Ablation and optical third-order nonlinearities in Ag nanoparticles

The optical damage associated with high intensity laser excitation of silver nanoparticles (NPs) was studied. In order to investigate the mechanisms of optical nonlinearity of a nanocomposite and their relation with its ablation threshold, a high-purity silica sample implanted with Ag ions was exposed to different nanosecond and picosecond laser irradiations. The magnitude and sign of picosecond refractive and absorptive nonlinearities were measured near and far from the surface plasmon resonance (SPR) of the Ag NPs with a self-diffraction technique. Saturable optical absorption and electronic polarization related to self-focusing were identified. Linear absorption is the main process involved in nanosecond laser ablation, but non-linearities are important for ultrashort picosecond pulses when the absorptive process become significantly dependent on the irradiance. We estimated that near the resonance, picosecond intraband transitions allow an expanded distribution of energy among the NPs, in comparison to the energy distribution resulting in a case of far from resonance, when the most important absorption takes place in silica. We measured important differences in the ablation threshold and we estimated that the high selectiveness of the SPR of Ag NPs as well as their corresponding optical nonlinearities can be strongly significant for laser-induced controlled explosions, with potential applications for biomedical photothermal processes

Propiedades, beneficios y efectos de la guanábana (Annona muricata L.) sobre la glucemia y el cáncer.

Soursop (Annona muricata L.) is a fruit that has presented various benefits to human health. Different parts of the plant have been used in traditional medicine to reduce inflammation, fever, cough, and asthma. The fruit promotes some antihyperglycemic and weight loss activity in the body; additionally, it has been used as an anticancer remedy. Due to all of the above, this work aimed to review and analyze different results of experimental research conducted with different parts of the soursop, considering its glycemic activity and its antitumor effect, for a possible future application. Several articles, journals, and books from virtual servers which contained the characteristics requested for the topic in question were reviewed to prepare this paper. The results showed the presence of certain components such as tannins, flavonoids, catechins, quercetins, and polyphenols. Among the active principles most present in soursop are the annonaceous acetogenins; these natural phytochemicals produced in the tree’s roots, bark, stems, and leaves, as well as in the fruit’s seeds, have demonstrated diverse beneficial effects. Leaves, fruits, roots, and seeds have been regarded as components with anti-diabetic effects; some research showed that the daily administration of leaf extract in rats decreased blood levels of glucose, triglycerides, and cholesterol; other studies administered an extract of soursop with ginger for thirty days, showing a decrease in liver damage caused by diabetes mellitus. The acetogenins present in soursop have been studied for their antitumor activity since these compounds can selectively inhibit the growth of cancer cells. The fruit's polyphenols have demonstrated antioxidant effects, which could have co-adjuvants effects in cancer treatments. Despite the benefits, caution should be exercised if ingested in large quantities and for prolonged periods due to potentially adverse effects.La guanábana (Annona muricata L) es un fruto que ha presentado diferentes beneficios a la salud humana. Se han empleado diversas porciones de la planta en medicina tradicional para disminución de inflamación, fiebre, tos y asma. El fruto promueve cierta actividad antihiperglucemiante y adelgazante en el organismo; adicionalmente se ha empleado como remedio anticancerígeno. Debido a lo anterior, el objetivo de este trabajo fue revisar y analizar diversos resultados de investigaciones experimentales realizadas con diferentes partes de la guanábana, para considerar su actividad glucémica y su efecto antitumoral para una posible aplicación a futuro. Para desarrollar el presente trabajo, se revisaron diversos artículos, revistas y libros de servidores virtuales que contenían las características solicitadas para el tema tratado. Los resultados demostraron la presencia de ciertos componentes como taninos, flavonoides, catequinas, quercetinas y polifenoles. Entre los principios activos mayormente presentes en la guanábana están las acetogeninas anonáceas; estos fitoquímicos naturales producidos en las raíces, corteza, tallos y hojas del árbol, así como en las semillas de los frutos, se ha demostrado diversos efectos benéficos. Hojas, frutos, raíces y semillas, han sido considerados componentes con efectos antidiabéticos; ciertas investigaciones demostraron que la administración diaria de extracto de hojas en ratas disminuyó los niveles sanguíneos de glucosa, triglicéridos y colesterol; otros estudios suministraron por treinta días un extracto de guanábana con jengibre, con una disminución en el daño hepático causado por diabetes mellitus. Las acetogeninas presentes en la guanábana, han sido estudiadas por su actividad antitumoral ya que estos compuestos pueden inhibir selectivamente el crecimiento de las células cancerígenas. Los polifenoles del fruto demostraron efecto antioxidante, los cuales pudieran presentar efectos coadyuvantes con los tratamientos contra el cáncer. A pesar de los beneficios, se debe tener precaución en caso de ingerirse en grandes cantidades y por períodos prolongados debido a potenciales efectos adversos

