ECOS-LINCE:A high-intensity heavy-ion facility for nuclear structure and reactions

During the last years, the ECOS working group has been considering the construction of a new high-intensity accelerator of stable ion beams for the next Long-Range Plan of the nuclear physics community in Europe. The new facility (LINCE) will be a multi-user facility dedicated to ECOS science: fundamental physics, astrophysics, nuclear structure and reaction dynamics. In this paper, we summarize preliminary design studies of the low-energy part of this facility based on the use of a multi-ion superconducting linac. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR

Surface stiffening and enhanced photoluminescence of ion implanted cellulose - polyvinyl alcohol - silica composite

Novel Cellulose (Cel) reinforced polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)-Silica (Si) composite which has good stability and in vitro degradation was prepared by lyophilization technique and implanted using N3+ ions of energy 24 keV in the fluences of 1 x 10(15), 5 x 10(15) and 1 x 10(16) ions/cm(2). SEM analysis revealed the formation of microstructures, and improved the surface roughness on ion implantation. In addition to these structural changes, the implantation significantly modified the luminescent, thermal and mechanical properties of the samples. The elastic modulus of the implanted samples has increased by about 50 times compared to the pristine which confirms that the stiffness of the sample surface has increased remarkably on ion implantation. The photoluminescence of the native cellulose has improved greatly due to defect site, dangling bonds and hydrogen passivation. Electric conductivity of the ion implanted samples was improved by about 25%. Hence, low energy ion implantation tunes the mechanical property, surface roughness and further induces the formation of nano structures. MG63 cells seeded onto the scaffolds reveals that with the increase in implantation fluence, the cell attachment, viability and proliferation have improved greatly compared to pristine. The enhancement of cell growth of about 59% was observed in the implanted samples compared to pristine. These properties will enable the scaffolds to be ideal for bone tissue engineering and imaging applications.G.M.S. acknowledges CSIR, India (Grant no: 09/468 (0474)/2013-EMR-I) and S.N.K. thanks the award of Erasmus-Mundus Svaagata for providing financial support to carry out this research. G.M.S., N.S. and S.N.K. acknowledge the support of UGC National facility for characterization facility. J.A.G.T. acknowledges the support of the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (MINECO) through the project DPI2015-65401-C3-2-R (including the FEDER financial support). CIBER-BBN, Spain is an initiative funded by the VI National R&D Plan 2008-2011, Iniciativa Ingenio 2010, Consolider Program. CIBER actions are financed by the Instituto de Salud Carlos III with assistance from the European Regional Development Fund. AFM was conducted by the microscopy service of the UPV, whose advice was greatly appreciated.Shanthini, GM.; Sakthivel, N.; Menon, R.; Nabhiraj, PY.; Gómez-Tejedor, JA.; Meseguer Dueñas, JM.; Gómez Ribelles, JL.... (2016). Surface stiffening and enhanced photoluminescence of ion implanted cellulose - polyvinyl alcohol - silica composite. Carbohydrate Polymers. 153:619-630. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.carbpol.2016.08.016S61963015

Expression of MALT1 oncogene in hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells recapitulates the pathogenesis of human lymphoma in mice

Chromosomal translocations involving the MALT1 gene are hallmarks of mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) lymphoma. To date, targeting these translocations to mouse B cells has failed to reproduce human disease. Here, we induced MALT1 expression in mouse Sca1(+)Lin(-) hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells, which showed NF-κB activation and early lymphoid priming, being selectively skewed toward B-cell differentiation. These cells accumulated in extranodal tissues and gave rise to clonal tumors recapitulating the principal clinical, biological, and molecular genetic features of MALT lymphoma. Deletion of p53 gene accelerated tumor onset and induced transformation of MALT lymphoma to activated B-cell diffuse large-cell lymphoma (ABC-DLBCL). Treatment of MALT1-induced lymphomas with a specific inhibitor of MALT1 proteolytic activity decreased cell viability, indicating that endogenous Malt1 signaling was required for tumor cell survival. Our study shows that human-like lymphomas can be modeled in mice by targeting MALT1 expression to hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells, demonstrating the oncogenic role of MALT1 in lymphomagenesis. Furthermore, this work establishes a molecular link between MALT lymphoma and ABC-DLBCL, and provides mouse models to test MALT1 inhibitors. Finally, our results suggest that hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells may be involved in the pathogenesis of human mature B-cell lymphomas

