Influence of RNA circularity on Target RNA-Directed MicroRNA Degradation

A subset of circular RNAs (circRNAs) and linear RNAs have been proposed to 'sponge' or block microRNA activity. Additionally, certain RNAs induce microRNA destruction through the process of Target RNA-Directed MicroRNA Degradation (TDMD), but whether both linear and circular transcripts are equivalent in driving TDMD is unknown. Here, we studied whether circular/linear topology of endogenous and artificial RNA targets affects TDMD. Consistent with previous knowledge that Cdr1as (ciRS-7) circular RNA protects miR-7 from Cyrano-mediated TDMD, we demonstrate that depletion of Cdr1as reduces miR-7 abundance. In contrast, overexpression of an artificial linear version of Cdr1as drives miR-7 degradation. Using plasmids that express a circRNA with minimal co-expressed cognate linear RNA, we show differential effects on TDMD that cannot be attributed to the nucleotide sequence, as the TDMD properties of a sequence often differ when in a circular versus linear form. By analysing RNA sequencing data of a neuron differentiation system, we further detect potential effects of circRNAs on microRNA stability. Our results support the view that RNA circularity influences TDMD, either enhancing or inhibiting it on specific microRNAs.

[Dual practice in the Spanish health system: problem or solution? SESPAS Report 2024]

The Spanish public health system is overburdened. As a result, heath care professionals are showing symptoms of burnout, while private health services are expanding more than ever. As revealed by numerous strikes in recent years, health care professionals want better pay and work conditions and feel frustrated by their inability to give proper time and care to their patients. The institutional response from regional governments in Spain has been to remove the exclusivity clause that provided a salary bonus for physicians who worked entirely in the public sector; now all physicians receive this bonus, effectively promoting dual (public and private) practice. Although dual practice may increase the income of physicians and other health professionals, it poses several challenges that are analyzed in this paper. We also discuss alternative and more far-reaching policies that we believe should be implemented by the government in order to deal with the current crisis of the health system.

Recommendations for the prevention of healthcare-associated infections in nursing homes

Nursing homes (NH) conceptually should look as much like a home as possible. However NH have unquestionable similarities with a nosocomium as they are places where many patients with underlying diseases and comorbidities accumulate. There is evidence of transmission of microorganisms between residents and between residents and caregivers. We have not found any recommendations specifically aimed at the prevention of nosocomial infections in NH by the major Public Health Agencies and, therefore, the Health Sciences Foundation (Fundación de Ciencias de la Salud) has convened a series of experts and 14 Spanish scientific societies to discuss recommendations that could guide NH personnel in establishing written programs for the control and reduction of these infections. The present document is the result of these deliberations and contains suggestions for establishing such control programs on a voluntary and flexible basis in NH. We also hope that the document can help the health authorities to encourage this control activity in the different territorial areas of Spain. In our opinion, it is necessary to draw up a written plan and establish the figure of a coordinator or person responsible for implementing these projects. The document includes measures to be implemented and ways of quantifying the reality of different problems and of monitoring the impact of the measures established.

Risk factors in developing retinal vein occlusion in subject with obstructive sleep apnea

BACKGROUND

Patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) have a higher risk of developing vascular diseases. In this study, we evaluated the clinical profile of patients with OSA who develop retinal vein occlusion (RVO) compared with a population of OSA patients without RVO.

METHODS

We analyzed patients with OSA diagnosed with RVO (21 cases; mean of age 61 years. range 44-87 years. 67% men), belonging to a large cohort of people with long-term follow-up for RVO (up to 12 years). We compared them with 21 patients with OSA, without RVO, matched by age and gender, selected from the Sleep Unit Registry (control group).

RESULTS

There were no differences in the prevalence of arterial hypertension (AHT) or Diabetes mellitus (DM), but the RVO patients presented a higher diastolic blood pressure compared to controls (87.6±12.6 mmHg vs. 77.9±10.1 mmHg respectively). The polygraphic parameters were similar in both groups. The Apnea-Hypopnea Index (IHA) similar in both groups (30.4±20.9 RVO vs. 33.7±22.1 controls). In addition, RVO patients had a less favorable lipid profile, with higher total cholesterol (218±52 mg/dL vs. 179±41 mg/dL), higher LDL cholesterol (139±47 mg/dL vs. 107±32 mg/dL) and higher atherogenic indices: LDL/HDL (2.78±0.95 RVO vs. 2.03±0.67 controls) and total cholesterol/HDL (4.37±1.08 vs. 3.45±0.84). Among the cases, 81% had peripheral RVO (superior temporal branch in 20 out of 21 cases) and 19% had central RVO. A percentage of 62% of the cases received intravitreal antiangiogenic therapy and dexamethasone implants and 33% received argon laser photocoagulation.

CONCLUSIONS

Poor control of cardiovascular risk factors, particularly dyslipidemias, in patients with OSA may lead to the development of this ocular complication.

3D printing of PLA:CaP:GO scaffolds for bone tissue applications

Graphene oxide (GO) has attracted increasing interest for biomedical applications owing to its outstanding properties such as high specific surface area, ability to bind functional molecules for therapeutic purposes and solubility, together with mechanical resistance and good thermal conductivity. The combination of GO with other biomaterials, such as calcium phosphate (CaP) and biodegradable polymers, presents a promising strategy for bone tissue engineering. Presently, the development of these advanced biomaterials benefits from the use of additive manufacturing techniques, such as 3D printing. In this study, we develop a 3D printed PLA:CaP:GO scaffold for bone tissue engineering. First, GO was characterised alone by XPS to determine its main bond contributions and C : O ratio. Secondly, we determined the GO dose which ensures the absence of toxicity, directly exposed in vitro (human osteoblast-like cells MG-63) and in vivo (zebrafish model). In addition, GO was microinjected in the zebrafish to evaluate its effect on immune cells, quantifying the genetic expression of the main markers. Results indicated that the GO tested (C : O of 2.14, 49.50% oxidised, main bonds: C-OH, C-O-C) in a dose ≤0.25 mg mL^-1 promoted MG63 cells viability percentages above 70%, and in a dose ≤0.10 mg mL^-1 resulted in the absence of toxicity in zebrafish embryos. The immune response evaluation reinforced this result. Finally, the optimised GO dose (0.10 mg mL^-1) was combined with polylactic acid (PLA) and CaP to obtain a 3D printed PLA:CaP:GO scaffold. Physicochemical characterisation (SEM/EDS, XRD, FT-Raman, nano-indentation) was performed and in vivo tests confirmed its biocompatibility, enabling a novel approach for bone tissue-related applications.

