Age determination on teeth of Otariidae and Phocidae (Carnivora), alternative techniques

La depositación periódica de capas de esmalte, cemento y dentina en los dientes de los mamíferos es de gran utilidad para la determinación de edades absolutas. Los diferentes sucesos que se producen durante la vida del animal como la muda, la madurez sexual, período de lactancia y de alimentación, se reflejan muchas veces en la cantidad y tipo de depósito de dentina en las piezas dentarias. Los objetivos de este trabajo son: determinar, con diferentes técnicas aplicables sobre dientes, las edades absolutas de ejemplares de Phocidae y Otariidae (Mammalia) alojados en diferentes colecciones de la Argentina; comparar los resultados obtenidos con el empleo de las distintas técnicas; y añadir un dato relevante a cada ejemplar estudiado. Se compararon, ajustaron, y aplicaron las técnicas a un total de 335 ejemplares de las siguientes especies: Arctocephalus gazella, Arctocephalus australis, Otaria byronia, Mirounga leonina, Leptonychotes weddellii, Lobodon carcinophaga, e Hydrurga leptonyx. Las tecnicas aplicadas fueron: el conteo de anillos externos de la raíz y el conteo de líneas de dentina y de cemento tanto sin descalcificar como descalcificado. Los resultados mostraron que no todas las técnicas son aplicables a todas las especies, ni para todas las piezas dentarias, dependiendo en parte del tamaño de las piezas y de la forma en que el cemento se deposita. Finalmente, recomendamos cuáles técnicas son más efectivas para cada especie estudiada. La técnica de conteo de anillos externos y lineas de dentina con y sin descalcificación es conveniente para las especies de Arctocephalus estudiadas, mientras que la del conteo de líneas de dentina por descalcificación es recomendable para O. byronia. Para las especies de fócidos analizadas se recomienda el conteo de líneas de cemento con previa descalcificación en poscaninos.The periodic depositing of layers of cement and dentine on the mammal’s teeth it is very useful to determine the absolute age. The different events produced during the life cycle as moult, sexual maturity, nursing and feeding are reflected on the amount and type of cement and dentine deposits on the teeth. The aim of this contribution is to determine through the application of different techniques the age of specimens of Phocidae and Otariidae (Mammalia) housed on different collections in Argentina; in order to compare the results obtained with the use of different techniques and to incorporate a crucial datum to each studied specimen. The different techniques were tested, improved and then were performed on 335 specimens of Arctocephalus gazella, Arctocephalus australis, Otaria byronia, Mirounga leonina, Leptonychotes weddellii, Lobodon carcinophaga e Hydrurga leptonyx. The techniques used were: root external rings counting and dentine and cement line counting, both undecalsified as decalsified. Our results showed that not all techniques are effective for all species and for all teeth, effectiveness depends i.e. on the teeth size, on the way on the cement is deposited. Finally, we recommend which techniques are more effective for each species. The external ring and dentine line counting techniques with and without decalsification are more suitable for Arctocephalus, the dentine line counting by decalsification is recommendable for O. byronia. In focids is better to used the line cements counting with previuos decalcificaction in postcanines.Fil: Loza, Cleopatra Mara. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo. División Paleontología Vertebrados; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata; ArgentinaFil: Soibelzon, Leopoldo Héctor. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo. División Paleontología Vertebrados; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata; ArgentinaFil: Tarnawski, Bárbara Alejandra. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Parque Centenario. Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales "Bernardino Rivadavia"; ArgentinaFil: del Corro, M. E.. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo. División Paleontología Vertebrados; ArgentinaFil: Negrete, Javier. Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores, Comercio Interno y Culto. Dirección Nacional del Antártico. Instituto Antártico Argentino; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata; ArgentinaFil: Ciancio, Martin Ricardo. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo. División Paleontología Vertebrados; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata; Argentin

Age determination on teeth of Otariidae and Phocidae (Carnivora), alternative techniques

