Pure hydrogen from biogas: Intensified methane dry reforming in a two-zone fluidized bed reactor using permselective membranes

Methane dry reforming of biogas can be a sustainable source of hydrogen but the development of this technology is hindered by limitations such as endothermicity and catalyst deactivation by coke. A two zone fluidized bed reactor coupling permselective Pd/Ag membranes counteracts them and allows to intensify the process obtaining a stable pure hydrogen production. Here we report the effect of operation variables (i.e., temperature, total bed height, nature and partial pressure of regenerative agent, relative height of the regeneration and reaction zones, and use of an activation period) on the yield to hydrogen and stability of the process. Hydrogen over-yields, compared with the conventional fluidized bed reactor, in the range of +200% to +100% were obtained for the entire interval of temperatures 475–575 °C whilst maintaining stable operation by continuous catalyst regeneration. Around 70% of it was pure hydrogen coming from the permeate side of the membranes. The proposed reactor configuration greatly increases both methane conversion and selectivity to hydrogen (expressed as H 2 /CO ratio), not only in relation to our own conventional reactor findings but also regarding other published results

Pseudoaneurisma de la arteria geniculada inferior medial tras reparación del ligamento del cruzado anterior.

Presentamos el caso de un varón de 24 años intervenido por una rotura crónica del ligamento cruzado anterior de rodilla izquierda. Se realizó una ligamentoplastia con técnica de cuatro fascículos con tendones ísquiotibiales. En el postoperatorio inmediato presentó un cuadro de hematoma en la zona de extracción de la plastia. Inicialmente se atribuyó a un sangrado muscular que se redujo con medidas médicas, el cuadro se repitió a los pocos días por lo que se decidió suspender el tratamiento con heparina de bajo peso molecular. Tras la mejoría se repite el hematoma, por lo que se realiza un angioTAC que muestra la presencia de un pseudoaneurisma de la arteria geniculada inferior medial. Ante la evolución tórpida del cuadro se decide la cirugía y se procede a ligar la arteria mencionada vaciándose el hematoma residual. El cuadro se resuelve sin incidencias, de modo que el paciente empieza su rehabilitación de modo habitual. Dada la infrecuencia de esta patología se revisa la bibliografía y su patogenia.We report the case of a 24 year old male with a chronic rupture of the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee. We performed an anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction with four fascicles using the hamstrings tendon. In the immediate postoperative period, he presented a hematoma in the area of extraction plasty. Initially it was attributed to muscle bleeding and physical therapy (rest, ice and bandage) was prescribed. It reappeared few days later so it was decided to discontinue treatment with LMWH. Despite initial improvement, the haematoma reappeared so an angioCT Scan was performed showing medial inferior genicular artery pseudoaneurysm. The patient underwent a surgery for surgical wound exploration and ligation of the affected vessel. The patient improved and started the rehabilitation program as usual. Given the rarity of this disease and its pathogenesis literature is reviewed

Cómo minimizar los cambios radiológicos laterales en la osteotomía valguizante de adición medial de rodilla

Objetivo: estudiar la relación entre posición del injerto en Osteotomía Valguizante de Adición (OVA) en rodilla, los cambios radiológicos experimentados por la rótula y la pendiente tibial y su correlación clínica. Material y métodos: estudio retrospectivo de 10 pacientes operados de OVA. Medimos el cambio experimentado tras la osteotomía en Índice de Catón y la pendiente tibial y su relación con la ubicación del injerto. Valoración clínica mediante test de Lisholm y WOMAC. Resultados: edad media de 49.5 años, seguimiento medio de 32,2 meses. Se observa un cambio estadísticamente significativo de 1,45º en la pendiente tibial y de 0,15 unidades (Índice Catón) en la altura de la patela, pero sin correlación con la clínica. La ubicación del injerto en el cuadrante posterior se halló en el 80% de los casos. Conclusión : la osteotomía valguizante de adición medial tiene buenos resultados clínicos. Los cambios en la pendiente tibial y en la patela son menores cuanto más posterior es la ubicación del injerto.Objectives: we investigated changes in patellar height and tibial inclination angle after open-wedge high tibial osteotomy, the effect of these changes on patient satisfaction and the correlation with the graft position. Methods: retrospective study of 10 knees who underwent open-wedge proximal tibial osteotomy with allograft and medial plate for medial compartment. Were measured pre- and postoperatively tibial inclination angle, and patellar height (Caton Index), and we study the correlation of these changes with the location of the graft. Clinical evaluations were made using the Lysholm and WOMAC score. Results: the mean age was 49.5 years, the mean follow up was 32,2 months. The mean increase in the tibial inclination angle was 1,45 ° (p<0.05) and the mean of decrease in patellar height was 0.15 Units Caton Index (p<0.05). There weren’t correlation between radiological changes and patients satisfaction. The graft localization was posterior in 80% of patients. Conclusion: the open-wedge tibial osteotomy has good results and high clinical satisfaction. Changes in the tibial slope and the patellar height are lower if the graft position is posterior

