Radiochemical Separation and Measurement by Mass Spectrometry with Magnetic Sector with Inductively Coupled Plasma source (ICP-SFMS) of Plutonium Isotopes in Soil Samples

The aim of this work is twofold: to optimize the radiochemical separation of Plutonium (Pu) from soil samples, and to measure the Pu concentration. Soil samples were prepared using acid digestion assisted by microwaves; then, Pu purification was carried out with Pu AG1X8 resin. Pu isotopes were measured using Mass Spectrometry with Magnetic Sector with Inductively Coupled Plasma source (ICP-SFMS). In order to reduce the interference due to the presence of 238UH+ in the samples a desolvation system (Apex) was used. The limit of detection (LOD) of Pu was determined. The efficiency of Pu recovery from soil samples varies from 70 to 93%

Microscopic Evaluation of Necrotic Cell Death in the Cartilage Destined for Experimental Tracheal Allografts: Lyophilization vs Cryopreservation

Tracheal replacement remains an important unmet need for patients with extensive lesions. Tracheal allografts treated by cryopreservation and lyophilization have been used as experimental methods for replacing long segments of the trachea. We compare the effect of lyophilization and cryopreservation on the canine tracheal cartilage by microscopic evaluation of necrotic cell death. Canine tracheal segments were rinsed and randomly divided into a control group (G1) and two biopreservation groups: lyophilization (G2) [−70–55°C/10 mmBar] and cryopreservation (G3) [RPMI-1640 + 10%DMSO + 10%SBF, −70°C/−196°C]. After tracheal segments were rehydrated (G2) or thawed (G3), the central ring was obtained from each tracheal segment and processed for histological evaluation with hematoxylin and eosin and for caspase-3 expression by immunohistochemistry. Compared with the control group, chondrocytes without apparent abnormalities, nucleus with karyorrhexis, and caspase-3 expression decreased significantly with the effect of lyophilization and cryopreservation (p < 0.001, ANOVA + Tukey, chi-square, Kruskal-Wallis), while a significant decrease in pyknotic nuclei was observed only with the effect of the lyophilization as well as an increase in the nucleus with karyolysis and empty lacunae (p < 0.001, ANOVA + Tukey). The mean percentages of normal chondrocytes and empty lacunae were significantly affected by lyophilization compared with cryopreservation (p < 0.01, ANOVA + Tukey). Our results strongly suggest that lyophilization has a deleterious impact on the tracheal cartilage