Thermal phenotypic plasticity of pre- and post-copulatory male harm buffers sexual conflict in wild Drosophila melanogaster

Strong sexual selection frequently leads to sexual conflict and ensuing male harm, whereby males increase their reproductive success at the expense of harming females. Male harm is a widespread evolutionary phenomenon with a strong bearing on population viability. Thus, understanding how it unfolds in the wild is a current priority. Here, we sampled a wild Drosophila melanogaster population and studied male harm across the normal range of temperatures under which it reproduces optimally in nature by comparing female lifetime reproductive success and underlying male harm mechanisms under monogamy (i.e., low male competition/harm) vs. polyandry (i.e., high male competition/harm). While females had equal lifetime reproductive success across temperatures under monogamy, polyandry resulted in a maximum decrease of female fitness at 24°C (35%), reducing its impact at both 20°C (22%), and 28°C (10%). Furthermore, female fitness components and pre- (i.e., harassment) and post-copulatory (i.e., ejaculate toxicity) mechanisms of male harm were asymmetrically affected by temperature. At 20ºC, male harassment of females was reduced, and polyandry accelerated female actuarial ageing. In contrast, the effect of mating on female receptivity (a component of ejaculate toxicity) was affected at 28ºC, where the mating costs for females decreased and polyandry mostly resulted in accelerated reproductive ageing. We thus show that, across a natural thermal range, sexual conflict processes and their effects on female fitness components are plastic and complex. As a result, the net effect of male harm on overall population viability is likely to be lower than previously surmised. We discuss how such plasticity may affect selection, adaptation and, ultimately, evolutionary rescue under a warming climate.

A-18 MRI-based Post-Concussive Syndrome (PCS) Index: No Differences between Athletes and Non-Athletes

Purpose: To evaluate for differences in patients with post-concussive syndrome from sports-related versus non-sports related mTBI using a machine-learning algorithm of MRI data. Methods: For this retrospective study, we explored the MRI records of 28 Athletes (17 M, 11F) and 16 non-Athletes (6 M, 10F) with a history of concussion and clinical PCS, and 73 no concussed reference controls (26 M,47F). All subjects were between 19 and 35-years in age. The MRI studies were done in a clinical 3 T MRI scanner. MPRAGE, DTI-FA and DTI-ADC images were used to extract radiomics features from automatically segmented MRI structures of the brain. After that, the radiomic features were processed to extract the MRI-PCS Index (Qmetrics Technologies, Rochester, NY). MRI-PCS Index is an Artificial-Intelligence (AI) derived holistic evaluation of brain health that ranges from 0.0 to 1.0. The index indicates the degree of signal/structural abnormalities found in the brain tissue of a concussed subject when compared to a non-concussed subject; hence it provides an objective measurement of PCS. Results: The sports played by the athletes were mainly football, hockey, lacrosse, and soccer while non-Athletes were mainly concussed in motor vehicle accidents. Athletes MRI-PCS Index was similar to non-Athletes (0.78 vs 0.78, p = 0.89) and both indexes were very different to the reference control (MRI-PCS Index = 0.23, IQR = 0.10–0.38, p < 0.001). Conclusions: The MRI-PCS Index, an objective measurement of structural brain health, indicated that subjects that suffer from PCS present similar MRI abnormality burden regardless of whether the mTBI was related to sports injuries or other trauma.

Monitoring of RAS mutant clones in plasma of patients with RAS mutant metastatic colorectal cancer

Purpose

Some patients with histologically confirmed primary mCRC and mutated RAS reported undetectable RAS mutant clones in plasma after receiving anti-VEGF treatment. The aim was to prospectively assess it with its potential therapeutic implications.

Methods

RAS mutant genes in solid biopsy (before first-line treatment: FOLFOX/CAPOX + bevacizumab) were compared in liquid biopsy (before second-line treatment: panitumumab + FOLFIRI), using Idylla™ system. Discordant results between solid/liquid biopsies were assessed by the next-generation sequencing (NGS) test (solid/liquid biopsies).

Results

Twenty-three patients were assessed (seven had RAS mutant discrepancies between solid/liquid biopsies). The NGS test confirmed that 3/23 (13%) patients had undetectable RAS mutant clones in liquid biopsy and 3/23 (13%) presented discrepancies in solid biopsy (Idylla™ system vs. NGS test).

Conclusion

Thirteen percentage of patients had undetectable RAS mutant clones in liquid biopsy after first-line treatment. However, some discrepancies between solid and liquid biopsies have been observed. These results suggest a need to improve accuracy of RAS analyses, especially in solid biopsies.

Lockdown strictness and mental health effects among older populations in Europe

This paper investigates whether lockdown policies aggravated mental health problems of older populations (50 and over) in Europe during the first COVID-19 wave. Using data from the Survey of Health, Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE COVID-19 questionnaire) and from the Oxford COVID-19 Government Response Tracker for 17 countries, we estimate the causal effect of lockdown policies on mental health by combining cross-country variability in the strictness of the policies with cross-individual variability in face-to-face contacts prior to the pandemic. We find that lockdown policies worsened insomnia, anxiety, and depression by 5, 7.2 and 5.1 percentage points, respectively. This effect was stronger for women and those aged between 50 and 65. Interestingly, lockdown policies notably damaged the mental health of healthy populations. We close with a discussion of lockdown policies targeted at individuals above 65 and/or with pre-existing conditions.

