Wild Red Foxes (Vulpes vulpes) as Sentinels of Rodent-borne Hantavirus and Lymphocytic Choriomeningitis Virus in the Province of Soria, Northern Spain

Three hundred and fourteen red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) in the province of Soria, Spain, were examined for hantavirus and lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV) infection (and were likely to have been infected by feeding on infected rodents). Immunofluorescence and western blot assays confirmed 3.5% (11/314) to have antibodies to hantaviruses, and the immune fluorescence assay showed 2.2% (7/314) to have antibodies to LCMV. The serologic status of the animals showed no statistically significant association with sex or age. Although studies on the prevalence of hantaviruses and LCMV normally focus on rodents, our results showed that foxes can provide complementary information in determined areas

Seguimiento del grado de Ciencias del Mar. Curso 2014-15

Una vez implantado completamente el Grado de Ciencias del Mar en la Universidad de Alicante y a punto de finalizar la segunda promoción, es el momento de revisar el funcionamiento del programa formativo. Por una parte, es necesario continuar con el intenso trabajo de coordinación horizontal y vertical para asegurar la coherencia en contenidos, metodologías, evaluación y guías docentes. Y por otra parte, hay que evaluar si los posibles errores detectados con anterioridad han sido resueltos. Como metodología de trabajo, desde la Facultad de Ciencias se han constituido ocho comisiones de semestre. Cada una de estas comisiones está integrada por un coordinador de semestre, los responsables de las asignaturas de ese semestre, el coordinador del Grado y el/la delegado/a del alumnado. Cada una de estas comisiones se reúne, por lo menos, dos veces por curso. Los resultados de este trabajo permiten la detección de problemas actuales y si las medidas adoptadas han sido útiles para solucionar incidencias pasadas

Four chamber right ventricular longitudinal strain versus right free wall longitudinal strain. Prognostic value in patients with left heart disease

Background: There is no consensus on which right ventricle (RV) strain parameter should be used in the clinical practice: four chamber RV longitudinal strain (4CH RV-LS) or free wall longitudinal strain (FWLS). The aim of this study was to analyze which RV strain parameter better predicts prognosis in patients with left heart disease. Methods: One hundred and three outpatients with several degrees of functional tricuspid regurgitation severity secondary to left heart disease were prospectively included. 4CH RV-LS and FWLS were assessed using speckle tracking. Left ventricular (LV) systolic function was determined using LV ejection fraction and RV systolic function using tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion (TAPSE). Patients were followed up for 23.1 ± 12.4 months for an endpoint of cardiac hospitalization due to heart failure. Results: The cutoff value related to RV dysfunction (TAPSE < 17 mm) was lower, in absolute value, for 4CH RV-LS (4CH RV-LS = –17.3%; FWLS = –19.5%). There were 33 adverse events during the follow-up. Patients with 4CH RV-LS > –17.3% (log rank [LR] = 22.033; p < 0.001); FWLS > –19.5% (LR = 12.2; p < 0.001), TAPSE < 17 mm (LR = 17.4; p < 0.001) and LV systolic dysfunction (LR = 13.3; p < 0.001) had lower event-free survival (Kaplan Meier). In Cox multivariate analysis, 4CH RV-LS > –17.3% (hazard ratio [HR] = 3.593; p < 0.002), TAPSE < 17 (HR = 2.093; p < 0.055) and LV systolic dysfunction (HR = 2.087; p < 0,054) had prognostic value, whereas FWLS did not reach significance. Conclusions: Although both 4CH RV-LS and FWLS have prognostic value, 4CH RV-LS is a better predictor of episodes of heart failure in patients with left heart disease, providing additional information to that obtained by TAPSE.

