Radiological impact of naturally occurring radionuclides in bottled water

Consumption of bottled water is increasing year after year in Europe. Due to the local geology from where the water is extracted; bottled water could be enhanced with radionuclides. This study focuses on the activity concentrations of 210Po, 210Pb, 226Ra, 228Ra, 234U and 238U in bottled water available in the Swedish market, to assess the radiological impact to different age groups. The results showed that among the 26 brands studied, only three could exceed the threshold value for drinking water: 0.1 mSv/year. For two brands, the dose was mainly due to the activity concentrations of 238U and 234U being up to 714 and 1162 mBq/L, respectively. While for one brand, the dose was mainly due to the activity concentration of both 210Po and 210Pb being around 100 mBq/L. For the remainder brands, 228Ra was the main contributor to the committed effective dose

The Use of Amniotic Membrane in the Management of Complex Chronic Wounds

Chronic wounds do not follow the usual wound healing process; instead, they are stuck in the inflammatory or proliferative phase. This is particularly evident in large, massive wounds with considerable tissue loss, which become senescent and do not epithelialize. In these wounds, we need to remove all the factors that prevent or delay normal wound healing. After that, soft tissue granulation is stimulated by local negative pressure therapy. Lastly, after the granulation is completed, the epithelialization process must be activated. Although a plethora of wound dressings and devices are available, chronic wounds persist as a unresolved medical concern. We have been using frozen amniotic membrane (AM) to treat this type of wounds with good results. Our studies have shown that AM is able to induce epithelialization in large wounds that were unable to epithelialize. AM induces several signaling pathways involved in cell migration and/or proliferation. Among those, we can highlight the mitogen‐activated protein kinase (MAPK) and Jun N‐terminal kinase (JNK) signaling pathways. Additionally, AM is able to selectively antagonise the anti-proliferative effect of TGFß by modifying its genetic program on keratinocytes. The combined effect of AM on keratinocytes, promoting cell proliferation/migration and antagonising TGFß-effect, is the perfect combination allowing chronic wounds to progress into epithelialization

Epigenetic Control of Salmonella enterica O-Antigen Chain Length: A Tradeoff between Virulence and Bacteriophage Resistance

The Salmonella enterica opvAB operon is a horizontally-acquired locus that undergoes phase variation under Dam methylation control. The OpvA and OpvB proteins form intertwining ribbons in the inner membrane. Synthesis of OpvA and OpvB alters lipopolysaccharide O-antigen chain length and confers resistance to bacteriophages 9NA (Siphoviridae), Det7 (Myoviridae), and P22 (Podoviridae). These phages use the O-antigen as receptor. Because opvAB undergoes phase variation, S. enterica cultures contain subpopulations of opvAB OFF and opvAB ON cells. In the presence of a bacteriophage that uses the O-antigen as receptor, the opvAB OFF subpopulation is killed and the opvAB ON subpopulation is selected. Acquisition of phage resistance by phase variation of O-antigen chain length requires a payoff: opvAB expression reduces Salmonella virulence. However, phase variation permits resuscitation of the opvAB OFF subpopulation as soon as phage challenge ceases. Phenotypic heterogeneity generated by opvAB phase variation thus preadapts Salmonella to survive phage challenge with a fitness cost that is transient only.España , Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación BIO2013-44220-Rand BIO2013-46281-

Application of Low-Intensity Modified Constraint-Induced Movement Therapy to Improve the Affected Upper Limb Functionality in Infantile Hemiplegia with Moderate Manual Ability: Case Series

Objective: To assess the functionality of the affected upper limb in children diagnosed with hemiplegia aged between 4 and 8 years after applying low-intensity modified Constraint-Induced Movement Therapy (mCIMT). Methods: Prospective case series study. A mCIMT protocol was applied for five weeks, with two hours of containment per day. The study variables were quality of movement of the upper limb, spontaneous use, participation of the affected upper limb in activities of daily living, dynamic joint position, grasp–release action, grasp strength, supination and extension elbow movements. Four measurements were performed, using the quality of upper extremity test (QUEST) scale, the Shriners Hospital for Children Upper Extremity Evaluation (SHUEE) Evaluation, a hand dynamometer and a goniometer. Results: The sample was composed of eight children with moderate manual ability. Statistically significant differences were detected in all the studied variables (p < 0.05) between the pre-treatment and post–treatment results (Week 0–Week 5), except for upper limb dressing, putting on splints and buttoning up. In the first week, the changes were statistically significant, except for protective extension, grasp strength, grasp–release and all functional variables (level of functionality and participation of the patient’s upper limbs) in the SHUEE Evaluation (p > 0.05). The greatest increase occurred in spontaneous use from Assessment 1 to Assessment 4 (p = 0.01), reaching 88.87% active participation in bimanual tasks. The quality of movement of the upper limb exhibited a significant value due to the increase in dissociated movements and grasp (p = 0.01). Conclusion: A low dose (50 h) of mCIMT increased the functionality of children diagnosed with congenital hemiplegia between 4 and 8 years of age with moderate manual ability

