Inertial enhancement of the polymer diffusive instability

Beneitez et al. (2023b) have recently discovered a new linear "polymer diffusive instability" (PDI) in inertialess viscoelastic rectilinear shear flow of a FENE-P fluid with polymer stress diffusion. Here, we examine the impact of inertia on the PDI, which we delineate for both plane Couette and channel configurations under varying Weissenberg number $W$, polymer stress diffusivity $\varepsilon$, solvent-to-total viscosity $\beta$ and Reynolds number $Re$, considering Oldroyd-B and FENE-P constitutive relations. Both the prevalence of the instability in parameter space and the associated growth rates are found to significantly increase with $Re$. For instance, as $Re$ increases with $\beta$ fixed, the instability emerges at progressively lower values of $W$ and $\varepsilon$ than in the inertialess limit, and the associated growth rates increase linearly with $Re$ when all other parameters are fixed. This strengthening of PDI with inertia and the fact that stress diffusion is always present in time-stepping algorithms, either implicitly as part of the scheme or explicitly as a stabiliser, implies that the instability is likely operative in computational work using the popular Oldroyd-B and FENE-P constitutive models. The fundamental question now is whether PDI is physical and observable in experiments, or is instead an artifact of the constitutive models that must be suppressed.Comment: 10 pages, 3 figure

Nuevas aplicaciones de la termoluminiscencia a la datación absoluta arte rupestre

En el presente trabajo se describe una nueva metodología ptira la datación por termoluminiscencia (TL) de muestras arqueológicas ricas en carbonato de calcio, que pueden ser datadas si la emisión de TL es tiltrada a través de un til- tro Nevvporl OG-550

Usefulness of NGS for diagnosis of dominant beta-thalassemia and unstable hemoglobinopathies in five clinical cases

Unstable hemoglobinopathies (UHs) are rare anemia disorders (RADs) characterized by abnormal hemoglobin (Hb) variants with decreased stability. UHs are therefore easily precipitating, causing hemolysis and, in some cases, leading to dominant beta-thalassemia (dBTHAL). The clinical picture of UHs is highly heterogeneous, inheritance pattern is dominant, instead of recessive as in more prevalent major Hb syndromes, and may occur de novo. Most cases of UHs are not detected by conventional testing, therefore diagnosis requires a high index of suspicion of the treating physician. Here, we highlight the importance of next generation sequencing (NGS) methodologies for the diagnosis of patients with dBTHAL and other less severe UH variants. We present five unrelated clinical cases referred with chronic hemolytic anemia, three of them with severe blood transfusion dependent anemia. Targeted NGS analysis was performed in three cases while whole exome sequencing (WES) analysis was performed in two cases. Five different UH variants were identified correlating with patients' clinical manifestations. Four variants were related to the beta-globin gene (Hb Bristol-Alesha, Hb Debrousse, Hb Zunyi, and the novel Hb Mokum) meanwhile one case was caused by a mutation in the alpha-globin gene leading to Hb Evans. Inclusion of alpha and beta-globin genes in routine NGS approaches for RADs has to be considered to improve diagnosis' efficiency of RAD due to UHs. Reducing misdiagnoses and underdiagnoses of UH variants, especially of the severe forms leading to dBTHAL would also facilitate the early start of intensive or curative treatments for these patients.Genetics of disease, diagnosis and treatmen

Choice of the initial antiretroviral treatment for HIV-positive individuals in the era of integrase inhibitors

BACKGROUND: We aimed to describe the most frequently prescribed initial antiretroviral therapy (ART) regimens in recent years in HIV-positive persons in the Cohort of the Spanish HIV/AIDS Research Network (CoRIS) and to investigate factors associated with the choice of each regimen. METHODS: We analyzed initial ART regimens prescribed in adults participating in CoRIS from 2014 to 2017. Only regimens prescribed in >5% of patients were considered. We used multivariable multinomial regression to estimate Relative Risk Ratios (RRRs) for the association between sociodemographic and clinical characteristics and the choice of the initial regimen. RESULTS: Among 2874 participants, abacavir(ABC)/lamivudine(3TC)/dolutegavir(DTG) was the most frequently prescribed regimen (32.1%), followed by tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF)/emtricitabine (FTC)/elvitegravir(EVG)/cobicistat(COBI) (14.9%), TDF/FTC/rilpivirine (RPV) (14.0%), tenofovir alafenamide (TAF)/FTC/EVG/COBI (13.7%), TDF/FTC+DTG (10.0%), TDF/FTC+darunavir/ritonavir or darunavir/cobicistat (bDRV) (9.8%) and TDF/FTC+raltegravir (RAL) (5.6%). Compared with ABC/3TC/DTG, starting TDF/FTC/RPV was less likely in patients with CD4100.000 copies/mL. TDF/FTC+DTG was more frequent in those with CD4100.000 copies/mL. TDF/FTC+RAL and TDF/FTC+bDRV were also more frequent among patients with CD4<200 cells//muL and with transmission categories other than men who have sex with men. Compared with ABC/3TC/DTG, the prescription of other initial ART regimens decreased from 2014-2015 to 2016-2017 with the exception of TDF/FTC+DTG. Differences in the choice of the initial ART regimen were observed by hospitals' location. CONCLUSIONS: The choice of initial ART regimens is consistent with Spanish guidelines' recommendations, but is also clearly influenced by physician's perception based on patient's clinical and sociodemographic variables and by the prescribing hospital location