Predictors of Response to Exclusive Enteral Nutrition in Newly Diagnosed Crohn´s Disease in Children: PRESENCE Study from SEGHNP

Exclusive enteral nutrition (EEN) has been shown to be more effective than corticosteroids in achieving mucosal healing in children with Crohn´s disease (CD) without the adverse effects of these drugs. The aims of this study were to determine the efficacy of EEN in terms of inducing clinical remission in children newly diagnosed with CD, to describe the predictive factors of response to EEN and the need for treatment with biological agents during the first 12 months of the disease. We conducted an observational retrospective multicentre study that included paediatric patients newly diagnosed with CD between 2014–2016 who underwent EEN. Two hundred and twenty-two patients (140 males) from 35 paediatric centres were included, with a mean age at diagnosis of 11.6 ± 2.5 years. The median EEN duration was 8 weeks (IQR 6.6–8.5), and 184 of the patients (83%) achieved clinical remission (weighted paediatric Crohn’s Disease activity index [wPCDAI] 15 mg/L and ileal involvement tended to respond better to EEN. EEN administered for 6–8 weeks is effective for inducing clinical remission. Due to the high response rate in our series, EEN should be used as the first-line therapy in luminal paediatric Crohn’s disease regardless of the location of disease and disease activityS

REQUITE: A prospective multicentre cohort study of patients undergoing radiotherapy for breast, lung or prostate cancer

Purpose: REQUITE aimed to establish a resource for multi-national validation of models and biomarkers that predict risk of late toxicity following radiotherapy. The purpose of this article is to provide summary descriptive data. Methods: An international, prospective cohort study recruited cancer patients in 26 hospitals in eight countries between April 2014 and March 2017. Target recruitment was 5300 patients. Eligible patients had breast, prostate or lung cancer and planned potentially curable radiotherapy. Radiotherapy was prescribed according to local regimens, but centres used standardised data collection forms. Pre-treatment blood samples were collected. Patients were followed for a minimum of 12 (lung) or 24 (breast/prostate) months and summary descriptive statistics were generated. Results: The study recruited 2069 breast (99% of target), 1808 prostate (86%) and 561 lung (51%) cancer patients. The centralised, accessible database includes: physician-(47,025 forms) and patient-(54,901) reported outcomes; 11,563 breast photos; 17,107 DICOMs and 12,684 DVHs. Imputed genotype data are available for 4223 patients with European ancestry (1948 breast, 1728 prostate, 547 lung). Radiation-induced lymphocyte apoptosis (RILA) assay data are available for 1319 patients. DNA (n = 4409) and PAXgene tubes (n = 3039) are stored in the centralised biobank. Example prevalences of 2-year (1-year for lung) grade >= 2 CTCAE toxicities are 13% atrophy (breast), 3% rectal bleeding (prostate) and 27% dyspnoea (lung). Conclusion: The comprehensive centralised database and linked biobank is a valuable resource for the radiotherapy community for validating predictive models and biomarkers. Patient summary: Up to half of cancer patients undergo radiation therapy and irradiation of surrounding healthy tissue is unavoidable. Damage to healthy tissue can affect short-and long-term quality-of-life. Not all patients are equally sensitive to radiation "damage" but it is not possible at the moment to identify those who are. REQUITE was established with the aim of trying to understand more about how we could predict radiation sensitivity. The purpose of this paper is to provide an overview and summary of the data and material available. In the REQUITE study 4400 breast, prostate and lung cancer patients filled out questionnaires and donated blood. A large amount of data was collected in the same way. With all these data and samples a database and biobank were created that showed it is possible to collect this kind of information in a standardised way across countries. In the future, our database and linked biobank will be a resource for research and validation of clinical predictors and models of radiation sensitivity. REQUITE will also enable a better understanding of how many people suffer with radiotherapy toxicity