Immune treatment in COVID-19

Current immune treatment directed to avoid viral replication relies mainly in convalescent plasma and monoclonal antibodies (mAbs). No clinical benefit for convalescent plasma has been reported in a meta-analysis and systematic review compared to standard of care. MAbs are recombinant proteins capable to bind with SARS-CoV-2 preventing its entrance into cells. Several mAbs have shown reduction in viral load and/ or progression of the disease such as casirivimab-imdevimab, bamlanivimab-etesevimab and sotrovimab. After the apparition of Omicron variant, it has been reported that sotrovimab retained its activity whereas the other two combinations exhibited loss of neutralizing activity. Several aspects as the target population, timing and doses, serological patient status and evolution of variants still require attention, monitorization and further studies for knowledge gaps.

SUPERIOR GLUTEAL ARTERY PSEUDOANEURYSM: TWO CASES REPORT AND REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE

INTRODUCTION

Gluteal pseudoaneurysms are extremely rare and respond to pelvic trauma, penetrating wounds, inflammation or infection in the gluteal region.

CLINICAL CASES

Two men, 73 and 82 years respectively, who presented gluteal pseudoanerysm after drainage of perianal abscess the first one and after trauma the second one. In both cases the diagnosis was made by imaging tests (doppler ultrasound that was completed with computed tomographic angiography). The first one was successfully treated by ultrasound-guided injection of thrombin at the pseudoaneurysm sac. However, secondary treatment with thrombin injection and coil embolization was performed due to pseudoaneurysm reperfusion. The second one was successfully treated by embolization with hydrocoils through contralateral percutaneous femoral access as well as thrombin injection by direct ultrasound-guided puncture.

DISCUSSION

The incidence, presentation and surgical strategy are discussed. Current literature is also reviewed.

CONCLUSION

Ultrasound scan is the first diagnostic test, computed tomographic angiography can give more topographic information. We found selective percutaneous embolization to be the treatment of choice. Open surgical treatment should be reserved for selected cases.

COVID-19 in young and middle-aged adults: predictors of poor outcome and clinical differences

Introduction

Young and middle-aged adults are the largest group of patients infected with SARS-CoV-2 and some of them develop severe disease.

Objective

To investigate clinical manifestations in adults aged 18–65 years hospitalized for COVID-19 and identify predictors of poor outcome. Secondary objectives: to explore differences compared to the disease in elderly patients and the suitability of the commonly used community-acquired pneumonia prognostic scales in younger populations.

Methods

Multicenter prospective registry of consecutive patients hospitalized for COVID-19 pneumonia aged 18–65 years between March and May 2020. We considered a composite outcome of “poor outcome” including intensive care unit admission and/or use of noninvasive ventilation, continuous positive airway pressure or high flow nasal cannula oxygen and/or death.

Results

We identified 513 patients < 65 years of age, from a cohort of 993 patients. 102 had poor outcomes (19.8%) and 3.9% died. 78% and 55% of patients with poor outcomes were classified as low risk based on CURB and PSI scores, respectively.

A multivariate Cox regression model identified six independent factors associated with poor outcome: heart disease, absence of chest pain or anosmia, low oxygen saturation, high LDH and lymphocyte count < 800/mL.

Conclusions

COVID-19 in younger patients carries significant morbidity and differs in some respects from this disease in the elderly. Baseline heart disease is a relevant risk factor, while anosmia and pleuritic pain are associated to better prognosis. Hypoxemia, LDH and lymphocyte count are predictors of poor outcome. We consider that CURB and PSI scores are not suitable criteria for deciding admission in this population.

P–492 Knowledge about reproductive health among cohort of oocyte donors in Spain

Study question

What degree of reproductive health knowledge have oocyte donors?

Summary answer

The results of this study reveal that although oocyte donors are aware of the risks of possible fertility disorders, reproductive health knowledge is insufficient

What is known already

Sterility affects approximately 15% of the population of reproductive age, that is, young people. However, the information that young people have about fertility is scarce. Gamete donors are a group especially involved in reproductive issues since they help many people to solve their fertility problems and must undergo numerous tests before being accepted as such. However, there are no studies in Spain that deal with the knowledge that young people and, more specifically, donors, have about reproductive health and fertility

Study design, size, duration

A prospective, cross-sectional multicenter study including oocyte donors at ten fertility clinics performing gamete donation treatment in Spain. During a 2-month period (September-October 2020), 63 donors aged between 19 and 35 years old were recruited consecutively and a total of 63 oocyte donors were included as sample population. Most of them (78%) had not donated before

Participants/materials, setting, methods

54% oocyte donors had secondary education and 43% have achieved university studies. Participants anonymously completed a questionnaire containing 41 questions divided into three sections: sociodemographic characteristics (11 items), knowledge on fertility and reproduction (22 items) and with a Likert scale, response to determine general reproductive health information as well as known risks for fertility disorders (8 items).

Besides descriptive statistics, statistical analysis was performed with Chi square test. p &lt; 0.05 was considered significant

Main results and the role of chance

In the survey 96.8% of the participants reported that they had already known the tests for fertility disorders.

The increasing age of the women was correctly assessed by the participants of the study as a decisive risk factor for fertility, but it was found that exact knowledge was lacking: the decrease of a woman’s fertility by 39.7% was stated to occur on average at the age of 35–40 and by 30% at 40–45. Nevertheless, 66% of donors considered that fertility preservation should be carried out before the age of 35.

61.1% of the non-university donors reported that fertility can drop as a woman ages due to the decreasing number and quality of the remaining eggs. Among university donors, this percentage increases to 92,6% (p:0,034). Merely 47% of the participants informed what they understood that ovarian reserve is and 47.6% of donors believed that women create new eggs every month.

Regarding the known risk factors for fertility, lifestyle was mentioned most frequently by all participants (91,2%), followed by chemo/radiotherapy (83,8%) and smoking, alcohol, and drugs (82,4%). Concerning the influence of the body mass index on fertility, differences were found between non-university (61%) and university donors (88,9%) (p:0,012).