Nivolumab after selective internal radiation therapy for the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma: a phase 2, single-arm study

Purpose: To evaluate the safety and efficacy of selective internal radiation therapy (SIRT) in combination with a PD-1 inhibitor in patients with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (uHCC) and liver-only disease ineligible for chemoembolization. Patients and methods: NASIR-HCC is a single-arm, multicenter, open-label, phase 2 trial that recruited from 2017 to 2019 patients who were naïve to immunotherapy and had tumors in the BCLC B2 substage (single or multiple tumors beyond the up-to-7 rule), or unilobar tumors with segmental or lobar portal vein invasion (PVI); no extrahepatic spread; and preserved liver function. Patients received SIRT followed 3 weeks later by nivolumab (240 mg every 2 weeks) for up to 24 doses or until disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. Safety was the primary endpoint. Secondary objectives included objective response rate (ORR), time to progression (TTP), and overall survival (OS). Results: 42 patients received SIRT (31 BCLC-B2, 11 with PVI) and were followed for a median of 22.2 months. 27 patients discontinued and 1 never received Nivolumab. 41 patients had any-grade adverse events (AE) and 21 had serious AEs (SAE). Treatment-related AEs and SAEs grade 3-4 occurred in 8 and 5 patients, respectively. Using RECIST 1.1 criteria, ORR reported by investigators was 41.5% (95% CI 26.3% to 57.9%). Four patients were downstaged to partial hepatectomy. Median TTP was 8.8 months (95% CI 7.0 to 10.5) and median OS was 20.9 months (95% CI 17.7 to 24.1). Conclusions: The combination of SIRT and nivolumab has shown an acceptable safety profile and signs of antitumor activity in the treatment of patients with uHCC that were fit for SIRT

Imidazolium-based task-specific ionic liquid for selective Ag, Cu, Pd and Pt determination by means of dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction and inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry

This work explores chelating capabilities of 1-butyl-2-diphenylphosphino-3-methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate (BDPPIMPF6) as a task-specific ionic liquid (TSIL) for metal extraction/preconcentration procedures. To this end, metal extraction by BDPPIMPF6 for 21 elements (Ag, Al, As, Au, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Ir, Mn, Ni, Pb, Pd, Pt, Re, Rh, Ru, Sc, Ti, V, and Zn) were evaluated. This TSIL specifically forms chelating complexes with several elements of Group 10 (Pd and Pt) and Group 11 (Ag and Cu) of the Periodic Table. Chelating capabilities of BDPPIMPF6 has been exploited for developing a novel methodology for the simultaneous determination of Ag, Cu, Pd, and Pt by means of dispersive liquid-liquid microextraction and inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry detection (DLLME-ICP-OES). This methodology afforded enrichment factors of 14 to 70 and limits of detection (LoD) of 0.2–2 μg L−1 for Ag, Cu, Pd and Pt. These LoD values were between 110 and 35-fold lower than those obtained by direct analyses with ICP-OES (i.e., no DLLME treatment). Finally, the proposed method has been applied to the analysis of Ag, Cu, Pd, and Pt in water and pharmaceutical products. Irrespective of matrix characteristics, quantitative recoveries were found for all the elements investigated thus highlighting methodology robustness.Financial support was provided by the Spanish Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades (project RED2018-102387-T) the Spanish Ministerio de Economía, Industria y Competitividad, Agencia Estatal de Investigación (AEI) and Fondo Europeo de Desarrollo Regional (FEDER, EU) (projects CTQ2016-76782-P, CTQ2016-80375-P, CTQ2017-82935-P and PID2019-107268GB-I00), the Generalitat Valenciana (IDIFEDER/2021/013), Medalchemy S. L. (Medalchemy-18T) and the University of Alicante (VIGROB-050; UADIF17-42 UAUSTI16-02, VIGROB-068 and UAUSTI21-05). David Lledó thanks the Spanish Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades for the fellowship (FPU15/00097)

Controlling seawater intrusion by treated wastewater recharge. Numerical modelling and cost-benefit analysis (CBA) at Korba case study (Cap Bon, Tunisia)

Treated wastewater (TWW) reuse for managed aquifer recharge (MAR) is becoming an important measure for integrated water management in areas with water scarcity. Among reuse applications, interest in aquifer recharge to control seawater intrusion in coastal aquifers is growing worldwide. At the Korba-Mida aquifer (Tunisia), local aquifer recharge with treated urban wastewater has taken place through three infiltration ponds since 2008. An ex post Cost–Benefit Analysis (CBA) is presented to assess the recharge impact at the groundwater level in a coastal aquifer after 3 years of recharge. A MODFLOW-based groundwater numerical model was developed to guide the impact assessment. The local model results showed that the recharged volume was slightly higher than extractions. The economic results indicated that the internal rate of returns accounted for 14.46%, while the discount rate of project investment was 4%. According to the sensitivity analysis, this project is feasible for the present wastewater treatment cost (0.1 TND per m3, Tunis Dinar) and up to 0.25 TND per m3. Possible effects on groundwater quality as an added influential final externality cost were not considered.Peer ReviewedPostprint (published version