Synthesis of fractal light pulses by quasi-direct space-to-time pulse shaping

This paper was published in OPTICS LETTERS and is made available as an electronic reprint with the permission of OSA. The paper can be found at the following URL on the OSA website: http://dx.doi.org/10.1364/OL.37.001145. Systematic or multiple reproduction or distribution to multiple locations via electronic or other means is prohibited and is subject to penalties under law[EN] We demonstrated a simple diffractive method to map the self-similar structure shown in squared radial coordinate of any set of circularly symmetric fractal plates into self-similar light pulses in the corresponding temporal domain. The space-to-time mapping of the plates was carried out by means of a kinoform diffractive lens under femtosecond illumination. The spatio-temporal characteristics of the fractal pulses obtained in this way were measured by means of a spectral interferometry technique assisted by a fiber optics coupler (STARFISH). Our proposal allows synthesizing suited sequences of focused fractal femtosecond pulses potentially useful for several current applications, such as femtosecond material processing, atomic, and molecular control of chemical processes or generation of nonlinear effects. © 2012 Optical Society of America.This research was funded by the Spanish Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación (MICINN) and FEDER, through the projects FIS2010-15746, DPI2008-02953, and SAUUL (CSD2007-00013) and the Fundació Caixa Castelló (P1-1B2010-26).Monsoriu Serra, JA.; Mendoza-Yero, O.; Alonso, B.; Minguez-Vega, G.; Sola, I.; Lancis, J. (2012). Synthesis of fractal light pulses by quasi-direct space-to-time pulse shaping. Optics Letters. 37(7):1145-1147. https://doi.org/10.1364/OL.37.001145S11451147377Berry, M. V. (1979). Diffractals. Journal of Physics A: Mathematical and General, 12(6), 781-797. doi:10.1088/0305-4470/12/6/008Allain, C., & Cloitre, M. (1987). Spatial spectrum of a general family of self-similar arrays. Physical Review A, 36(12), 5751-5757. doi:10.1103/physreva.36.5751Hamburger-Lidar, D. A. (1996). Elastic scattering by deterministic and random fractals: Self-affinity of the diffraction spectrum. Physical Review E, 54(1), 354-370. doi:10.1103/physreve.54.354Jaggard, A. D., & Jaggard, D. L. (1998). Scattering from fractal superlattices with variable lacunarity. Journal of the Optical Society of America A, 15(6), 1626. doi:10.1364/josaa.15.001626Fermann, M. E., Kruglov, V. I., Thomsen, B. C., Dudley, J. M., & Harvey, J. D. (2000). Self-Similar Propagation and Amplification of Parabolic Pulses in Optical Fibers. Physical Review Letters, 84(26), 6010-6013. doi:10.1103/physrevlett.84.6010Kruglov, V. I., Peacock, A. C., Harvey, J. D., & Dudley, J. M. (2002). Self-similar propagation of parabolic pulses in normal-dispersion fiber amplifiers. Journal of the Optical Society of America B, 19(3), 461. doi:10.1364/josab.19.000461Ilday, F. Ö., Buckley, J. R., Clark, W. G., & Wise, F. W. (2004). Self-Similar Evolution of Parabolic Pulses in a Laser. Physical Review Letters, 92(21). doi:10.1103/physrevlett.92.213902Dudley, J. M., Finot, C., Richardson, D. J., & Millot, G. (2007). Self-similarity in ultrafast nonlinear optics. Nature Physics, 3(9), 597-603. doi:10.1038/nphys705Vinoy, K. J., Jose, K. A., Varadan, V. K., & Varadan, V. V. (2001). Hilbert curve fractal antenna: A small resonant antenna for VHF/UHF applications. Microwave and Optical Technology Letters, 29(4), 215-219. doi:10.1002/mop.1136Matteo, J. A., & Hesselink, L. (2005). Fractal extensions of near-field aperture shapes for enhanced transmission and resolution. Optics Express, 13(2), 636. doi:10.1364/opex.13.000636Wang, S.-W., Chen, X., Lu, W., Li, M., & Wang, H. (2007). Fractal independently tunable multichannel filters. Applied Physics Letters, 90(21), 211113. doi:10.1063/1.2743380Saavedra, G., Furlan, W. D., & Monsoriu, J. A. (2003). Fractal zone plates. Optics Letters, 28(12), 971. doi:10.1364/ol.28.000971Tao, S. H., Yuan, X.-C., Lin, J., & Burge, R. E. (2006). Sequence of focused optical vortices generated by a spiral fractal zone plate. Applied Physics Letters, 89(3), 031105. doi:10.1063/1.2226995Furlan, W. D., Giménez, F., Calatayud, A., & Monsoriu, J. A. (2009). Devil’s vortex-lenses. Optics Express, 17(24), 21891. doi:10.1364/oe.17.021891Furlan, W. D., Saavedra, G., & Monsoriu, J. A. (2007). White-light imaging with fractal zone plates. Optics Letters, 32(15), 2109. doi:10.1364/ol.32.002109Mendoza-Yero, O., Fernández-Alonso, M., Mínguez-Vega, G., Lancis, J., Climent, V., & Monsoriu, J. A. (2009). Fractal generalized zone plates. Journal of the Optical Society of America A, 26(5), 1161. doi:10.1364/josaa.26.001161Mendoza-Yero, O., Mínguez-Vega, G., Fernández-Alonso, M., Lancis, J., Tajahuerce, E., Climent, V., & Monsoriu, J. A. (2009). Optical filters with fractal transmission spectra based on diffractive optics. Optics Letters, 34(5), 560. doi:10.1364/ol.34.000560Lavrinenko, A. V., Zhukovsky, S. V., Sandomirski, K. S., & Gaponenko, S. V. (2002). Propagation of classical waves in nonperiodic media: Scaling properties of an optical Cantor filter. Physical Review E, 65(3). doi:10.1103/physreve.65.036621Mínguez-Vega, G., Mendoza-Yero, O., Lancis, J., Gisbert, R., & Andrés, P. (2008). Diffractive optics for quasi-direct space-to-time pulse shaping. Optics Express, 16(21), 16993. doi:10.1364/oe.16.016993Alonso, B., Sola, Í. J., Varela, Ó., Hernández-Toro, J., Méndez, C., San Román, J., … Roso, L. (2010). Spatiotemporal amplitude-and-phase reconstruction by Fourier-transform of interference spectra of high-complex-beams. Journal of the Optical Society of America B, 27(5), 933. doi:10.1364/josab.27.000933Lepetit, L., Chériaux, G., & Joffre, M. (1995). Linear techniques of phase measurement by femtosecond spectral interferometry for applications in spectroscopy. Journal of the Optical Society of America B, 12(12), 2467. doi:10.1364/josab.12.002467Kavehrad, M., & Hamzeh, B. Y. (2004). Ultrashort-pulsed FSO communication system with wavelet fractal modulation. Performance, Quality of Service, and Control of Next-Generation Communication Networks II. doi:10.1117/12.57067

