Broad-band X-ray spectral evolution of GX 339-4 during a state transition

We report on X-ray and soft gamma-ray observations of the black-hole candidate GX 339-4 during its 2007 outburst, performed with the RXTE and INTEGRAL satellites. The hardness-intensity diagram of all RXTE/PCA data combined shows a q-shaped track similar to that observed in previous outbursts.The evolution in the diagram suggested that a transition from hard-intermediate state to soft-intermediate state occurred, simultaneously with INTEGRAL observations performed in March. The transition is confirmed by the timing analysis presented in this work, which reveals that a weak type-A quasi-periodic oscillation (QPO) replaces a strong type-C QPO. At the same time, spectral analysis shows that the flux of the high-energy component shows a significant decrease in its flux. However, we observe a delay (roughly one day) between variations of the spectral parameters of the high-energy component and changes in the flux and timing properties. The changes in the high-energy component can be explained either in terms the high-energy cut-off or in terms of a variations in the reflection component. We compare our results with those from a similar transition during the 2004 outburst of GX 339-4.Comment: 8 pages, 6 figures, accepted for publication in MNRAS Main Journa

Nivel sérico de la Beta 2- microglobulina en pacientes con tuberculosis pulmonar activa

Introducción: La tuberculosis pulmonar es una enfermedad inflamatoria crónica del pulmón y esendémica en Paraguay. Niveles elevados de beta-2 microglobulina (b2-m) son utilizados comomarcadores de pronóstico en patologías como la leucemia linfocítica crónica, linfomas, mieloma múltiple,osteoartritis, artritis, enfermedades renales y SIDA, pero su utilidad en la tuberculosis aún necesita deevaluaciones. Objetivo: Evaluar si el nivel de b2-m permitiría determinar el grado de actividad de lainfección sirviendo como marcador de evolución y seguimiento terapéutico de la tuberculosis pulmonar.Metodología: La primera parte fue un estudio descriptivo, de muestreo consecutivo y la segunda unestudio de cohorte, prospectivo. Se determinó el nivel sérico de b2-m por el método de ELISA en 22pacientes con TBC pulmonar activa antes de iniciar el tratamiento y después de 6 meses. Además sedeterminó el nivel sérico de b2-m en 22 individuos aparentemente sanos como controles. Resultados: Seobservó una disminución estadísticamente significativa de los niveles séricos de ß2-m en los 22 pacientesdespués de los 6 meses de tratamiento con respecto a los niveles anteriores al tratamiento (2,2 ± 1,0 vs 4,3± 2,7 μg/mL, p<0,0001). Sin embargo, la disminución de los valores de ß2-m en los 22 pacientes tratadosno descendieron a los niveles de los 22 controles normales (0,98 ± 0,22 μg/mL, p<0,0000001). En el 23% (n=5) de los pacientes con TBC los niveles disminuyeron hasta llegar por debajo del punto de corte alos 6 meses después del tratamiento. Conclusiones: Todos los pacientes con TBC presentaron nivelesaumentados de ß2-m antes del tratamiento y en todos ellos se observó una disminución después deltratamiento, aún sin llegar al valor de los controles. Un seguimiento posterior de por lo menos un añopostratamiento nos permitiría determinar si el nivel de ß2-m podría ser utilizado como un marcador de laactividad de la infección e indirectamente un marcador de eficacia del tratamiento

LiDAR-photogrammetry coverage, bathymetry and infrastructures survey to support flood risk analysis in the Genil River sub-basin

