Use of Exoskeletons in the Treatment and Rehabilitation of Paraplegia Patients

This chapter presents a review that includes five robotic exoskeletons used in the rehabilitation of paraplegic patients, highlighting the qualities of each one and offering the doctor and the rehabilitator a tool to select the exoskeleton that is most appropriate to the needs of their patient and a more satisfying and integral therapy. A systematic search was carried out in different platforms of scientific interest, the publications that met the inclusion criteria were selected. The information collected was classified and synthesized, resulting in a review that covers the five most relevant exoskeletons for the rehabilitation of paraplegic patients. Concluding with a tool that helps the therapist select the most appropriate exoskeleton for each patient

Secondary flow in contour currents controls the formation of moat-drift contourite systems

Ocean currents control seafloor morphology and the transport of sediments, organic carbon, nutrients, and pollutants in deep-water environments. A better connection between sedimentary deposits formed by bottom currents (contourites) and hydrodynamics is necessary to improve reconstructions of paleocurrent and sediment transport pathways. Here we use physical modeling in a three-dimensional flume tank to analyse the morphology and hydrodynamics of a self-emerging contourite system. The sedimentary features that developed on a flat surface parallel to a slope are an elongated depression (moat) and an associated sediment accumulation (drift). The moat-drift system can only form in the presence of a secondary flow near the seafloor that transports sediment from the slope toward the drift. The secondary flow increases with higher speeds and steeper slopes, leading to steeper adjacent drifts. This study shows how bottom currents shape the morphology of the moat-drift system and highlights their potential to estimate paleo-ocean current strength

Diagnóstico, transferencia de tecnología y soporte técnico para el desarrollo de las unidades de producción familiar en el municipio de Morelos, Chihuahua.

La presente investigación es un diagnostico técnico-productivo de las Unidades de Producción Familiar (UPF) del municipio de Morelos, Chihuahua, el cual tuvo como objetivo realizar una descripción de las actividades, tecnologías e insumos empleados por los productores en sus actividades  productivas  de  la  región.  Tiene  como  sustento  metodológico el levantamiento de   encuetas a productores, con una representación mínimo del 20% con una confiabilidad del 99% y un error de precisión del 5% lo cual arrojó el levantamiento de 47 encuestas; adicionalmente se realizó un panel representativo, dando como resultado, una edad promedio de 46 años con una escolaridad inferior a la primeria concluida, una superficie agrícola inferior a 5 hectáreas, sus cultivos fueron maíz, frijol, ajonjolí, mango y cítricos, utilizan tracción animal y semilla criolla en su gran mayoría, 47% cuanta con explotación pecuaria y su principal alimento es pastoreo, 85% tienen  instalaciones rusticas. La presente investigación es un diagnostico técnico-productivo de las Unidades de Producción Familiar (UPF) del municipio de Morelos, Chihuahua, el cual tuvo como objetivo realizar una descripción de las actividades, tecnologías e insumos empleados por los productores en sus actividades  productivas  de  la  región.  Tiene  como  sustento  metodológico el levantamiento de encuetas a productores, con una representación mínimo del 20% con una confiabilidad del 99% y un error de precisión del 5% lo cual arrojó el levantamiento de 47 encuestas; adicionalmente se realizó un panel representativo, dando como resultado, una edad promedio de 46 años con una escolaridad inferior a la primeria concluida, una superficie agrícola inferior a 5 hectáreas, sus cultivos fueron maíz, frijol, ajonjolí, mango y cítricos, utilizan tracción animal y semilla criolla en su gran mayoría, 47% cuanta con explotación pecuaria y su principal alimento es pastoreo, 85% tienen  instalaciones rusticas

Aberrant development corrected in adult-onset Huntington's disease iPSC-derived neuronal cultures via WNT signaling modulation

Aberrant neuronal development and the persistence of mitotic cellular populations have been implicated in a multitude of neurological disorders, including Huntington's disease (HD). However, the mechanism underlying this potential pathology remains unclear. We used a modified protocol to differentiate induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) from HD patients and unaffected controls into neuronal cultures enriched for medium spiny neurons, the cell type most affected in HD. We performed single-cell and bulk transcriptomic and epigenomic analyses and demonstrated that a persistent cyclin D1+ neural stem cell (NSC) population is observed selectively in adult-onset HD iPSCs during differentiation. Treatment with a WNT inhibitor abrogates this NSC population while preserving neurons. Taken together, our findings identify a mechanism that may promote aberrant neurodevelopment and adult neurogenesis in adult-onset HD striatal neurons with the potential for therapeutic compensation

