Evaluation of Convalescent Plasma for Ebola Virus Disease in Guinea

: In the wake of the recent outbreak of Ebola virus disease (EVD) in several African countries, the World Health Organization prioritized the evaluation of treatment with convalescent plasma derived from patients who have recovered from the disease. We evaluated the safety and efficacy of convalescent plasma for the treatment of EVD in Guinea. : In this nonrandomized, comparative study, 99 patients of various ages (including pregnant women) with confirmed EVD received two consecutive transfusions of 200 to 250 ml of ABO-compatible convalescent plasma, with each unit of plasma obtained from a separate convalescent donor. The transfusions were initiated on the day of diagnosis or up to 2 days later. The level of neutralizing antibodies against Ebola virus in the plasma was unknown at the time of administration. The control group was 418 patients who had been treated at the same center during the previous 5 months. The primary outcome was the risk of death during the period from 3 to 16 days after diagnosis with adjustments for age and the baseline cycle-threshold value on polymerase-chain-reaction assay; patients who had died before day 3 were excluded. The clinically important difference was defined as an absolute reduction in mortality of 20 percentage points in the convalescent-plasma group as compared with the control group. : A total of 84 patients who were treated with plasma were included in the primary analysis. At baseline, the convalescent-plasma group had slightly higher cycle-threshold values and a shorter duration of symptoms than did the control group, along with a higher frequency of eye redness and difficulty in swallowing. From day 3 to day 16 after diagnosis, the risk of death was 31% in the convalescent-plasma group and 38% in the control group (risk difference, -7 percentage points; 95% confidence interval [CI], -18 to 4). The difference was reduced after adjustment for age and cycle-threshold value (adjusted risk difference, -3 percentage points; 95% CI, -13 to 8). No serious adverse reactions associated with the use of convalescent plasma were observed. : The transfusion of up to 500 ml of convalescent plasma with unknown levels of neutralizing antibodies in 84 patients with confirmed EVD was not associated with a significant improvement in survival. (Funded by the European Union's Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Program and others; ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT02342171.).<br/

Intrinsic coherence resonance in an electrochemical cell

We study the interaction of intrinsic electrochemical noise with autonomous nonlinear dynamics of a three-electrode electrochemical cell. The amplitude of this intrinsic (internal) noise, regulated by the concentration of chloride ions, is monotonically increased and the provoked dynamics is analyzed. The experimentally constructed coherence factor beta versus the concentration of the chloride ions' curve has a unimodal shape indicating the emergence of intrinsic coherence resonance. The abscissa for the maxima of this unimodal curve corresponds to the optimum value of intrinsic noise where maximum regularity of the invoked dynamics is observed

Actividad molusquicida del Piquerol A aislado de Piqueria trinervia (compositae) sobre ocho especies de caracoles pulmonados The molluscicide activity of Piquerol A isolated from Piqueria trinervia (Compositae) against eight species of pulmonate snails

De las partes aéreas de la planta Piqueria trinervia (Compositae) colectada en diveresas áereas de México, se aisló el Piquerol A. Este compuesto se probó como agente molusquicida contra ocho especies de caracoles pulmonados: Fossaria (Fossaria) humilis, F. (Bakerilymnae) sp., Pseudosuccinea columella, Stagnicola attenuata, de México; F. (B.) cubensis y Physacubensis, de Cuba; P. Columella y Biomphalaria glabrata, de Brasil; B glabrata, de Puerto Rico; S. elodes, de Estados Unidos. Se utilizaron tres concentraciones 50, 25 y 5 ppm para cada una de las especies y 2 períodos de exposición, 6 y 24 horas, a 20-22ºC. En 50 ppm, después de 6 horas, y 25 ppm, después de 24 horas los ejemplares de todas las especies murieron. En 5 ppm después de 24 horas, se observaron mortalidades de 60 a 100%. En ningún caso se observó recuperación después de la exposición por 24 horas. El piquerol A es un terpeno biodegradable que presenta otras actividades biológicas. No se han hecho pruebas de toxicidad en otros animales ni pruebas de campo. Sin embargo, es una substacia con alto potencial de uso como molusquicida en zonas de transmisión focal. Es la primera que en México se hacen estudios sistemáticos sobre molusquicidas de origen vegetal.<br>In laboratory trials an aqueous solution of Piquerol A from Piqueria trinervia, collected in several regions of Mexico, showed a molluscicide action on the adults of eight different pulmonates snails species. Fossaria (Fossaria) humilis, F. (Bakerilymnaea) sp., Pseudosuccinea columella and Stagnicola attenuata from Mexico; F. (B.) cubensis and Physa cubensis from Cuba; P. columella and Biomphalaria glabrata from Brazil; B. glabrata from Puerto Rico; and S. elodes from USA. The solution was tested at 50, 25 and 5 ppm concentration, for two periods of 6 and 24 hours, at room temperature (20-22ºC). A 100% mortality was obtained for all species at 50 ppm concentration after 6 hours of exposure; the same percentage at 25 ppm after 24 hours; and 60 to 100% mortality at 5 ppm concentration during 24 hours of exposure. No recovery was observed among any of the treated snails. Piquerol A is a sesquiterpene with low stability in nature and has previously only been tested as an insecticide and as an inhibitor of metabolism in cell cultures; no field trails have been made on its toxicity to other aquatic fauna as yet, but it is believed Piquerol A could be an excellent molluscicide for use in areas where focal transmission of schistosomiasis and fascioliasis are taking place. This is the first time experiments on molluscicides have been carried out in Mexico

Program FFlexCom - High frequency flexible bendable electronics for wireless communication systems

Today, electronics are implemented on rigid substrates. However, many objects in daily-life are not rigid - they are bendable, stretchable and even foldable. Examples are paper, tapes, our body, our skin and textiles. Until today there is a big gap between electronics and bendable daily-life items. Concerning this matter, the DFG Priority Program FFlexCom aims at paving the way for a novel research area: Wireless communication systems fully integrated on an ultra-Thin, bendable and flexible piece of plastic or paper. The Program encompasses 13 projects led by 25 professors. By flexibility we refer to mechanical flexibility, which can come in flavors of bendability, foldability and, stretchability. In the last years the speed of flexible devices has massively been improved. However, to enable functional flexible systems and operation frequencies up to the sub-GHz range, the speed of flexible devices must still be increased by several orders of magnitude requiring novel system and circuit architectures, component concepts, technologies and materials