Amyloid-b peptide on sialyl-LewisX-selectin-mediated membrane tether mechanics at the cerebral endothelial cell surface

Increased deposition of amyloid-b peptide (Ab) at the cerebral endothelial cell (CEC) surface has been implicated in enhancement of transmigration of monocytes across the brain blood barrier (BBB) in Alzheimer’s disease (AD). In this study, quantitative immunofluorescence microscopy (QIM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM) with cantilevers biofunctionalized by sialyl-Lewisx (sLex) were employed to investigate Ab-altered mechanics of membrane tethers formed by bonding between sLex and p-selectin at the CEC surface, the initial mechanical step governing the transmigration of monocytes. QIM results indicated the ability for Ab to increase p-selectin expression at the cell surface and promote actin polymerization in both bEND3 cells (immortalized mouse CECs) and human primary CECs. AFM data also showed the ability for Ab to increase cell stiffness and adhesion probability in bEND3 cells. On the contrary, Ab lowered the overall force of membrane tether formation (Fmtf), and produced a bimodal population of Fmtf, suggesting subcellular mechanical alterations in membrane tethering. The lower Fmtf population was similar to the results obtained from cells treated with an F-actin-disrupting drug, latrunculin A. Indeed, AFM results also showed that both Ab and latrunculin A decreased membrane stiffness, suggesting a lower membrane-cytoskeleton adhesion, a factor resulting in lower Fmtf. In addition, these cerebral endothelial alterations induced by Ab were abrogated by lovastatin, consistent with its anti-inflammatory effects. In sum, these results demonstrated the ability for Ab to enhance p-selectin expression at the CEC surface and induce cytoskeleton reorganization, which in turn, resulted in changes in membrane-cytoskeleton adhesion and membrane tethering, mechanical factors important in transmigration of monocytes through the BBB.This work was supported by Alzheimer Association Grant NIRG-06-24448; NIH Grant 1P01 AG18357, R21NS052385, 5R21AG032579 and in part by 1P01HL095486 and AHA 0835676N; ‘‘Bolashak’’ scholarship and Ministry of Education and Science of the Republic of Kazakhstan 1029/GF2. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript

Antimicrobial resistance among migrants in Europe: a systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND: Rates of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) are rising globally and there is concern that increased migration is contributing to the burden of antibiotic resistance in Europe. However, the effect of migration on the burden of AMR in Europe has not yet been comprehensively examined. Therefore, we did a systematic review and meta-analysis to identify and synthesise data for AMR carriage or infection in migrants to Europe to examine differences in patterns of AMR across migrant groups and in different settings. METHODS: For this systematic review and meta-analysis, we searched MEDLINE, Embase, PubMed, and Scopus with no language restrictions from Jan 1, 2000, to Jan 18, 2017, for primary data from observational studies reporting antibacterial resistance in common bacterial pathogens among migrants to 21 European Union-15 and European Economic Area countries. To be eligible for inclusion, studies had to report data on carriage or infection with laboratory-confirmed antibiotic-resistant organisms in migrant populations. We extracted data from eligible studies and assessed quality using piloted, standardised forms. We did not examine drug resistance in tuberculosis and excluded articles solely reporting on this parameter. We also excluded articles in which migrant status was determined by ethnicity, country of birth of participants' parents, or was not defined, and articles in which data were not disaggregated by migrant status. Outcomes were carriage of or infection with antibiotic-resistant organisms. We used random-effects models to calculate the pooled prevalence of each outcome. The study protocol is registered with PROSPERO, number CRD42016043681. FINDINGS: We identified 2274 articles, of which 23 observational studies reporting on antibiotic resistance in 2319 migrants were included. The pooled prevalence of any AMR carriage or AMR infection in migrants was 25·4% (95% CI 19·1-31·8; I2 =98%), including meticillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (7·8%, 4·8-10·7; I2 =92%) and antibiotic-resistant Gram-negative bacteria (27·2%, 17·6-36·8; I2 =94%). The pooled prevalence of any AMR carriage or infection was higher in refugees and asylum seekers (33·0%, 18·3-47·6; I2 =98%) than in other migrant groups (6·6%, 1·8-11·3; I2 =92%). The pooled prevalence of antibiotic-resistant organisms was slightly higher in high-migrant community settings (33·1%, 11·1-55·1; I2 =96%) than in migrants in hospitals (24·3%, 16·1-32·6; I2 =98%). We did not find evidence of high rates of transmission of AMR from migrant to host populations. INTERPRETATION: Migrants are exposed to conditions favouring the emergence of drug resistance during transit and in host countries in Europe. Increased antibiotic resistance among refugees and asylum seekers and in high-migrant community settings (such as refugee camps and detention facilities) highlights the need for improved living conditions, access to health care, and initiatives to facilitate detection of and appropriate high-quality treatment for antibiotic-resistant infections during transit and in host countries. Protocols for the prevention and control of infection and for antibiotic surveillance need to be integrated in all aspects of health care, which should be accessible for all migrant groups, and should target determinants of AMR before, during, and after migration. FUNDING: UK National Institute for Health Research Imperial Biomedical Research Centre, Imperial College Healthcare Charity, the Wellcome Trust, and UK National Institute for Health Research Health Protection Research Unit in Healthcare-associated Infections and Antimictobial Resistance at Imperial College London