La depositación periódica de capas de esmalte, cemento y dentina en los dientes de los mamíferos es de gran utilidad para la determinación de edades absolutas. Los diferentes sucesos que se producen durante la vida del animal como la muda, la madurez sexual, período de lactancia y de alimentación, se reflejan muchas veces en la cantidad y tipo de depósito de dentina en las piezas dentarias. Los objetivos de este trabajo son: determinar, con diferentes técnicas aplicables sobre dientes, las edades absolutas de ejemplares de Phocidae y Otariidae (Mammalia) alojados en diferentes colecciones de la Argentina; comparar los resultados obtenidos con el empleo de las distintas técnicas; y añadir un dato relevante a cada ejemplar estudiado. Se compararon, ajustaron, y aplicaron las técnicas a un total de 335 ejemplares de las siguientes especies: Arctocephalus gazella, Arctocephalus australis, Otaria byronia, Mirounga leonina, Leptonychotes weddellii, Lobodon carcinophaga, e Hydrurga leptonyx. Las tecnicas aplicadas fueron: el conteo de anillos externos de la raíz y el conteo de líneas de dentina y de cemento tanto sin descalcificar como descalcificado. Los resultados mostraron que no todas las técnicas son aplicables a todas las especies, ni para todas las piezas dentarias, dependiendo en parte del tamaño de las piezas y de la forma en que el cemento se deposita. Finalmente, recomendamos cuáles técnicas son más efectivas para cada especie estudiada. La técnica de conteo de anillos externos y lineas de dentina con y sin descalcificación es conveniente para las especies de Arctocephalus estudiadas, mientras que la del conteo de líneas de dentina por descalcificación es recomendable para O. byronia. Para las especies de fócidos analizadas se recomienda el conteo de líneas de cemento con previa descalcificación en poscaninos.The periodic depositing of layers of cement and dentine on the mammal’s teeth it is very useful to determine the absolute age. The different events produced during the life cycle as moult, sexual maturity, nursing and feeding are reflected on the amount and type of cement and dentine deposits on the teeth. The aim of this contribution is to determine through the application of different techniques the age of specimens of Phocidae and Otariidae (Mammalia) housed on different collections in Argentina; in order to compare the results obtained with the use of different techniques and to incorporate a crucial datum to each studied specimen. The different techniques were tested, improved and then were performed on 335 specimens of Arctocephalus gazella, Arctocephalus australis, Otaria byronia, Mirounga leonina, Leptonychotes weddellii, Lobodon carcinophaga e Hydrurga leptonyx. The techniques used were: root external rings counting and dentine and cement line counting, both undecalsified as decalsified. Our results showed that not all techniques are effective for all species and for all teeth, effectiveness depends i.e. on the teeth size, on the way on the cement is deposited. Finally, we recommend which techniques are more effective for each species. The external ring and dentine line counting techniques with and without decalsification are more suitable for Arctocephalus, the dentine line counting by decalsification is recommendable for O. byronia. In focids is better to used the line cements counting with previuos decalcificaction in postcanines.Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Muse

Full-bandwidth electrophysiology of seizures and epileptiform activity enabled by flexible graphene microtransistor depth neural probes

Mapping the entire frequency bandwidth of brain electrophysiological signals is of paramount importance for understanding physiological and pathological states. The ability to record simultaneously DC-shifts, infraslow oscillations (<0.1 Hz), typical local field potentials (0.1-80 Hz) and higher frequencies (80-600 Hz) using the same recording site would particularly benefit preclinical epilepsy research and could provide clinical biomarkers for improved seizure onset zone delineation. However, commonly used metal microelectrode technology suffers from instabilities that hamper the high fidelity of DC-coupled recordings, which are needed to access signals of very low frequency. In this study we used flexible graphene depth neural probes (gDNPs), consisting of a linear array of graphene microtransistors, to concurrently record DC-shifts and high-frequency neuronal activity in awake rodents. We show here that gDNPs can reliably record and map with high spatial resolution seizures, pre-ictal DC-shifts and seizure-associated spreading depolarizations together with higher frequencies through the cortical laminae to the hippocampus in a mouse model of chemically induced seizures. Moreover, we demonstrate the functionality of chronically implanted devices over 10 weeks by recording with high fidelity spontaneous spike-wave discharges and associated infraslow oscillations in a rat model of absence epilepsy. Altogether, our work highlights the suitability of this technology for in vivo electrophysiology research, and in particular epilepsy research, by allowing stable and chronic DC-coupled recordings

New first order Raman-active modes in few layered transition metal dichalcogenides