Controlling seawater intrusion by treated wastewater recharge. Numerical modelling and cost-benefit analysis (CBA) at Korba case study (Cap Bon, Tunisia)

Treated wastewater (TWW) reuse for managed aquifer recharge (MAR) is becoming an important measure for integrated water management in areas with water scarcity. Among reuse applications, interest in aquifer recharge to control seawater intrusion in coastal aquifers is growing worldwide. At the Korba-Mida aquifer (Tunisia), local aquifer recharge with treated urban wastewater has taken place through three infiltration ponds since 2008. An ex post Cost–Benefit Analysis (CBA) is presented to assess the recharge impact at the groundwater level in a coastal aquifer after 3 years of recharge. A MODFLOW-based groundwater numerical model was developed to guide the impact assessment. The local model results showed that the recharged volume was slightly higher than extractions. The economic results indicated that the internal rate of returns accounted for 14.46%, while the discount rate of project investment was 4%. According to the sensitivity analysis, this project is feasible for the present wastewater treatment cost (0.1 TND per m3, Tunis Dinar) and up to 0.25 TND per m3. Possible effects on groundwater quality as an added influential final externality cost were not considered.Peer Reviewe

Groundwater salinity process, mitigation measures and economic assessment: an example from an intensive agricultural area

To satisfy water demand in the arid climate area (SE Spain), small private desalination plants (more than 1000) of brackish groundwater are in operation. This process has led to an increase of groundwater salinity as a consequence of aquifers connection, uncontrolled subsurface injection of brines and pitfalls of the brines conveyor network. Measures being taken, including the economic efficiency of the small private desalination plants with regard to groundwater, and obtained results are presented.To satisfy water demand in the arid climate area (SE Spain), small private desalination plants (more than 1000) of brackish groundwater are in operation. This process has led to an increase of groundwater salinity as a consequence of aquifers connection, uncontrolled subsurface injection of brines and pitfalls of the brines conveyor network. Measures being taken, including the economic efficiency of the small private desalination plants with regard to groundwater, and obtained results are presented.Postprint (published version

Groundwater salinity process, mitigation measures and economic assessment: an example from an intensive agricultural area

To satisfy water demand in the arid climate area (SE Spain), small private desalination plants (more than 1000) of brackish groundwater are in operation. This process has led to an increase of groundwater salinity as a consequence of aquifers connection, uncontrolled subsurface injection of brines and pitfalls of the brines conveyor network. Measures being taken, including the economic efficiency of the small private desalination plants with regard to groundwater, and obtained results are presented.To satisfy water demand in the arid climate area (SE Spain), small private desalination plants (more than 1000) of brackish groundwater are in operation. This process has led to an increase of groundwater salinity as a consequence of aquifers connection, uncontrolled subsurface injection of brines and pitfalls of the brines conveyor network. Measures being taken, including the economic efficiency of the small private desalination plants with regard to groundwater, and obtained results are presented

Estimation of Human Arm Joints Using Two Wireless Sensors in Robotic Rehabilitation Tasks

This paper presents a novel kinematic reconstruction of the human arm chain with five degrees of freedom and the estimation of the shoulder location during rehabilitation therapy assisted by end-effector robotic devices. This algorithm is based on the pseudoinverse of the Jacobian through the acceleration of the upper arm, measured using an accelerometer, and the orientation of the shoulder, estimated with a magnetic angular rate and gravity (MARG) device. The results show a high accuracy in terms of arm joints and shoulder movement with respect to the real arm measured through an optoelectronic system. Furthermore, the range of motion (ROM) of 50 healthy subjects is studied from two different trials, one trying to avoid shoulder movements and the second one forcing them. Moreover, the shoulder movement in the second trial is also estimated accurately. Besides the fact that the posture of the patient can be corrected during the exercise, the therapist could use the presented algorithm as an objective assessment tool. In conclusion, the joints’ estimation enables a better adjustment of the therapy, taking into account the needs of the patient, and consequently, the arm motion improves faster