indications for keratoplasty in Nepal: 2005 - 2010

Introduction: Corneal disease, especially infective keratitis, is one of the major causes of visual impairment and blindness in developing countries. Objective: To find out the current indications for keratoplasty, how these indications have changed over time as well as how they are different from those in other parts of the world. Materials and methods: A retrospective study of a case series of 645 keratoplasty surgeries (589 patients) was conducted at the Tilganga Institute of Ophthalmology from January 2005 to December 2010. Outcome measures: The cases were evaluated in terms of demographic parameters, preoperative diagnosis and the type of surgery performed. Results: The most common indication for surgery was active infectious keratitis (264 eyes, 40.9 %), followed by corneal opacity (173 eyes, 26.8 %), regraft (73 eyes, 11.2 %), bullous keratopathy (58 eyes, 9.0 %), keratoconus (45 eyes, 7.0 %) and corneal dystrophy (11 eyes, 1.7 %). The mean recipient age was 41.7 ± 19.9 years with over a half of the patients between 15 to 49 years of age. More men (64.1 %) underwent keratoplasty than women (35.8 %). 59.8 % of the eyes with infectious keratitis had a perforated corneal ulcer. 49.7 % of corneal opacities were due to previous infectious keratitis. 72 % of regrafts were for endothelial failure of various causes. In older patients (> 50 years), bullous keratopathy was an important indication, after infectious keratitis. Keratoconus and corneal scar were major causes of keratoplasty in children of 14 years or less. Four percent of the patients had keratoplasty in both the eyes. 17.1 % of the patients who had one eye operated on had a blind fellow eye with a vision of less than 3/60. Conclusion: Currently, keratitis, either active or healed, is the major indication for keratoplasty, suggesting that improved primary eye health care is necessary to decrease the prevalence of corneal blindness. Nepal J Ophthalmol 2013; 5(10): 207-214 DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/nepjoph.v5i2.8730

Bioavailability of l-thyroxine and its metabolites after topical treatment with an emulsion containing 0.1% micronised l-thyroxine

AIM

Aim of the study was to assess systemic effects of a cycle of treatment with a topical formulation of l-T4 and escin (Somatoline®) in healthy women based on changes in bioavailability of FT4, FT3, rT3, and TSH.

METHODS

This study enrolled 20 healthy adult women with body mass index <30, not exposed to iodine-containing products. The study called for 28 consecutive days of treatment with Somatoline® followed by a 14-day follow-up period. Blood samples for FT4, FT3 and TSH levels were drawn at baseline, 5 and 24 hours after the first application and thereafter on days 14, 28 and 42. Levels of rT3 were measured during the first 24 hours postapplication.

RESULTS

Subject mean age was 40.1±8.0 years and BMI from 19.1 to 29.8. Levels of FT4 always remained within normal range and did not change in a clinically relevant way from baseline (11±1.2 pg/dL), with maximum mean change from pretreatment values of 0.4 pg/mL (P=0.87). Likewise, FT3 and TSH levels did not change significantly from baseline (3±0.4 pg/dL and 1.8 ±0.9 µU/mL, respectively). Levels of rT3 behaved in a similar way, with modest changes from baseline (P=0.29). Local tolerability was defined "excellent" for 19 out of 20 women (95%) and "moderate" in one subject who experienced the onset of folliculitis, for which causal correlation with the treatment was considered "possible".

CONCLUSION

Used at the posology foreseen for the marketed formulation, Somatoline® does not affect plasma levels of FT4, FT3, rT3 and TSH, either in the short term or after 28 days.

Histopathological alterations in Senegal sole, Solea Senegalensis, from a polluted Huelva estuary (SW, Spain)

As a component of a large research project to evaluate the effects of contaminants on fish health in the field, histopathological studies have been conducted to help establish causal relationship between pollutants (heavy metals and aromatic polycyclic hydrocarbons--PAHs) and histopathological responses in Senegal sole, Solea senegalensis, from an estuary of SW Spain. Heavy metals (As, Zn, Cd, Pb, Cu and Fe) and 16 PAHs (proprietary USEPA) concentrations in water, sediment and tissues (liver and gills) and histopathological alterations in S. senegalensis from three sampling sites of Ria de Huelva estuary during 2004-2006 years have been analysed. The histopathological studies revealed seasonal and spatial differences in the lesion grade of alterations observing the highest lesion grades in fish from Odiel River and autumn season. No significant differences were observed in the alterations prevalence between sampling sites, but significant differences were observed between seasons observing the highest prevalence in autumn season. However, calculated IPAT demonstrated a low-moderate impact of pollutants on health fish. Correlations between histopathological alterations and pollutants analysed were observed being heavy metals the group that presented a major number of correlations with alterations in several organs of S. senegalensis. In evaluating the general health of fish, the use of histopathological studies in recommended for making more reliable assessment of biochemical responses in fish exposed to a variety of environmental stressors. Statistical analysis using semiquantitative data on pathological lesions can help to establish correlation between cause (stressor) and effect (biomarker).

Efficacy of a topical cosmetic slimming treatment for postmenopausal women: a randomized, double-blind, placebo controlled trial

AIM

The aim of this paper was to evaluate by clinical and non-invasive instrumental evaluations, the efficacy and the tolerance of a cosmetic slimming treatment for menopausal women used topically (for at least 3 years) under dermatological control.

METHODS

A controlled double blind, randomised study was performed to compare the slimming efficacy of the cosmetic slimming treatment versus placebo after 4 weeks of treatment.

RESULTS

Cosmetic slimming treatment twice a day for 4 weeks reduced abdomen and hips fat, with no significant variation in body weight in comparison with the placebo.

CONCLUSION

The present study evidenced the clinical effectiveness and women satisfaction of a slimming treatment specifically studies for postmenopausal adipose tissue with potential interesting consequences on measures of quality of life and on health-care programs.

Multilevel blazed gratings in resonance domain: an alternative to the classical fabrication approach

In this paper we present a novel technological approach for the fabrication of multilevel gratings in the resonance domain. A coded chromium mask is used to avoid alignment errors in electron beam lithography, which typically occur within the standard multistep binary micro-optics technology. The lateral features of all phase levels of the grating are encoded in a single chromium mask. The final profile of the structure is obtained by selective etching process for each level. This new technological method is applied for the fabrication of two different three-level gratings in resonance domain. The corresponding optical response as well as structural characterizations are presented and discussed. In particular, a first order diffraction efficiency of 90% is demonstrated for a grating period twice the wavelength at normal incidence.

Biochemical effects and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in senegal sole (Solea senegalensis) from a Huelva estuary (SW Spain)

Relations between several stress oxidative biomarkers and aromatic polycyclic hydrocarbon (PAH) concentrations have been studied in wild sole, Solea senegalensis collected in the vicinity of a petrochemical industry. Antioxidant enzyme activities in eco-toxicological studies constitute excellent markers for exposure to a large variety of pollutants. The 16 PAHs in sediment as well as oxidative damage (LPO), activity of catalase (CAT), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), glutathione S-transferase (GST), glutathione reductase (GR) and PAHs type metabolites in sole liver were analysed. Significant correlations (p<0.05) were established between some biomarkers as GST, GPx and CAT and PAHs metabolites in liver (naphthalene, pyrene and phenanthrene) and PAHs concentrations in sediments (fluoranthene, acenaphthene, anthracene and chrysene). PAHs accumulated in the sediment and organisms are inducers of antioxidant defences. GST, GPx and CAT were robust biomarkers showing correlations with both PAHs in sediments and liver PAH metabolites showing different responses to low and high molecular weight PAHs.