On the properties of GaP supersaturated with Ti

We have fabricated GaP supersaturated with Ti by means of ion implantation and pulsed-laser melting to obtain an intermediate band material with applications in photovoltaics. This material has a strong sheet photoconductance at energies below the bandgap of GaP and it seems to be passivated by a Ga defective GaPO oxide layer during the laser process. Passivation is consistently analyzed by sheet photoconductance and photoluminescence measurements. We report on the structural quality of the resulting layers and analyze the energy of the new optical transitions measured on GaP:Ti. A collapse found in the sheet photoconductance spectra of GaP:Ti samples fabricated on undoped substrates is explained by the negative photoconductivity phenomenon. (C) 2019 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved

Hepatitis C Virus Clearance by Direct-Acting Antivirals Agents Improves Endothelial Dysfunction and Subclinical Atherosclerosis: HEPCAR Study

© 2020 The Author(s).[INTRODUCTION]: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection has been related to increased cardiovascular (CV) risk. The aim of this study was to analyze the impact of sustained virological response (SVR) on endothelial dysfunction and subclinical atherosclerosis in patients with hepatitis C virus treated with direct-acting antiviral agents. [METHODS]: A total of 114 patients were prospectively recruited and underwent CV risk assessment including (i) endothelial dysfunction determined through laser Doppler flowmetry and (ii) subclinical atherosclerosis, elucidated by the ankle-brachial index (ABI). Atherogenic lipid profile (total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and triglycerides); markers of oxidative stress (oxidized low-density lipoprotein antibodies [OLAbs]), soluble markers of adhesion (vascular cell adhesion molecule [VCAM], e-selectin, and soluble markers of angiogenesis; and vascular endothelial growth factor, endothelial [EMPs] and platelet [PMPs] apoptotic microparticles, and cell-free DNA [cfDNA]) were measured. All determinations were performed at baseline, 12 weeks (SVR time), and 1 year after treatment. [RESULTS]: In patients with endothelial dysfunction, area of hyperemia improved after virus clearance (P = 0.013) and was related to significant decrease in VCAM, e-selectin (P < 0.001), and cfDNA (P = 0.017) and to increased OLAb levels (P = 0.001). In patients with subclinical atherosclerosis at baseline, a significantly improved ABI was seen after HCV clearance (P < 0.001). Levels of both EMPs and PMPs also decreased after SVR and at follow-up (P = 0.006 and P = 0.002, respectively). [DISCUSSION]: HCV clearance improved not only liver function but also endothelial dysfunction and subclinical atherosclerosis promoted by decrease in levels of VCAM, e-selectin, cfDNA, and PMPs and EMPs.Postdoctoral fellowship from the Spanish Government (Juan de la Cierva fellowship FJC1-2014-21675). Instituto de Salud Carlos III Project GLD17/00203

In Vitro Antifungal Activity of Ibrexafungerp (SCY-078) Against Contemporary Blood Isolates From Medically Relevant Species of Candida: A European Study

