Resolving the AGN and host emission in the mid-infrared using a model-independent spectral decomposition

We present results on the spectral decomposition of 118 Spitzer Infrared Spectrograph (IRS) spectra from local active galactic nuclei (AGN) using a large set of Spitzer/IRS spectra as templates. The templates are themselves IRS spectra from extreme cases where a single physical component (stellar, interstellar, or AGN) completely dominates the integrated mid-infrared emission. We show that a linear combination of one template for each physical component reproduces the observed IRS spectra of AGN hosts with unprecedented fidelity for a template fitting method, with no need to model extinction separately. We use full probability distribution functions to estimate expectation values and uncertainties for observables, and find that the decomposition results are robust against degeneracies. Furthermore, we compare the AGN spectra derived from the spectral decomposition with sub-arcsecond resolution nuclear photometry and spectroscopy from ground-based observations. We find that the AGN component derived from the decomposition closely matches the nuclear spectrum, with a 1-sigma dispersion of 0.12 dex in luminosity and typical uncertainties of ~0.19 in the spectral index and ~0.1 in the silicate strength. We conclude that the emission from the host galaxy can be reliably removed from the IRS spectra of AGN. This allows for unbiased studies of the AGN emission in intermediate and high redshift galaxies -currently inaccesible to ground-based observations- with archival Spitzer/IRS data and in the future with the Mid-InfraRed Instrument of the James Webb Space Telescope. The decomposition code and templates are available at http://www.denebola.org/ahc/deblendIRS.Comment: 16 pages, 15 figures, 2 tables, accepted for publication in Ap

Health literacy of patients on oral anticoagulation treatment- individual and social determinants and effect on health and treatment outcomes

Background Assessment health literacy in people with cardiovascular health problems would facilitate the development of appropriate health strategies for the care and reduction of complications associated with oral anticoagulation therapy. Aim: To evaluate the relationship between health literacy and health and treatment outcomes (concordance with oral anticoagulants, Normalized Ratio control and occurrence of complications) in patients with cardiovascular pathology. Methods Observational, analytic and cross-sectional study carried out on 252 patients with cardiovascular pathology (atrial fibrillation, flutter or valve prosthesis), aged 50-85 years, accessing primary care services in Valencia (Spain) in 2018-2019. Variables referring to anticoagulant treatment with vitamin K antagonists (years of treatment, adequate control, polypharmacy and occurrence of complications, among others) and health literacy (Health Literacy Questionnaire) were analysed. Results All dimensions of health literacy were significantly related to the level of education (p < 0.02), social class (p < 0.02), an adequate control of acenocoumarol (p < 0.001), frequentation of health services (p < 0.001), information by patients to health professionals about anticoagulant treatment (p < 0.03), emergency care visits (p < 0.001) and unscheduled hospital admissions (p < 0.001). Conclusion Health literacy has a relevant influence on the adequate self-management of anticoagulation treatment and the frequency of complications. The different dimensions that comprise health literacy play an important role, but the 'social health support' dimension seems to be essential for such optimal self-management. Trial registration ACC-ACE-2016-01. Registration date: December 2015

SEOM-SOGUG clinical guideline for localized muscle invasive and advanced bladder cancer (2021)

