Dissipative solitons which cannot be trapped

In this paper we study the behavior of dissipative solitons in systems with high order nonlinear dissipation and show how they cannot survive under the effect of trapping potentials both of rigid wall type or asymptotically increasing ones. This provides an striking example of a soliton which cannot be trapped and only survives to the action of a weak potential

The abundances of polyacetylenes towards CRL618

We present a mid-infrared high spectral resolution spectrum of CRL618 in the frequency ranges 778-784 and 1227-1249 cm^-1 (8.01-8.15 and 12.75-12.85 um) taken with the Texas Echelon-cross-Echelle Spectrograph (TEXES) and the Infrared Telescope Facility (IRTF). We have identified more than 170 ro-vibrational lines arising from C2H2, HCN, C4H2, and C6H2. We have found no unmistakable trace of C8H2. The line profiles display a complex structure suggesting the presence of polyacetylenes in several components of the circumstellar envelope (CSE). We derive total column densities of 2.5 10^17, 3.1 10^17, 2.1 10^17, 9.3 10^16 cm^-2, and < 5 10^16 cm^-2 for HCN, C2H2, C4H2, C6H2, and C8H2, respectively. The observations indicate that both the rotational and vibrational temperatures in the innermost CSE depend on the molecule, varying from 100 to 350 K for the rotational temperatures and 100 to 500 K for the vibrational temperatures. Our results support a chemistry in the innermost CSE based on radical-neutral reactions triggered by the intense UV radiation field.Comment: 9 pages, 4 figures, 1 table; accepted for publication in The Astrophysical Journa

Procedimiento para modular las propiedades eléctricas de óxidos con estructura tipo perovskita derivados del niobato de sodio mediante la creación de vacantes catiónicas

Procedimiento para modular las propiedades eléctricas de óxidos con estructura tipo perovskita derivados del niobato de sodio mediante la creación de vacantes catiónicas. La presente invención se refiere a un procedimiento para modificar controladamente las propiedades eléctricas del óxido NaNbO3 mediante la creación de vacantes catiónicas en la subred A de la estructura tipo perovskita. La introducción progresiva de vacantes en la subred A al dopar con un ión alcalinotérreo como por ejemplo Sr2+ o con un ión de tierra rara como por ejemplo La3+ permite la estabilización de un material ferroeléctrico, y el cambio continuo de comportamiento ferroeléctrico a ferroeléctrico-relaxor característico de las disoluciones sólidas tipo perovskita sin plomo. La presente invención incluye el procedimiento para la obtención de los óxidos que, en función de sus propiedades, pueden ser usados en dispositivos electrónicos como materiales piezoeléctricos y piroeléctricos en sensores y actuadores.Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (España)A1 Solicitud de patentes con informe sobre el estado de la técnic

Physical activity level and lifestyle-related risk factors from Catalan physicians.

BACKGROUND: Physicians' own Physical Activity (PA) and other health-related habits influence PA promotion. The current study identifies the PA level, according to the current PA recommendations and other health-related habits of physicians from the Catalan Medical Council. METHODS: 2400 physicians (30-55 years) were randomly selected; each received a self-administered mailed questionnaire identifying medical specialization, work setting, health self-perception, body mass index (BMI), PA, and smoking habits. RESULTS: 762 physicians responded (52% female). Almost 1 in 2 (49.3%) exercised sufficiently, nearly all self-perceived good health, while 80.5% were nonsmokers. Almost 6 in 10 males reported overweight or obesity (56.9%) versus 18.2% of females. Active physicians dominated specific groups: (1) aged 45-55 years, (2) specializing either in primary care or surgery, (3) working in the private sector, (4) BMI < 25 kg/m2, (5) perceiving themselves in good health, or (6) having free leisure time. CONCLUSIONS: Only half of Catalan physicians met current PA recommendations; male physicians were particularly at risk for overweight/obesity. Overweight and under-exercise were associated with private workplaces and positive health perceptions, meaning that it is it is now possible to target inactive and/or overweight Catalan physicians in future interventions