[EN] Floods are the natural disasters that affect the most people in the Atlantic Area. In this sense, the AA-Floods project is developed with the objective of developing and highlighting new tools, plans and regulations that improve the management and response to floods. The importance of quality altimetric information for the evaluation of flood danger is based on the fact that it requires knowledge, as detailed and precise as possible, of the relief and the heights of the elements located above the ground. To this end, the acquisition of LIDAR coverage with a density of 21 points/m² and photogrammetric coverage has been carried out to obtain Orthophotographs of 0.10 m for the generation of altimetric products with great positional accuracy and high precision in the study areas of the Genil River basin. Likewise, the bathymetric survey of the Genil River bed has been carried out and the final Topobathymetric Model has been obtained. Furthermore, for the adequate development of hydraulic modeling and determination of flood zones, it is necessary to take into consideration all those structural elements close to the channel that affect flood risk. To achieve this, a combination of geomatic techniques has been used: Classic Topography, GNSS, Lasergrammetry (LST) and Drone Photogrammetry. Analysis of flood areas has been carried out with these improved information sources, contrasting them with analysis of information sources used by the National Mapping System of flood areas. The flood sheet results for the different return periods have been contrasted with the 2010 flood sheets mapped by direct observation using Satellite Radar (SAR) technology.[ES] Las inundaciones son los desastres naturales que afectan a más personas en el Área Atlántica. En este sentido, el proyecto AA-Floods tiene el objetivo de desarrollar y poner en valor nuevas herramientas, planes y regulaciones que mejoren la gestión y la respuesta a las inundaciones. La importancia de la información altimétrica de calidad para la evaluación del peligro de inundación se basa en el conocimiento lo más detallado y preciso posible del relieve y de las alturas de los elementos situados sobre el suelo. Para ello se ha llevado a cabo una cobertura LiDAR de densidad 21 ptos/m² y fotogramétrica de resolución 0,10 m para la generación de productos altimétricos de gran exactitud posicional y alta precisión en los ámbitos de estudio de la cuenca del río Genil. Así mismo, se ha realizado el levantamiento batimétrico del cauce del río Genil y la obtención de Modelo final Topobatimétrico. Además, para el desarrollo adecuado de la modelización hidráulica y determinación de zonas inundables es necesario tomar en consideración todos aquellos elementos estructurales del cauce que afectan a la inundabilidad. Se ha realizado análisis de zonas inundables con estas fuentes de información que mejoran las utilizadas por el SNCZI. Los resultados se han contrastado con las láminas de inundación de 2010 cartografiadas mediante observación directa mediante satélite Radar.Este trabajo se ha financiado por el proyecto EAPA_45/2018_AA-FLOODS. Universidade da Coruña, Grupo de Ingeniería del Agua y del Medio Ambiente, Departamento de Ingeniería Civil, ETSICCP Agencia de Medio Ambiente y Agua. Junta de Andalucía Secretaría General de Sostenibilidad, Medio Ambiente y Economía Azul. Consejería de Sostenibilidad, Medio Ambiente y Economía Azul. Junta de Andalucía.Vales-Bravo, JJ.; Méndez-Caballero, EM.; Prieto-Molina, R.; Granado-Ruíz, L.; Pino-Serrato, I.; Sañudo-Costoya, E.; García-Alén Lores, G.... (2024). Cobertura LiDAR-Fotogramétrica, batimetría y levantamiento de infraestructuras como soporte al análisis de riesgos de inundación en la subcuenca del río Genil. Revista de Teledetección. (63):79-97. https://doi.org/10.4995/raet.2024.2048179976

States and transitions in black-hole binaries

With the availability of the large database of black-hole transients from the Rossi X-Ray Timing Explorer, the observed phenomenology has become very complex. The original classification of the properties of these systems in a series of static states sorted by mass accretion rate proved not to be able to encompass the new picture. I outline here a summary of the current situation and show that a coherent picture emerges when simple properties such as X-ray spectral hardness and fractional variability are considered. In particular, fast transition in the properties of the fast time variability appear to be crucial to describe the evolution of black-hole transients. Based on this picture, I present a state-classification which takes into account the observed transitions. I show that, in addition to transients systems, other black-hole binaries and Active Galactic Nuclei can be interpreted within this framework. The association between these states and the physics of the accretion flow around black holes will be possible only through modeling of the full time evolution of galactic transient systems.Comment: 30 pages, 11 figures, To appear in Belloni, T. (ed.): The Jet Paradigm - From Microquasars to Quasars, Lect. Notes Phys. 794 (2009