Seguimiento de las guías españolas para el manejo del asma por el médico de atención primaria: un estudio observacional ambispectivo

Objetivo Evaluar el grado de seguimiento de las recomendaciones de las versiones de la Guía española para el manejo del asma (GEMA 2009 y 2015) y su repercusión en el control de la enfermedad. Material y métodos Estudio observacional y ambispectivo realizado entre septiembre del 2015 y abril del 2016, en el que participaron 314 médicos de atención primaria y 2.864 pacientes. Resultados Utilizando datos retrospectivos, 81 de los 314 médicos (25, 8% [IC del 95%, 21, 3 a 30, 9]) comunicaron seguir las recomendaciones de la GEMA 2009. Al inicio del estudio, 88 de los 314 médicos (28, 0% [IC del 95%, 23, 4 a 33, 2]) seguían las recomendaciones de la GEMA 2015. El tener un asma mal controlada (OR 0, 19, IC del 95%, 0, 13 a 0, 28) y presentar un asma persistente grave al inicio del estudio (OR 0, 20, IC del 95%, 0, 12 a 0, 34) se asociaron negativamente con tener un asma bien controlada al final del seguimiento. Por el contrario, el seguimiento de las recomendaciones de la GEMA 2015 se asoció de manera positiva con una mayor posibilidad de que el paciente tuviera un asma bien controlada al final del periodo de seguimiento (OR 1, 70, IC del 95%, 1, 40 a 2, 06). Conclusiones El escaso seguimiento de las guías clínicas para el manejo del asma constituye un problema común entre los médicos de atención primaria. Un seguimiento de estas guías se asocia con un control mejor del asma. Existe la necesidad de actuaciones que puedan mejorar el seguimiento por parte de los médicos de atención primaria de las guías para el manejo del asma. Objective: To assess the degree of compliance with the recommendations of the 2009 and 2015 versions of the Spanish guidelines for managing asthma (Guía Española para el Manejo del Asma [GEMA]) and the effect of this compliance on controlling the disease. Material and methods: We conducted an observational ambispective study between September 2015 and April 2016 in which 314 primary care physicians and 2864 patients participated. Results: Using retrospective data, we found that 81 of the 314 physicians (25.8%; 95% CI 21.3–30.9) stated that they complied with the GEMA2009 recommendations. At the start of the study, 88 of the 314 physicians (28.0%; 95% CI 23.4–33.2) complied with the GEMA2015 recommendations. Poorly controlled asthma (OR, 0.19; 95% CI 0.13–0.28) and persistent severe asthma at the start of the study (OR, 0.20; 95% CI 0.12–0.34) were negatively associated with having well-controlled asthma by the end of the follow-up. In contrast, compliance with the GEMA2015 recommendations was positively associated with a greater likelihood that the patient would have well-controlled asthma by the end of the follow-up (OR, 1.70; 95% CI 1.40–2.06). Conclusions: Low compliance with the clinical guidelines for managing asthma is a common problem among primary care physicians. Compliance with these guidelines is associated with better asthma control. Actions need to be taken to improve primary care physician compliance with the asthma management guidelines

International nosocomial infection control consortium (INICC) report, data summary of 36 countries, for 2004-2009