BackgroundIbrexafungerp (SCY-078) is the newest oral and intravenous antifungal drug with broad activity, currently undergoing clinical trials for invasive candidiasis. ObjectiveThe aim of this study was to assess the in vitro activity of ibrexafungerp and comparators against a collection of 434 European blood isolates of Candida. MethodsIbrexafungerp, caspofungin, fluconazole, and micafungin minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) were collected from 12 European laboratories for 434 blood isolates, including 163 Candida albicans, 108 Candida parapsilosis, 60 Candida glabrata, 40 Candida tropicalis, 29 Candida krusei, 20 Candida orthopsilosis, 6 Candida guilliermondii, 2 Candida famata, 2 Candida lusitaniae, and 1 isolate each of Candida bracarensis, Candida catenulata, Candida dubliniensis, and Candida kefyr. MICs were determined by the EUCAST broth microdilution method, and isolates were classified according to recommended clinical breakpoints and epidemiological cutoffs. Additionally, 22 Candida auris from different clinical specimens were evaluated. ResultsIbrexafungerp MICs ranged from 0.016 to >= 8 mg/L. The lowest ibrexafungerp MICs were observed for C. albicans (geometric MIC 0.062 mg/L, MIC range 0.016-0.5 mg/L) and the highest ibrexafungerp MICs were observed for C. tropicalis (geometric MIC 0.517 mg/L, MIC range 0.06->= 8 mg/L). Modal MICs/MIC(50)s (mg/L) against Candida spp. were 0.125/0.06 for C. albicans, 0.5/0.5 for C. parapsilosis, 0.25/0.25 for C. glabrata, 0.5/0.5 for C. tropicalis, 1/1 for C. krusei, 4/2 for C. orthopsilosis, and 0.5/0.5 for C. auris. Ibrexafungerp showed activity against fluconazole- and echinocandin-resistant isolates. If adopting wild-type upper limits, a non-wild-type phenotype for ibrexafungerp was only observed for 16/434 (3.7%) isolates: 11 (4.6%) C. parapsilosis, 4 (5%) C. glabrata, and 1 (2.5%) C. tropicalis. ConclusionIbrexafungerp showed a potent in vitro activity against Candida.This study received funding from SCYNEXIS. The funder was not involved in the study design, collection, analysis, interpretation of data, the writing of the article, or the decision to submit it for publication. CM-A is a recipient of a grant from Fundació n ONCE (Oportunidad al Talento). EE, AG, NJ, CM-A, and GQ have received grant support from Consejerı́a de Educación, Universidades e Investigación del Gobierno Vasco (GIC15 IT-990-16), Fondo de Investigación Sanitaria del Gobierno de España (FIS PI11/00203), and UPV/EHU (UFI 11/25). All authors declare no other competing interests

Healthcare workers hospitalized due to COVID-19 have no higher risk of death than general population. Data from the Spanish SEMI-COVID-19 Registry

Aim To determine whether healthcare workers (HCW) hospitalized in Spain due to COVID-19 have a worse prognosis than non-healthcare workers (NHCW). Methods Observational cohort study based on the SEMI-COVID-19 Registry, a nationwide registry that collects sociodemographic, clinical, laboratory, and treatment data on patients hospitalised with COVID-19 in Spain. Patients aged 20-65 years were selected. A multivariate logistic regression model was performed to identify factors associated with mortality. Results As of 22 May 2020, 4393 patients were included, of whom 419 (9.5%) were HCW. Median (interquartile range) age of HCW was 52 (15) years and 62.4% were women. Prevalence of comorbidities and severe radiological findings upon admission were less frequent in HCW. There were no difference in need of respiratory support and admission to intensive care unit, but occurrence of sepsis and in-hospital mortality was lower in HCW (1.7% vs. 3.9%; p = 0.024 and 0.7% vs. 4.8%; p<0.001 respectively). Age, male sex and comorbidity, were independently associated with higher in-hospital mortality and healthcare working with lower mortality (OR 0.211, 95%CI 0.067-0.667, p = 0.008). 30-days survival was higher in HCW (0.968 vs. 0.851 p<0.001). Conclusions Hospitalized COVID-19 HCW had fewer comorbidities and a better prognosis than NHCW. Our results suggest that professional exposure to COVID-19 in HCW does not carry more clinical severity nor mortality