Incidence, clinical characteristics and management of inflammatory bowel disease in Spain: large-scale epidemiological study

(1) Aims: To assess the incidence of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) in Spain, to describe the main epidemiological and clinical characteristics at diagnosis and the evolution of the disease, and to explore the use of drug treatments. (2) Methods: Prospective, population-based nationwide registry. Adult patients diagnosed with IBD—Crohn’s disease (CD), ulcerative colitis (UC) or IBD unclassified (IBD-U)—during 2017 in Spain were included and were followed-up for 1 year. (3) Results: We identified 3611 incident cases of IBD diagnosed during 2017 in 108 hospitals covering over 22 million inhabitants. The overall incidence (cases/100, 000 person-years) was 16 for IBD, 7.5 for CD, 8 for UC, and 0.5 for IBD-U; 53% of patients were male and median age was 43 years (interquartile range = 31–56 years). During a median 12-month follow-up, 34% of patients were treated with systemic steroids, 25% with immunomodulators, 15% with biologics and 5.6% underwent surgery. The percentage of patients under these treatments was significantly higher in CD than UC and IBD-U. Use of systemic steroids and biologics was significantly higher in hospitals with high resources. In total, 28% of patients were hospitalized (35% CD and 22% UC patients, p < 0.01). (4) Conclusion: The incidence of IBD in Spain is rather high and similar to that reported in Northern Europe. IBD patients require substantial therapeutic resources, which are greater in CD and in hospitals with high resources, and much higher than previously reported. One third of patients are hospitalized in the first year after diagnosis and a relevant proportion undergo surgery. © 2021 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland

Laparoscopy in management of appendicitis in high-, middle-, and low-income countries: a multicenter, prospective, cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Appendicitis is the most common abdominal surgical emergency worldwide. Differences between high- and low-income settings in the availability of laparoscopic appendectomy, alternative management choices, and outcomes are poorly described. The aim was to identify variation in surgical management and outcomes of appendicitis within low-, middle-, and high-Human Development Index (HDI) countries worldwide. METHODS: This is a multicenter, international prospective cohort study. Consecutive sampling of patients undergoing emergency appendectomy over 6 months was conducted. Follow-up lasted 30 days. RESULTS: 4546 patients from 52 countries underwent appendectomy (2499 high-, 1540 middle-, and 507 low-HDI groups). Surgical site infection (SSI) rates were higher in low-HDI (OR 2.57, 95% CI 1.33-4.99, p = 0.005) but not middle-HDI countries (OR 1.38, 95% CI 0.76-2.52, p = 0.291), compared with high-HDI countries after adjustment. A laparoscopic approach was common in high-HDI countries (1693/2499, 67.7%), but infrequent in low-HDI (41/507, 8.1%) and middle-HDI (132/1540, 8.6%) groups. After accounting for case-mix, laparoscopy was still associated with fewer overall complications (OR 0.55, 95% CI 0.42-0.71, p < 0.001) and SSIs (OR 0.22, 95% CI 0.14-0.33, p < 0.001). In propensity-score matched groups within low-/middle-HDI countries, laparoscopy was still associated with fewer overall complications (OR 0.23 95% CI 0.11-0.44) and SSI (OR 0.21 95% CI 0.09-0.45). CONCLUSION: A laparoscopic approach is associated with better outcomes and availability appears to differ by country HDI. Despite the profound clinical, operational, and financial barriers to its widespread introduction, laparoscopy could significantly improve outcomes for patients in low-resource environments. TRIAL REGISTRATION: NCT02179112

