Conceptual design of the early implementation of the NEutron Detector Array (NEDA) with AGATA

The NEutron Detector Array (NEDA) project aims at the construction of a new high-efficiency compact neutron detector array to be coupled with large (Formula presented.) -ray arrays such as AGATA. The application of NEDA ranges from its use as selective neutron multiplicity filter for fusion-evaporation reaction to a large solid angle neutron tagging device. In the present work, possible configurations for the NEDA coupled with the Neutron Wall for the early implementation with AGATA has been simulated, using Monte Carlo techniques, in order to evaluate their performance figures. The goal of this early NEDA implementation is to improve, with respect to previous instruments, efficiency and capability to select multiplicity for fusion-evaporation reaction channels in which 1, 2 or 3 neutrons are emitted. Each NEDA detector unit has the shape of a regular hexagonal prism with a volume of about 3.23l and it is filled with the EJ301 liquid scintillator, that presents good neutron- (Formula presented.) discrimination properties. The simulations have been performed using a fusion-evaporation event generator that has been validated with a set of experimental data obtained in the 58Ni + 56Fe reaction measured with the Neutron Wall detector array

Elective Cancer Surgery in COVID-19-Free Surgical Pathways During the SARS-CoV-2 Pandemic: An International, Multicenter, Comparative Cohort Study.

PURPOSE: As cancer surgery restarts after the first COVID-19 wave, health care providers urgently require data to determine where elective surgery is best performed. This study aimed to determine whether COVID-19-free surgical pathways were associated with lower postoperative pulmonary complication rates compared with hospitals with no defined pathway. PATIENTS AND METHODS: This international, multicenter cohort study included patients who underwent elective surgery for 10 solid cancer types without preoperative suspicion of SARS-CoV-2. Participating hospitals included patients from local emergence of SARS-CoV-2 until April 19, 2020. At the time of surgery, hospitals were defined as having a COVID-19-free surgical pathway (complete segregation of the operating theater, critical care, and inpatient ward areas) or no defined pathway (incomplete or no segregation, areas shared with patients with COVID-19). The primary outcome was 30-day postoperative pulmonary complications (pneumonia, acute respiratory distress syndrome, unexpected ventilation). RESULTS: Of 9,171 patients from 447 hospitals in 55 countries, 2,481 were operated on in COVID-19-free surgical pathways. Patients who underwent surgery within COVID-19-free surgical pathways were younger with fewer comorbidities than those in hospitals with no defined pathway but with similar proportions of major surgery. After adjustment, pulmonary complication rates were lower with COVID-19-free surgical pathways (2.2% v 4.9%; adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 0.62; 95% CI, 0.44 to 0.86). This was consistent in sensitivity analyses for low-risk patients (American Society of Anesthesiologists grade 1/2), propensity score-matched models, and patients with negative SARS-CoV-2 preoperative tests. The postoperative SARS-CoV-2 infection rate was also lower in COVID-19-free surgical pathways (2.1% v 3.6%; aOR, 0.53; 95% CI, 0.36 to 0.76). CONCLUSION: Within available resources, dedicated COVID-19-free surgical pathways should be established to provide safe elective cancer surgery during current and before future SARS-CoV-2 outbreaks

Elective cancer surgery in COVID-19-free surgical pathways during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic: An international, multicenter, comparative cohort study

PURPOSE As cancer surgery restarts after the first COVID-19 wave, health care providers urgently require data to determine where elective surgery is best performed. This study aimed to determine whether COVID-19–free surgical pathways were associated with lower postoperative pulmonary complication rates compared with hospitals with no defined pathway. PATIENTS AND METHODS This international, multicenter cohort study included patients who underwent elective surgery for 10 solid cancer types without preoperative suspicion of SARS-CoV-2. Participating hospitals included patients from local emergence of SARS-CoV-2 until April 19, 2020. At the time of surgery, hospitals were defined as having a COVID-19–free surgical pathway (complete segregation of the operating theater, critical care, and inpatient ward areas) or no defined pathway (incomplete or no segregation, areas shared with patients with COVID-19). The primary outcome was 30-day postoperative pulmonary complications (pneumonia, acute respiratory distress syndrome, unexpected ventilation). RESULTS Of 9,171 patients from 447 hospitals in 55 countries, 2,481 were operated on in COVID-19–free surgical pathways. Patients who underwent surgery within COVID-19–free surgical pathways were younger with fewer comorbidities than those in hospitals with no defined pathway but with similar proportions of major surgery. After adjustment, pulmonary complication rates were lower with COVID-19–free surgical pathways (2.2% v 4.9%; adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 0.62; 95% CI, 0.44 to 0.86). This was consistent in sensitivity analyses for low-risk patients (American Society of Anesthesiologists grade 1/2), propensity score–matched models, and patients with negative SARS-CoV-2 preoperative tests. The postoperative SARS-CoV-2 infection rate was also lower in COVID-19–free surgical pathways (2.1% v 3.6%; aOR, 0.53; 95% CI, 0.36 to 0.76). CONCLUSION Within available resources, dedicated COVID-19–free surgical pathways should be established to provide safe elective cancer surgery during current and before future SARS-CoV-2 outbreaks

