Longitudinally extensive transverse myelitis with AQP4 antibodies revealing ovarian teratoma.

Paraneoplastic myelitis is a rare inflammatory disorder most frequently associated with solid tumors or lymphoproliferative disorders. Patients often harbor onconeuronal antibodies and their prognosis is usually poor. Here we report a 42-year old woman with longitudinally extensive transverse myelitis and aquaporin-4 (AQP4) antibodies that led to the diagnosis of ovarian teratoma. After tumor removal and immune therapy (including corticosteroids, plasma exchange, intravenous immunoglobulins and rituximab) the patient progressively improved achieving complete recovery. Histological study of the teratoma demonstrated neural tissue containing AQP4 expressing cells and intense inflammatory infiltrates, providing evidence for a possible paraneoplastic link between both disorders

Prevention and early diagnosis of childhood osteoporosis : Are we doing the right thing?

To assess prevention, early diagnosis and training received regarding osteoporosis among the pediatrics professionals in our area. Survey directed to physicians of pediatricians of Primary Care (PC) and Specialized Care (SC) in order to evaluate their activity in prevention, detection and training received in osteoporosis. The survey was disseminated through the relevant scientific societies. 420 pediatricians participated (324 from PC and 96 from SC). 93.5% of PC pediatricians and 89.6% of SC pediatricians valued the physical activity of the patients; 85.19% and 35.4% of them, respectively, the intake of dairy products. 45.68% of PC and 70.2% of SC recommended calcium and vitamin D supplements in the case of low nutritional intake, whereas 39.2% of PC and 47.2% of SC favored follow-up. 39.6% of SC pediatricians requested bone densitometry for this disease or risk treatment, and 47.9% measured the levels of 25-OH-vitamin D. 25.93% of PC and 45.3% of SC asked about the existence of fractures, 90.4% and 96.8% requested etiopathogenic mechanism. 40% of PC and 86.2% of SC requested a bone densitometry or referred to the specialist for fractures due to low trauma energy, with specific criteria in 13.7% and 5.86%, respectively. 92% of PC and 82.3% of SC had not received recent training in childhood osteoporosis. Detection, derivation circuits and the training of pediatricians regarding bone health in our country can be improved. Optimizing these aspects is essential to favor the peak of bone mass in our population

SARS-CoV-2 outbreak on a Spanish mink farm: epidemiological, molecular, and pathological studies

Farmed minks have been reported to be highly susceptible to severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and may represent a risk to humans. In this study, we describe the first outbreak of SARS-CoV-2 occurred on a mink farm in Spain, between June and July 2020, involving 92,700 animals. The outbreak started shortly after some farm workers became seropositive for SARS-CoV-2. Minks showed no clinical signs compatible with SARS-CoV-2 infection throughout the outbreak. Samples from 98 minks were collected for histopathological, serological, and molecular studies. Twenty out of 98 (20.4%) minks were positive by RT-qPCR and 82 out 92 (89%) seroconverted. This finding may reflect a rapid spread of the virus at the farm with most of the animals overcoming the infection. Additionally, SARS-CoV-2 was detected by RT-qPCR in 30% of brain samples from positive minks. Sequencing analysis showed that the mink sequences were not closely related with the other mink SARS-CoV-2 sequences available, and that this mink outbreak has its probable origin in one of the genetic variants that were prevalent in Spain during the first COVID-19 epidemic wave. Histological studies revealed bronchointerstitial pneumonia in some animals. Immunostaining of viral nucleocapsid was also observed in nasal turbinate tissue. Farmed minks could therefore constitute an important SARS-CoV-2 reservoir, contributing to virus spread among minks and humans. Consequently, continuous surveillance of mink farms is needed

Present and Future of Parkinson’s Disease in Spain: PARKINSON-2030 Delphi Project