Limitations, reasons for caution

Financial compensation has been found to be a motivating factor for oocyte donors and therefore one could question the representativeness of the participating oocyte donors. It would be of great interest to explore the significance of the financial compensation further.

Wider implications of the findings: The present study reveals an existing requirement for information among oocyte donors, which is not only important for the success of prevention plans but also provides a foundation for possible strategies for the prevention of fertility disorder.

Trial registration number

Not applicable

P–488 Patients’ attitudes towards the anonymity of gamete donation in Spain

Study question

To what extent do infertility patients in Spain support different forms of anonymity for oocyte and sperm donation?

Summary answer

Most patients who undergo treatment with donated gametes in Spain consider that their children should not know the identity of the donors.

What is known already

Spain has a large tradition of gamete donation, probably influenced by its law that requires gamete donation to be anonymous for the donor and the recipient. Although there is a growing support for openness and identity-release in gamete donation, Spanish Society of Fertility has generated an Anonymity in Donations Framework Document which recommends revelation to the donor-conceived children their biological origin preserving the identity. However, there is no information on what the preferences of the patients are regarding the disclosure of the origins to their children.

Study design, size, duration

A prospective, cross-sectional multicenter study that includes all eleven clinics in Spain and involves women who had used donated gametes. From September to October 2020, a self-administered questionnaire was sent out to a total of 57 women which were asked to indicate their responses on a 7-point Likert. 57 (100%) women anonymously completed the questionnaire.

Participants/materials, setting, methods

The participants were asking for their socio-demographic characteristics, their opinions concerning secrecy or disclosure of the method of conception towards the child, what type of information should the child have access to – identifying or non-identifying – and whether they intend to inform their child and relatives about his/her origin. Statistical analysis was performed with Chi square test for dichotomous variables and one-sample T-Student for Likert items. p &lt; 0.05 was considered significant.

Main results and the role of chance

Unlike homosexual or single women, 60% of heterosexual couples refuse to inform their offspring about the origin of their gametes and 47,5% would not tell anyone.

Patients do not want to know the identity of donors (0,276 p˂0,001) and they consider that knowledge about the origin of the gametes (0,278 p˂0,001) or the identity of the donor (0,178 p˂0,001) is not important to a child.

Patients do not believe that the donor has the right to know the identity of the offspring (0.098 p &lt; 0.001) but they agree with his/her right to anonymity (0.679).

Limitations, reasons for caution

While the multicenter study design and the extraction of a complete time series from the population under study strengthens validity, the study is limited to women, without being able to extrapolate the results to men or children born by gamete donation, which constitutes a limitation.

Wider implications of the findings: The findings of this study can be used as a basis for further discussion between regulators and professionals with respect to anonymity related to donor conception. These opinions should be considered carefully in legal and ethical discussions on gamete donation.

Trial registration number

Not applicable

Accumulation of human pharmaceuticals and activity of biotransformation enzymes in fish from two areas of the lower Rio de la Plata Basin

The accumulation of four human pharmaceuticals active compounds (HPhAC) in the muscle of four fish species of the Rio de la Plata Basin were assessed regarding the compound logP and pKa, and fish trophic levels. For Prochilodus lineatus, accumulation was compared to hepatic biotransformation enzymes and fish from two sampling areas with different urbanization degree. Species were the detritivore Prochilodus lineatus, the omnivores Megaleporinus obtusidens and Pimelodus maculatus, and the piscivorous Salminus brasiliensis. Sampling areas were the Inner Rio de la Plata Estuary (RLP), in front of the Buenos Aires Metropolitan Area, and at the Lower Uruguay River (URU), a relatively unpopulated area. Carbamazepine, atenolol, enalapril, and sildenafil concentrations in fish muscle were analyzed by HPLC-MS. EROD, BROD, and GST activities were measured in P. lineatus liver. Average (maximum) concentrations and detection frequency were: Atenolol 24.4 (69.4) μg kg^-1, 60%; carbamazepine 5.5 (45.8) μg kg^-1, 19%; enalapril 7.0 (56.9) μg kg^-1, 28%; sildenafil 17.1 (71.6) μg kg^-1, 56%. Enalapril and sildenafil detection in fish was first-time reported. Atenolol and carbamazepine concentrations were positively correlated. No correlation was observed between HPhAC accumulation and logP or pKa. A potential biomagnification trend was observed for atenolol, showing higher accumulation in S. brasiliensis. HPhACs accumulation was higher for P. lineatus collected at URU, but GST and BROD were significantly higher for individuals sampled at RLP and were positively correlated. A significant negative correlation was observed for enalapril and BROD. The study contributes to the knowledge of the accumulation of HPhACs in fish.

Polarization-independent single-photon switch based on a fiber-optical Sagnac interferometer for quantum communication networks

An essential component of future quantum networks is an optical switch capable of dynamically routing single photons. Here we implement such a switch, based on a fiber-optical Sagnac interferometer design. The routing is implemented with a pair of fast electro-optical telecom phase modulators placed inside the Sagnac loop, such that each modulator acts on an orthogonal polarization component of the single photons, in order to yield polarization-independent capability that is crucial for several applications. We obtain an average extinction ratio of more than 19 dB between both outputs of the switch. Our experiment is built exclusively with commercial off-the-shelf components, thus allowing direct compatibility with current optical communication systems.

Multicentric study of cervical cancer screening with human papillomavirus testing and assessment of triage methods in Latin America: the ESTAMPA screening study protocol

INTRODUCTION

Human papillomavirus (HPV) testing is replacing cytology in primary screening. Its limited specificity demands using a second (triage) test to better identify women at high-risk of cervical disease. Cytology represents the immediate triage but its low sensitivity might hamper HPV testing sensitivity, particularly in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs), where cytology performance has been suboptimal. The ESTAMPA (EStudio multicéntrico de TAMizaje y triaje de cáncer de cuello uterino con pruebas del virus del PApiloma humano; Spanish acronym) study will: (1) evaluate the performance of different triage techniques to detect cervical precancer and (2) inform on how to implement HPV-based screening programmes in LMIC.

