New tracheal stainless steel stent pilot study: twelve month follow-up in a rabbit model

Background Canine tracheal collapse is a complex airway pathology without promising treatment results. Currently nitinol stents are the best surgical option; however, some professionals are doubting if stent placement is the best option due to the associated complications. Objective Determine the technical feasibility, safety, and long-term follow-up after the implantation of a new tracheal stent designed for canine tracheal collapse. Methods Thirteen healthy, adult female New Zealander rabbits were involved in this pilot study.A new intra-tracheal device (Reference number 902711 patent registered as CasMin-Twine) was implanted in ten animals. Deployment was performed under general anesthesia, making a puncture incision via a 21 Gauge needle in the intra-tracheal space where the stent was introduced with a screwing process. The device was fixed to the tracheal wall with a non-absorbable suture. Computerized Tomography (CT) and an endoscopy to study structural abnormalities were performed after 30, 90 and 365 days after stent placement. Results Technical and clinical success was 100%. There was no significant change in behavior or respiratory disorders. CT studies showed no significant alterations. After the 30 days, 60% of the animals showed partial endothelization in the endoscopy study, and only one animal still presented partial endothelization after 12 months. Mucus accumulation was only present in 40% of cases and classified as low, without respiratory consequences. Only one animal presented a single granuloma at caudal stent tip. Conclusions This new tracheal stent (CasMin-Twine) is an effective and safe procedure with promising results, and also shows the possibility of removing the device after endothelization has been produced. New studies should be carried out to evaluate the effectiveness in patients with tracheomalacia. Clinical Significance/Impact This new product can give veterinarians a new option of treatment for this complicated pathology. Minimizing specific equipment for its deployment, CasMin-Twine will be more accessible for all professionals

Mach-Zehnder-based measurement of light emitting diodes temporal coherence

Objectives: The main objective of this work is to validate a Mach-Zehnder based interferometric method to measure the temporal coherence length of broadband finite size light sources such as Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs), and give a qualitative value of the temporal coherence length of white LEDs, for which nor their spectral width neither their emission peak wavelength are clearly defined. Motivation: Low-coherence light sources such as LEDs have opened many possibilities in applications in which using lasers introduces coherent noise (speckle) that hinders the performance of interferometric measurement techniques. The coherence length is an important characteristic of light sources for scientific applications related to diffraction, holography, tomography, or interferometry. The spatial coherence of a source depends on the distance from the source to the observation plane and its size, while the temporal coherence is related to the emission spectral width and the emission peak wavelength. Therefore, the temporal coherence is a characteristic of each source. Methodology and results: In this work, we use a Mach-Zehnder interferometer for the first time to measure the coherence degree and the temporal coherence length of quasi-monochromatic LEDs. We validate the technique by comparing the results to those obtained directly from the spectrum. Then, we use the tested interferometric method to measure the temporal coherence length of a white LED, for which neither the width of the spectrum nor the emission peak wavelength, are clearly defined. In this case, the Wiener-Khinchin theorem is used to validate the interferometric technique. A very interesting property of the method is that the temporal coherence length is obtained from a single measurement, without needing to perform a scanning. This method can be used also for other non-coherent sources such as halogen lamps, pulsed lasers, and so on. The obtained results will improve the characterization of light sources and the applications dealing with physical optics and electromagnetic interference. © 2022 The Author

The nuclear receptor LXRα controls the functional specialization of splenic macrophages.

Macrophages are professional phagocytic cells that orchestrate innate immune responses and have considerable phenotypic diversity at different anatomical locations. However, the mechanisms that control the heterogeneity of tissue macrophages are not well characterized. Here we found that the nuclear receptor LXRα was essential for the differentiation of macrophages in the marginal zone (MZ) of the spleen. LXR-deficient mice were defective in the generation of MZ and metallophilic macrophages, which resulted in abnormal responses to blood-borne antigens. Myeloid-specific expression of LXRα or adoptive transfer of wild-type monocytes restored the MZ microenvironment in LXRα-deficient mice. Our results demonstrate that signaling via LXRα in myeloid cells is crucial for the generation of splenic MZ macrophages and identify an unprecedented role for a nuclear receptor in the generation of specialized macrophage subsets

Sistema de enfoque basado en dos espejos elípticos y un espejo plano rotatorio para un radar a 300 GHz

A focusing system for a 300 GHz radar with two target distances (5m and 10m) is proposed, having 1cm resolution in both cases. The focusing system is based on a gaussian telescope scheme and it has been designed using gaussian beam quasi-optical propagation theory with a homemade Matlab analysis tool. It has been translated into a real focusing system based on two elliptical mirrors and a plane mirror in order to have scanning capabilities and validated using the commercial antenna software GRAS

Cold-water corals in the Bay of Biscay - occurrences and distribution in space and time (TransBiscay) - Cruise No. M84/5, May 31 - June 21, 2011, Vigo (Spain) - Brest (France)

The scientific objectives of METEOR cruise M84/5 focused on the measurement and analysis of the environmental controls of modern and fossil cold-water coral growth along a transect in the Bay of Biscay. In four working areas we successfully deployed lander systems and CTD/Ro’s to document the physical and hydrochemical characteristics of bottom water masses and the water column in general. These are used to shed light on potential linkages to modern cold-water coral growth and distribution. These investigations were flanked by plankton tows in surface waters. The base for all investigations was a thorough hydroacoustic survey to characterize potential cold-water coral bearing areas with living colonies. Based on these maps we deployed all video-guided gear such as the OFOS-video sled, the TV grab, and the lander systems. Benthic assemblages and sedimentary structures have been documented and sampled with the OFOS and a box corer. Simultaneously, genetic samples of the living coral material were taken for additional studies. Furthermore, we have taken gravity cores to investigate the paleoceanographic conditions as well as the timing of cold-water coral colonization in the Bay of Biscay. Along with the coring efforts, a detailed sampling and study of porewater properties was performed. An additional aim of this cruise was to investigate the influence of boundary exchange processes on the Neodymium isotopy in bottom waters along the pathway of the Mediterranean Outflow water (MOW) by taking multiple samples with the CTD/Ro. The new data and samples of this METEOR cruise will provide the framework to investigate the timing of cold-water coral colonization in the Bay of Biscay, as well as its interplay with the ambient hydrography and geochemistry. This successful cruise has provided the basis to investigate the scientific aims of this expedition in great detail