Although the main Raman features of semiconducting transition metal dichalcogenides are well known for the monolayer and bulk, there are important differences exhibited by few layered systems which have not been fully addressed. WSe 2 samples were synthesized and ab-initio calculations carried out. We calculated phonon dispersions and Raman-active modes in layered systems: WSe 2 , MoSe 2 , WS 2 and MoS 2 ranging from monolayers to five-layers and the bulk. First, we confirmed that as the number of layers increase, the E9, E0 and E 2g modes shift to lower frequencies, and the A9 1 and A 1g modes shift to higher frequencies. Second, new high frequency first order A9 1 and A 1g modes appear, explaining recently reported experimental data for WSe 2 , MoSe 2 and MoS 2 . Third, splitting of modes around A9 1 and A 1g is found which explains those observed in MoSe 2 . Finally, exterior and interior layers possess different vibrational frequencies. Therefore, it is now possible to precisely identify few-layered STMD. T he field of 2-Dimensional semiconducting transition metal dichalcogenides (STMDs) is growing very fast mainly due to: a) their moderate band gap which can be used for fabricating electronic devices such as field effect transistors (FETs

Antimicrobial resistance among migrants in Europe: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND: Rates of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) are rising globally and there is concern that increased migration is contributing to the burden of antibiotic resistance in Europe. However, the effect of migration on the burden of AMR in Europe has not yet been comprehensively examined. Therefore, we did a systematic review and meta-analysis to identify and synthesise data for AMR carriage or infection in migrants to Europe to examine differences in patterns of AMR across migrant groups and in different settings. METHODS: For this systematic review and meta-analysis, we searched MEDLINE, Embase, PubMed, and Scopus with no language restrictions from Jan 1, 2000, to Jan 18, 2017, for primary data from observational studies reporting antibacterial resistance in common bacterial pathogens among migrants to 21 European Union-15 and European Economic Area countries. To be eligible for inclusion, studies had to report data on carriage or infection with laboratory-confirmed antibiotic-resistant organisms in migrant populations. We extracted data from eligible studies and assessed quality using piloted, standardised forms. We did not examine drug resistance in tuberculosis and excluded articles solely reporting on this parameter. We also excluded articles in which migrant status was determined by ethnicity, country of birth of participants' parents, or was not defined, and articles in which data were not disaggregated by migrant status. Outcomes were carriage of or infection with antibiotic-resistant organisms. We used random-effects models to calculate the pooled prevalence of each outcome. The study protocol is registered with PROSPERO, number CRD42016043681. FINDINGS: We identified 2274 articles, of which 23 observational studies reporting on antibiotic resistance in 2319 migrants were included. The pooled prevalence of any AMR carriage or AMR infection in migrants was 25·4% (95% CI 19·1-31·8; I2 =98%), including meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (7·8%, 4·8-10·7; I2 =92%) and antibiotic-resistant Gram-negative bacteria (27·2%, 17·6-36·8; I2 =94%). The pooled prevalence of any AMR carriage or infection was higher in refugees and asylum seekers (33·0%, 18·3-47·6; I2 =98%) than in other migrant groups (6·6%, 1·8-11·3; I2 =92%). The pooled prevalence of antibiotic-resistant organisms was slightly higher in high-migrant community settings (33·1%, 11·1-55·1; I2 =96%) than in migrants in hospitals (24·3%, 16·1-32·6; I2 =98%). We did not find evidence of high rates of transmission of AMR from migrant to host populations. INTERPRETATION: Migrants are exposed to conditions favouring the emergence of drug resistance during transit and in host countries in Europe. Increased antibiotic resistance among refugees and asylum seekers and in high-migrant community settings (such as refugee camps and detention facilities) highlights the need for improved living conditions, access to health care, and initiatives to facilitate detection of and appropriate high-quality treatment for antibiotic-resistant infections during transit and in host countries. Protocols for the prevention and control of infection and for antibiotic surveillance need to be integrated in all aspects of health care, which should be accessible for all migrant groups, and should target determinants of AMR before, during, and after migration. FUNDING: UK National Institute for Health Research Imperial Biomedical Research Centre, Imperial College Healthcare Charity, the Wellcome Trust, and UK National Institute for Health Research Health Protection Research Unit in Healthcare-associated Infections and Antimictobial Resistance at Imperial College London

Eventos adversos evitables en atención primaria. Estudio retrospectivo de cohortes para determinar su frecuencia y gravedad