Escuela y comunidad: Una experiencia de desarrollo comunitario

Nuestra comunicación presenta la experiencia que se está desarrollando en dos barrios periféricos con la participación de cuatro centros educativos: dos de educación Infantil y Primaria (CEIP) y dos Institutos de Educación Secundaria (IES). Partiendo de la cultura como manifestación social, reflexionamos sobre la cultura escolar y su relación con el fracaso escolar, y analizamos las posibilidades del desarrollo comunitario como vía para afrontarlo. En esta experiencia, el proceso de desarrollo comunitario está en su fase inicial y se ha consolidado la coordinación de los diferentes servicios y recursos públicos y privados que inciden en la zona. El trabajo de prevención y promoción que se está realizando en las calles gracias al proceso “El Patio”, se complementa con la participación de los centros educativos, además del uso comunitario de sus instalaciones. Actualmente estamos realizando un diagnóstico comunitario en el que hemos finalizado la recopilación de datos objetivos y estadísticos así como el proceso de audición para la parte subjetiva. Con la síntesis de estos datos se iniciará un proceso de discusión con toda la población para la búsqueda comunitaria de alternativas

Interactive effects of CO2 concentration and water regime on stable isotope signatures, nitrogen assimilation and growth in sweet Pepper.

Sweet pepper is among the most widely cultivated horticultural crops in the Mediterranean basin, being frequently grown hydroponically under cover in combination with CO2 fertilization and water conditions ranging from optimal to suboptimal. The aim of this study is to develop a simple model, based on the analysis of plant stable isotopes in their natural abundance, gas exchange traits and N concentration, to assess sweet pepper growth. Plants were grown in a growth chamber for near 6 weeks. Two [CO2] (400 and 800 μmol mol−1), three water regimes (control and mild and moderate water stress) and four genotypes were assayed. For each combination of genotype, [CO2] and water regime five plants were evaluated. Water stress applied caused significant decreases in water potential, net assimilation, stomatal conductance, intercellular to atmospheric [CO2], and significant increases in water use efficiency, leaf chlorophyll content and carbon isotope composition, while the relative water content, the osmotic potential and the content of anthocyanins did change not under stress compared to control conditions support this statement. Nevertheless, water regime affects plant growth via nitrogen assimilation, which is associated with the transpiration stream, particularly at high [CO2], while the lower N concentration caused by rising [CO2] is not associated with stomatal closure. The stable isotope composition of carbon, oxygen, and nitrogen (δ13C, δ18O, and δ15N) in plant matter are affected not only by water regime but also by rising [CO2]. Thus, δ18O increased probably as response to decreases in transpiration, while the increase in δ15N may reflect not only a lower stomatal conductance but a higher nitrogen demand in leaves or shifts in nitrogen metabolism associated with decreases in photorespiration. The way that δ13C explains differences in plant growth across water regimes within a given [CO2], seems to be mediated through its direct relationship with N accumulation in leaves. The changes in the profile and amount of amino acids caused by water stress and high [CO2] support this conclusion. However, the results do not support the use of δ18O as an indicator of the effect of water regime on plant growth

A delphi study to detect deficiencies and propose actions in real life treatment of neovascular Age-Related Macular Degeneration

Purpose. Spanish retina specialists were surveyed in order to propose actions to decrease deficiencies in real-life neovascular age macular degeneration treatment (nv-AMD). Methods. One hundred experts, members of the Spanish Vitreoretinal Society (SERV), were invited to complete an online survey of 52 statements about nv-AMD management with a modified Delphi methodology. Four rounds were performed using a 5-point Linkert scale. Recommendations were developed after analyzing the differences between the results and the SERV guidelines recommendations. Results. Eighty-seven specialists completed all the Delphi rounds. Once major potential deficiencies in real-life nv-AMD treatment were identified, 15 recommendations were developed with a high level of agreement. Consensus statements to reduce the burden of the disease included the use of treat and extend regimen and to reduce the amount of diagnostic tests during the loading phase and training technical staff to perform these tests and reduce the time between relapse detection and reinjection, as well as establishing patient referral protocols to outside general ophthalmology clinics. Conclusion. The level of agreement with the final recommendations for nv-AMD treatment among Spanish retinal specialist was high indicating that some actions could be applied in order to reduce the deficiencies in real-life nv-AMD treatment

High-Sensitivity Troponin T and Copeptin in Non-ST Acute Coronary Syndromes: Implications for Prognosis and Role of hsTnT and Copeptin in Non-STEACS