METHODS AND ANALYSIS

Women aged 30-64 years are screened with HPV testing and Pap across 12 study centres in Latin America. Screened positives have colposcopy with biopsy and treatment of lesions. Women with no evident disease are recalled 18 months later for another HPV test; those HPV-positive undergo colposcopy with biopsy and treatment as needed. Biological specimens are collected in different visits for triage testing, which is not used for clinical management. The study outcome is histological high-grade squamous intraepithelial or worse lesions (HSIL+) under the lower anogenital squamous terminology. About 50 000 women will be screened and 500 HSIL+ cases detected (at initial and 18 months screening). Performance measures (sensitivity, specificity and predictive values) of triage techniques to detect HSIL+ will be estimated and compared with adjustment by age and study centre.

ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION

The study protocol has been approved by the Ethics Committee of the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), of the Pan American Health Organisation (PAHO) and by those in each participating centre. A Data and Safety Monitoring Board (DSMB) has been established to monitor progress of the study, assure participant safety, advice on scientific conduct and analysis and suggest protocol improvements. Study findings will be published in peer-reviewed journals and presented at scientific meetings.

TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER

NCT01881659.

Invertebrados continentales de las Islas Columbretes. Nuevas especies

La fauna terrestre de invertebrados del archipiélago protegido de Columbretes es poco conocida. Además, los pocos estudios existentes se centran en su isla principal, Illa Grossa. Aquí presentamos el listado de especies de invertebrados no registradas, hasta el momento, en el archipiélago, resultados obtenidos mediante una combinación de capturas con trampas de caída, avistamientos y recolecciones aleatorias realizadas tanto en Illa Grossa como en otros tres islotes de este archipiélago. Mediante el primer método se recolectaron un total de 14.830 especímenes entre 2008-2011. La mayor cantidad de individuos recolectados mediante este método resultaron ser coleópteros tenebriónidos. Los otros dos métodos proporcionaron 514 registros para el período 2004-2013. En total, se han identificado 45 nuevos taxones correspondientes a 40 géneros y 16 familias. La mayoría de las nuevas especies encontradas no fueron frecuentes a lo largo del período de muestreo. Entre ellas, figuran especies típicas de hábitats antrópicos (p.e. Cydnus aterrimus o Gryllus bimaculatus). Sorprendentemente, también se localizaron en ocasiones especies con capacidades de dispersión limitadas y no presentes en islas pequeñas (p.e. Cebrio superbus).

Liquid Chromatographic Method for the Quantification of Zearalenone in Baby Food and Animal Feed: Interlaboratory Study

An interlaboratory trial for determination of zearalenone (ZON) in baby food and animal feed was conducted. The study involved 39 participants in 16 European Union member states, as well as Turkey, Uruguay, and China, representing a cross-section of industry, and official food control and research institutes. The method is based on immunoaffinity column cleanup followed by high-performance liquid chromatography using fluorimetry (HPLC-Fl). The test portion of the sample is extracted with methanolwater (75 + 25, v/v). The sample extract is filtered, diluted, and passed over an immunoaffinity column. ZON is eluted with methanol. The separation and determination of ZON is performed by reversed-phase HPLC-Fl with an excitation wavelength of 274 nm and an emission wavelength of 446 nm. Test portions of the samples were spiked at levels of 20 and 30 g/kg ZON in baby food and at levels of 100 and 150 g/kg ZON in animal feed. Mean recoveries from each participant ranged from 78 to 119 with an average value of 92 for baby food and from 51 to 122 with an average value of 74 for animal feed. Based on results for spiked samples (blind duplicates at 2 levels), as well as naturally contaminated samples (blind duplicates at 3 levels), the relative standard deviation for repeatability (RSDr) in baby food ranged from 2.8 to 9.0. For animal feed, this value ranged from 5.7 to 9.5. The relative standard deviation for reproducibility (RSDR) in baby food ranged from 8.2 to 13.3, and for animal feed this value ranged from 15.5 to 21.4. The Horwitz ratio (HorRat) in baby food ranged from 0.3 to 0.4, and for animal feed this value ranged from 0.6 to 0.9. The method showed acceptable within-and between-laboratory precision for each matrix, as required by European legislation.

Determination of Hydrocarbon Types in Petroleum and Coal-Derived Products by Thin-Layer Chromatography/Densitometry

Different methodologies based on thin-layer chromatography (TLC)/densitometry were used to separate and quantitate hydrocarbon types in middle distillates (gas oil), heavy distillates (lubricant) from petroleum, and coal-derived products. Thus, petroleum products were separated into saturates and aromatics by development, using n-hexane (9 min) followed by dichloromethane (4.5 min), of silica gel plates impregnated with berberine sulfate. Detection of saturates and aromatics was performed by fluorescence scanning using 365 nm as the excitation wavelength. Alternative detection of aromatics can be performed on either silica gel or berberine-impregnated plates by using ultraviolet (UV) densitometry at 250 nm. On the other hand, polar coal-derived products were separated into aromatics, polar compounds, and uneluted components by using silica gel plates and development with toluene (12 min), followed by dichloromethane–methanol (95 + 5, v/v), with detection by UV densitometry at 250 nm. In all cases, external standard calibration was used for quantitation. Results were validated by using standard methods or well-established techniques of the petrochemical industry. The potential usefulness of TLC/densitometry is discussed.