The genetic architecture of the human cerebral cortex

The cerebral cortex underlies our complex cognitive capabilities, yet little is known about the specific genetic loci that influence human cortical structure. To identify genetic variants that affect cortical structure, we conducted a genome-wide association meta-analysis of brain magnetic resonance imaging data from 51,665 individuals. We analyzed the surface area and average thickness of the whole cortex and 34 regions with known functional specializations. We identified 199 significant loci and found significant enrichment for loci influencing total surface area within regulatory elements that are active during prenatal cortical development, supporting the radial unit hypothesis. Loci that affect regional surface area cluster near genes in Wnt signaling pathways, which influence progenitor expansion and areal identity. Variation in cortical structure is genetically correlated with cognitive function, Parkinson's disease, insomnia, depression, neuroticism, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder

Examining the immune signatures of SARS-CoV-2 infection in pregnancy and the impact on neurodevelopment: Protocol of the SIGNATURE longitudinal study

The COVID-19 pandemic represents a valuable opportunity to carry out cohort studies that allow us to advance our knowledge on pathophysiological mechanisms of neuropsychiatric diseases. One of these opportunities is the study of the relationships between inflammation, brain development and an increased risk of suffering neuropsychiatric disorders. Based on the hypothesis that neuroinflammation during early stages of life is associated with neurodevelopmental disorders and confers a greater risk of developing neuropsychiatric disorders, we propose a cohort study of SARS-CoV-2-infected pregnant women and their newborns. The main objective of SIGNATURE project is to explore how the presence of prenatal SARS-CoV-2 infection and other non-infectious stressors generates an abnormal inflammatory activity in the newborn. The cohort of women during the COVID-19 pandemic will be psychological and biological monitored during their pregnancy, delivery, childbirth and postpartum. The biological information of the umbilical cord (foetus blood) and peripheral blood from the mother will be obtained after childbirth. These samples and the clinical characterisation of the cohort of mothers and newborns, are tremendously valuable at this time. This is a protocol report and no analyses have been conducted yet, being currently at, our study is in the recruitment process step. At the time of this publication, we have identified 1,060 SARS-CoV-2 infected mothers and all have already given birth. From the total of identified mothers, we have recruited 537 SARS-COV-2 infected women and all of them have completed the mental health assessment during pregnancy. We have collected biological samples from 119 mothers and babies. Additionally, we have recruited 390 non-infected pregnant women.This work has received support from the Fundación Alicia Koplowitz to realize the epigenetic wide association study and to the clinical assessment to the children. This work has also received public support from the Consejería de Salud y Familias para la financiación de la investigación, desarrollo e innovación (i + d + i) biomédica y en ciencias de la salud en Andalucía (CSyF 2021 - FEDER). Grant Grant number PECOVID- 0195-2020. Convocatoria financiada con Fondo Europeo de Desarrollo Regional (FEDER) al 80% dentro del Programa Operativo de Andalucía FEDER 2014-2020. Andalucía se mueve con Europa. NG-T received payment under Rio Hortega contract CM20-00015 with the Carlos III Health Institute.Peer reviewe

Spectral Nonlinear Optical Response of Ion-Implanted Au and Ag Nanoparticles in Sapphire: A Three-Level Model Description

Nonlinear materials are of great technological interest for the realization of nanophotonic devices able to control and manipulate light. These properties can be specifically engineered by exploiting the surface plasmon resonance of plasmonic nanocomposites, in proximity of which nonlinear absorption and refraction are largely enhanced. An exploration of the spectral, irradiance, and host material dependence of the nonlinear parameters is important to be able to gain a thorough understanding of the nonlinear response. In the present work, we investigate the nonlinear optical response of Au and Ag nanoparticles embedded in sapphire by a spectral z-scan characterization across the localized surface plasmon band of the samples. We also present a comparison of the results obtained for Au nanoparticles embedded both in silica and in sapphire, produced under equivalent conditions, to test the influence of the host material. We theoretically describe the spectral trends of both the nonlinear absorption coefficient and nonlinear refractive index by implementing a three-level model, which provides important insights into the main physical parameters controlling the observed spectral features, and the possibility of ab initio composite designs with tailored properties

The Design, Construction and Operation of the Beam Instrumentation for the High Intensity and Energy Upgrade of ISOLDE at CERN

The High Intensity and Energy (HIE) upgrade to the on-line isotope separation facility (ISOLDE) facility at CERN is currently in the process of being commissioned. The very tight space available between the superconducting acceleration cavities used and a challenging specification led to the design of a compact 'diagnostic box' with a number of insertable instruments on a common vacuum chamber. The box was conceived in partnership with the engineering firm AVS and produced as a completed assembly in industry. 14 diagnostic boxes have been installed and are now operational. This paper will describe the design, the construction and first results from operation of these HIE ISOLDE diagnostic boxes