rSPECT: a compact gamma camera based SPECT system for small-animal imaging

Proceeding of: 2009 IEEE Nuclear Science Symposium Conference Record (NSS/MIC), Orlando, Florida, 25-31 October 2009We have developed a compact and modular gamma camera system and assessed its performance when used on a small-animal SPECT prototype (rSPECT). Each camera consists of a Hamamatsu H-8500 position sensitive photomultiplier tube coupled to a 30 x 30 NaI (Tl) scintillator array (1.4mm x 1.4mm x 6mm crystal size) and electronics for pre-processing and matching the detector signals to an in-house developed data acquisition system. The camera components are enclosed in a lead-shielded case with a receptacle to insert the collimators (parallel-hole or pinhole with different tungsten apertures). System performance has been assessed for a low energy high resolution parallel-hole collimator (LEHR), and for a 0.75 mm pinhole collimator with 60º aperture angle. In this paper we present details on the system implementation and results of performance measurements, as well as first tomographic images on phantoms and animals. This SPECT was conceived for compactness and cost-effective routine small-animal imaging, and acquisitions of living mice and rats carried out with the system demonstrate its ability to provide useful high-resolution images for in vivo research.This work is partially funded by the CD TEAM project, CENIT Program, Spanish Ministerio de Industria and with grants from the Ministerio de Educación y Ciencia, Projects TEC2007 64731/TCM, TEC2008 06715 C02 01, SAF2009 08076 and the RECAVA RETIC Network

Variabilidad radiológica de la artroplastia de cadera, según la dominancia del cirujano

El objetivo de este trabajo es analizar la relación entre la dominancia de los cirujanos ortopédicos y el correcto posicionamiento del componente acetabular en las artroplastias totales de cadera. Secundariamente, se analiza la posible relación entre esta dominancia del cirujano y la lateralidad del procedimiento quirúrgico a realizar ya sean caderas derechas o izquierdas. Para ello, se crearon 2 grupos. El grupo A correspondiente a 20 caderas intervenidas por un cirujano de dominancia diestra y el grupo B formado por 20 intervenciones realizadas por otro cirujano de dominancia zurda Las mediciones se realizaron sobre la proyección radiográfica AP de pelvis del control postquirúrgico usando el visor de rayos del hospital. Para la valoración de la anteversión se utilizó el método descrito por Widmer. Con este trabajo hemos demostrado una mayor dificultad para la correcta implantación del cotilo por parte de nuestro cirujano zurdo en el caso de intervenir caderas izquierdas

Efficient elimination of primary B-ALL cells in vitro and in vivo using a novel 4-1BB-based CAR targeting a membrane-distal CD22 epitope