High-sensitivity TnT (hsTnT) has been proposed to improve the diagnosis and stratification in acute coronary syndromes. Copeptin has been proposed for a rapid and accurate rule out of acute myocardial infarction, but some doubts exist about its use out of the first hours from admission. Abnormalities of serum hsTnT and copeptin levels in non-STEACS and negative TnT, could have prognostic implications. Methods. We included 122 non-STEACS patients without raised TnT, 33 disease controls and 43 healthy controls. We measured hsTnT and copeptin levels. Clinical follow-up at 12 months was performed for adverse endpoints. Results. Non-STEACS patients had raised hsTnT compared with both control groups (P = 0.036 and P < 0.001). Copeptin levels were higher in non-STEACS patients than healthy controls (P = 0.021), without differences with disease controls. Raised levels of hs-TnT presented prognostic implications [HR 3.29 (95%CI: 1.33–7.49), P = 0.010]. hs-TnT could be used for invasive approach decision, as it shows prognostic relevance in conservative approach-patients whereas remains unrelevant for catheterized-patients. Copeptin levels were not associated with adverse events. Conclusion. hsTnT levels increased in non-STEACS, were predictive of adverse events and could be important for recommending an invasive management. We cannot confirm a predictive role of copeptin out of the first hours from admission

Parallel Implementation Strategies for MIMO ID-BICM Systems

[EN] One of the current techniques proposed for multiple transmit and receive antennas wireless communication systems is the use of error control coding and iterative detection and decoding at the receiver. These sophisticated techniques produce a significant increase of the computational cost and require large computational power. The use of modern computer facilities as multicore and multi-GPU (Graphics Processing Unit) processors can decrease the computational time required, representing a promising solution for the receiver implementation in these systems. In this paper we explain how iterative receivers can improve the performance of suboptimal detectors. We also introduce a novel parallel receiver scheme based on a hybrid computing model where CPUs and GPUs work together to accelerate the detection and decoding steps; this design comes to exploit the features of the GPU NVIDIA Kepler architecture respect to the previous one in order to optimize the communication system performance.This work has been partially funded by PROMETEO/2009/013 project of Generalitat Valenciana, projects TEC2009-13741 of the Ministerio Español de Ciencia e Innovación, TEC2012-38142-C04 of the Ministerio Español de Economía y Competitividad, and PAID-05-2011 of Universitat Politècnica de València.Simarro Haro, MDLA.; Ramiro Sánchez, C.; Martínez Zaldívar, FJ.; Vidal Maciá, AM.; González Téllez, A.; Piñero Sipán, MG.; García Mollá, VM. (2013). Parallel Implementation Strategies for MIMO ID-BICM Systems. Waves. 5-13. http://hdl.handle.net/10251/57906S51

Detección automatizada de microaneurismas mediante crecimiento de regiones y red neuronal Fuzzy Artmap

Objetivo: Comprobar si las modificaciones metodológicas de este nuevo algoritmo mejoran el resultado de otra estrategia presentada anteriormente. Métodos: Se realza y filtra la imagen negada del canal verde de la retinografía digital en color. Se aplica una umbralización multitolerancia para obtener puntos candidatos y en cada semilla se realiza un crecimiento de regiones por variación de intensidades. Se toman 15 características de cada región y entrenamos una red neuronal Fuzzy Artmap con 42 retinografías. Se aplica la red en el estudio de 11 retinografías del programa de detección precoz de retinopatía diabética, de buena calidad, con lesiones iniciales, obtenidas con el retinógrafo no midriático Topcon NW200. Resultados: Dos oftalmólogos experimentados detectan 52 microaneurismas en las 11 imágenes. El algoritmo detecta 39 microaneurismas y 3.752 regiones más, confirmando 38 microaneurismas y 135 falsos positivos. La sensibilidad ha mejorado respecto al algoritmo anterior del 60,53 al 73,08%. Los falsos positivos has disminuido de 41,8 por imagen a 12,27. Conclusiones: El nuevo algoritmo presenta indudables mejoras respecto al anterior, pero aún se puede perfeccionar, sobre todo en la determinación inicial de semillas.Objective To assess whether the methodological changes of this new algorithm improves the results of a previously presented strategy. Methods We enhance the image and filter out the green channel of the digital color retinography. Multitolerance thresholding was applied to obtain candidate points and make a seed growing region by varying intensities. We took 15 characteristics from each region to train a Fuzzy Artmap neural network using 42 retinal photographs. This network was then applied in the study of 11 good quality retinal photographs included in the diabetic retinopathy early detection screening program, with initial stages of retinopathy, obtained with the Topcon NW200 non-mydriatic retinal camera. Results Two experienced ophthalmologists detected 52 microaneurysms in 11 images. The algorithm detected 39 microaneurysms and 3,752 more regions, confirming 38 microaneurysm and 135 false positives. The sensitivity is improved compared to the previous algorithm, from 60.53 to 73.08%. False positives have dropped from 41.8 to 12.27 per image. Conclusions The new algorithm is better than the previous one, but there is still room for improvement, especially in the initial determination of seeds