Bladder cancer; Muscle-invasive; UrothelialCáncer de vejiga; Invasivo muscular; UrotelialCàncer de bufeta; Invasió muscular; UrotelialMost muscle-invasive bladder cancer (BC) are urothelial carcinomas (UC) of transitional origin, although histological variants of UC have been recognized. Smoking is the most important risk factor in developed countries, and the basis for prevention. UC harbors high number of genomic aberrations that make possible targeted therapies. Based on molecular features, a consensus classification identified six different MIBC subtypes. Hematuria and irritative bladder symptoms, CT scan, cystoscopy and transurethral resection are the basis for diagnosis. Radical cystectomy with pelvic lymphadenectomy is the standard approach for muscle-invasive BC, although bladder preservation is an option for selected patients who wish to avoid or cannot tolerate surgery. Perioperative cisplatin-based neoadjuvant chemotherapy is recommended for cT2-4aN0M0 tumors, or as adjuvant in patients with pT3/4 and or pN + after radical cystectomy. Follow-up is particularly important after the availability of new salvage therapies. It should be individualized and adapted to the risk of recurrence. Cisplatin–gemcitabine is considered the standard first line for metastatic tumors. Carboplatin should replace cisplatin in cisplatin-ineligible patients. According to the EMA label, pembrolizumab or atezolizumab could be an option in cisplatin-ineligible patients with high PD-L1 expression. For patients whose disease respond or did not progress after first-line platinum chemotherapy, maintenance with avelumab prolongs survival with respect to the best supportive care. Pembrolizumab also increases survival versus vinflunine or taxanes in patients with progression after chemotherapy who have not received avelumab, as well as enfortumab vedotin in those progressing to first-line chemotherapy followed by an antiPDL1/PD1. Erdafitinib may be considered in this setting in patients with FGFR alterations. An early onset of supportive and palliative care is always strongly recommended

Optimization of bismuth telluride films and nano-wire arrays via electrodeposition for thermoelectric applications

Comunicación presentada en el 3rd Early Stage Researchers Workshop in Nanoscience, celebrado en Madrid el 27 y 28 de junio de 2013.Due to the current world’s demand for energy, there is a great interest in thermoelectricity, which offers the possibility of increasing the sustainability of our electrical system. Thermoelectric materials can convert heat into electricity and vice versa, and thus they offer a way of recovering wasted heat produced in engines, industrial processes and others into usable power. However, one of the main problems for their actual use is their low efficiency in this conversion. This efficiency is directly related with what is called the thermoelectric figure of merit, described by ZT=(S2·σ·T)/κ ,where S, σ, κ, and T stand for the Seebeck coefficient, electrical and thermal conductivities, and the absolute temperature, respectively. Given that in classical physics S, σ, and κ, are correlated, the improvement of the efficiency is not straightforward. Nevertheless, in 1993 a theoretical work suggested that the efficiency could be greatly enhanced by reducing the dimensionality of the structures under studied and working in the nano-scale. Therefore, much experimental effort has been done to achieve these kind of structures and in some cases, an enhancement of the ZT value has been achieved, although this has not been due to the quantum confinement to the charge carriers, as it was theoretically predicted, but to an increase of the κ due to the increased number of interface boundaries in nanostructures. Among the most efficient thermoelectric materials used for applications at room temperature, bismuth telluride (Bi2Te3) and its different alloys stand out, with a ZT for Bi2Te3of around 1 at RT [2]. We present here an optimized method of obtaining films and nanowire arrays via electrochemical deposition in a conventional three-electrode cell. Different ways of improving the quality of the obtained films have been studied (working electrode, constant and pulsed potentials, different chemical baths, etc.) in order to obtain highly oriented (110) films, which are the most favorable for out-of-plane applications. Then, nanostructuration has been achieved by changing the working electrode to porous alumina templates and realizing the electrochemical deposition inside the pores. The samples produced have been characterized using SEM, EDX, AFM, XRD, and Raman spectrometry, and in the case of the films, their transport properties have also been measured.Peer Reviewe

Evaluation of two enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays for diagnosis of bluetongue virus in wild ruminants

Bluetongue (BT) is a reportable re-emerging vector-borne disease of animal health concern. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA) are frequently used in BT surveillance programs in domestic ruminants, but their diagnostic accuracy has not been evaluated for wild ruminants, which can play an important role as natural reservoirs of bluetongue virus (BTV). The aim of this study was to assess two commercial ELISAs for BT diagnosis in wild ruminants using control sera of known BTV infection status and field samples. When control sera were tested, the double recognition ELISA (DR-ELISA) showed 100 % sensitivity (Se) and specificity (Sp), while the competitive ELISA (C-ELISA) had 86.4 % Se and 97.1 % Sp. Using field samples, the selected latent-class analysis model showed 95.7 % Se and 85.9 % Sp for DR-ELISA, 58.2 % Se and 95.8 % Sp for C-ELISA and 84.2 % Se for the serum neutralization test (SNT). Our results indicate that the DR-ELISA may be a useful diagnostic method to assess BTV circulation in endemic areas, while the C-ELISA should be selected when free-areas are surveyed. The discrepancy between control and field samples point out that the inclusion of field samples is required to assess the accuracy of commercial ELISAs for the serological diagnosis of BTV in wild ruminants.info:eu-repo/semantics/acceptedVersio