Rasgos de personalidad y burnout en médicos de familia

ObjetivoInvestigar los rasgos de personalidad que podrían asociarse con puntuaciones altas en las escalas de burnout (Maslach Burnout Inventory) en médicos de atención primaria.DiseñoEstudio observacional, descriptivo, transversal.EmplazamientoNoventa y tres centros de atención primaria de la ciudad de Barcelona y las comarcas del norte de la provincia: Vallès Oriental, Vallès Occidental, Maresme, Osona, Bages y Berguedà (región sanitaria centro).MétodoEncuesta directa por entrevista personal o grupal a 528 médicos de atención primaria. Se administraron 3 cuestionarios: uno de datos sociodemográficos generales, el Maslasch Burnout Inventory (MBI) y el test de personalidad de Cattell 16 PF-5.ResultadosUn 40% de los encuestados presentaba algún síntoma de burnout sin diferencia entre sexos. De éstos, un 12,4% manifestaba niveles muy altos de «quemazón» profesional. Los sujetos con criterios de burnout obtuvieron puntuaciones significativamente diferentes en los rasgos de estabilidad, tensión y vigilancia y en la dimensión ansiedad.ConclusionesAlgunos rasgos de personalidad, como la baja estabilidad emocional, la tensión y la ansiedad, se asocian de manera significativa a puntuaciones altas de burnoutExisten algunas diferencias entre estos factores internos por sexo.ObjectiveWith this research we try to study personality traits that could be associated with high punctuation at burnout scales (Maslach Burnout Inventory) in primary care physicians.DesignObservational descriptive transversal studySetting93 primary care centres in Barcelona-city and the northern province's region: Vallès Oriental, Vallès Occidental, Maresme, Osona, Bages and Berguedà (centre sanitary region).MethodIndividual or collective direct interview to 528 primary care physicians. Three questioners were administrated: a sociodemographyc items one, the Maslach Burnout Inventory (MBI) and the Cattell personality test 16-PF.ResultsThe 40% of the interviewed physicians had some burnout symptom without any difference between sexes. The 12.4% of these ones showed very high burnout levels. Those subjects with burnout criteria punctuated different at stability, tension and vigilance traits and anxiety dimension.ConclusionSome personality traits like low stability, the tension and the anxiety are associated with high punctuation of burnout

Effects of Plantago ovata Husk on Levodopa (with Carbidopa) Bioavailability in Rabbits with Autonomic Gastrointestinal Disorders

P. 1434-1442Gastrointestinal dysfunction is common in Parkinson’s disease. Fiber therapy could be used to reduce the symptoms of gastrointestinal motility disorders. In a previous study, we showed that slowed gastrointestinal motility modified levodopa pharmacokinetics: area under the plasma concentration-time curve (AUC) and maximum plasma concentration (Cmax) decreased and the elimination was delayed. In this study, we evaluated whether or not the hydrosoluble fiber Plantago ovata husk is useful in improving levodopa pharmacokinetics in rabbits with autonomic gastrointestinal disorders induced by the administration of the anticholinergic biperiden. Levodopa carbidopa (20:5 mg/kg), biperiden (100 g/ kg), and P. ovata husk (at two different doses: 100 and 400 mg/kg) were administered orally to rabbits for two periods of time (7 or 14 days). In all groups of animals, the AUC values were approximately 50% higher on the final day of treatment than on day 1. Cmax was also higher, with the greater increase at the 400 mg/kg dose of fiber, which resulted in a boost of approximately 35%. On day 1 of treatment and with both doses of fiber, AUC values were very similar to those obtained in previous work in rabbits with normal gastrointestinal motility, but the Cmax was lower. However, after 7 or 14 days, the AUC values were higher, but Cmax remained lower. The greatest differences were observed in plasma concentration before drug administration (Cmin), for which the highest increase was obtained with the dose of 400 mg/kg fiber on day 14 of treatment (349.8%). P. ovata husk could be beneficial in patients with Parkinson’s disease because it regulates stool transit in the intestine and because it improves levodopa pharmacokinetics when gastrointestinal peristalsis is slowed. These changes could lead to a possible delay in the onset of dyskinesias and to changes in prognosis.S

