A neglected disease of humans: a new focus of visceral leishmaniasis in Bakool, Somalia.

Visceral leishmaniasis (VL) was observed in children in Bakool region, Somalia, an area where VL has not been reported before. We describe the extent of the problem in this war- and famine-stricken area. A retrospective analysis was done of all cases admitted to a VL treatment centre between July 2000 and August 2001. Patients with longstanding fever, splenomegaly and a positive direct agglutination test (DAT; titre > 1:3200) were treated as suspected VL cases. A rapid epidemiological and entomological assessment was performed in the area. Species identification was attempted from blood samples by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis of cysteine proteinase B genes. In 1 year, 230 serologically-positive cases were diagnosed as VL, and response to therapy was good in 91.6% of the 225 treated with sodium stibogluconate. Parasitological confirmation was attempted and obtained in 2 cases. Parasites were found to be most similar to Sudanese and Ethiopian reference strains of the Leishmania donovani complex. In a serological survey of 161 healthy displaced persons, 15% were positive by the leishmanin skin test and 3 (2%) were positive by the DAT. The sandfly captures showed Phlebotomus martini and P. vansomerenae. VL seems to be a longstanding and serious health problem in Bakool region. Food insecurity might have contributed to the emergence and detection of VL in this area

Monitoring of beta-Blockers Ozone Degradation via Electrospray Ionization Mass Spectrometry

Santos, LS (reprint author), Talca Univ, Lab Asymmetr Synth, POB 747, Talca, Chile.The structures of intermediate products of ozone degradation of different pharmaceutical compounds have been studied. Under the conditions employed, complete ozone degradation of nadolol was achieved after 100 min. The degradation products obtained in aqueous solution were characterized by electrospray ionization mass (and tandem mass) spectrometry (ESI-MS and ESI-MS/MS). The proposed mechanism for degradation, ozone attacks at the aniline amino group giving rise to nitro compounds and further degradation occurs via a series of oxidative processes. Continuous online monitoring by ESI-MS(/MS) with high accuracy mass measurements showed that ozone degradation of atenolol (ATE) and acebutolol (ACE) occurs via mechanisms similar to that of nadolo

Empirical model for forecast the Peruvian sea surface temperature

En el presente trabajo se estudia un modelo empírico basado en el volumen de agua cálida en el Pacífi co ecuatorial que se aplica para hacer previsiones de temperatura superfi cial del mar frente a Perú, lo cual sirve como una herramienta de alerta temprana de los efectos de El Niño. La relación del volumen de agua cálida con la profundidad de la isoterma de 20 °C es mayor en el Pacífi co central en la latitud cero. Los cambios de este volumen afectan después varios meses la temperatura superfi cial del mar frente a Perú, particularmente cuando este volumen presenta anomalías positivas. El modelo logra estimar el momento en que se inicia el aumento de temperature superfi cial del mar asociado a los efectos de El Niño en la Región Niño 1 costera, el momento de ocurrencia del pico de los eventos, y las tendencias a mediano plazo. Palabras claves: Modelo empírico, volumen de agua cálida, Pacífi co Ecuatorial, temperature superfi cial, El Niño. In the present work an empirical model based on the warm water volume in the Equatorial Pacific Ocean is studied as a tool to forecast variations of sea surface temperature off the coast of Perú, which will be useful as a tool for giving early warnings of El Niño effects. The relation between the warm water volume and the depth of the 20°C isotherm is greater in the Central Pacific along latitude 0°. Several months later the changes of this volume affect the sea surface temperature off Perú particularly when its anomalies are positive. The model estimates the time when sea surface temperature begins to rise associated with El Niño effects in the coastal Niño 1 Region, the time when the event peaks, and the medium term trends. Keywords: Empirical model, warm water volume, Equatorial Pacifi c Ocean, surface temperature, El Niñ

Concrete cracking control in underwater marine structures using basalt fiber

The construction of coastal ports requires the use of materials that meet the demands of the marine environment, to prevent underwater concrete structures from cracking and spalling easily; basalt fiber is used to delay the expansion of concrete and prevent the formation of cracks. This research studies the behavior of concrete for prefabricated piles with Portland Cement Type I and basalt fibers added in 0.1%, 0.3% and 0.6%; the results indicate that the fiber is suitable for concrete, the slump decreases, the compressive strength increases for specimens cured in tap water and sea water, the relationship between resistances does not vary, and the depth of carbonation decreases

Bempedoic acid for heterozygous familial hypercholesterolemia: From bench to bedside

Bempedoic acid is a first-in-class, oral, inhibitor of cholesterol biosynthesis that is approved for use in patients with atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD) and for primary prevention in individuals with heterozygous familial hypercholesterolemia (HeFH) by the United States Food and Drug Administration. Pooled data from the phase III clinical trials, CLEAR Harmony and CLEAR Wisdom, have demonstrated the safety and efficacy of bempedoic acid with regard to lowering of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) in patients with HeFH as an adjunct or alternative to currently existing lipid-lowering therapies. CLEAR Outcomes is a cardiovascular outcomes trial that is currently underway that will provide additional insight as to where bempedoic acid will fit into treatment regimens among the non-statin lipid-lowering therapy options. Patients who might particularly benefit from bempedoic acid are those with HeFH and those unable to take adequate doses of statins or take any statin therapy altogether who need additional LDL-C lowering. In this review, we will discuss the profile of bempedoic acid from its design, development, and its place in therapy for the management of LDL-C for the purposes of ASCVD prevention

