Ocular ultrasonography focused on the posterior eye segment: what radiologists should know

Ocular B-mode ultrasonography (US) is an important adjuvant for the clinical assessment of a variety of ocular diseases. When ophthalmoscopy is not possible, mainly due to opacification of the transparent media (e.g., mature cataract or vitreous haemorrhage), US can guide the ophthalmologist in diagnosing disease and choosing treatment. The superficial location and cystic structure of the eye make US ideal for imaging of the eye. Moreover, dynamic study helps distinguish between various conditions that would otherwise be difficult to differentiate in some clinical setting, such as vitreous, retinal, and choroidal detachment. US is also good technique for detecting other pathologic conditions such as lens dislocation, vitreous haemorrhage, asteroid hyalosis, optic disc drusen, and tumors (e.g., choroidal melanoma, metastases, hemangioma). An understanding of the basic anatomy of the eye, the US technique, and common entities that affect the ocular globe will allow radiologists to offer this valuable imaging modality to patients and referring clinicians. This article focuses on the US anatomy and pathologic conditions that affect the posterior ocular segment

Temporal Perturbation of the Wnt Signaling Pathway in the Control of Cell Reprogramming Is Modulated by TCFI

Cyclic activation of the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway controls cell fusion-mediated somatic cell reprogramming. TCFs belong to a family of transcription factors that, in complex with β-catenin, bind and transcriptionally regulate Wnt target genes. Here, we show that Wnt/β-catenin signaling needs to be off during the early reprogramming phases of mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs) into iPSCs. In MEFs undergoing reprogramming, senescence genes are repressed and mesenchymal-to-epithelial transition is favored. This is correlated with a repressive activity of TCF1, which contributes to the silencing of Wnt/β-catenin signaling at the onset of reprogramming. In contrast, the Wnt pathway needs to be active in the late reprogramming phases to achieve successful reprogramming. In conclusion, continued activation or inhibition of the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway is detrimental to the reprogramming of MEFs; instead, temporal perturbation of the pathway is essential for efficient reprogramming, and the "Wnt-off" state can be considered an early reprogramming marker.status: publishe

Porcine Protein Hydrolysates (PEPTEIVA®) Promote Growth and Enhance Systemic Immunity in Gilthead Sea Bream (Sparus aurata)

The effects of porcine plasma protein hydrolysate (PPH) on growth, feed efficiency, and immune responses was evaluated in Sparus aurata. Fish were fed two isoproteic (48% protein), isolipidic (17% fat), and isoenergetic diets (21.7 MJ/kg) diets, one of them containing 5% PPH at the expense of fishmeal. Both diets were tested for 92 days. A significant increase in growth was observed in fish fed the PPH diet in comparison to the control group (182.2 ± 4.4 vs. 173.8 ± 4.1 g), as well as an increase in feed intake without worsening FCR values. An ex vivo assay, with splenocytes incubated with lipopolysaccharide, was conducted to evaluate the cellular immune competence of fish. Genes involved in humoral immunity (lys, IgM), pro- (tnf-α, il-1β), and anti-inflammatory (tgf-β1, il10) cytokines were upregulated in the PPH group in comparison to the control group. The inclusion of PPH in diets enhanced the antibacterial capacity of skin mucus, as the co-culture of selected bacteria (E. coli, V. anguillarum, and P. anguilliseptica) with skin mucus indicated. The present results showed that the PPH in low fishmeal diets (2%) promoted growth and feed efficiency, as well as enhancing the immune response, which indicates that this is a safe and functional ingredient for aquafeeds.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Rockfalls: analysis of the block fragmentation through field experiments

