Demodulation of carrier fringe patterns by the use of non-recursive digital phase locked loop

First- and second-order recursive Digital Phase Locked Loops (DPLLs) have been used recently in fringe data processing because it is the fastest way to obtain the unwrapped phase of a carrier frequency fringe pattern due to its minimal computational overhead. Nevertheless these simple DPLLs cannot cope with fringes having high noise and very wide band phase modulation. In this work we present a highly improved DPLL. The system presented is a nonrecursive DPLL which is far more robust than previously presented recursive DPLL. The advantage of this newer technique with respect to recursive DPLL is its higher gain in the signal to noise ratio on the detected phase and higher stability. Unfortunately this is obtained at a higher computational cost

Modulo 2π fringe orientation angle estimation by phase unwrapping with a regularized phase tracking algorithm

The fringe orientation angle provides useful information for many fringe-pattern-processing techniques. From a single normalized fringe pattern (background suppressed and modulation normalized), the fringe orientation angle can be obtained by computing the irradiance gradient and performing a further aretangent computation. Because of the 180° ambiguity of the fringe direction, the orientation angle computed from the gradient of a single fringe pattern can be determined only modulo pi. Recently, several studies have shown that a reliable determination of the fringe orientation angle modulo 2π is a key point for a robust demodulation of the phase from a single fringe pattern. We present an algorithm for the computation of the modulo 2π fringe orientation angle by unwrapping the orientation angle obtained from the gradient computation with a regularized phase tracking method. Simulated as well as experimental results are presented

Metrology and Digital Image Processing in Dentistry

Metrological techniques using digital image processing techniques have been extended into different fields of science such as optics, meteorology, mineralogy, agriculture, and medicine, among others. In the field of medicine, particularly in dentistry, it is important to perform different dental measurements to support the biometric work of specialists using panoramic radiographic images. Due to the poor capturing of these radiographic images, several problems, such as poor contrast and quality, are generally present. As the detection of the dental area must be done using these images, this chapter presents an algorithm that will assist in bettering image quality and make the dental measurements needed. This is done by binarizing using the histogram statistics of the image for the determination of threshold in order to establish sections of the teeth and the detection of the intramaxillary section by fitting a nonlinear function. The proposed method is applied to panoramic digital radiographs of subjects with permanent dentition (≥12 years and <30 years). The algorithm achieved an adjustment of 96% of the processed radiographs as a result from patients of the School of Dentistry of the Universidad de la Salle Bajío

Fungal microbiota dynamics and its geographic, age and gender variability in patients with cystic fibrosis

[Objectives] In cystic fibrosis (CF), there is a predisposition to bronchial colonization by potentially pathogenic microorganisms, such as fungi. Our aims were to describe the dynamics of respiratory mycobiota in patients with CF and to evaluate the geographic, age and gender variability in its distribution.[Methods] Cohort study in which 45 patients with CF from four hospitals in three Spanish cities were followed up during a 1-year period, obtaining spontaneous sputum samples every 3 to 6 months. Fungal microbiota were characterized by Internal Transcribed Spacer sequencing and Pneumocystis jirovecii was identified by nested PCR in a total of 180 samples.[Results] The presence of fungi were detected in 119 (66.11%) of the 180 samples and in 44 (97.8%) of the 45 patients: 19 were positive and 1 negative throughout all follow-ups and the remaining 25 presented alternation between positive and negative results. A total of 16 different genera were identified, with Candida spp. (50/180, 27.78%) and Pneumocystis spp. (44/180, 24.44%) being the most prevalent ones. The distribution of fungal genera was different among the evaluated centres (p < 0.05), by age (non-adults aged 6–17 years vs. adults aged ≥18 years) (p < 0.05) and by gender (p < 0.05).[Discussion] A high prevalence of fungal respiratory microbiota in patients with CF was observed, whose dynamics are characterized by the existence of multiple cycles of clearance and colonization, reporting the existence of geographic, age and gender variability in the distribution of fungal genera in this disease.The study was supported by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (grant number FIS-PS09/00957), by Plan Andaluz de Investigación, Desarrollo e Innovación, Consejería de Economía Conocimiento, Empresas y Universidad de la Junta de Andalucía (grant number PS20_00894), and by Consejería de Salud y Familia, Junta de Andalucía (grant number CSyF Exp. RH-0061/2021).Peer reviewe

Genomic mutation profile in progressive chronic lymphocytic leukemia patients prior to first-line chemoimmunotherapy with FCR and rituximab maintenance (REM)

Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL) is the most prevalent leukemia in Western countries and is notable for its variable clinical course. This variability is partly reflected by the mutational status of IGHV genes. Many CLL samples have been studied in recent years by next-generation sequencing. These studies have identified recurrent somatic mutations in NOTCH1, SF3B1, ATM, TP53, BIRC3 and others genes that play roles in cell cycle, DNA repair, RNA metabolism and splicing. In this study, we have taken a deep-targeted massive sequencing approach to analyze the impact of mutations in the most frequently mutated genes in patients with CLL enrolled in the REM (rituximab en mantenimiento) clinical trial. The mutational status of our patients with CLL, except for the TP53 gene, does not seem to affect the good results obtained with maintenance therapy with rituximab after front-line FCR treatment