Objetivo: Determinar la frecuencia de eventos adversos evitables (EAE) en atención primaria (AP). Diseño: Estudio retrospectivo de cohortes. Emplazamiento: consultas de medicina de familia y pediatría de Andalucía, Aragón, Castilla La Mancha, Cataluña, Madrid, Navarra y Comunidad Valenciana. Participantes: Se determinó revisar un mínimo de 2.397 historias clínicas (nivel de confianza del 95% y una precisión del 2%). La muestra se estratificó por grupos de edad de forma proporcional a su frecuentación y con revisión paritaria de historias de hombres y mujeres. Mediciones principales: Número y gravedad de los EAE identificados entre febrero de 2018 y septiembre de 2019. Resultados: Se revisaron un total de 2.557 historias clínicas (1.928, 75.4% de pacientes adultos y 629, 24.6% pediátricos). Se identificaron 182 EAE que afectaron a 168 pacientes (7,1%, IC 95% 6,1-8,1%); en adultos 7,6% (IC 95% 6,4-8,8%) y 5,7% (IC 95% 3,9-7,5%) en pacientes pediátricos. Las mujeres sufrieron más EAE que los hombres (p = 0,004). La incidencia de EAE en niños y niñas fue similar (p = 0,3). 6 (4.1%) de los EAE supusieron un daño permanente en pacientes adultos. Conclusiones: Buscar fórmulas para incrementar la seguridad en AP, particularmente en pacientes mujeres, debe seguir siendo un objetivo prioritario incluso en pediatría. Uno de cada 24 EAE supone un daño grave y permanente en el adulto

Adaptive tip-enhanced nano-spectroscopy

Tip-enhanced nano-spectroscopy, such as tip-enhanced photoluminescence (TEPL) and tip-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (TERS), generally suffers from inconsistent signal enhancement and difficulty in polarization-resolved measurement. To address this problem, we present adaptive tip-enhanced nano-spectroscopy optimizing the nano-optical vector-field at the tip apex. Specifically, we demonstrate dynamic wavefront shaping of the excitation field to effectively couple light to the tip and adaptively control for enhanced sensitivity and polarization-controlled TEPL and TERS. Employing a sequence feedback algorithm, we achieve similar to 4.4x10(4)-fold TEPL enhancement of a WSe2 monolayer which is &gt;2x larger than the normal TEPL intensity without wavefront shaping. In addition, with dynamical near-field polarization control in TERS, we demonstrate the investigation of conformational heterogeneity of brilliant cresyl blue molecules and the controllable observation of IR-active modes due to a large gradient field effect. Adaptive tip-enhanced nano-spectroscopy thus provides for a systematic approach towards computational nanoscopy making optical nano-imaging more robust and widely deployable. Tip-enhanced nano-spectroscopy suffers from inconsistent signal and difficulty in polarization-resolved measurement. Here, the authors present adaptive tip-enhanced nano-spectroscopy, which enables the additional signal enhancement and near-field polarization control via dynamic wavefront shaping

Effects of hospital facilities on patient outcomes after cancer surgery: an international, prospective, observational study

Background Early death after cancer surgery is higher in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs) compared with in high-income countries, yet the impact of facility characteristics on early postoperative outcomes is unknown. The aim of this study was to examine the association between hospital infrastructure, resource availability, and processes on early outcomes after cancer surgery worldwide.Methods A multimethods analysis was performed as part of the GlobalSurg 3 study-a multicentre, international, prospective cohort study of patients who had surgery for breast, colorectal, or gastric cancer. The primary outcomes were 30-day mortality and 30-day major complication rates. Potentially beneficial hospital facilities were identified by variable selection to select those associated with 30-day mortality. Adjusted outcomes were determined using generalised estimating equations to account for patient characteristics and country-income group, with population stratification by hospital.Findings Between April 1, 2018, and April 23, 2019, facility-level data were collected for 9685 patients across 238 hospitals in 66 countries (91 hospitals in 20 high-income countries; 57 hospitals in 19 upper-middle-income countries; and 90 hospitals in 27 low-income to lower-middle-income countries). The availability of five hospital facilities was inversely associated with mortality: ultrasound, CT scanner, critical care unit, opioid analgesia, and oncologist. After adjustment for case-mix and country income group, hospitals with three or fewer of these facilities (62 hospitals, 1294 patients) had higher mortality compared with those with four or five (adjusted odds ratio [OR] 3.85 [95% CI 2.58-5.75]; p&lt;0.0001), with excess mortality predominantly explained by a limited capacity to rescue following the development of major complications (63.0% vs 82.7%; OR 0.35 [0.23-0.53]; p&lt;0.0001). Across LMICs, improvements in hospital facilities would prevent one to three deaths for every 100 patients undergoing surgery for cancer.Interpretation Hospitals with higher levels of infrastructure and resources have better outcomes after cancer surgery, independent of country income. Without urgent strengthening of hospital infrastructure and resources, the reductions in cancer-associated mortality associated with improved access will not be realised

Pooled analysis of WHO Surgical Safety Checklist use and mortality after emergency laparotomy

