Predicción de amputación mediante MESS (Mangled Extremity Severity Score) en pacientes con lesión traumática vascular grave

En este estudio retrospectivo y ciego se analizan las historias clínicas de 60 pacientes (63 miembros inferiores), que ingresaron en nuestro hospital desde 1978 a 1992 a causa de una lesión traumática vascular grave; en este grupo no se incluyeron los pacientes con traumatismo vascular localizado por encima de la cadera o debajo del tobillo. El objetivo del estudio ha sido investigar si el MESS (Mangled extremity severity score) es un sistema útil para decidir entre la amputación precoz o el intento de reconstrucción en este tipo de pacientes. De 36 miembros que terminaron en amputación, 34 tuvieron un MESS de 7 o más, demostrando una sensibilidad del test del 94,4%. De 27 miembros que se salvaron, 22 tuvieron un MESS de 6 o menos, demostrando una especificidad del 81,4%. Así pues, el MESS es un test útil para predecir la necesidad o no de amputar un miembro con lesión vascular traumática grave, pero no es absolutamente fiable. Parece más fiable cuando se aplica a pacientes con traumatismo vascular grave que cuando se aplica a pacientes con traumatismo, tengan o no lesión vascular.60 patients (63 limbs) suffering from a severe vascular injury of the lower extremities between 1978-1992 have been retrospectively reviewed. Those cases wherein vascular injury was located above the hip level or under the ankle level were not included. The aim of this study was to investígate whether the Mangled Extremity Severity Score (MESS) is a useful test to decide between limb salvage or early amputation in this type of patients. Among 36 amputated limbs. 34 had a score equal or greater than 7, the rate of sensitivity of the test was 94,4%. Among 27 salvaged limbs, 22 had a score equal or lower than 6, showing a rate of specificity of 81,4%. The MESS seems to be a very useful test for prediction of limb salvage versus amputation with severe vascular injury, although it is not totally reliable. It seems better when applied to patients with vascular injury, rather than to those with mangled extremity, with or without vascular injury

Improved Method for In Vitro Secondary Amastigogenesis of Trypanosoma cruzi: Morphometrical and Molecular Analysis of Intermediate Developmental Forms

Trypanosoma cruzi undergoes a biphasic life cycle that consists of four alternate developmental stages. In vitro conditions to obtain a synchronic transformation and efficient rates of pure intermediate forms (IFs), which are indispensable for further biochemical, biological, and molecular studies, have not been reported. In the present study, we established an improved method to obtain IFs from secondary amastigogenesis. During the transformation kinetics, we observed progressive decreases in the size of the parasite body, undulating membrane and flagellum that were concomitant with nucleus remodeling and kinetoplast displacement. In addition, a gradual reduction in parasite movement and acquisition of the amastigote-specific Ssp4 antigen were observed. Therefore, our results showed that the in vitro conditions used obtained large quantities of highly synchronous and pure IFs that were clearly distinguished by morphometrical and molecular analyses. Obtaining these IFs represents the first step towards an understanding of the molecular mechanisms involved in amastigogenesis

NGC1600 - Cluster or Field Elliptical?

A study of the galaxy distribution in the field of the elliptical galaxy NGC1600 has been undertaken. Although this galaxy is often classified as a member of a loose group, all the neighbouring galaxies are much fainter and could be taken as satellites of NGC1600. The number density profile of galaxies in the field of this galaxy shows a decline with radius, with evidence of a background at approximately 1.3 Mpc. The density and number density profile are consistent with that found for other isolated early-type galaxies. NGC1600 appears as an extended source in X-rays, and the center of the X-ray emission seems not to coincide with the center of the galaxy. The velocity distribution of neighbouring galaxies has been measured from optical spectroscopic observations and shows that the mean radial velocity is approximately 85 km/s less than that of NGC1600, indicating that the centre of mass could lie outside the galaxy. The velocity dispersion of the `group' is estimated at 429 km/s. The inferred mass of the system is therefore of the order of 10^14 solar masses, a value that corresponds to a large group. NGC1600 therefore shares some similarities, but is not identical to, the `fossil clusters' detected in X-ray surveys. Implications of this result for studies of isolated early-type galaxies are briefly discussed.Comment: 8 pages, 5 figures and 2 table, accepted for publication in the Ap

Evolutionary association rules for total ozone content modeling from satellite observations