Organogenesis relies on SoxC transcription factors for the survival of neural and mesenchymal progenitors

During organogenesis, neural and mesenchymal progenitor cells give rise to many cell lineages, but their molecular requirements for self-renewal and lineage decisions are incompletely understood. In this study, we show that their survival critically relies on the redundantly acting SoxC transcription factors Sox4, Sox11 and Sox12. The more SoxC alleles that are deleted in mouse embryos, the more severe and widespread organ hypoplasia is. SoxC triple-null embryos die at midgestation unturned and tiny, with normal patterning and lineage specification, but with massively dying neural and mesenchymal progenitor cells. Specific inactivation of SoxC genes in neural and mesenchymal cells leads to selective apoptosis of these cells, suggesting SoxC cell-autonomous roles. Tead2 functionally interacts with SoxC genes in embryonic development, and is a direct target of SoxC proteins. SoxC genes therefore ensure neural and mesenchymal progenitor cell survival, and function in part by activating this transcriptional mediator of the Hippo signalling pathway

Study protocol for a pragmatic randomised controlled trial in general practice investigating the effectiveness of acupuncture against migraine

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Migraine is a chronic neurologic disease that can severely affect the patient's quality of life. Although in recent years many randomised studies have been carried out to investigate the effectiveness of acupuncture as a treatment for migraine, it remains a controversial issue. Our aim is to determine whether acupuncture, applied under real conditions of clinical practice in the area of primary healthcare, is more effective than conventional treatment.</p> <p>Methods/Design</p> <p>The design consists of a pragmatic multi-centre, three-armed randomised controlled trial, complemented with an economic evaluation of the results achieved, comparing the effectiveness of verum acupuncture with sham acupuncture, and with a control group receiving normal care only.</p> <p>Patients eligible for inclusion will be those presenting in general practice with migraine and for whom their General Practitioner (GP) is considering referral for acupuncture. Sampling will be by consecutive selection, and by randomised allocation to the three branches of the study, in a centralised way following a 1:1:1 distribution (verum acupuncture; sham acupuncture; conventional treatment). Secondly, one patient in three will be randomly selected from each of the acupuncture (verum or sham) groups for a brain perfusion study (by single photon emission tomography). The treatment with verum acupuncture will consist of 8 treatment sessions, once a week, at points selected individually by the acupuncturist. The sham acupuncture group will receive 8 sessions, one per week, with treatment being applied at non-acupuncture points in the dorsal and lumbar regions, using the minimal puncture technique. The control group will be given conventional treatment, as will the other two groups.</p> <p>Discussion</p> <p>This trial will contribute to available evidence on acupuncture for the treatment of migraine. The primary endpoint is the difference in the number of days with migraine among the three groups, between the baseline period (the 4 weeks prior to the start of treatment) and the period from weeks 9 to 12. As a secondary aspect, we shall record the index of laterality and the percentage of change in the mean count per pixel in each region of interest measured by the brain perfusion tomography, performed on a subsample of the patients within the real and sham acupuncture groups.</p> <p>Trial registration</p> <p>Current Controlled Trials ISRCTN98703707.</p

Role of age and comorbidities in mortality of patients with infective endocarditis