Outcomes from elective colorectal cancer surgery during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic

This study aimed to describe the change in surgical practice and the impact of SARS-CoV-2 on mortality after surgical resection of colorectal cancer during the initial phases of the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic

Variability in the developmental stage of apricot ovules at anthesis and its relationship with fruit set

6 pages, 2 tables, 1 figure.-- Published Online: 16/Mar/05.The stage of ovule development at anthesis and its relationship with fruit set was studied in several apricot cultivars growing in Mediterranean climatic conditions. Although generally the ovule was immature at anthesis, a great variability was found in the stage of development of the ovules from different cultivars. Considering functional ovules to be those with an embryo sac with at least four nuclei at anthesis, the earliest flowering varieties frequently showed more than 50% of functional ovules. Though these results could suggest that there is an influence of the chilling requirement on the percentage of functional ovules at anthesis, data recorded from two cultivars, 'Goldrich' and 'Colorao', with high chilling requirements, contrast with this suggestion. These results indicate that in apricot flowers the development of the embryo sac at anthesis is genotype dependent. The fact that a high frequency of functional ovules at anthesis was found, in cultivars with more than 50% of fruit set, suggests that, to be fertilised, a certain level of development of the apricot ovules at this time is necessary.This work has been partially supported by a grant of the "Fundación Séneca" (Murcia, Spain).Peer reviewe

The effect of temperature on stigmatic receptivity in sweet cherry (Prunus avium L.)

the definitive version is available at: http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/doi/pdf/10.1046/j.1365-3040.2003.01085.xPlant reproduction is highly vulnerable to environmental conditions such as temperature and, consequently, planet warming may have significant consequences on the reproductive phase with serious implication in agricultural crops. Although pollen tube growth is clearly affected by temperature, little information is available on its effect on the female side and on flower receptivity. In this work, the effect of temperature has been evaluated on stigmatic receptivity of sweet cherry in vivo, in the laboratory, and in planta, in the field. Results herein show that temperature has a clear effect on the duration of stigmatic receptivity. Thus, whereas high temperature reduced stigmatic receptivity, low temperature enlarged it. The stigma lost the capacity to offer support first for pollen penetration, second for pollen germination and, finally, for pollen adhesion. The effect of temperature was more pronounced on pollen germination and penetration than on pollen adhesion. High temperature reduced the germination capacity of the pollen as early as the first day after anthesis, a time when no apparent signs of stigma degeneration are apparent. This clear effect of temperature on stigmatic receptivity and pollen performance may have clear implication in crop performance and in establishing screening criteria of best-adapted genotypes.A.H. was supported by AECI and SIA-DGA fellowships and financial support for this work was provided by INIA (project grant RTA 01–103).Peer reviewe

Flower bud differentiation and development in fruiting and non-fruiting shoots in relation to fruit set in apricot (Prunus armeniaca L.)