Background The World Health Organization (WHO) Surgical Safety Checklist has fostered safe practice for 10 years, yet its place in emergency surgery has not been assessed on a global scale. The aim of this study was to evaluate reported checklist use in emergency settings and examine the relationship with perioperative mortality in patients who had emergency laparotomy. Methods In two multinational cohort studies, adults undergoing emergency laparotomy were compared with those having elective gastrointestinal surgery. Relationships between reported checklist use and mortality were determined using multivariable logistic regression and bootstrapped simulation. Results Of 12 296 patients included from 76 countries, 4843 underwent emergency laparotomy. After adjusting for patient and disease factors, checklist use before emergency laparotomy was more common in countries with a high Human Development Index (HDI) (2455 of 2741, 89.6 per cent) compared with that in countries with a middle (753 of 1242, 60.6 per cent; odds ratio (OR) 0.17, 95 per cent c.i. 0.14 to 0.21, P <0001) or low (363 of 860, 422 per cent; OR 008, 007 to 010, P <0.001) HDI. Checklist use was less common in elective surgery than for emergency laparotomy in high-HDI countries (risk difference -94 (95 per cent c.i. -11.9 to -6.9) per cent; P <0001), but the relationship was reversed in low-HDI countries (+121 (+7.0 to +173) per cent; P <0001). In multivariable models, checklist use was associated with a lower 30-day perioperative mortality (OR 0.60, 0.50 to 073; P <0.001). The greatest absolute benefit was seen for emergency surgery in low- and middle-HDI countries. Conclusion Checklist use in emergency laparotomy was associated with a significantly lower perioperative mortality rate. Checklist use in low-HDI countries was half that in high-HDI countries.Peer reviewe

Surgical site infection after gastrointestinal surgery in high-income, middle-income, and low-income countries: a prospective, international, multicentre cohort study

Background: Surgical site infection (SSI) is one of the most common infections associated with health care, but its importance as a global health priority is not fully understood. We quantified the burden of SSI after gastrointestinal surgery in countries in all parts of the world. Methods: This international, prospective, multicentre cohort study included consecutive patients undergoing elective or emergency gastrointestinal resection within 2-week time periods at any health-care facility in any country. Countries with participating centres were stratified into high-income, middle-income, and low-income groups according to the UN's Human Development Index (HDI). Data variables from the GlobalSurg 1 study and other studies that have been found to affect the likelihood of SSI were entered into risk adjustment models. The primary outcome measure was the 30-day SSI incidence (defined by US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention criteria for superficial and deep incisional SSI). Relationships with explanatory variables were examined using Bayesian multilevel logistic regression models. This trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT02662231. Findings: Between Jan 4, 2016, and July 31, 2016, 13 265 records were submitted for analysis. 12 539 patients from 343 hospitals in 66 countries were included. 7339 (58·5%) patient were from high-HDI countries (193 hospitals in 30 countries), 3918 (31·2%) patients were from middle-HDI countries (82 hospitals in 18 countries), and 1282 (10·2%) patients were from low-HDI countries (68 hospitals in 18 countries). In total, 1538 (12·3%) patients had SSI within 30 days of surgery. The incidence of SSI varied between countries with high (691 [9·4%] of 7339 patients), middle (549 [14·0%] of 3918 patients), and low (298 [23·2%] of 1282) HDI (p < 0·001). The highest SSI incidence in each HDI group was after dirty surgery (102 [17·8%] of 574 patients in high-HDI countries; 74 [31·4%] of 236 patients in middle-HDI countries; 72 [39·8%] of 181 patients in low-HDI countries). Following risk factor adjustment, patients in low-HDI countries were at greatest risk of SSI (adjusted odds ratio 1·60, 95% credible interval 1·05–2·37; p=0·030). 132 (21·6%) of 610 patients with an SSI and a microbiology culture result had an infection that was resistant to the prophylactic antibiotic used. Resistant infections were detected in 49 (16·6%) of 295 patients in high-HDI countries, in 37 (19·8%) of 187 patients in middle-HDI countries, and in 46 (35·9%) of 128 patients in low-HDI countries (p < 0·001). Interpretation: Countries with a low HDI carry a disproportionately greater burden of SSI than countries with a middle or high HDI and might have higher rates of antibiotic resistance. In view of WHO recommendations on SSI prevention that highlight the absence of high-quality interventional research, urgent, pragmatic, randomised trials based in LMICs are needed to assess measures aiming to reduce this preventable complication