IR irradiation to remove a sub-aerial biofilm from granitic stones using two different laser systems: An Nd: YAG (1064 nm) and an Er:YAG (2940 nm)

A sub-aerial biofilm (SAB) developed on a granite commonly found in the built cultural heritage of the NW Iberian Peninsula was extracted with 2 different IR irradiations using an Nd:YAG laser at 1064 nm and an Er:YAG laser at 2940 nm. The methodology was based on the application of only one scan in order to evaluate the effect of the laser cleaning operated by applying different consecutive laser scanning and the suitability of these lasers as quick tools. The aim of this comparative study was twofold. The first goal was to find the most satisfactory level of extraction by comparing the results obtained by the different laser sources (IR wavelengths). The other aim was to investigate the by-effects induced by both lasers on each granite-forming mineral. Evaluations were made using stereomicroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy with energy-dispersive x-ray spectroscopy. The results were interpreted in terms of SAB extraction and damage induced on the granite. The results showed that the Nd:YAG laser achieved the most successful level of cleaning, because it extracted the most SAB, while causing the least amount of damage to the surfaces. Regardless of the fluence applied, the Er:YAG laser did not completely extract the SAB in only one scan; in addition, a more intense melting of biotite grains was found, producing amorphous fusion crusts and losing the distinction of the cleavage planes.

Classification of fever patterns using a single extracted entropy feature: A feasibility study based on Sample Entropy

Fever is a common symptom of many diseases. Fever temporal patterns can be different depending on the specific pathology. Differentiation of diseases based on multiple mathematical features and visual observations has been recently studied in the scientific literature. However, the classification of diseases using a single mathematical feature has not been tried yet. The aim of the present study is to assess the feasibility of classifying diseases based on fever patterns using a single mathematical feature, specifically an entropy measure, Sample Entropy. This was an observational study. Analysis was carried out using 103 patients, 24 hour continuous tympanic temperature data. Sample Entropy feature was extracted from temperature data of patients. Grouping of diseases (infectious, tuberculosis, non-tuberculosis, and dengue fever) was made based on physicians diagnosis and laboratory findings. The quantitative results confirm the feasibility of the approach proposed, with an overall classification accuracy close to 70%, and the capability of finding significant differences for all the classes studied.

Vaginal residence and pharmacokinetic preclinical study of topical vaginal mucoadhesive W/S emulsions containing ciprofloxacin

The aim of this work is to test the in vivo behavior of a mucoadhesive vaginal emulsion resistant to the clearance of vaginal fluids using ciprofloxacin (CPX) as an anti-infective model of drug. CPX is a broad-spectrum antibiotic used in the treatment of sexual tissues infections, as intravenous injection in a dose of 20 mg every 12 h. In this study, CPX was incorporated in water in silicone (W/S) mucoadhesive emulsions and the in vivo residence time and the CPX in vivo absorption and distribution to the sexual organs was studied using the rat as animal model. W/S emulsion shows excellent in vitro bioadhesion having high resistance to the vaginal fluids clearance. The drug release profiles show a constant release of CPX during at least 6 h according to a zero-order kinetics. In vivo computerized PET/CT Image Analysis after intravaginal administration to rats indicates that W/S emulsions remain in the vaginal area for a long time and shows a good absorption of the radiotracers used as markers through the vaginal mucosa. Ciprofloxacin pharmacokinetic studies developed after the single intravaginal administration of W/S emulsion shows a good absorption and distribution of CPX on the uterus and ovarian tissue. A significant concentration of CPX in the sexual tissues was observed after 24 h of administration of W/S emulsion. Therefore, W/S emulsions have a good in vivo residence and drug release in the vaginal mucosae showing a great potential for the treatment of sexual tissues infections, as vaginal bioadhesive delivery systems of antinfectious drugs.

Model Selection for Body Temperature Signal Classification Using Both Amplitude and Ordinality-Based Entropy Measures

Many entropy-related methods for signal classification have been proposed and exploited successfully in the last several decades. However, it is sometimes difficult to find the optimal measure and the optimal parameter configuration for a specific purpose or context. Suboptimal settings may therefore produce subpar results and not even reach the desired level of significance. In order to increase the signal classification accuracy in these suboptimal situations, this paper proposes statistical models created with uncorrelated measures that exploit the possible synergies between them. The methods employed are permutation entropy (PE), approximate entropy (ApEn), and sample entropy (SampEn). Since PE is based on subpattern ordinal differences, whereas ApEn and SampEn are based on subpattern amplitude differences, we hypothesized that a combination of PE with another method would enhance the individual performance of any of them. The dataset was composed of body temperature records, for which we did not obtain a classification accuracy above 80% with a single measure, in this study or even in previous studies. The results confirmed that the classification accuracy rose up to 90% when combining PE and ApEn with a logistic model.

Tunable entanglement distillation of spatially correlated down-converted photons

We report on a new technique for entanglement distillation of the bipartite continuous variable state of spatially correlated photons generated in the spontaneous parametric down-conversion process (SPDC), where tunable non-Gaussian operations are implemented and the post-processed entanglement is certified in real-time using a single-photon sensitive electron multiplying CCD (EMCCD) camera. The local operations are performed using non-Gaussian filters modulated into a programmable spatial light modulator and, by using the EMCCD camera for actively recording the probability distributions of the twin-photons, one has fine control of the Schmidt number of the distilled state. We show that even simple non-Gaussian filters can be finely tuned to a ∼67% net gain of the initial entanglement generated in the SPDC process.

Risk attitudes in medical decisions for others: An experimental approach

The aim of this paper is to investigate how risk attitudes in medical decisions for others vary across health contexts. A lab experiment was designed to elicit the risk attitudes of 257 medical and nonmedical students by assigning them the role of a physician who must decide between treatments for patients. An interval regression model was used to estimate individual coefficients of relative risk aversion, and an estimation model was used to test for the effect of type of medical decision and experimental design characteristics on elicited risk aversion. We find that (a) risk attitudes vary across different health contexts, but risk aversion prevails in all of them; (b) students enrolled in health-related degrees show a higher degree of risk aversion; and (c) real rewards for third parties (patients) make subjects less risk-averse. The results underline the importance of accounting for attitudes towards risk in medical decision making.