Manejo del trauma grave en la Comunidad Valenciana

Objetivo: La lesión traumática representa hoy en nuestro país la principal causa de muerte en las primeras cuatro décadas de la vida. Sin menoscabo de la importancia de una política eficaz de prevención, es preciso garantizar el manejo y tratamiento adecuado de estos pacientes. Se investiga la atención que se dispensa al paciente crítico y se estudia la capacidad de mejora cuando sea necesario y donde sea posible. Métodos: Estudio multicéntrico entre todos los hospitales de la Comunidad Valenciana. Se elaboró una encuesta de preguntas cerradas en relación con la atención al paciente crítico que se remitió por correo a los diferentes servicios de urgencias hospitalarias. La recogida y el procesamiento de los datos se realizó mediante modelos estadísticos con valoración de los resultados obtenidos. Resultados: Un 61% de los servicios de urgencias de la Comunidad Valenciana dispone de un registro de la recepción del trauma grave. El mayor número de politraumatizados son por accidente de tráfico (40%). La responsabilidad en la observación y control evolutivo corre a cargo del médico de urgencias en el 61% de los centros encuestados. Un 33% de los servicios responde no disponer, dentro de su propia unidad estructural, de capacidad de atención a múltiples víctimas con riesgo vital. Sobre la disponibilidad de material, el 23,8% de los SUH no dispone, en el momento de cumplimentar la encuesta, de collarín tipo Philadelphia. En el 85% de los servicios encuestados se solicita, de manera habitual, hemograma, bioquímica y coagulación, mientras que sólo una cuarta parte solicita pruebas toxicológicas de manera protocolarizada (con una positividad de las mismas entre un 25-50%). Las exploraciones radiográficas se encuentran protocolarizadas en más del 90% de los servicios encuestados. Respecto a la planificación en la formación de los profesionales en los servicios de urgencias, aunque el 90% de los centros hospitalarios encuestados se encuentran acreditados para la docencia por parte del Ministerio de Sanidad y Consumo en el momento actual aunque sólo en un 15% de los centros se realizan cursos de formación o reciclaje de una manera frecuente. Conclusiones: Si bien resulta evidente el papel a desempeñar por parte de los servicios de urgencias hospitalarias en el plan integral de la atención del paciente politraumatizado, el estudio detecta una apreciable descoordinación en la recepción hospitalaria del paciente politraumatizado, observándose una falta de uniformidad asistencial en la valoración inicial y tratamiento en la comparativa de los diferentes centros participantes en el mismo

Lead Reconstruction Using Artificial Neural Networks for Ambulatory ECG Acquisition

One of the most powerful techniques to diagnose cardiovascular diseases is to analyze the electrocardiogram (ECG). To increase diagnostic sensitivity, the ECG might need to be acquired using an ambulatory system, as symptoms may occur during a patient’s daily life. In this paper, we propose using an ambulatory ECG (aECG) recording device with a low number of leads and then estimating the views that would have been obtained with a standard ECG location, reconstructing the complete Standard 12-Lead System, the most widely used system for diagnosis by cardiologists. Four approaches have been explored, including Linear Regression with ECG segmentation and Artificial Neural Networks (ANN). The best reconstruction algorithm is based on ANN, which reconstructs the actual ECG signal with high precision, as the results bring a high accuracy (RMS Error &lt; 13 μV and CC &gt; 99.7%) for the set of patients analyzed in this paper. This study supports the hypothesis that it is possible to reconstruct the Standard 12-Lead System using an aECG recording device with less leads

Análisis de los resultados del proyecto de innovación educativa PIRAMIDE = Analysis of results from PIRAMIDE educational innovation project

El objetivo de PIRAMIDE ha sido potenciar los resultados académicos de los estudiantes de grado y máster mediante la investigación en ingeniería espacial. Este proyecto ha sido llevado a cabo por profesores del Instituto IDR/UPM y del grupo STRAST. El programa se estructuró en cinco estudios diferentes: 1) Diseño de una misión espacial (fase 0/A) en una Instalación de Diseño Concurrente (CDF); 2) Selección y estudio de un ordenador de a bordo para una misión CubeSat; 3) Metodologías de diseño inteligente aplicadas a la ingeniería gráfica; 4) Análisis de sistemas de potencia para aplicaciones espaciales; y 5) Diseño de un Subsistema de Control y Determinación de Actitud (ADCS) de una nave espacial. En el presente trabajo se analizan los resultados de realizar 5 encuestas a los alumnos para cada uno de los casos de estudio que componen PIRAMIDE y una encuesta al profesorado. Además, se incluye un análisis crítico con las lecciones aprendidas que podrían ayudar a diseñar mejores proyectos de innovación educativa en el futuro