Influence of two commercial fibers in the pharmacokinetics of ethinylestradiol in rabbits

P. 870-874Fiber formulations are used in human nutrition owing to their beneficial properties for health. It is probable that ingestion of fiber coincides with the oral administration of drugs, and a modification of its oral absorption, and therefore of its pharmacokinetics, can appear. In the present study, the compartmental and noncompartmental pharmacokinetic parameters of ethinylestradiol (EE) in rabbits after oral administration were determined. It was also studied whether the presence of two different fiber formulations [A, wheat bran (76.5%), fruit fiber (12%) and guar gum (2%) and B, Plantago ovata seeds (65%) and P. ovata seed cuticles (2.2%)] in the gastrointestinal tract modified the pharmacokinetics of EE when administered at the same time. Three groups of rabbits were used: control, fiber A and fiber B. The animals in all three groups received 1 mg/kg b. wt. EE. The estrogen was administered alone in the control group and in the presence of 4 g of fiber A and fiber B, respectively, in the other two groups. After compartmental (two-compartment open model) and noncompartmental analyses of plasma concentrations, statistical analysis revealed that the presence of fiber (both A and B) decreased between 29% and 35% the extent of EE absorbed (represented by the pharmacokinetic parameters area under the curve and the maximum plasma concentration) without affecting the rate of the absorption process (represented by the time to reach maximum concentration and the absorption rate constant).S

Electron microscopy for inorganic-type drug delivery nanocarriers for antitumoral applications: What is possible to see?

The use of nanoparticles able to transport drugs, in a selective and controlable manner, directly to diseased tissues and cells have improved the therapeutic arsenal for addressing unmet clinical situations. In the recent years, a vast number of nanocarriers with inorganic, organic, hybrid and even biological nature have been developed, expecially for their application in oncology fied. The exponential growing in the nanomedicine field would not have been possible without the also rapid expansion of electron microscopy techniques, which allow a more precise observation of nanometric objects. The use of these techniques provides a better understanding of the key parameters which rule their synthesis and behavior. In this review, the recent advances performed in the application of inorganic nanoparticles for clinical uses and the role which has played electron microscopy will be presented

Hypoglycemic and hypolipidemic potential of a high fiber diet in healthy versus diabetic rabbits

P. 960568 - 960575The aim of this study was to investigate potential hypoglycaemic and hypolipidemic effects of Plantago ovata husk included in the diet, in healthy and diabetic rabbits. We also examined the effects of this fiber in other biochemical parameters. Two groups of 18 rabbits were used.The first group was fed with standard chow and the second with chow supplemented with Plantago ovata husk (3.5mg/kg/day). On day 14 diabetes mellitus was induced by the intravenous administration of alloxan (80mg/kg). After an oral glucose load (3 g), glucose, insulin, and other biochemical parameters were determined on day 14 (healthy rabbits) and on day 28 (diabetic rabbits). In healthy rabbits, fiber did not modify glucose or insulin levels but decreased significantly total cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, atherogenic index, and glycosylated hemoglobin. In diabetic rabbits, fiber was more beneficial in mild diabetics than in severe diabetics with significant decreases in glucose levels and increases in insulin concentrations. In these animals fiber caused an important reduction in cholesterol, indicating a beneficial effect of Plantago ovata husk in diabetic rabbits. Although further studies in patients are necessary, we think that Plantago ovata husk offers interesting perspectives to be administered to patients with diabetes mellitus.S