30 Pag., 2 Tabl., 8 Fig.Situations of high flower bud drop and low fruit set without apparent causes are common in fruit trees. The term flower quality has been coined to explain differences among flowers in their capacity to set fruit, but the causes underpinning these differences are largely unknown. This lack of knowledge is based on the fact that these differences are established a posteriori and there are no criteria to determine a priori what will make a flower to set a fruit or to drop. In this work, we profit from the empirical knowledge that there are fruiting and non-fruiting shoots to explore to which extent flower bud differentiation and bud development will affect the subsequent fruit set. For this purpose, the processes from flower bud differentiation to fruit set were sequentially analyzed in both types of shoots, over 2 years. More than half of the buds from long shoots aborted development and dropped before flowering. At anthesis, most of the remaining flowers showed underdeveloped pistils that failed to sustain pollen germination or pollen tube growth along the pistil. This unsuccessful development resulted in clear differences in fruit set between both types of branches. These results highlight that flower bud differentiation and development play an important role for fruit set and that developmental timing appears critical to reach anthesis with a fully developed pistil.Financial support for this research was provided by Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación—EU-FEDER (CICYT AGL2006-13529-CO2-00, AGL2009-12621-C02-00), Gobierno de Aragón (Grupo de Excelencia de Aragón A-43), and Instituto Nacional de Investigación y Tecnología Agroalimentaria (Doctoral fellowship INIA2003-8 to C.J.).Peer reviewe

Descripción de la consulta psiquiátrica en centros penitenciarios de la Comunidad Valenciana Description of the psychiatric unit in prisons in the Autonomous Community of Valencia

Introducción: Existen pocos trabajos sobre el contenido de las consultas psiquiátricas en las prisiones. Objetivos: Explorar el perfil sociodemográfico, clínico y de tratamiento de los pacientes valorados en la consulta psiquiátrica de tres centros penitenciarios. Métodos: Estudio epidemiológico multicéntrico, descriptivo, longitudinal, y prospectivo de los pacientes valorados en la consulta psiquiátrica de tres prisiones de la Comunidad Valenciana durante 2009, 2010 y 2011. Se obtuvieron variables clínicas, sociodemográficas y penitenciarias de cada paciente. Las frecuencias se compararon mediante la Ji² de Pearson y las medias por el test de ANOVA o el método de Kruskall-Wallis. Se calculó la probabilidad de mantenerse en agenda psiquiátrica mediante curvas de Kaplan-Meier, estableciéndose las diferencias con el método de Mantel-Haenzsel (Logrank). Se diseñó un modelo de regresión logística para determinar las variables asociadas a hiperfrecuentación. Resultados: Se valoraron 786 pacientes en 2.006 consultas (2,5 visitas/paciente). El 90% eran varones y el 88,2% españoles, con una edad media de 36,0 años. El 29,9% tenían patología infecciosa crónica asociada. El 69,5% consume algún tipo de sustancia. El 59,2% sufría un trastorno de personalidad y el 11,6% del espectro de la esquizofrenia. Los cuadros clínicos más frecuentes fueron; 49,1% cuadros ansiosos, 20,8% depresivos y 11,7% síntomas psicóticos. Los trastornos psicóticos supusieron 1,5 veces más probabilidad (IC 95%; 1,1-1,9) de mantenerse más tiempo en agenda. Los fármacos más prescritos fueron quetiapina, mirtazapina, pregabalina y diacepam. Conclusiones: Los trastornos mentales en prisión son muy prevalentes. Es necesario potenciar los recursos disponibles para una adecuada atención de estas patologías.Introduction: Little work has been done on the contents of psychiatric consultancies in prisons. Aims: To explore the sociodemographic, clinical and treatment profile of the patients who were assessed in the psychiatric consultancy of three prisons. Methods: This is a prospective, longitudinal, descriptive and multicenter-based epidemiological study of patients who were assessed in the psychiatric consultacy of three prisons in the Autonomous Community of Valencia from 2009 to 2011. Sociodemographic, clinical and prison data was obtained from each patient. Their frequency was compared with Pearson's Ji² and averages with the ANOVA test or with The Kruskall-Wallis method. The probability of keeping the patients in schedule was calculated with Kaplan-Meier's curves and differences with the Mantel-Haenzsel method (Logrank) were established. A logistic regression model was designed to determine the data linked to frequent users. Results: 786 patients were assessed in 2,006 visits (2.5 visits/patient). 90% were male, 88.2% Spanish and their average age was 36 years. 29.9% suffered from an infectious chronic pathology. 69.5% used some kinds of substance. 59.2% suffered from personality disorder and 11.6% from the spectrum of schizophrenia. The most frequent medical profiles were: 49.1% with anxiety disorder, 20.8% depressive disorder and 11.7% psychotic disorder. These psychotic disorders meant a greater probability of 1.5 times for maintaining in schedule. The most commonly prescribed medications were quetiapine, mirtazapine, pregabalin and diazepam. Conclusion: There is a high prevalence of mental disorders in prisons. It is necessary to improve the available resources to deal with these pathologies in the most effective way