Altres ajuts: Funding This work was supported by the Obra Social La Caixa (LCF/PR/HR19/52160011), the Spanish Cancer Association and Leo Messi Foundation to PM.Background There are few therapeutic options available for patients with B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL) relapsing as CD19 - either after chemotherapy or CD19-targeted immunotherapies. CD22-chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells represent an attractive addition to CD19-CAR T cell therapy because they will target both CD22 + CD19 - B-ALL relapses and CD19 - preleukemic cells. However, the immune escape mechanisms from CD22-CAR T cells, and the potential contribution of the epitope binding of the anti-CD22 single-chain variable fragment (scFv) remain understudied. Methods Here, we have developed and comprehensively characterized a novel CD22-CAR (clone hCD22.7) targeting a membrane-distal CD22 epitope and tested its cytotoxic effects against B-ALL cells both in in vitro and in vivo assays. Results Conformational epitope mapping, cross-blocking, and molecular docking assays revealed that the hCD22.7 scFv is a high-affinity binding antibody which specifically binds to the ESTKDGKVP sequence, located in the Ig-like V-type domain, the most distal domain of CD22. We observed efficient killing of B-ALL cells in vitro, although the kinetics were dependent on the level of CD22 expression. Importantly, we show an efficient in vivo control of patients with B-ALL derived xenografts with diverse aggressiveness, coupled to long-term hCD22.7-CAR T cell persistence. Remaining leukemic cells at sacrifice maintained full expression of CD22, ruling out CAR pressure-mediated antigen loss. Finally, the immunogenicity capacity of this hCD22.7-scFv was very similar to that of other CD22 scFv previously used in adoptive T cell therapy. Conclusions We report a novel, high-affinity hCD22.7 scFv which targets a membrane-distal epitope of CD22. 4-1BB-based hCD22.7-CAR T cells efficiently eliminate clinically relevant B- CD22 high and CD22 low ALL primary samples in vitro and in vivo. Our study supports the clinical translation of this hCD22.7-CAR as either single or tandem CD22-CD19-CAR for both naive and anti-CD19-resistant patients with B-ALL

A spect scanner for rodent imaging based on small-area gamma cameras

We developed a cost-effective SPECT scanner prototype (rSPECT) for in vivo imaging of rodents based on small-area gamma cameras. Each detector consists of a position-sensitive photomultiplier tube (PS-PMT) coupled to a 30 30 NaI(Tl) scintillator array and electronics attached to the PS-PMT sockets for adapting the detector signals to an in-house developed data acquisition system. The detector components are enclosed in a leadshielded case with a receptacle to insert the collimators. System performance was assessed using for a high-resolution parallel- hole collimator, and for a 0.75-mm pinhole collimator with a 60 aperture angle and a 42-mm collimator length. The energy resolution is about 10.7% of the photopeak energy. The overall system sensitivity is about and planar spatial resolution ranges from 2.4 mm at 1 cm source-to-collimator distance to 4.1 mm at 4.5 cm with parallel-hole collimators. With pinhole collimators planar spatial resolution ranges from 1.2 mm at 1 cm source-to-collimator distance to 2.4 mm at 4.5 cm; sensitivity at these distances ranges from 2.8 to . Tomographic hot-rod phantom images are presented together with images of bone, myocardium and brain of living rodents to demonstrate the feasibility of preclinical small-animal studies with the rSPECT.This work was supported in part by the CD-TEAM project, CENIT program, Spanish Ministerio de Industria and with grants from the Ministerio de Educación y Ciencia, Projects TEC2007-64731/TCM, TEC2008-06715-C02-01, SAF2009-08076, program ARTEMIS S2009/DPI-1802, Comunidad de Madrid, and the RECAVA-RETIC NetworkPublicad

CD133-directed CAR T-cells for MLL Leukemia: On-Target, Off-Tumor Myeloablative Toxicity

Acknowledgements: We thank the Interfant treatment protocol and local physicians for contributing patient samples: Dr. Ronald W Stam (Princess Maxima Centre, Utrech), Dr. Mireia Camos and Dr. Jose Luis Fuster (Spanish Society of Pediatric Hematoncology), Dr. Paola Ballerini (A. Trousseau Hospital, Paris). We also thank Prof. Paresh Vyas (Oxford Univeristy, UK) and Prof. Kajsa Paulsson (Lund University, Sweden) for facilitating access to their RNA-seq database. This work has been supported by the European Research Council (CoG-2014-646903, PoC-2018-811220) to PM, the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (MINECO, SAF-SAF2016-80481-R, BIO2017-85364-R) to PM and EE, the Generalitat de Catalunya (SGR330, SGR102 and PERIS) to PM and EE, the Spanish Association against cancer (AECC-CI-2015) to CB, and the Health Institute Carlos III (ISCIII/FEDER, PI14-01191) to CB. PM also acknowledges financial support from the Obra Social La Caixa-Fundaciò Josep Carreras. SRZ and TV are supported by a Marie Curie fellowships. OM is supported by the Catalan Government through a Beatriu de Pinos fellowship. MB is supported by MINECO through a PhD scholarship. PM is an investigator of the Spanish Cell Therapy cooperative network (TERCEL)