Podocalyxin Is a Novel Polysialylated Neural Adhesion Protein with Multiple Roles in Neural Development and Synapse Formation

Neural development and plasticity are regulated by neural adhesion proteins, including the polysialylated form of NCAM (PSA-NCAM). Podocalyxin (PC) is a renal PSA-containing protein that has been reported to function as an anti-adhesin in kidney podocytes. Here we show that PC is widely expressed in neurons during neural development. Neural PC interacts with the ERM protein family, and with NHERF1/2 and RhoA/G. Experiments in vitro and phenotypic analyses of podxl-deficient mice indicate that PC is involved in neurite growth, branching and axonal fasciculation, and that PC loss-offunction reduces the number of synapses in the CNS and in the neuromuscular system. We also show that whereas some of the brain PC functions require PSA, others depend on PC per se. Our results show that PC, the second highly sialylated neural adhesion protein, plays multiple roles in neural development

Effectiveness of rotavirus vaccination in Spain

With the aim of determining rotavirus vaccine effectiveness (RVVE) in Spain, from Oct-2008/Jun-2009, 467 consecutive children below 2 years old with acute gastroenteritis (AGE) were recruited using a pediatric research network (ReGALIP-www.regalip.org) that includes primary, emergency and hospital care settings. Of 467 enrolled children, 32.3% were rotavirus positive and 35.0% had received at least one dose of any rotavirus vaccine. RRVE to prevent any episode of rotavirus AGE was 91.5% (95% CI: 83.7%-95.6%). RVVE to prevent hospitalization by rotavirus AGE was 95.6% (85.6-98.6%). No differences in RVVE were found regarding the vaccine used. Rotavirus vaccines have showed an outstanding effectiveness in Spain

Диагностика и лечение спонтанного пневмоторакса: клинические рекомендации Испанского общества пульмонологов и торакальных хирургов (SEPAR)

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ECLIM-SEHOP, a new platform to set up and develop international academic clinical trials for childhood cancer and blood disorders in Spain

Introduction: Cancer and blood disorders in children are rare. The progressive improvement in survival over the last decades largely relies on the development of international academic clinical trials that gather the sufcient number of patients globally to elaborate solid conclusions and drive changes in clinical practice. The participation of Spain into large international academic trials has traditionally lagged behind of other European countries, mainly due to the burden of administrative tasks to open new studies, lack of fnancial support and limited research infrastructure in our hospitals. Methods: The objective of ECLIM-SEHOP platform (Ensayos Clínicos Internacionales Multicéntricos-SEHOP) is to overcome these difculties and position Spain among the European countries leading the advances in cancer and blood disorders, facilitate the access of our patients to novel diagnostic and therapeutic approaches and, most importantly, continue to improve survival and reducing long-term sequelae. ECLIM-SEHOP provides to the Spanish clinical investigators with the necessary infrastructural support to open and implement academic clinical trials and registries. Results: In less than 3 years from its inception, the platform has provided support to 20 clinical trials and 8 observational studies, including 8 trials and 4 observational studies where the platform performs all trial-related tasks (integral support: trial setup, monitoring, etc.) with more than 150 patients recruited since 2017 to these studies. In this manuscript, we provide baseline metrics for academic clinical trial performance that permit future comparisons. Conclusions: ECLIM-SEHOP facilitates Spanish children and adolescents diagnosed with cancer and blood disorders to access state-of-the-art diagnostic and therapeutic strategies

Height and timing of growth spurt during puberty in young people living with vertically acquired HIV in Europe and Thailand.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to describe growth during puberty in young people with vertically acquired HIV. DESIGN: Pooled data from 12 paediatric HIV cohorts in Europe and Thailand. METHODS: One thousand and ninety-four children initiating a nonnucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor or boosted protease inhibitor based regimen aged 1-10 years were included. Super Imposition by Translation And Rotation (SITAR) models described growth from age 8 years using three parameters (average height, timing and shape of the growth spurt), dependent on age and height-for-age z-score (HAZ) (WHO references) at antiretroviral therapy (ART) initiation. Multivariate regression explored characteristics associated with these three parameters. RESULTS: At ART initiation, median age and HAZ was 6.4 [interquartile range (IQR): 2.8, 9.0] years and -1.2 (IQR: -2.3 to -0.2), respectively. Median follow-up was 9.1 (IQR: 6.9, 11.4) years. In girls, older age and lower HAZ at ART initiation were independently associated with a growth spurt which occurred 0.41 (95% confidence interval 0.20-0.62) years later in children starting ART age 6 to 10 years compared with 1 to 2 years and 1.50 (1.21-1.78) years later in those starting with HAZ less than -3 compared with HAZ at least -1. Later growth spurts in girls resulted in continued height growth into later adolescence. In boys starting ART with HAZ less than -1, growth spurts were later in children starting ART in the oldest age group, but for HAZ at least -1, there was no association with age. Girls and boys who initiated ART with HAZ at least -1 maintained a similar height to the WHO reference mean. CONCLUSION: Stunting at ART initiation was associated with later growth spurts in girls. Children with HAZ at least -1 at ART initiation grew in height at the level expected in HIV negative children of a comparable age