The results of a surveillance study conducted by the International Nosocomial Infection Control Consortium (INICC) from January 2004 through December 2009 in 422 intensive care units (ICUs) of 36 countries in Latin America, Asia, Africa, and Europe are reported. During the 6-year study period, using Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN; formerly the National Nosocomial Infection Surveillance system [NNIS]) definitions for device-associated health care-associated infections, we gathered prospective data from 313,008 patients hospitalized in the consortium's ICUs for an aggregate of 2,194,897 ICU bed-days. Despite the fact that the use of devices in the developing countries' ICUs was remarkably similar to that reported in US ICUs in the CDC's NHSN, rates of device-associated nosocomial infection were significantly higher in the ICUs of the INICC hospitals; the pooled rate of central line-associated bloodstream infection in the INICC ICUs of 6.8 per 1,000 central line-days was more than 3-fold higher than the 2.0 per 1,000 central line-days reported in comparable US ICUs. The overall rate of ventilator-associated pneumonia also was far higher (15.8 vs 3.3 per 1,000 ventilator-days), as was the rate of catheter-associated urinary tract infection (6.3 vs. 3.3 per 1,000 catheter-days). Notably, the frequencies of resistance of Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolates to imipenem (47.2% vs 23.0%), Klebsiella pneumoniae isolates to ceftazidime (76.3% vs 27.1%), Escherichia coli isolates to ceftazidime (66.7% vs 8.1%), Staphylococcus aureus isolates to methicillin (84.4% vs 56.8%), were also higher in the consortium's ICUs, and the crude unadjusted excess mortalities of device-related infections ranged from 7.3% (for catheter-associated urinary tract infection) to 15.2% (for ventilator-associated pneumonia). Copyright © 2012 by the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology, Inc. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved

GLORIA: A compact detector system for studying heavy-ion reactions using radioactive beams

The GLObal ReactIon Array (GLORIA) has been designed in order to study direct nuclear reactions induced by exotic nuclei at energies close to the Coulomb barrier. The detector array consists of six silicon particle-telescopes arranged in a very close geometry around a 30° rotated-target system, allowing the measurement of reaction fragments in a continuous angular range from 15° to 165° (Lab.). GLORIA has been used for the first time at the SPIRAL/GANIL facility at Caen (France) to study the scattering of the system 8He+208Pb at the collision energies of 16 and 22 MeV

Gonadal steroids as promoters of neuro-glial plasticity

Estradiol induces coordinated modifications in the extension of glial and neuronal processes in the arcuate nucleus of the hypothalamus of adult female rats. This hormonal effect results in natural fluctuations in the ensheathing of arcuate neurons by glial processes and these glial changes are linked to a remodelling of inhibitory GABAergic synapses during the estrous cycle. Hormonally induced glial and synaptic changes appear to be dependent on specific recognition or adhesion molecules on the neuronal and/or glial membranes. © 1994.Peer Reviewe

Energy Resolution from a Silicon Detector’s Interstrip Regions

International audienceIn this work, we present a novel approach for improving the energy resolution from particles impinging on the interstrip regions of silicon strip detectors. We employed three double-sided strip detectors from the GRIT array and a triple α-source under laboratory conditions. The results showed that the interstrip resolution depends not only on the impinging side but also on whether it is a P- or an N-interstrip. We obtained the interstrip energy resolution down to 0.4%, and, depending on the scenario, the resolution was enhanced by a factor of 2. We believe that this new rotation method allows for the possibility of applying particle identification methods on interstrip events, which in most cases are dismissed during data recording.</jats:p

Propiedades de resistencia y durabilidad natural de la madera de ramas de aguacate (Persea americana Mill.)

This paper reports on mechanical properties and natural durability of avocado branch wood (Persea americana Mill.) with the objectives of providing a reliable property profile and to promote the rational use of this abundant yet largely neglected natural resource. The mechanical properties (static bending, compression, shear, impact bending) and hardness were determined in accordance with European standards (CEN). Natural durability was assessed according to the European standard EN 350-1 (agar block test) using the white rot fungi Trametes versicolor and Phanerochaete chrysosporium, and the brown rot fungus Postia placenta. Avocado trees yield a low to medium density (0,44-0,54-0,64 g/cm3 at 12% mc) branch wood with below average strength under static bending, compression and tension parallel to the grain and average values for longitudinal shear, impact bending and hardness. The wood is rated non-resistant (class 5 according to EN 350-1) and thus is not suitable for exterior applications unless treated. Considering its property profile and the small dimensions available, avocado wood is recommended for general carpentry, furniture, interior paneling, glue-boards for closets and cabinets, and glue-lams for indoor framework