The Imaging Magnetograph eXperiment (IMaX) for the Sunrise balloon-borne solar observatory

The Imaging Magnetograph eXperiment (IMaX) is a spectropolarimeter built by four institutions in Spain that flew on board the Sunrise balloon-borne telesocope in June 2009 for almost six days over the Arctic Circle. As a polarimeter IMaX uses fast polarization modulation (based on the use of two liquid crystal retarders), real-time image accumulation, and dual beam polarimetry to reach polarization sensitivities of 0.1%. As a spectrograph, the instrument uses a LiNbO3 etalon in double pass and a narrow band pre-filter to achieve a spectral resolution of 85 mAA. IMaX uses the high Zeeman sensitive line of Fe I at 5250.2 AA and observes all four Stokes parameters at various points inside the spectral line. This allows vector magnetograms, Dopplergrams, and intensity frames to be produced that, after reconstruction, reach spatial resolutions in the 0.15-0.18 arcsec range over a 50x50 arcsec FOV. Time cadences vary between ten and 33 seconds, although the shortest one only includes longitudinal polarimetry. The spectral line is sampled in various ways depending on the applied observing mode, from just two points inside the line to 11 of them. All observing modes include one extra wavelength point in the nearby continuum. Gauss equivalent sensitivities are four Gauss for longitudinal fields and 80 Gauss for transverse fields per wavelength sample. The LOS velocities are estimated with statistical errors of the order of 5-40 m/s. The design, calibration and integration phases of the instrument, together with the implemented data reduction scheme are described in some detail.Comment: 17 figure

NG2 antigen is a therapeutic target for MLL-rearranged B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia

Altres ajuts: This work has been supported by the Asociación Española Contra el Cáncer (AECC), Beca FERO, and OM are supported by postdoctoral fellowships from the AECC scientific foundation and the Catalunya Government (Beatriu de Pinos, BP00048), respectively. PM also acknowledges the financial support from the Obra Social La Caixa-Fundaciò Josep Carreras and "Premio Miguelín".B cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL) is the most common childhood cancer, with cure rates of ∼80%. MLL-rearranged (MLLr) B-ALL (MLLr-B-ALL) has, however, an unfavorable prognosis with common therapy refractoriness and early relapse, and therefore new therapeutic targets are needed for relapsed/refractory MLLr-B-ALL. MLLr leukemias are characterized by the specific expression of chondroitin sulfate proteoglycan-4, also known as neuron-glial antigen-2 (NG2). NG2 was recently shown involved in leukemia invasiveness and central nervous system infiltration in MLLr-B-ALL, and correlated with lower event-free survival (EFS). We here hypothesized that blocking NG2 may synergize with established induction therapy for B-ALL based on vincristine, glucocorticoids, and l-asparaginase (VxL). Using robust patient-derived xenograft (PDX) models, we found that NG2 is crucial for MLLr-B-ALL engraftment upon intravenous (i.v.) transplantation. In vivo blockade of NG2 using either chondroitinase-ABC or an anti-NG2-specific monoclonal antibody (MoAb) resulted in a significant mobilization of MLLr-B-ALL blasts from bone marrow (BM) to peripheral blood (PB) as demonstrated by cytometric and 3D confocal imaging analysis. When combined with either NG2 antagonist, VxL treatment achieved higher rates of complete remission, and consequently higher EFS and delayed time to relapse. Mechanistically, anti-NG2 MoAb induces neither antibody-dependent cell-mediated not complement-dependent cytotoxicity. NG2 blockade rather overrides BM stroma-mediated chemoprotection through PB mobilization of MLLr-B-ALL blasts, thus becoming more accessible to chemotherapy. We provide a proof of concept for NG2 as a therapeutic target for MLLr-B-ALL