Evaluación de la eficacia de algunos fármacos para el tratamiento de la hepatozoonosis canina

La hepatozoonosis canina es una enfermedad parasitaria, adquirida por la ingestión de garrapatas infectadas con protozoarios del género Hepatozoon (H). Hepatozoon canis y Hepatozoon americanum son las dos especies que pueden infectar al perro. La presentación clínica de la infección con Hepatozoon canis es muy variable, pudiendo ser asintomática o manifestarse con signos de enfermedad leves a severos. Los exámenes hematológicos revelan ligera anemia no regenerativa, marcada leucocitosis neutrofílica con desvío a la izquierda y monocitosis en los casos de hepatozoonosis clínica. El diagnóstico se realiza mediante la visualización mediante el microscopio óptico de los gamontes en neutrófilos y monocitos en frotis de sangre coloreados. No existe, hasta el momento, un tratamiento eficaz para esta parasitosis. El fármaco más utilizado es el dipropionato de imidocarb, aunque con resultados variables. El objetivo de este trabajo fue evaluar tres opciones terapéuticas para la erradicación de Hepatozoon spp. de la sangre de perros infectados. Se utilizaron 18 perrosparasitados naturalmente y se evaluaron tres fármacos: dipropionato de imidocarb, toltrazuril y espiramicina. En todos los perros tratados disminuyó el promedio de infección, presentando similares valores medios de leucocitos infectados. El análisis estadístico arrojó una diferencia significativa solo en el tratamiento de la parasitosis con dipropionato de imidocarb. En virtud de los resultados obtenidos con los tratamientos llevados a cabo con los diferentes fármacos, se concluye que ninguno es totalmente efectivo para la desaparición del parásito de la sangre, siendo el dipropionato de imidocarb el de mejor comportamiento.

Private versus social incentives for pharmaceutical innovation

We provide a theoretical framework to contribute to the current debate regarding the tendency of pharmaceutical companies to direct their R&D toward marketing products that are "follow-on" drugs of already existing drugs, rather than toward the development of breakthrough drugs. We construct a model with a population of patients who can be treated with drugs that are horizontally and vertically differentiated. In addition to a pioneering drug, a new drug can be marketed as the result of an innovative process. We analyze physician prescription choices and the optimal pricing decision of an innovative firm. We also characterize the incentives of the innovative firm to conduct R&D activities, disentangling the quest for breakthrough drugs from the firm effort to develop follow-on drugs. Our results offer theoretical support for the conventional wisdom that pharmaceutical firms devote too many resources to conducting R&D activities that lead to incremental innovations.

Tuberculosis in prisoners and their contacts in Chile: estimating incidence and latent infection

SETTING

Contact investigation of tuberculosis (TB) patients in Chilean prisons.

OBJECTIVE

1) To estimate TB incidence and the prevalence of latent tuberculous infection (LTBI) among prisoners and their contacts; and 2) to determine factors associated with disease transmission.

DESIGN

Cross-sectional study conducted in 46 prisons (51% of the total prison population) to assess the prevalence of and risk factors for LTBI among contacts of prisoners newly diagnosed with pulmonary TB. We used in vitro interferon-gamma release assays to establish LTBI and a questionnaire to address risk factors.

RESULTS

During the 1-year follow-up, we studied 418 contacts of 33 active TB cases. We found high TB incidence (123.9 per 100,000 prisoners) and high LTBI prevalence (29.4%) among contacts. LTBI rates are significantly higher in prison inmates than in non-prisoners (33.2% vs. 15.6%). Male sex, illicit drugs, malnutrition, corticosteroid use, low educational level and sharing a cell with a case increase the risk of LTBI. Multivariate analyses showed that corticosteroid use, duration of incarceration and overcrowding are the most relevant determinants for LTBI among all contacts.

CONCLUSIONS

Our results confirm that incarceration increases the risk of tuberculous infection and TB disease, and that it was associated not only with origin from vulnerable groups, but also with the prison environment. Reinforcing TB control is essential to prevent TB transmission in prisons.

Comparison between Urine and Cervical Samples for HPV DNA Detection and Typing in Young Women in Colombia

Urine sampling for HPV DNA detection has been proposed as an effective method for monitoring the impact of HPV vaccination programs; however, conflicting results have been reported. The goal of this study was to evaluate the performance of optimized urine HPV DNA testing in women aged 19 to 25 years. Optimization process included the use of first void urine, immediate mixing of urine with DNA preservative, and the concentration of all HPV DNA, including cell-free DNA fragments. Urine and cervical samples were collected from 535 young women attending cervical screening at health centers from two Colombian cities. HPV DNA detection and genotyping was performed using an HPV type-specific multiplex genotyping assay, which combines multiplex polymerase chain reaction with bead-based Luminex technology. Concordance between HPV DNA detection in urine and cervical samples was determined using kappa statistics and McNemar tests. The accuracy of HPV DNA testing in urine samples was evaluated measuring sensitivity and specificity using as reference the results obtained from cervical samples. Statistical analysis was performed using STATA11.2 software. The findings revealed an overall HPV prevalence of 60.00% in cervical samples and 64.72% in urine samples, HPV-16 being the most frequent HPV type detected in both specimens. Moreover, our results indicate that detection of HPV DNA in first void urine provides similar results to those obtained with cervical samples and can be used to monitor HPV vaccination trials and programs as evidenced by the substantial concordance found for the detection of the four vaccine types. Cancer Prev Res; 9(9); 766-71. ©2016 AACR.

Reduced work/academic performance and quality of life in patients with allergic rhinitis and impact of allergen immunotherapy

Background

Allergic rhinitis (AR) is characterised by burdensome nasal and/or ocular symptoms. This inflammatory disease can be debilitating and thus result in considerable health-related and economic consequences.

Methods

In a cross-sectional study, adult subjects with AR (N = 683) completed three allergy-specific questionnaires that assessed the impact of AR on the work/academic performance, daily activities, health-related quality of life (HRQOL), and satisfaction with allergen immunotherapy (AIT). Regression analyses were used to examine the associations between several clinical variables and the patient-reported outcomes.

