Análisis de la experiencia farmacoterapéutica en pacientes asmáticos

Objetivos: Comprobar que se cumplen, en pacientes asmáticos, las cuatro etapas de la experiencia farmacoterapéutica que propone el equipo de Ramalho de Oliveira para los enfermos crónicos, e investigar si se dan otras experiencias farmacoterapéuticas específicas de este tipo de pacientes. Método: Estudio fenomenológico-observacional con entrevistas semiestructuradas a pacientes asmáticos, grabadas y transcritas. El análisis de las entrevistas proporcionará una serie de «unidades de sentido» que se espera puedan identificarse con las distintas experiencias farmacoterapéuticas. Resultados: Se realizaron 10 entrevistas a pacientes asmáticos de distintas edades, sexos y procedencias de la geografía española; se detectaron «unidades de sentido» y se clasificaron según el tipo de experiencia farmacoterapéutica de enfermos crónicos o las propias del paciente asmático. Conclusiones: En el asmático se dan, en general, las cuatro etapas que proponen Ramalho de Oliveira y sus colaboradores para enfermos crónicos, y, en particular, experiencias farmacoterapéuticas específicas de este tipo de pacientes como son: el miedo a tomar corticoides, la influencia psicológica, el Ventolín® como salvación y el temor a no disponer de él, el control de la enfermedad con el tiempo, y la asunción de la enfermedad-medicación

Análisis de la experiencia farmacoterapéutica en pacientes asmáticos

Objetivos: Comprobar que se cumplen, en pacientes asmáticos, las cuatro etapas de la experiencia farmacoterapéutica que propone el equipo de Ramalho de Oliveira para los enfermos crónicos, e investigar si se dan otras experiencias farmacoterapéuticas específicas de este tipo de pacientes. Método: Estudio fenomenológico-observacional con entrevistas semiestructuradas a pacientes asmáticos, grabadas y transcritas. El análisis de las entrevistas proporcionará una serie de «unidades de sentido» que se espera puedan identificarse con las distintas experiencias farmacoterapéuticas. Resultados: Se realizaron 10 entrevistas a pacientes asmáticos de distintas edades, sexos y procedencias de la geografía española; se detectaron «unidades de sentido» y se clasificaron según el tipo de experiencia farmacoterapéutica de enfermos crónicos o las propias del paciente asmático. Conclusiones: En el asmático se dan, en general, las cuatro etapas que proponen Ramalho de Oliveira y sus colaboradores para enfermos crónicos, y, en particular, experiencias farmacoterapéuticas específicas de este tipo de pacientes como son: el miedo a tomar corticoides, la influencia psicológica, el Ventolín® como salvación y el temor a no disponer de él, el control de la enfermedad con el tiempo, y la asunción de la enfermedad-medicación

Downramp-assisted underdense photocathode electron bunch generation in plasma wakefield accelerators

It is shown that the requirements for high quality electron bunch generation and trapping from an underdense photocathode in plasma wakefield accelerators can be substantially relaxed through localizing it on a plasma density downramp. This depresses the phase velocity of the accelerating electric field until the generated electrons are in phase, allowing for trapping in shallow trapping potentials. As a consequence the underdense photocathode technique is applicable by a much larger number of accelerator facilities. Furthermore, dark current generation is effectively suppressed.Comment: 4 pages, 3 figure

Angled laser triggered electron injection in the electron driven plasma wakefield acceleration scheme : a case study in a pursuit to increase tolerance levels, based on FACET II driver parameters.

Co-axial laser triggered injection of electrons in PWFA can produce high quality witness bunches. In this study, angled injection was examined in a pursuit to increase the tolerance levels of synchronization and experimental misalignments while maintaining the high quality of the witness bunches

High resolution ancient sedimentary DNA shows that alpine plant diversity is associated with human land use and climate change.

The European Alps are highly rich in species, but their future may be threatened by ongoing changes in human land use and climate. Here, we reconstructed vegetation, temperature, human impact and livestock over the past ~12,000 years from Lake Sulsseewli, based on sedimentary ancient plant and mammal DNA, pollen, spores, chironomids, and microcharcoal. We assembled a highly-complete local DNA reference library (PhyloAlps, 3923 plant taxa), and used this to obtain an exceptionally rich sedaDNA record of 366 plant taxa. Vegetation mainly responded to climate during the early Holocene, while human activity had an additional influence on vegetation from 6 ka onwards. Land-use shifted from episodic grazing during the Neolithic and Bronze Age to agropastoralism in the Middle Ages. Associated human deforestation allowed the coexistence of plant species typically found at different elevational belts, leading to levels of plant richness that characterise the current high diversity of this region. Our findings indicate a positive association between low intensity agropastoral activities and precipitation with the maintenance of the unique subalpine and alpine plant diversity of the European Alps

Electron beam manipulation, injection and acceleration in plasma wakefield accelerators by optically generated plasma density spikes

