Computed Tomography Scan and ICD Interaction

Although it has been considered a safe procedure, computed tomography scanning uses high doses of radiation and can cause malfunctioning in those patients with ICD when the radiation is directly incident on the device. We present a case of ventricular oversensing during a thoracic computed tomography

Enhanced antitumor activity of doxorubicin in breast cancer through the use of poly(butylcyanoacrylate) nanoparticles

The use of doxorubicin (DOX), one of the most effective antitumor molecules in the treatment of metastatic breast cancer, is limited by its low tumor selectivity and its severe side effects. Colloidal carriers based on biodegradable poly(butylcyanoacrylate) nanoparticles (PBCA NPs) may enhance DOX antitumor activity against breast cancer cells, thus allowing a reduction of the effective dose required for antitumor activity and consequently the level of associated toxicity. DOX loading onto PBCA NPs was investigated in this work via both drug entrapment and surface adsorption. Cytotoxicity assays with DOX-loaded NPs were performed in vitro using breast tumor cell lines (MCF-7 human and E0771 mouse cancer cells), and in vivo evaluating antitumor activity in immunocompetent C57BL/6 mice. The entrapment method yielded greater drug loading values and a controlled drug release profile. Neither in vitro nor in vivo cytotoxicity was observed for blank NPs. The 50% inhibitory concentration (IC50) of DOX-loaded PBCA NPs was significantly lower for MCF-7 and E0771 cancer cells (4 and 15 times, respectively) compared with free DOX. Furthermore, DOX-loaded PBCA NPs produced a tumor growth inhibition that was 40% greater than that observed with free DOX, thus reducing DOX toxicity during treatment. These results suggest that DOX-loaded PBCA NPs have great potential for improving the efficacy of DOX therapy against advanced breast cancers.This investigation was funded by FEDER, Plan Nacional de Investigación Científica, Desarrollo e Innovación Tecnológica (I + D + I), Instituto de Salud Carlos III (FIS) through projects Nos PI11/01862 and PI11/02571, and by the Consejería de Salud de la Junta de Andalucía through project No PI-0338. The authors wish to express their gratitude to G Ortiz Ferron (CIC, University of Granada, Spain) for his skillful assistance with cytometry experiments

A protocol for a new methodological model for work-related shoulder complex injuries:From diagnosis to rehabilitation

Incluye 4 ficheros de datosBackground: Work-related injuries of the shoulder complex represent a challenge for clinicians because of the large variety of clinical entities involved and the broad anatomic structures that can be affected. Furthermore, commonly performed orthopedic tests have demonstrated limited accuracy for diagnosing the injury despite considerable research efforts. The aim of this study protocol is therefore to describe a comprehensive approach integrating both a clinical- and functional status-based pathology and an adapted rehabilitation prescription. Methods/Design: A longitudinal cohort study will be performed at the Department of Rehabilitation and Medical Assistance of a mutual insurance society for work-related injury management in Spain (Mutua Navarra, Pamplona, Navarra Spain). Patients will be attended by an occupational physician who specializes in work-related injuries and is part of the project team that will systematically visit all the participants. After the medical diagnosis and any requested supplementary evaluations (i.e., radiological examinations), the patients will be referred to the rehabilitation service. Before the physiotherapeutic rehabilitation program is initiated, the patients will undergo a comprehensive functional screening at the biomechanics laboratory. Using a decision-making scheme, the identified functional deficits will be used to customize the individual rehabilitation plan. Discussion: The proposed objective criteria-based shoulder diagnosis and rehabilitation model could be a new effective strategy for minimizing the time required to regain functional capacity and recover from symptoms among patients with work-related shoulder injuries

LIFE Adaptamed Layman’s Report. Action E13. LIFE14 CCA/ES/000612

Aguas de Font Vella y Lanjaró

Structures of T7 bacteriophage portal and tail suggest a viral DNA retention and ejection mechanism