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a chronic progressive and irreversible disease and the second most common neurodegenerative disease worldwide. In Spain, it affects around 120.000-150.000 individuals, and its prevalence is estimated to increase in the future. PD has a great impact on patients' and caregivers' lives and also entails a substantial socioeconomic burden. The aim of the present study was to examine the current situation and the 10-year PD forecast for Spain in order to optimize and design future management strategies. This study was performed using the modified Delphi method to try to obtain a consensus among a panel of movement disorders experts. According to the panel, future PD management will improve diagnostic capacity and follow-up, it will include multidisciplinary teams, and innovative treatments will be developed. The expansion of new technologies and studies on biomarkers will have an impact on future PD management, leading to more accurate diagnoses, prognoses, and individualized therapies. However, the socio-economic impact of the disease will continue to be significant by 2030, especially for patients in advanced stages. This study highlighted the unmet needs in diagnosis and treatment and how crucial it is to establish recommendations for future diagnostic and therapeutic management of PD

Serotypes and Clonal Composition of Streptococcus pneumoniae Isolates Causing IPD in Children and Adults in Catalonia before 2013 to 2015 and after 2017 to 2019 Systematic Introduction of PCV13

The goal of this study was to investigate the distribution of serotypes and clonal composition of Streptococcus pneumoniae isolates causing invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) in Catalonia, before and after systematic introduction of PCV13. Pneumococcal strains isolated from normally sterile sites obtained from patients of all ages with IPD received between 2013 and 2019 from 25 health centers of Catalonia were included. Two study periods were defined: presystematic vaccination period (2013 and 2015) and systematic vaccination period (SVP) (2017 to 2019). A total of 2,303 isolates were analyzed. In the SVP, there was a significant decrease in the incidence of IPD cases in children 5 to 17 years old (relative risk [RR] 0.61; 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.38 to 0.99), while there was a significant increase in the incidence of IPD cases in 18- to 64-year-old adults (RR 1.33; 95% CI 1.16 to 1.52) and adults over 65 years old (RR 1.23; 95% CI 1.09 to 1.38). Serotype 8 was the major emerging serotype in all age groups except in 5- to 17-year-old children. In children younger than 5 years old, the main serotypes in SVP were 24F, 15A, and 3, while in adults older than 65 years they were serotypes 3, 8, and 12F. A significant decrease in the proportions of clonal complexes CC156, CC191, and ST306 and an increase in those of CC180, CC53, and CC404 were observed. A steady decrease in the incidence of IPD caused by PCV13 serotypes indicates the importance and impact of systematic vaccination. The increase of non-PCV13 serotypes highlights the need to expand serotype coverage in future vaccines and rethink vaccination programs for older adults. IMPORTANCE We found that with the incorporation of the PCV13 vaccine, the numbers of IPD cases caused by serotypes included in this vaccine decreased in all of the age groups. Still, there was an unforeseen increase of the serotypes not included in this vaccine causing IPD, especially in the >65-year-old group. Moreover, a significant increase of serotype 3 included in the vaccine has been observed; this event has been reported by other researchers. These facts call for the incorporation of more serotypes in future vaccines and a more thorough surveillance of the dynamics of this microorganism

Keratinocyte-Targeted Overexpression of the Glucocorticoid Receptor Delays Cutaneous Wound Healing

Delayed wound healing is one of the most common secondary adverse effects associated to the therapeutic use of glucocorticoid (GC) analogs, which act through the ligand-dependent transcription factor GC-receptor (GR). GR function is exerted through DNA-binding-dependent and –independent mechanisms, classically referred to as transactivation (TA) and transrepression (TR). Currently both TA and TR are thought to contribute to the therapeutical effects mediated by GR; however their relative contribution to unwanted side effects such as delayed wound healing is unknown. We evaluated skin wound healing in transgenic mice with keratinocyte-restricted expression of either wild type GR or a mutant GR that is TA-defective but efficient in TR (K5-GR and K5-GR-TR mice, respectively). Our data show that at days (d) 4 and 8 following wounding, healing in K5-GR mice was delayed relative to WT, with reduced recruitment of granulocytes and macrophages and diminished TNF-α and IL-1β expression. TGF-β1 and Kgf expression was repressed in K5-GR skin whereas TGF-β3 was up-regulated. The re-epithelialization rate was reduced in K5-GR relative to WT, as was formation of granulation tissue. In contrast, K5-GR-TR mice showed delays in healing at d4 but re-established the skin breach at d8 concomitant with decreased repression of pro-inflammatory cytokines and growth factors relative to K5-GR mice. Keratinocytes from both transgenic mice closed in vitro wounds slower relative to WT, consistent with the in vivo defects in cell migration. Overall, the delay in the early stages of wound healing in both transgenic models is similar to that elicited by systemic treatment with dexamethasone. Wound responses in the transgenic keratinocytes correlated with reduced ERK activity both in vivo and in vitro. We conclude that the TR function of GR is sufficient for negatively regulating early stages of wound closure, while TA by GR is required for delaying later stages of healing