Relationship between ionoluminescence emission and bond distance (M-O) in carbonates

Ionoluminescence emission spectra induced by 2 MeV protons are reported for a range of carbonates. A major feature in these spectra, are the Mn2+ luminescence centres that appear within all the samples. The emission wavelengths for the Mn2+ are linearly correlated to the metal-oxygen bonding length, both in rhombohedral and orthorhombic lattices for the minerals studied. The Mn2+ band, is in each case related to the corresponding energy level diagram of the mineral's crystal lattice, as this ion perturbs the crystal field term, which for emission in rhombohedral calcite has a value of 1000 cm(-1), and for orthorhombic sites in aragonite is 1200 cm. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved

Evaluación de la actividad asistencial de un equipo multidisciplinario de soporte nutricional en el seguimiento de la nutrición parenteral total Assessment of activity of care of a nutritional support multidiciplinary team in the follow-up of total parenteral nutrition

INTRODUCCIÓN: En la Nutrición Parenteral Total (NPT) los equipos multidisciplinarios de soporte nutricional (EMSN) deben proporcionar una asistencia nutricional de calidad basada en la evidencia y en el seguimiento diario de los pacientes sometidos a NPT. Objetivos: Evaluar el grado de cumplimiento de los estándares de calidad en la asistencia prestada a los pacientes con NPT por parte del EMSN en dos períodos anuales sucesivos, de acuerdo con indicadores de estructura, proceso y resultado previamente definidos en el protocolo de trabajo del equipo. PACIENTES Y MÉTODOS: Estudio prospectivo de todos los pacientes que recibieron NPT en nuestro centro (hospital general docente con 421 camas) durante el año 2002 y durante el año 2003, utilizando los datos introducidos en NUTRIDATA© mediante el seguimiento diario de las condiciones clínicas, analíticas y complicaciones nutricionales y no nutricionales, comparando ambos períodos y considerando un nivel de significación de p INTRODUCTION: In total parenteral nutrition (TPN) nutritional support multidisciplinary teams (NSMT) must provide a high quality nutritional assistance based on evidence and daily follow-up of patients with TPN. Objectives: To assess the degree of adherence to quality standards of care provided to patients on TPN by the NSMT in two consecutive annual periods,according to structure, procedure, and outcomes indicators, previously defined in the team working protocol. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Prospective study of all patients that received TPN at our Center (421-bed general teaching hospital) during the years 2002 and 2003, using the data introduced in NUTRIDATA® by daily follow-up of clinical and analytical conditions, and nutritional and non-nutritional complications, comparing both periods and considering an statistical significance level of p <0.05. RESULTS: One hundred and sixty-three patients and 145 patients received TPN during 2002 and 2003(65.9% male), respectively, with similar parameters of gender, age, indications for TPN, baseline nutritional status, mean nutritional supply, and non-nutritional complications. As to the different quality indicators established in the comparative study, we found a significant improvement in 2003 vs. 2002 in relation to initial anthropometrical assessment (71.03% vs 51.53%; p < 0.001), initial biochemical assessment (97.93% vs. 92.63%; p < 0.04), performance of systematic monitoring analysis (84.83% vs. 71.78%; p < 0.01), hypernatremia incidence (8.27% vs. 15.34%; p = 0.05) and moderate hyperphosphatemia (26.89% vs.40.49%; p < 0.02), TPN ending for clinical improve ment (76.60% vs. 64.40%; p = 0.04), and reduction of days on TPN (15.74 &plusmn; 20.43 vs. 11.88 &plusmn; 8.34; p < 0.02), the impaired electrolyte levels significantly improving as a whole. We also observed a non-significant trend towards an improvement of adequacy of TPN indications, hyperphosphatemia, severe hypophosphatemia, total stay, and post-surgical stay, in 2003 vs. 2002. CONCLUSIONS: The NSMT experience shows that analysis of indicators based on quality standards, in two successive annual periods allows assessing the improvement of efficiency of nutritional intervention in hospital-admitted patients with TPN with regards to indication, assessment, follow-up, and course