In Vitro Antifungal Activity of Ibrexafungerp (SCY-078) Against Contemporary Blood Isolates From Medically Relevant Species of Candida : A European Study

Ibrexafungerp (SCY-078) is the newest oral and intravenous antifungal drug with broad activity, currently undergoing clinical trials for invasive candidiasis. The aim of this study was to assess the in vitro activity of ibrexafungerp and comparators against a collection of 434 European blood isolates of Candida. Ibrexafungerp, caspofungin, fluconazole, and micafungin minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) were collected from 12 European laboratories for 434 blood isolates, including 163 Candida albicans, 108 Candida parapsilosis, 60 Candida glabrata, 40 Candida tropicalis, 29 Candida krusei, 20 Candida orthopsilosis, 6 Candida guilliermondii, 2 Candida famata, 2 Candida lusitaniae, and 1 isolate each of Candida bracarensis, Candida catenulata, Candida dubliniensis, and Candida kefyr. MICs were determined by the EUCAST broth microdilution method, and isolates were classified according to recommended clinical breakpoints and epidemiological cutoffs. Additionally, 22 Candida auris from different clinical specimens were evaluated. Ibrexafungerp MICs ranged from 0.016 to ≥8 mg/L. The lowest ibrexafungerp MICs were observed for C. albicans (geometric MIC 0.062 mg/L, MIC range 0.016-0.5 mg/L) and the highest ibrexafungerp MICs were observed for C. tropicalis (geometric MIC 0.517 mg/L, MIC range 0.06-≥8 mg/L). Modal MICs/MICs (mg/L) against Candida spp. were 0.125/0.06 for C. albicans, 0.5/0.5 for C. parapsilosis, 0.25/0.25 for C. glabrata, 0.5/0.5 for C. tropicalis, 1/1 for C. krusei, 4/2 for C. orthopsilosis, and 0.5/0.5 for C. auris. Ibrexafungerp showed activity against fluconazole- and echinocandin-resistant isolates. If adopting wild-type upper limits, a non-wild-type phenotype for ibrexafungerp was only observed for 16/434 (3.7%) isolates: 11 (4.6%) C. parapsilosis, 4 (5%) C. glabrata, and 1 (2.5%) C. tropicalis. Ibrexafungerp showed a potent in vitro activity against Candida

Contemporary use of cefazolin for MSSA infective endocarditis: analysis of a national prospective cohort

Objectives: This study aimed to assess the real use of cefazolin for methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA) infective endocarditis (IE) in the Spanish National Endocarditis Database (GAMES) and to compare it with antistaphylococcal penicillin (ASP). Methods: Prospective cohort study with retrospective analysis of a cohort of MSSA IE treated with cloxacillin and/or cefazolin. Outcomes assessed were relapse; intra-hospital, overall, and endocarditis-related mortality; and adverse events. Risk of renal toxicity with each treatment was evaluated separately. Results: We included 631 IE episodes caused by MSSA treated with cloxacillin and/or cefazolin. Antibiotic treatment was cloxacillin, cefazolin, or both in 537 (85%), 57 (9%), and 37 (6%) episodes, respectively. Patients treated with cefazolin had significantly higher rates of comorbidities (median Charlson Index 7, P <0.01) and previous renal failure (57.9%, P <0.01). Patients treated with cloxacillin presented higher rates of septic shock (25%, P = 0.033) and new-onset or worsening renal failure (47.3%, P = 0.024) with significantly higher rates of in-hospital mortality (38.5%, P = 0.017). One-year IE-related mortality and rate of relapses were similar between treatment groups. None of the treatments were identified as risk or protective factors. Conclusion: Our results suggest that cefazolin is a valuable option for the treatment of MSSA IE, without differences in 1-year mortality or relapses compared with cloxacillin, and might be considered equally effective