We discuss considerations regarding a novel and robust scheme for optically triggered electron bunch generation in plasma wakefield accelerators [1]. In this technique, a transversely propagating focused laser pulse ignites a quasi-stationary plasma column before the arrival of the plasma wake. This localized plasma density enhancement or optical "plasma torch" distorts the blowout during the arrival of the electron drive bunch and modifies the electron trajectories, resulting in controlled injection. By changing the gas density, and the laser pulse parameters such as beam waist and intensity, and by moving the focal point of the laser pulse, the shape of the plasma torch, and therefore the generated trailing beam, can be tuned easily. The proposed method is much more flexible and faster in generating gas density transitions when compared to hydrodynamics-based methods, and it accommodates experimentalists needs as it is a purely optical process and straightforward to implement

Plasma-photonic spatiotemporal synchronization of relativistic electron and laser beams

Modern particle accelerators and their applications increasingly rely on precisely coordinated interactions of intense charged particle and laser beams. Femtosecond-scale synchronization alongside micrometre-scale spatial precision are essential e.g. for pump-probe experiments, seeding and diagnostics of advanced light sources and for plasma-based accelerators. State-of-the-art temporal or spatial diagnostics typically operate with low-intensity beams to avoid material damage at high intensity. As such, we present a plasma-based approach, which allows measurement of both temporal and spatial overlap of high-intensity beams directly at their interaction point. It exploits amplification of plasma afterglow arising from the passage of an electron beam through a laser-generated plasma filament. The corresponding photon yield carries the spatiotemporal signature of the femtosecond-scale dynamics, yet can be observed as a visible light signal on microsecond-millimetre scales

CTGF is a central mediator of tissue remodeling and fibrosis and its inhibition can reverse the process of fibrosis

CTGF is a secreted matricellular protein with very complex biology. It has been shown to modulate many signaling pathways leading to cell adhesion and migration, angiogenesis, myofibroblast activation, and extracellular matrix deposition and remodeling, which together lead to tissue remodeling and fibrosis. It has been reported in the literature that inhibition of CTGF expression by siRNA prevents CCl4-induced liver fibrosis and can reverse fibrosis when administered after significant collagen deposition is observed. A monoclonal antibody to CTGF that is currently in clinical development (FG-3019) has demonstrated the ability to reverse vascular stiffening and improve cardiac function in a rat model of diabetic complications. FG-3019 has also exhibited activity in a murine radiation-induced pulmonary fibrosis model. When FG-3019 was administered to mice after a significant radiation-induced increase in lung density could be observed by CT imaging, the density of the lungs was observed to decrease over the period during which the antibody was administered and to remain stable after therapy had ceased. When considered together, these data indicate that inhibition of CTGF can prevent and reverse the process of fibrosis

Vegetation type is an important predictor of the arctic summer land surface energy budget

Despite the importance of high-latitude surface energy budgets (SEBs) for land-climate interactions in the rapidly changing Arctic, uncertainties in their prediction persist. Here, we harmonize SEB observations across a network of vegetated and glaciated sites at circumpolar scale (1994-2021). Our variance-partitioning analysis identifies vegetation type as an important predictor for SEB-components during Arctic summer (June-August), compared to other SEB-drivers including climate, latitude and permafrost characteristics. Differences among vegetation types can be of similar magnitude as between vegetation and glacier surfaces and are especially high for summer sensible and latent heat fluxes. The timing of SEB-flux summer-regimes (when daily mean values exceed 0 Wm(-2)) relative to snow-free and -onset dates varies substantially depending on vegetation type, implying vegetation controls on snow-cover and SEB-flux seasonality. Our results indicate complex shifts in surface energy fluxes with land-cover transitions and a lengthening summer season, and highlight the potential for improving future Earth system models via a refined representation of Arctic vegetation types.An international team of researchers finds high potential for improving climate projections by a more comprehensive treatment of largely ignored Arctic vegetation types, underscoring the importance of Arctic energy exchange measuring stations.Peer reviewe

Electron bunch generation from a plasma photocathode

Plasma waves generated in the wake of intense, relativistic laser or particle beams can accelerate electron bunches to giga-electronvolt (GeV) energies in centimetre-scale distances. This allows the realization of compact accelerators having emerging applications, ranging from modern light sources such as the free-electron laser (FEL) to energy frontier lepton colliders. In a plasma wakefield accelerator, such multi-gigavolt-per-metre (GV m$^{-1}$) wakefields can accelerate witness electron bunches that are either externally injected or captured from the background plasma. Here we demonstrate optically triggered injection and acceleration of electron bunches, generated in a multi-component hydrogen and helium plasma employing a spatially aligned and synchronized laser pulse. This ''plasma photocathode'' decouples injection from wake excitation by liberating tunnel-ionized helium electrons directly inside the plasma cavity, where these cold electrons are then rapidly boosted to relativistic velocities. The injection regime can be accessed via optical density down-ramp injection, is highly tunable and paves the way to generation of electron beams with unprecedented low transverse emittance, high current and 6D-brightness. This experimental path opens numerous prospects for transformative plasma wakefield accelerator applications based on ultra-high brightness beams