In this paper we propose an evolutionary method of association rules discovery (EQAR, Evolutionary Quan titative Association Rules) that extends a recently published algorithm by the authors and we describe its ap plication to a problem of Total Ozone Content (TOC) modeling in the Iberian Peninsula. We use TOC data from the Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer (TOMS) on board the NASA Nimbus-7 satellite measured at three lo cations (Lisbon, Madrid and Murcia) of the Iberian Peninsula. As prediction variables for the association rules we consider several meteorological variables, such as Outgoing Long-wave Radiation (OLR), Temperature at 50 hPa level, Tropopause height, and wind vertical velocity component at 200 hPa. We show that the best as sociation rules obtained by EQAR are able to accurate modeling the TOC data in the three locations consid ered, providing results which agree to previous works in the literatur

Particle release fromrefit operations in shipyards: Exposure, toxicity and environmental implications

European harbours are known to contribute to air quality degradation.While most of the literature focuses on emissions from stacks or logistics operations, ship refit and repair activities are also relevant aerosol sources in EU harbour areas. Main activities include abrasive removal of filler and spray painting with antifouling coatings/primers/topcoats. This work aimed to assess ultrafine particle (UFP) emissions from ship maintenance activities and their links with exposure, toxicity and health risks for humans and the aquatic environment. Aerosol emissions were monitored during mechanical abrasion of surface coatings under real-world operating conditions in two scenarios in the Mallorca harbour (Spain). Different types of UFPs were observed: (1) highly regular (triangular, hexagonal) engineered nanoparticles (Ti-, Zr-, Fe-based), embedded as nano-additives in the coatings, and (2) irregular, incidental particles emitted directly or formed during abrasion. Particle number concentrationsmonitored were in the range of industrial activities such as drilling or welding (up to 5 ∗ 105/cm3, mean diameters <30 nm). The chemical composition of PM4 aerosols was dominated by metallic tracers in the coatings (Ti, Al, Ba, Zn). In vitro toxicity of PM2 aerosols evidenced reduced cell viability and a moderate potential for cytotoxic effects. While best practices (exhaust ventilation, personal protective equipment, dust removal) were in place, it is unlikely that exposures and environmental release can be fully avoided at all times. Thus, it is advisable that health and safety protocols should be comprehensive to minimise exposures in all types of locations (near- andfar-field) and periods (activity and non-activity). Potential release to coastal surface waters of metallic engineered and incidental nanomaterials, as well as fine and coarse particles (in the case of settled dust), should be assessed and avoided

Tuning the size, composition and structure of Au and Co50Au50 Nanoparticles by High-Power Impulse Magnetron Sputtering in gas-phase Synthesis

Gas-phase synthesis of nanoparticles with different structural and chemical distribution is reported using a circular magnetron sputtering in an ion cluster source by applying high-power impulses. The influence of the pulse characteristics on the final deposit was evaluated on Au nanoparticles. The results have been compared with the more common direct current approach. In addition, it is shown for the first time that high-power impulses in magnetron based gas aggregation sources allows the growth of binary nanoparticles, CoAu in this case, with a variety of crystalline and chemical arrangements which are analyzed at the atomic level

Relationship between Salmonella infection, shedding and serology in fattening pigs in low–moderate prevalence areas

Salmonella is a major foodborne pathogen causing important zoonosis worldwide. Pigs asymptomatically infected in mesenteric lymph nodes (MLN) can be intermittent shedders of the pathogen through faeces, being considered a major source of human infections. European baseline studies of fattening pig salmonellosis are based on Salmonella detection in MLN. This work studies the relationship between Salmonella infection in MLN and intestinal content (IC) shedding at slaughter and the relationship between the presence of the pathogen and the serologic status at farm level. Mean Salmonella prevalence in the selected pigs (vertically integrated production system of Navarra, Spain) was 7.2% in MLN, 8.4% in IC and 9.6% in serum samples. In this low–moderate prevalence context, poor concordance was found between MLN infection and shedding at slaughter and between bacteriology and serology. In fact, most of shedders were found uninfected in MLN (83%) or carrying different Salmonella strains in MLN and in IC (90%). The most prevalent Salmonellae were Typhimurium resistant to ACSSuT ± Nx or ASSuT antibiotic families, more frequently found invading the MLN (70%) than in IC (33.9%). Multivariable analysis revealed that risk factors associated with the presence of Salmonella in MLN or in IC were different, mainly related either to good hygiene practices or to water and feed control, respectively. Overall, in this prevalence context, detection of Salmonella in MLN is an unreliable predictor of faecal shedding at abattoir, indicating that subclinical infections in fattening pigs MLN could have limited relevance in the IC shedding.info:eu-repo/semantics/acceptedVersio