Results

Total loss of productivity was 21.0 and 21.2 % for employed and student patients, respectively, whereas the impairment of daily activities was 22.0 %. The mean overall HRQOL score was 1.94 ± 1.29 (on the scale of 0–6 points). Global score for satisfaction with AIT was 65.5 ± 24.8 (on a 0–100 scale). Simple regression analysis found statistically significant associations between loss of work and academic productivity, impairment of daily activities and the type and severity of AR. AIT was a protective factor. The persistent and more severe types of AR and lack of AIT contributed to the worsening of HRQOL.

Conclusions

AR (the persistent and more severe form of the disease) has an impact on functional characteristics of adult patients in Spain. AIT might reduce the effect of this disease on the work/academic performance and HRQOL.

Trial registration Retrospectively registered

Impact of human papillomavirus (HPV) 16 and 18 vaccination on prevalent infections and rates of cervical lesions after excisional treatment

BACKGROUND

Human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccines prevent HPV infection and cervical precancers. The impact of vaccinating women with a current infection or after treatment for an HPV-associated lesion is not fully understood.

OBJECTIVES

To determine whether HPV-16/18 vaccination influences the outcome of infections present at vaccination and the rate of infection and disease after treatment of lesions.

STUDY DESIGN

We included 1711 women (18–25 years) with carcinogenic human papillomavirus infection and 311 women of similar age who underwent treatment for cervical precancer and who participated in a community-based trial of the AS04-adjuvanted HPV-16/18 virus-like particle vaccine. Participants were randomized (human papillomavirus or hepatitis A vaccine) and offered 3 vaccinations over 6 months. Follow-up included annual visits (more frequently if clinically indicated), referral to colposcopy of high-grade and persistent low-grade lesions, treatment by loop electrosurgical excisional procedure when clinically indicated, and cytologic and virologic follow-up after treatment. Among women with human papillomavirus infection at the time of vaccination, we considered type-specific viral clearance, and development of cytologic (squamous intraepithelial lesions) and histologic (cervical intraepithelial neoplasia) lesions. Among treated women, we considered single-time and persistent human papillomavirus infection, squamous intraepithelial lesions, and cervical intraepithelial neoplasia 2+. Outcomes associated with infections absent before treatment also were evaluated. Infection-level analyses were performed and vaccine efficacy estimated.

RESULTS

Median follow-up was 56.7 months (women with human papillomavirus infection) and 27.3 months (treated women). There was no evidence of vaccine efficacy to increase clearance of human papillomavirus infections or decrease incidence of cytologic/histologic abnormalities associated with human papillomavirus types present at enrollment. Vaccine efficacy for human papillomavirus 16/18 clearance and against human papillomavirus 16/18 progression from infection to cervical intraepithelial neoplasia 2+ were −5.4% (95% confidence interval −19,10) and 0.3% (95% confidence interval −69,41), respectively. Among treated women, 34.1% had oncogenic infection and 1.6% had cervical intraepithelial neoplasia 2+ detected after treatment, respectively, and of these 69.8% and 20.0% were the result of new infections. We observed no significant effect of vaccination on rates of infection/lesions after treatment. Vaccine efficacy estimates for human papillomavirus 16/18 associated persistent infection and cervical intraepithelial neoplasia 2+ after treatment were 34.7% (95% confidence interval −131, 82) and −211% (95% confidence interval −2901, 68), respectively. We observed evidence for a partial and nonsignificant protective effect of vaccination against new infections absent before treatment. For incident human papillomavirus 16/18, human papillomavirus 31/33/45, and oncogenic human papillomavirus infections post-treatment, vaccine efficacy estimates were 57.9% (95% confidence interval −44, 88), 72.9% (95% confidence interval 29, 90), and 36.7% (95% confidence interval 1.5, 59), respectively.

CONCLUSION

We find no evidence for a vaccine effect on the fate of detectable human papillomavirus infections. We show that vaccination does not protect against infections/lesions after treatment. Evaluation of vaccine protection against new infections and resultant lesions warrants further consideration in future studies.

The improved biological response of shark tooth bioapatites in a comparative in vitro study with synthetic and bovine bone grafts

Autologous bone is considered to be the gold standard for bone tissue regeneration, providing more highly efficient functional responses compared to synthetic materials, and avoiding the rejection risks of allogenic grafts. However, it presents limitations for certain types of surgery due to its high resorption levels and donor site morbidity. Different biphasic synthetic composites, based onnon-apatitic calcium phosphates enriched with apatitic phases-such as hydroxyapatite, and bioderived bone grafts of bovine and porcine origin-are proposed as lower resorption materials due to their higher crystalline structure. The present work proposes two new sources of bioapatites for bone filler applications obtained from the dentine and enameloid of shark teeth, respectively. These bioapatites each present a characteristic apatite-based composition and additional enrichments of specific trace elements, such as magnesium and fluorine, with proven roles in bone metabolism. Their processing and physicochemical characterization (SEM, FT-Raman and XRD) is presented, together with an in vitro evaluation of osteogenic activity compared to a commercial bovine mineralized matrix and synthetic HA/β TCP grafts. The results proved the globular morphology (0.5-1.5 μm) and porosity (~50 μm and ~0.5-1 μm) of shark dentine bioapatites with biphasic composition: apatitic (hydroxyapatite and apatite-(CaF)), non-apatitic (whitlockite), and an apatitic phase (fluorapatite), organized in oriented crystals in enameloid bioapatites. An evaluation of the pre-osteoblast MC3T3-E1 morphology revealed the colonization of pores in dentine bioapatites and an aligned cell growth in the oriented enameloid crystals. A higher proliferation (p  <  0.01) was detected at up to 21 d in both the shark bioapatites and synthetic biphasic graft with respect to the bovine mineralized matrix. Finally, the great potential of porous biphasic dentine bioapatites enriched with Mg and the aligned fluorapatite crystals of enameloid bioapatites in promoting greater osteogenic activity was confirmed with a significantly increased ALP synthesis (p  <  0.01) compared to the commercial grafts.