Fragmentation is a common feature of rockfall that exerts a strong control on the trajectories of the generated blocks, the impact energies, and the runout. In this paper, we present a set of four real-scale rockfall tests aimed at studying the fragmentation of the rocky blocks, from the global design of the field procedure to the data analysis and the main results. A total of 124 limestone, dacite, or granite blocks ranging between 0.2 and 5 m3 were dropped from different heights (8.5 to 23.6 m) onto four slopes with different shapes (single or double bench) and slope angles (42º to 71º). The characteristics of the blocks, in particular the size, surface texture and joint condition, were measured before the drops. The trajectories of the blocks and both the initial and the impact velocities were tracked and recorded by means of three high-speed video cameras. A total of 200 block-to-ground impacts have been studied. On average, 40% of the blocks broke upon impact on the slope or on the ground, making it necessary to measure the fragments. The initial and final sizes of the blocks/fragments were measured by hand with tape, though photogrammetric techniques (UAV and terrestrial) were also used for comparison purposes. The information gathered during the field tests provides a deep insight into the fragmentation processes. On the one hand, the high-resolution slow-motion videos help to describe when and how the block breakage takes place and the spatial distribution of the pieces. On the other hand, it is possible to compute the block trajectories, the velocities, and the energy losses using videogrammetry. The results include, for instance, a block average fragmentation of 54% and 14% for the limestone and granitoids, respectively; the systematic inventory of the size fragments, which may be used for fitting the power law distributions; and after each breakage, the total angle of aperture occupied by the fragments has been measured, with values in the range 25º–145º. To figure out the different behavior of the blocks in terms of breakage/no breakage, each block-to-ground impact has been characterized with a set of parameters describing the energy level, the robustness of the substrate, and the configuration of the block contact at the impact point, among others. All these terms are combined in a function F, which is used to adjust the field data. The adjustment has been carried out, first, for the whole 200 events and later for a subset of them. The procedure and the results are described in the paper. Although the discrimination capability of F is moderately satisfactory, it is very sensitive to the test site and setup. It must be highlighted that these field tests are a unique source of data to adjust the parameters of the numerical simulation models in use for rockfall studies and risk mitigation, especially when fragmentation during the propagation is considered.The authors acknowledge the support of the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness for the research projects RockRisk (BIA2013-42582-P), RockModels (BIA2016-75668-P, AEI, ERDF/FEDER, UE) and GeoRisk (PID2019-103974RB-I00/AEI/10.13039/501100011033). GeoRisk is funded by the Agencia Estatal de Investigación (AEI) on the framework of the Plan for Scientific-Technical Research and Innovation. The support of the Spanish Ministry of Education (grants to the second and third authors, codes FPU13/04252 and BES-2014-069795, respectively) and the BBVA Foundation (thirteenth author’s contract) is also appreciated. The collaboration of Canteras Hermanos Foj and Canteras Ponderosa S.A., Marc Janeras, and S. Moreno is greatly acknowledged. Finally, we thank two anonymous reviewers and the Editor who helped to improve the structure and content of the final version. Open Access funding provided thanks to the CRUE-CSIC agreement with Springer Nature.Peer ReviewedPostprint (published version

The RockRisk project: rockfall risk quantification and prevention

Rockfalls are frequent instability processes in road cuts, open pit mines and quarries, steep slopes and cliffs. The orientation and persistence of joints within the rock mass define the size of the kinematically unstable rock volumes and determine the way how the detached mass be-comes fragmented upon the impact on the ground surface. Knowledge of the size and trajectory of the blocks resulting from fragmentation is critical for calculating the impact probability and intensity, the vulnerability the exposed elements and the performance of protection structures. In this contribution we summarize the main goals and achievements of the RockRisk project. We focused on the characterization of the rockfall fragmentation by means of the analysis of the fracture pattern of intact rock masses, the development of a fragmentation model and its integration into rockfall propagation analysis. The ultimate goal of the project is to quantify risk due to rockfalls and develop tools for the improvement of prevention and for protection from its occurrence.Postprint (published version

Joint Observation of the Galactic Center with MAGIC and CTA-LST-1

MAGIC is a system of two Imaging Atmospheric Cherenkov Telescopes (IACTs), designed to detect very-high-energy gamma rays, and is operating in stereoscopic mode since 2009 at the Observatorio del Roque de Los Muchachos in La Palma, Spain. In 2018, the prototype IACT of the Large-Sized Telescope (LST-1) for the Cherenkov Telescope Array, a next-generation ground-based gamma-ray observatory, was inaugurated at the same site, at a distance of approximately 100 meters from the MAGIC telescopes. Using joint observations between MAGIC and LST-1, we developed a dedicated analysis pipeline and established the threefold telescope system via software, achieving the highest sensitivity in the northern hemisphere. Based on this enhanced performance, MAGIC and LST-1 have been jointly and regularly observing the Galactic Center, a region of paramount importance and complexity for IACTs. In particular, the gamma-ray emission from the dynamical center of the Milky Way is under debate. Although previous measurements suggested that a supermassive black hole Sagittarius A* plays a primary role, its radiation mechanism remains unclear, mainly due to limited angular resolution and sensitivity. The enhanced sensitivity in our novel approach is thus expected to provide new insights into the question. We here present the current status of the data analysis for the Galactic Center joint MAGIC and LST-1 observations

The Changing Landscape for Stroke\ua0Prevention in AF: Findings From the GLORIA-AF Registry Phase 2