Izaña Atmospheric Research Center. Activity Report 2019-2020

Editors: Emilio Cuevas, Celia Milford and Oksana Tarasova.[EN]The Izaña Atmospheric Research Center (IARC), which is part of the State Meteorological Agency of Spain (AEMET), is a site of excellence in atmospheric science. It manages four observatories in Tenerife including the high altitude Izaña Atmospheric Observatory. The Izaña Atmospheric Observatory was inaugurated in 1916 and since that date has carried out uninterrupted meteorological and climatological observations, contributing towards a unique 100-year record in 2016. This reports are a summary of the many activities at the Izaña Atmospheric Research Center to the broader community. The combination of operational activities, research and development in state-of-the-art measurement techniques, calibration and validation and international cooperation encompass the vision of WMO to provide world leadership in expertise and international cooperation in weather, climate, hydrology and related environmental issues.[ES]El Centro de Investigación Atmosférica de Izaña (CIAI), que forma parte de la Agencia Estatal de Meteorología de España (AEMET), representa un centro de excelencia en ciencias atmosféricas. Gestiona cuatro observatorios en Tenerife, incluido el Observatorio de Izaña de gran altitud, inaugurado en 1916 y que desde entonces ha realizado observaciones meteorológicas y climatológicas ininterrumpidas y se ha convertido en una estación centenaria de la OMM. Estos informes resumen las múltiples actividades llevadas a cabo por el Centro de Investigación Atmosférica de Izaña. El liderazgo del Centro en materia de investigación y desarrollo con respecto a las técnicas de medición, calibración y validación de última generación, así como la cooperación internacional, le han otorgado una reputación sobresaliente en lo que se refiere al tiempo, el clima, la hidrología y otros temas ambientales afines

Treatment with tocilizumab or corticosteroids for COVID-19 patients with hyperinflammatory state: a multicentre cohort study (SAM-COVID-19)

Objectives: The objective of this study was to estimate the association between tocilizumab or corticosteroids and the risk of intubation or death in patients with coronavirus disease 19 (COVID-19) with a hyperinflammatory state according to clinical and laboratory parameters. Methods: A cohort study was performed in 60 Spanish hospitals including 778 patients with COVID-19 and clinical and laboratory data indicative of a hyperinflammatory state. Treatment was mainly with tocilizumab, an intermediate-high dose of corticosteroids (IHDC), a pulse dose of corticosteroids (PDC), combination therapy, or no treatment. Primary outcome was intubation or death; follow-up was 21 days. Propensity score-adjusted estimations using Cox regression (logistic regression if needed) were calculated. Propensity scores were used as confounders, matching variables and for the inverse probability of treatment weights (IPTWs). Results: In all, 88, 117, 78 and 151 patients treated with tocilizumab, IHDC, PDC, and combination therapy, respectively, were compared with 344 untreated patients. The primary endpoint occurred in 10 (11.4%), 27 (23.1%), 12 (15.4%), 40 (25.6%) and 69 (21.1%), respectively. The IPTW-based hazard ratios (odds ratio for combination therapy) for the primary endpoint were 0.32 (95%CI 0.22-0.47; p < 0.001) for tocilizumab, 0.82 (0.71-1.30; p 0.82) for IHDC, 0.61 (0.43-0.86; p 0.006) for PDC, and 1.17 (0.86-1.58; p 0.30) for combination therapy. Other applications of the propensity score provided similar results, but were not significant for PDC. Tocilizumab was also associated with lower hazard of death alone in IPTW analysis (0.07; 0.02-0.17; p < 0.001). Conclusions: Tocilizumab might be useful in COVID-19 patients with a hyperinflammatory state and should be prioritized for randomized trials in this situatio

Mis casos clínicos de especialidades odontológicas

Libro que muestra la atención de casos clínicos particulares referente a las diferentes especialidades odontológicasLibro que muestra la atención de casos clínicos particulares referente a las diferentes especialidades odontológicasUniversidad Autónoma de Campeche Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Hidalgo Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Méxic

Diverse Large HIV-1 Non-subtype B Clusters Are Spreading Among Men Who Have Sex With Men in Spain

In Western Europe, the HIV-1 epidemic among men who have sex with men (MSM) is dominated by subtype B. However, recently, other genetic forms have been reported to circulate in this population, as evidenced by their grouping in clusters predominantly comprising European individuals. Here we describe four large HIV-1 non-subtype B clusters spreading among MSM in Spain. Samples were collected in 9 regions. A pol fragment was amplified from plasma RNA or blood-extracted DNA. Phylogenetic analyses were performed via maximum likelihood, including database sequences of the same genetic forms as the identified clusters. Times and locations of the most recent common ancestors (MRCA) of clusters were estimated with a Bayesian method. Five large non-subtype B clusters associated with MSM were identified. The largest one, of F1 subtype, was reported previously. The other four were of CRF02_AG (CRF02_1; n = 115) and subtypes A1 (A1_1; n = 66), F1 (F1_3; n = 36), and C (C_7; n = 17). Most individuals belonging to them had been diagnosed of HIV-1 infection in the last 10 years. Each cluster comprised viruses from 3 to 8 Spanish regions and also comprised or was related to viruses from other countries: CRF02_1 comprised a Japanese subcluster and viruses from 8 other countries from Western Europe, Asia, and South America; A1_1 comprised viruses from Portugal, United Kingom, and United States, and was related to the A1 strain circulating in Greece, Albania and Cyprus; F1_3 was related to viruses from Romania; and C_7 comprised viruses from Portugal and was related to a virus from Mozambique. A subcluster within CRF02_1 was associated with heterosexual transmission. Near full-length genomes of each cluster were of uniform genetic form. Times of MRCAs of CRF02_1, A1_1, F1_3, and C_7 were estimated around 1986, 1989, 2013, and 1983, respectively. MRCA locations for CRF02_1 and A1_1 were uncertain (however initial expansions in Spain in Madrid and Vigo, respectively, were estimated) and were most probable in Bilbao, Spain, for F1_3 and Portugal for C_7. These results show that the HIV-1 epidemic among MSM in Spain is becoming increasingly diverse through the expansion of diverse non-subtype B clusters, comprising or related to viruses circulating in other countries