Efectos del desequilibrio de tensiones sobre la operación del motor de inducción trifásico. Énfasis en la caracterización del desequilibrio de tensiones y el efecto sobre la potencia nominal

El problema energético actual hace urgente realizar acciones encaminadas a reducir las pérdidas de energía en los consumidores eléctricos de uso final y en particular en los sistemas accionados con motores trifásicos de inducción cuyo consumo y demanda son de gran impacto en la industria y los servicios. Esta tesis doctoral presenta un estudio integral de la caracterización del desequilibrio de tensiones y de los efectos del desequilibrio sobre la potencia nominal del motor de inducción trifásico, usando como metodología de análisis se usa el método de componentes simétricas y el concepto matemático de simetría. Respecto a la caracterización, se realiza un análisis crítico de los índices de desequilibrio de tensiones actualmente usados, y se propone un índice de caracterización más preciso que los actuales en su relación con los efectos sobre el motor trifásico de inducción. En cuanto a la desclasificación se presenta una metodología más adecuada que la actualmente recomendada por las normas internacionales NEMA e IEC para la desclasificación de la potencia del motor de inducción. La metodología propuesta evita que se realicen desclasificaciones excesivas en las que se desperdicia potencia utilizable ó que se sobrecargue el motor reduciendo su vida útil, los resultados experimentales muestra la validez de la metodología propuesta.Tesis. (Doctor en Ingeniería) enfásis en Ingeniería Eléctrica. Universidad del Valle, 201

Removal of anionic surfactant from aqueous solutions by adsorption onto biochars:characterisation, kinetics, and mechanism

Biochar, a waste biomass-derived adsorbent, holds promise for decentralised wastewater treatment. However, limited research exists on its efficacy in adsorbing anionic surfactants in wastewater. To address this, the adsorption of sodium dodecyl sulphate (SDS), a common anionic surfactant, was studied using various biochar types: rice husk biochar (RH-550 and RH-700), wheat straw biochar (WS-550 and WS-700) produced at 550°C and 700°C, wood-based biochar (OB), and activated carbon (AC) as a control. The study investigated the impact of pH (3–9), adsorbent loading (1–10 g/L), adsorbent size (<0.5–2.5 mm), contact time (5–180 min), and initial concentration (50–200 mg/L) on SDS removal. Under optimised conditions (100 mg/L SDS, 4 g/L adsorbent, 1–2 mm particle size, pH 8.3, and 180 min contact time), maximum SDS removals were RH-550 (78%), RH-700 (82.4%), WS-550 (89.5%), WS-700 (90.4%), AC (97%), and OB (88.4%). Among the tested adsorbent materials, WS-550 exhibited the highest SDS adsorption capacity at 66.23 mg/g compared to AC (80.65 mg/g), followed by RH-550 (49.75 mg/g), OB (45.87 mg/g), RH-700 (43.67 mg/g), and WS-700 (42.74 mg/g). SDS adsorption followed a pseudo-second-order kinetic model, indicating chemisorption on the adsorbent surface. The Freundlich isotherm model exhibited a better fit for the experimental data on SDS adsorption using all tested adsorbents except for RH-550. This study showed that biochars produced from agricultural and forestry residues are effective adsorbents for SDS in aqueous solutions and can be a promising sustainable and low-cost material for the treatment of greywater containing anionic surfactants (e.g. handwashing, laundry, kitchen, and bathroom greywaters)

Craniofacial 3D Morphometric Analysis with Smartphone-Based Photogrammetry

[EN] Obtaining 3D craniofacial morphometric data is essential in a variety of medical and educational disciplines. In this study, we explore smartphone-based photogrammetry with photos and video recordings as an effective tool to create accurate and accessible metrics from head 3D models. The research involves the acquisition of craniofacial 3D models on both volunteers and head mannequins using a Samsung Galaxy S22 smartphone . For the photogrammetric processing, Agisoft Metashape v 1.7 and PhotoMeDAS software v 1.7 were used. The Academia 50 white-light scanner was used as reference data (ground truth). A comparison of the obtained 3D meshes was conducted, yielding the following results: 0.22 ± 1.29 mm for photogrammetry with camera photos, 0.47 ± 1.43 mm for videogrammetry with video frames, and 0.39 ± 1.02 mm for PhotoMeDAS. Similarly, anatomical points were measured and linear measurements extracted, yielding the following results: 0.75 mm for photogrammetry, 1 mm for videogrammetry, and 1.25 mm for PhotoMeDAS, despite large differences found in data acquisition and processing time among the four approaches. This study suggests the possibility of integrating photogrammetry either with photos or with video frames and the use of PhotoMeDAS to obtain overall craniofacial 3D models with significant applications in the medical fields of neurosurgery and maxillofacial surgery.Instituto de Salud Carlos III under project number PI22/01416 and joint financing by the European UnionQuispe-Enriquez, OC.; Valero-Lanzuela, JJ.; Lerma, JL. (2024). Craniofacial 3D Morphometric Analysis with Smartphone-Based Photogrammetry. Sensors. 24(1). https://doi.org/10.3390/s2401023024