Background GLORIA-AF (Global Registry on Long-Term Oral Antithrombotic Treatment in Patients with Atrial Fibrillation) is a prospective, global registry program describing antithrombotic treatment patterns in patients with newly diagnosed nonvalvular atrial fibrillation at risk of stroke. Phase 2 began when dabigatran, the first non\u2013vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulant (NOAC), became available. Objectives This study sought to describe phase 2 baseline data and compare these with the pre-NOAC era collected during phase 1. Methods During phase 2, 15,641 consenting patients were enrolled (November 2011 to December 2014); 15,092 were eligible. This pre-specified cross-sectional analysis describes eligible patients\u2019 baseline characteristics. Atrial fibrillation disease characteristics, medical outcomes, and concomitant diseases and medications were collected. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Results Of the total patients, 45.5% were female; median age was 71 (interquartile range: 64, 78) years. Patients were from Europe (47.1%), North America (22.5%), Asia (20.3%), Latin America (6.0%), and the Middle East/Africa (4.0%). Most had high stroke risk (CHA2DS2-VASc [Congestive heart failure, Hypertension, Age  6575 years, Diabetes mellitus, previous Stroke, Vascular disease, Age 65 to 74 years, Sex category] score  652; 86.1%); 13.9% had moderate risk (CHA2DS2-VASc = 1). Overall, 79.9% received oral anticoagulants, of whom 47.6% received NOAC and 32.3% vitamin K antagonists (VKA); 12.1% received antiplatelet agents; 7.8% received no antithrombotic treatment. For comparison, the proportion of phase 1 patients (of N = 1,063 all eligible) prescribed VKA was 32.8%, acetylsalicylic acid 41.7%, and no therapy 20.2%. In Europe in phase 2, treatment with NOAC was more common than VKA (52.3% and 37.8%, respectively); 6.0% of patients received antiplatelet treatment; and 3.8% received no antithrombotic treatment. In North America, 52.1%, 26.2%, and 14.0% of patients received NOAC, VKA, and antiplatelet drugs, respectively; 7.5% received no antithrombotic treatment. NOAC use was less common in Asia (27.7%), where 27.5% of patients received VKA, 25.0% antiplatelet drugs, and 19.8% no antithrombotic treatment. Conclusions The baseline data from GLORIA-AF phase 2 demonstrate that in newly diagnosed nonvalvular atrial fibrillation patients, NOAC have been highly adopted into practice, becoming more frequently prescribed than VKA in Europe and North America. Worldwide, however, a large proportion of patients remain undertreated, particularly in Asia and North America. (Global Registry on Long-Term Oral Antithrombotic Treatment in Patients With Atrial Fibrillation [GLORIA-AF]; NCT01468701

Característiques i problemes generals de la Natura als Països Catalans : Problemes derivats de l’impacte de l’home sobre el medi natural : Alteració de la vegetació per altres accions humanes : Contaminació de les aigües marines

3 pages, 1 tableEls poblaments vegetals de les aigües marines són integrats primordialment per algues i, en segon terme, per prats de fanerògames especialitzades a viure en el medi aquàtic marí. Als Països Catalans, uns i altres tenen com a principal enemic, bé que no pas únic, la contaminació de les aigües. Contràriament a allò que s'esdevé en d'altres costes, l'explotació humana directa no crea a casa nostra problemes sensibles: les espècies que són explotables a les costes atlàntiques atenyen unes dimensions molt petites a les mediterrànies, i, a més, l'escassa oscil·lació de nivells, fruit de la poca entitat de les nostres marees, ocasiona l'establiment d'una banda de vegetació més aviat estreta. [...]Peer reviewe

Targeted adriamycin delivery to MXT-B2 metastatic mammary carcinoma cells by transferrin liposomes: effect of adriamycin ADR-to-lipid ratio

In the protein-targeted therapy for cancer, transferrin (Tf) is used to reach a selective and specific target in cancer cells. Tf is used conjugated to chemotherapeutic drugs, insulin, toxins, antibodies, polymers, nanoparticles, lipoplexes and liposomes. Using this latter approach, hydrophobically derivatized Tf was incorporated to liposomal bilayers. The biological activity of Tf-liposome was tested using MXT-B2 cells, a metastatic mammary carcinoma cell line. In Tf binding assays, the Scatchard analysis indicated 4.5x10(5) Tf receptors/cell. In cell growth assays, Tf-liposomes stimulated cell growth in a dose-dependent manner, up to a maximum of 32% of the total free Tf stimulation. Following this, we prepared Tf-liposomes encapsulating adriamycin (ADR) at two different ADR-to-lipid ratios. In vitro cytotoxicity assays against MXT-B2 cells gave IC(50) values 2.1-times lower for Tf-liposomal ADR in comparison to control liposomal ADR. However, similar IC(50) values were found for low ADR-to-lipid ratio Tf-liposomal ADR, as well as for control liposomal ADR. The free Tf added in excess increased the IC(50) value of Tf-liposomal ADR by 51%, while the IC(50) value of control liposomal ADR was unaffected, supporting a receptor-mediated mechanism of targeting by Tf. In addition, the lower IC(50) value is correlated with a higher total of ADR accumulation in the cells.Peer reviewe