Bronchopulmonary penetration of isavuconazole in lung transplant recipients

Isavuconazole's (ISA) pharmacokinetics was studied among lung transplant recipients to evaluate its bronchopulmonary penetration. This study included 13 patients and showed mean serum concentrations of 3.30 (standard deviation [SD] 0.45), 5.12 (SD 1.36), and 6.31 (SD 0.95) at 2 h, 4 h, and 24 h respectively. Mean concentrations in the epithelial lining fluid were 0.969 (SD 0.895), 2.141 (SD 1.265), and 2.812 (SD 0.693) at the same time points. ISA is a drug with a tolerable safety profile that achieves adequate concentrations in the lung.This work was partially supported and funded by Pfizer (grant 54685521). Pfizer had no role in the study’s design; the collection, management, analysis, and interpretation of data; writing of the report; and the decision to submit the report for publicationS

The Masked Polar Group Incorporation (MPGI) Strategy in Drug Design: Effects of Nitrogen Substitutions on Combretastatin and Isocombretastatin Tubulin Inhibitors

[EN] Colchicine site ligands suffer from low aqueous solubility due to the highly hydrophobic nature of the binding site. A new strategy for increasing molecular polarity without exposing polar groups—termed masked polar group incorporation (MPGI)—was devised and applied to nitrogenated combretastatin analogues. Bulky ortho substituents to the pyridine nitrogen hinder it from the hydrophobic pocket while increasing molecular polarity. The resulting analogues show improved aqueous solubilities and highly potent antiproliferative activity against several cancer cell lines of different origin. The more potent compounds showed moderate tubulin polymerization inhibitory activity, arrested the cell cycle of treated cells at the G2/M phase, and subsequently caused apoptotic cell death represented by the cells gathered at the subG0/G1 population after 48 h of treatment. Annexin V/Propidium Iodide (PI) double-positive cells observed after 72 h confirmed the induction of apoptosis. Docking studies suggest binding at the colchicine site of tubulin in a similar way as combretastatin A4, with the polar groups masked by the vicinal substituents. These results validate the proposed strategy for the design of colchicine site ligands and open a new road to increasing the aqueous solubility of ligands binding in apolar environments

Qualitative Analysis by Experts of the Essential Elements of the Nursing Practice Environments Proposed by the TOP10 Questionnaire of Assessment of Environments in Primary Health Care

Background: A short TOP10 scale based on the Practice Environment Scale-Nursing Work Index questionnaire measures the characteristics of nursing work environments. Positive environments result in better quality care and health outcomes. Objective: To identify a small number of core elements that would facilitate more effective interventions by nurse managers, and compare them with the essential elements proposed by the TOP10. Method: Qualitative research by a nominal group of eight experts. The content analysis was combined with descriptive data. Results: Ten most important items were selected and analyzed by the expert group. A high level of consensus in four items (2, 15, 20, 31) and an acceptable consensus in five items was reached (6, 11, 14, 18, 26). The tenth item in the top ten was selected from content analysis (19). The expert group agreed 90% with the elements selected as essential to the TOP10. Conclusion: The expert group achieved a high level of consensus that supports 90% of the essential elements of primary care settings proposed by the TOP10 questionnaire. Organizational changes implemented by managers to improve working environments must be prioritized following our results, so care delivery and health outcomes can be further improved