Double-stranded DNA bacteriophages package their genome at high pressure inside a procapsid through the portal, an oligomeric ring protein located at a unique capsid vertex. Once the DNA has been packaged, the tail components assemble on the portal to render the mature infective virion. The tail tightly seals the ejection conduit until infection, when its interaction with the host membrane triggers the opening of the channel and the viral genome is delivered to the host cell. Using high-resolution cryo-electron microscopy and X-ray crystallography, here we describe various structures of the T7 bacteriophage portal and fiber-less tail complex, which suggest a possible mechanism for DNA retention and ejection: a portal closed conformation temporarily retains the genome before the tail is assembled, whereas an open portal is found in the tail. Moreover, a fold including a seven-bladed β-propeller domain is described for the nozzle tail protein.This work was supported by the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities of Spain, grants BFU 2014-54181 (to J.L.C.), BFU 2014-53550-P and BFU2017-83720-P (to M.C.), and contracts SEV-2013-0347 (to A.C.) and RYC-2011-09071 (to C.M.). We acknowledge institutional funding through the Spanish Government Centres and Units of Excellence Severo Ochoa and Maria de Maeztu awards to IRB Barcelona (SEV-2015-0500) and IBMB Structural Biology Unit (MDM-2014-0435), respectively, and from the CERCA Programme of the Catalan Government to the IRB Barcelona. This work has also been supported by the European Commission, Horizon 2020 program through iNEXT project (grant number 653706)

Comparison of three short-course rifamycin-based regimens for the prevention of tuberculosis in patients with end-stage kidney disease: Study protocol for a randomised clinical trial (RIFAKiD-TB trial)

Background and purpose Screening for and treatment of latent tuberculosis (TB) in patients with end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) are recommended. However, there is limited evidence on safety and treatment completion in this population. The objective of the study is to evaluate three short-course rifamycin-based regimens for the treatment of latent TB in ESKD patients. Methods Study design and setting. This is a prospective, open label, randomized clinical trial, that will be conducted at seven teaching hospitals in Spain. Study population, randomization, and interventions. Consecutive adult patients with ESKD requiring treatment for a latent TB infection will be randomly allocated (1:1:1) to receive one of the three treatment regimens of the study: three months of daily isoniazid plus rifampicin (3HR); three months of once-weekly isoniazid plus rifapentine (3HP); or four months of daily rifampicin (4R). Participants will be followed regularly through pre-established visits and a blood test schedule from enrolment to a month after finishing the assigned treatment. Outcomes. The primary outcome will be treatment completion, while the secondary outcomes will be discontinuation of the assigned treatment due to adverse events, related or unrelated to the study treatment; definitive discontinuation of the assigned treatment because of adverse events related to the treatment of the study, and death. Sample size. Two hundred and twenty-five subjects (75 per arm) will be enrolled, which will enable the demonstration, if it exists, of an increase of 0.16 in treatment completion rates either in the 3HP or 4R arm with respect to the 3HR arm. Discussion Results of this clinical trial will contribute to evidence-based recommendations on the management of latent TB infection in ESKD patients

Benthic Fauna of Littoral and Deep-Sea Habitats of the Alboran Sea: A Hotspot of Biodiversity

En prens

Self-assembly and characterization of small and monodisperse dye nanospheres in a protein cage

Phthalocyanines (Pc) are dyes in widespread use in materials science and nanotechnology, with numerous applications in medicine, photonics, electronics and energy conversion. With the aim to construct biohybrid materials, we here prepared and analyzed the structure of two Pc- loaded virus- like particles (VLP) with diameters of 20 and 28 nm (i.e., T = 1 and T= 3 icosahedral symmetries, respectively). Our cryoelectron microscopy (cryo- EM) studies show an unprecedented, very high level of Pc molecule organization within both VLP. We found thaT = 10 nm diameter nanospheres form inside the T = 1 VLP by self- assembly of supramolecular Pc stacks. Monodisperse, self- assembled organic dye nanospheres were not previously known, and are a consequence of capsid- imposed symmetry and size constraints. The Pc cargo also produces major changes in the protein cage structure and in the mechanical properties of the VLP. Pc- loaded VLP are potential photosensitizer/ carrier systems in photodynamic therapy (PDT), for which their mechanical behaviour must be characterized. Many optoelectronic applications of Pc dyes, on the other hand, are dependent on dye organization at the nanoscale level. Our multidisciplinary study thus opens the way towards nanomedical and nanotechnological uses of these functional molecules