Single hadron response measurement and calorimeter jet energy scale uncertainty with the ATLAS detector at the LHC

The uncertainty on the calorimeter energy response to jets of particles is derived for the ATLAS experiment at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC). First, the calorimeter response to single isolated charged hadrons is measured and compared to the Monte Carlo simulation using proton-proton collisions at centre-of-mass energies of sqrt(s) = 900 GeV and 7 TeV collected during 2009 and 2010. Then, using the decay of K_s and Lambda particles, the calorimeter response to specific types of particles (positively and negatively charged pions, protons, and anti-protons) is measured and compared to the Monte Carlo predictions. Finally, the jet energy scale uncertainty is determined by propagating the response uncertainty for single charged and neutral particles to jets. The response uncertainty is 2-5% for central isolated hadrons and 1-3% for the final calorimeter jet energy scale.Comment: 24 pages plus author list (36 pages total), 23 figures, 1 table, submitted to European Physical Journal

Measurement of χ c1 and χ c2 production with s√ = 7 TeV pp collisions at ATLAS

The prompt and non-prompt production cross-sections for the χ c1 and χ c2 charmonium states are measured in pp collisions at s√ = 7 TeV with the ATLAS detector at the LHC using 4.5 fb−1 of integrated luminosity. The χ c states are reconstructed through the radiative decay χ c → J/ψγ (with J/ψ → μ + μ −) where photons are reconstructed from γ → e + e − conversions. The production rate of the χ c2 state relative to the χ c1 state is measured for prompt and non-prompt χ c as a function of J/ψ transverse momentum. The prompt χ c cross-sections are combined with existing measurements of prompt J/ψ production to derive the fraction of prompt J/ψ produced in feed-down from χ c decays. The fractions of χ c1 and χ c2 produced in b-hadron decays are also measured

Search for squarks and gluinos in events with isolated leptons, jets and missing transverse momentum at s√=8 TeV with the ATLAS detector

The results of a search for supersymmetry in final states containing at least one isolated lepton (electron or muon), jets and large missing transverse momentum with the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider are reported. The search is based on proton-proton collision data at a centre-of-mass energy s√=8 TeV collected in 2012, corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 20 fb−1. No significant excess above the Standard Model expectation is observed. Limits are set on supersymmetric particle masses for various supersymmetric models. Depending on the model, the search excludes gluino masses up to 1.32 TeV and squark masses up to 840 GeV. Limits are also set on the parameters of a minimal universal extra dimension model, excluding a compactification radius of 1/R c = 950 GeV for a cut-off scale times radius (ΛR c) of approximately 30

Measurement of the production of a W boson in association with a charm quark in pp collisions at √s = 7 TeV with the ATLAS detector

The production of a W boson in association with a single charm quark is studied using 4.6 fb−1 of pp collision data at s√ = 7 TeV collected with the ATLAS detector at the Large Hadron Collider. In events in which a W boson decays to an electron or muon, the charm quark is tagged either by its semileptonic decay to a muon or by the presence of a charmed meson. The integrated and differential cross sections as a function of the pseudorapidity of the lepton from the W-boson decay are measured. Results are compared to the predictions of next-to-leading-order QCD calculations obtained from various parton distribution function parameterisations. The ratio of the strange-to-down sea-quark distributions is determined to be 0.96+0.26−0.30 at Q 2 = 1.9 GeV2, which supports the hypothesis of an SU(3)-symmetric composition of the light-quark sea. Additionally, the cross-section ratio σ(W + +c¯¯)/σ(W − + c) is compared to the predictions obtained using parton distribution function parameterisations with different assumptions about the s−s¯¯¯ quark asymmetry