A deep look at the nuclear region of UGC 5101 through high angular resolution mid-IR data with GTC/CanariCam

et al.We present an analysis of the nuclear infrared (IR, 1.6-18 μm) emission of the ultraluminous IR galaxy UGC5101 to derive the properties of its active galactic nucleus (AGN) and its obscuring material. We use new mid-IR high angular resolution (0.3-0.5 arcsec) imaging using the Si-2 filter (λ = 8.7 μm) and 7.5-13 μm spectroscopy taken with CanariCam (CC) on the 10.4 m Gran Telescopio CANARIAS. We also use archival Hubble Space Telescope/NICMOS and Subaru/COMICS imaging and Spitzer/IRS spectroscopy. We estimate the near- and mid-IR unresolved nuclear emission by modelling the imaging data with GALFIT. We decompose the Spitzer/IRS and CC spectra using a power-law component, which represents the emission due to dust heated by the AGN, and a starburst component, both affected by foreground extinction. We model the resulting unresolved near- and mid-IR, and the starburst subtracted CC spectrum with the CLUMPY torus models of Nenkova et al. The derived geometrical properties of the torus, including the large covering factor and the high foreground extinction needed to reproduce the deep 9.7 μm silicate feature, are consistent with the lack of strong AGN signatures in the optical.We derive an AGN bolometric luminosity L ~ 1.9 × 10 erg s that is in good agreement with other estimates in the literature.This work has been partly supported by Mexican CONACyT under research grant CB-2011-01-167291. MMP acknowledges support by the CONACyT PhD fellowship programme. AA-H and AH-C acknowledge financial support from the Spanish Plan Nacional de Astronomía y Astrofísica under grant AYA2012-31447, which is partly funded by the FEDER programme, and the Universidad de Cantabria through the Augusto G. Linares programme. CRA is supported by a Marie Curie Intra European Fellowship within the 7th European Community Framework Programme (PIEF-GA-2012-327934). IG-B ackowledges financial support from the Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias through Fundacion La Caixa and from the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (MICINN) through project PN AYA2013-47742-c4-2-P (Estallidos).Peer Reviewe

Nuclear 11.3μm PAH emission in local active galactic nuclei

A. Alonso-Herrero et al.We present Gran Telescopio CANARIAS CanariCam 8.7 μm imaging and 7.5-13 μm spectroscopy of six local systems known to host an active galactic nucleus (AGN) and have nuclear star formation. Our main goal is to investigate whether the molecules responsible for the 11.3 μm polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) feature are destroyed in the close vicinity of an AGN. We detect 11.3 μm PAH feature emission in the nuclear regions of the galaxies as well as extended PAH emission over a few hundred parsecs. The equivalent width (EW) of the feature shows a minimum at the nucleus but increases with increasing radial distances, reaching typical star-forming values a few hundred parsecs away from the nucleus. The reduced nuclear EWs are interpreted as due to increased dilution from the AGN continuum rather than destruction of the PAH molecules. We conclude that at least those molecules responsible for the 11.3 μm PAH feature survive in the nuclear environments as close as 10 pc from the AGN and for Seyfert-like AGN luminosities. We propose that material in the dusty tori, nuclear gas discs, and/or host galaxies of AGN is likely to provide the column densities necessary to protect the PAH molecules from the AGN radiation field. © 2014 The Authors Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Royal Astronomical Society.AA-H and AH-C are partly funded by the Universidad de Cantabria through the Augusto G. Linares programme. AA-H and AH-C acknowledge financial support from the Spanish Plan Nacional grant AYA2012-31447, AA-H and PE from grant AYA2009-05705-E, CRA from grant AYA2010-21887-C04.4 (Estallidos), PE from grant AYA2012-31277, and LC from grant AYA2012-32295. CRA acknowledges financial support from the Marie Curie Intra European Fellowship within the 7th European Community Framework Programme (PIEF-GA-2012-327934) and SFH from the Marie Curie International Incoming Fellowship within the 7th European Community Framework Programme (PIIFGA-2013-623804).Peer Reviewe