Purpose: The aim of this study was to analyse the characteristics of patients with IE in three groups of age and to assess the ability of age and the Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI) to predict mortality. Methods: Prospective cohort study of all patients with IE included in the GAMES Spanish database between 2008 and 2015. Patients were stratified into three age groups:<65 years, 65 to 80 years, and = 80 years.The area under the receiver-operating characteristic (AUROC) curve was calculated to quantify the diagnostic accuracy of the CCI to predict mortality risk. Results: A total of 3120 patients with IE (1327 < 65 years;1291 65-80 years;502 = 80 years) were enrolled.Fever and heart failure were the most common presentations of IE, with no differences among age groups.Patients =80 years who underwent surgery were significantly lower compared with other age groups (14.3%, 65 years; 20.5%, 65-79 years; 31.3%, =80 years). In-hospital mortality was lower in the <65-year group (20.3%, <65 years;30.1%, 65-79 years;34.7%, =80 years;p < 0.001) as well as 1-year mortality (3.2%, <65 years; 5.5%, 65-80 years;7.6%, =80 years; p = 0.003).Independent predictors of mortality were age = 80 years (hazard ratio [HR]:2.78;95% confidence interval [CI]:2.32–3.34), CCI = 3 (HR:1.62; 95% CI:1.39–1.88), and non-performed surgery (HR:1.64;95% CI:11.16–1.58).When the three age groups were compared, the AUROC curve for CCI was significantly larger for patients aged <65 years(p < 0.001) for both in-hospital and 1-year mortality. Conclusion: There were no differences in the clinical presentation of IE between the groups. Age = 80 years, high comorbidity (measured by CCI), and non-performance of surgery were independent predictors of mortality in patients with IE.CCI could help to identify those patients with IE and surgical indication who present a lower risk of in-hospital and 1-year mortality after surgery, especially in the <65-year group

CIBERER : Spanish national network for research on rare diseases: A highly productive collaborative initiative

Altres ajuts: Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII); Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación.CIBER (Center for Biomedical Network Research; Centro de Investigación Biomédica En Red) is a public national consortium created in 2006 under the umbrella of the Spanish National Institute of Health Carlos III (ISCIII). This innovative research structure comprises 11 different specific areas dedicated to the main public health priorities in the National Health System. CIBERER, the thematic area of CIBER focused on rare diseases (RDs) currently consists of 75 research groups belonging to universities, research centers, and hospitals of the entire country. CIBERER's mission is to be a center prioritizing and favoring collaboration and cooperation between biomedical and clinical research groups, with special emphasis on the aspects of genetic, molecular, biochemical, and cellular research of RDs. This research is the basis for providing new tools for the diagnosis and therapy of low-prevalence diseases, in line with the International Rare Diseases Research Consortium (IRDiRC) objectives, thus favoring translational research between the scientific environment of the laboratory and the clinical setting of health centers. In this article, we intend to review CIBERER's 15-year journey and summarize the main results obtained in terms of internationalization, scientific production, contributions toward the discovery of new therapies and novel genes associated to diseases, cooperation with patients' associations and many other topics related to RD research

Volviéndonos mejores: necesidad de acción inmediata ante el reto de la obesidad. Una postura de profesionales de la salud.

La creciente epidemia de obesidad ha sido uno de los retos más importantes de salud pública en México durante los últimos años. Con apoyo de la Federación Mundial de Obesidad, en 2021 formamos un grupo de profesionales para identificar y resumir las acciones prioritarias en las que puede enfocarse nuestro país para hacer frente a esta epidemia. Al proceso de desarrollo y discusión de este grupo se sumaron más de 1 000 profesionales de la salud para retomar recomendaciones de documentos y guías de alto nivel previamente publicados. En conmemoración del Día Mundial de la Obesidad, en este 2022 se presenta esta postura como insumo para el desarrollo de acciones en el ámbito profesional y de los diferentes sectores, en la que se incluyen 10 recomendaciones de acción, desde la perspectiva poblacional hasta la atención individualizada, y se enfatiza en la importancia de la participación social, de las intervenciones integrales con visión centrada en la persona y de la sostenibilidad planetaria, además de mejorar la educación y las campañas de difusión, propiciar un ambiente promotor de entornos activos y blindar de conflictos de interés los esfuerzos de prevención y control. La postura hace un llamado para abordar la obesidad de manera seria, con base en la evidencia científica, oportuna e integral, con enfoque de curso de vida, de forma ética y sensible, y sin perpetuar las barreras del estigma de peso en la sociedad