Differences in clinical features and mortality in very old unvaccinated patients (≥ 80 years) hospitalized with COVID-19 during the first and successive waves from the multicenter SEMI-COVID-19 Registry (Spain)

Background: Old age is one of the most important risk factors for severe COVID-19. Few studies have analyzed changes in the clinical characteristics and prognosis of COVID-19 among older adults before the availability of vaccines. This work analyzes differences in clinical features and mortality in unvaccinated very old adults during the first and successive COVID-19 waves in Spain. Methods This nationwide, multicenter, retrospective cohort study analyzes unvaccinated patients >= 80 years hospitalized for COVID-19 in 150 Spanish hospitals (SEMI-COVID-19 Registry). Patients were classified according to whether they were admitted in the first wave (March 1-June 30, 2020) or successive waves (July 1-December 31, 2020). The endpoint was all-cause in-hospital mortality, expressed as the case fatality rate (CFR). Results Of the 21,461 patients hospitalized with COVID-19, 5,953 (27.7%) were >= 80 years (mean age [IQR]: 85.6 [82.3-89.2] years). Of them, 4,545 (76.3%) were admitted during the first wave and 1,408 (23.7%) during successive waves. Patients hospitalized in successive waves were older, had a greater Charlson Comorbidity Index and dependency, less cough and fever, and met fewer severity criteria at admission (qSOFA index, PO2/FiO2 ratio, inflammatory parameters). Significant differences were observed in treatments used in the first (greater use of antimalarials, lopinavir, and macrolides) and successive waves (greater use of corticosteroids, tocilizumab and remdesivir). In-hospital complications, especially acute respiratory distress syndrome and pneumonia, were less frequent in patients hospitalized in successive waves, except for heart failure. The CFR was significantly higher in the first wave (44.1% vs. 33.3%; -10.8%; p = 95 years (54.4% vs. 38.5%; -15.9%; p < 0.001). After adjustments to the model, the probability of death was 33% lower in successive waves (OR: 0.67; 95% CI: 0.57-0.79). Conclusions Mortality declined significantly between the first and successive waves in very old unvaccinated patients hospitalized with COVID-19 in Spain. This decline could be explained by a greater availability of hospital resources and more effective treatments as the pandemic progressed, although other factors such as changes in SARS-CoV-2 virulence cannot be ruled out

American College of Rheumatology Provisional Criteria for Clinically Relevant Improvement in Children and Adolescents With Childhood-Onset Systemic Lupus Erythematosus

10.1002/acr.23834ARTHRITIS CARE & RESEARCH715579-59

Synergistic immune and antinociceptive effects induced from the combination of two different vaccines against morphine/heroin in mouse

Animal studies have reported the use of different opioid-vaccine formulations with relative success These studies have suggested that new opioid-vaccine formulations are required, which are capable of triggering a robust humoral response. One strategy that has been used is the co-administration of two or more vaccines with different but complementary properties, which are capable of generating a robust immune response. We have developed two formulations of opioid-vaccine, the M6-TT, and M3-TT, which generate a robust immune response capable of recognizing heroin and morphine. In this work, we evaluate the combination of two vaccine formulations, which we call the M3/6-TT vaccine, to elicit a robust immune response and protection against heroin and morphine. Balb/c mice were immunized simultaneously with M6-TT vaccine and with M3-TT vaccine. A solid-phase antibody-capture ELISA was used for monitoring antibody titer responses after each booster dose in vaccinated animals. The study used tail-flick and hot-plate testing to evaluate the antinociceptive effects induced by heroin or morphine. Immunization with M3-TT and M6-TT vaccine elicits a robust immune response with an antibody titer of 1: 590 000 able to recognize heroin and morphine. These antibodies are capable of reducing the antinociceptive effects induced by doses of up to 40 mg/Kg. of morphine or 10 mg/kg of heroin. This suggests that the combination of two vaccine formulations that generate antibodies with different but complementary characteristics would be a new therapeutic strategy aimed at reducing drug relapses