Effects of hospital facilities on patient outcomes after cancer surgery: an international, prospective, observational study

Background Early death after cancer surgery is higher in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs) compared with in high-income countries, yet the impact of facility characteristics on early postoperative outcomes is unknown. The aim of this study was to examine the association between hospital infrastructure, resource availability, and processes on early outcomes after cancer surgery worldwide.Methods A multimethods analysis was performed as part of the GlobalSurg 3 study-a multicentre, international, prospective cohort study of patients who had surgery for breast, colorectal, or gastric cancer. The primary outcomes were 30-day mortality and 30-day major complication rates. Potentially beneficial hospital facilities were identified by variable selection to select those associated with 30-day mortality. Adjusted outcomes were determined using generalised estimating equations to account for patient characteristics and country-income group, with population stratification by hospital.Findings Between April 1, 2018, and April 23, 2019, facility-level data were collected for 9685 patients across 238 hospitals in 66 countries (91 hospitals in 20 high-income countries; 57 hospitals in 19 upper-middle-income countries; and 90 hospitals in 27 low-income to lower-middle-income countries). The availability of five hospital facilities was inversely associated with mortality: ultrasound, CT scanner, critical care unit, opioid analgesia, and oncologist. After adjustment for case-mix and country income group, hospitals with three or fewer of these facilities (62 hospitals, 1294 patients) had higher mortality compared with those with four or five (adjusted odds ratio [OR] 3.85 [95% CI 2.58-5.75]; p&lt;0.0001), with excess mortality predominantly explained by a limited capacity to rescue following the development of major complications (63.0% vs 82.7%; OR 0.35 [0.23-0.53]; p&lt;0.0001). Across LMICs, improvements in hospital facilities would prevent one to three deaths for every 100 patients undergoing surgery for cancer.Interpretation Hospitals with higher levels of infrastructure and resources have better outcomes after cancer surgery, independent of country income. Without urgent strengthening of hospital infrastructure and resources, the reductions in cancer-associated mortality associated with improved access will not be realised

Why Are Outcomes Different for Registry Patients Enrolled Prospectively and Retrospectively? Insights from the Global Anticoagulant Registry in the FIELD-Atrial Fibrillation (GARFIELD-AF).

Background: Retrospective and prospective observational studies are designed to reflect real-world evidence on clinical practice, but can yield conflicting results. The GARFIELD-AF Registry includes both methods of enrolment and allows analysis of differences in patient characteristics and outcomes that may result. Methods and Results: Patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) and ≥1 risk factor for stroke at diagnosis of AF were recruited either retrospectively (n = 5069) or prospectively (n = 5501) from 19 countries and then followed prospectively. The retrospectively enrolled cohort comprised patients with established AF (for a least 6, and up to 24 months before enrolment), who were identified retrospectively (and baseline and partial follow-up data were collected from the emedical records) and then followed prospectively between 0-18 months (such that the total time of follow-up was 24 months; data collection Dec-2009 and Oct-2010). In the prospectively enrolled cohort, patients with newly diagnosed AF (≤6 weeks after diagnosis) were recruited between Mar-2010 and Oct-2011 and were followed for 24 months after enrolment. Differences between the cohorts were observed in clinical characteristics, including type of AF, stroke prevention strategies, and event rates. More patients in the retrospectively identified cohort received vitamin K antagonists (62.1% vs. 53.2%) and fewer received non-vitamin K oral anticoagulants (1.8% vs . 4.2%). All-cause mortality rates per 100 person-years during the prospective follow-up (starting the first study visit up to 1 year) were significantly lower in the retrospective than prospectively identified cohort (3.04 [95% CI 2.51 to 3.67] vs . 4.05 [95% CI 3.53 to 4.63]; p = 0.016). Conclusions: Interpretations of data from registries that aim to evaluate the characteristics and outcomes of patients with AF must take account of differences in registry design and the impact of recall bias and survivorship bias that is incurred with retrospective enrolment. Clinical Trial Registration: - URL: http://www.clinicaltrials.gov . Unique identifier for GARFIELD-AF (NCT01090362)