Pure red cell aplasia induced by epoetin zeta

Pure red cell aplasia (PRCA) may develop in patients with chronic kidney disease receiving erythropoiesis-stimulating agents (ESA). We report on a 72-year-old patient who developed hypo-proliferative anaemia unresponsive to ESA following the administration of epoetin zeta subcutaneously for 7 months. On the basis of severe isolated hypoplasia of the erythroid line in the bone marrow and high-titre neutralizing anti-erythropoietin antibodies (Ab), a diagnosis of Ab-mediated PRCA was made. Epoetin zeta was discontinued and the patient was given steroids. This was associated with anaemia recovery. To our knowledge this is the first PRCA case related to epoetin zeta

Normative data on the Bonn Risk Index for calcium oxalate crystallization in healthy children

Bonn Risk Index (BRI) is being used for the assessment of urinary calcium oxalate (CaOx) crystallization. There are no published data regarding BRI during growth. The objective of this study was to establish age- and sex-dependent BRI values in healthy children and adolescents. A total of 1,050 Caucasian subjects aged 3–18 years (525 males, 525 females) without a history of kidney stone disease were enrolled in the cross-sectional study. The study group was divided into 15 ranges according to age, each comprising 70 subjects. Urinary ionized calcium [Ca(2+)] was measured using a selective electrode while the onset of spontaneous crystallization was determined using a photometer and titrating with 40 mmol/L ammonium oxalate (Ox(2−)). The calculation of BRI value was based on the ratio of [Ca(2+)] to the required amount of ammonium oxalate added to 200 ml of urine to induce crystallization. The median BRI was 0.26 1/L and the values of the 5th and 95th percentiles were 0.06 1/L and 1.93 1/L, respectively. BRI correlated positively with body-area-related BRI (1/L × 1.73 m(2)) (R = 0.18; P < 0.05), whereas a negative correlation was found between BRI and body weight (1/L × kg) (R = −0.85; P < 0.05). Neither sex nor age differences were detected in BRI across studied children and adolescents. The values of Bonn Risk Index were constant during growth and there was a limited influence of age and sex on BRI in children over 3 years of age. The BRI may be valuable in the evaluation of pediatric patients at risk for kidney stones, particularly if the BRI from stone formers is demonstrated to be higher than in normal children

Enhancement of the sensitivity of a temperature sensor based on fiber Bragg gratings via weak value amplification

"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.40.003962. Systematic or multiple reproduction or distribution to multiple locations via electronic or other means is prohibited and is subject to penalties under law"We present a proof-of-concept experiment aimed at increasing the sensitivity of Fiber-Bragg-gratings temperature sensors by making use of a weak-value-amplification scheme. The technique requires only linear optics elements for its implementation and appears as a promising method for increasing the sensitivity than state-of the-art sensors can currently provide. The device implemented here is able to generate a shift of the centroid of the spectrum of a pulse of &#8764;0.035 nm&#8725;°C, a nearly fourfold increase in sensitivity over the same fiber-Bragg-grating system interrogated using standard methods.Severo Ochoa program; Fundacio Privada Cellex, Barcelona; Research Excellency Award Program GVA PROMETEO 2013/012; Spanish MCINN (TEC2014-53727-C2-1-R).Salazar-Serrano, L.; Barrera Vilar, D.; Amaya Ocampo, WA.; Sales Maicas, S.; Pruneri, V.; Capmany Francoy, J.; Torres, J. (2015). Enhancement of the sensitivity of a temperature sensor based on fiber Bragg gratings via weak value amplification. Optics Letters. 40(17):3962-3965. https://doi.org/10.1364/OL.40.003962S396239654017Aharonov, Y., Albert, D. Z., & Vaidman, L. (1988). How the result of a measurement of a component of the spin of a spin-1/2particle can turn out to be 100. Physical Review Letters, 60(14), 1351-1354. doi:10.1103/physrevlett.60.1351Duck, I. M., Stevenson, P. M., & Sudarshan, E. C. G. (1989). The sense in which a «weak measurement» of a spin-½ particle’s spin component yields a value 100. Physical Review D, 40(6), 2112-2117. doi:10.1103/physrevd.40.2112Howell, J. C., Starling, D. J., Dixon, P. B., Vudyasetu, P. K., & Jordan, A. N. (2010). Interferometric weak value deflections: Quantum and classical treatments. Physical Review A, 81(3). doi:10.1103/physreva.81.033813Torres, J. P., Puentes, G., Hermosa, N., & Salazar-Serrano, L. J. (2012). Weak interference in the high-signal regime. Optics Express, 20(17), 18869. doi:10.1364/oe.20.018869Ritchie, N. W. M., Story, J. G., & Hulet, R. G. (1991). Realization of a measurement of a ‘‘weak value’’. Physical Review Letters, 66(9), 1107-1110. doi:10.1103/physrevlett.66.1107Hosten, O., & Kwiat, P. (2008). Observation of the Spin Hall Effect of Light via Weak Measurements. Science, 319(5864), 787-790. doi:10.1126/science.1152697Dixon, P. B., Starling, D. J., Jordan, A. N., & Howell, J. C. (2009). Ultrasensitive Beam Deflection Measurement via Interferometric Weak Value Amplification. Physical Review Letters, 102(17). doi:10.1103/physrevlett.102.173601Starling, D. J., Dixon, P. B., Jordan, A. N., & Howell, J. C. (2010). Precision frequency measurements with interferometric weak values. Physical Review A, 82(6). doi:10.1103/physreva.82.063822Xu, X.-Y., Kedem, Y., Sun, K., Vaidman, L., Li, C.-F., & Guo, G.-C. (2013). Phase Estimation with Weak Measurement Using a White Light Source. Physical Review Letters, 111(3). doi:10.1103/physrevlett.111.033604Salazar-Serrano, L. J., Janner, D., Brunner, N., Pruneri, V., & Torres, J. P. (2014). Measurement of sub-pulse-width temporal delays via spectral interference induced by weak value amplification. Physical Review A, 89(1). doi:10.1103/physreva.89.012126TAHIR, B. A., ALI, J., & ABDUL RAHMAN, R. (2009). FIBER BRAGG GRATING BASED SYSTEM FOR TEMPERATURE MEASUREMENTS. International Journal of Modern Physics B, 23(10), 2349-2356. doi:10.1142/s0217979209052091Ricchiuti, A. L., Barrera, D., Nonaka, K., & Sales, S. (2014). Temperature gradient sensor based on a long-fiber Bragg grating and time-frequency analysis. Optics Letters, 39(19), 5729. doi:10.1364/ol.39.005729Egan, P., & Stone, J. A. (2012). Weak-value thermostat with 02 mK precision. Optics Letters, 37(23), 4991. doi:10.1364/ol.37.004991Salazar-Serrano, L. J., Valencia, A., & Torres, J. P. (2014). Observation of spectral interference for any path difference in an interferometer. Optics Letters, 39(15), 4478. doi:10.1364/ol.39.00447

Cardiac troponin I levels in canine pyometra

BACKGROUND: Myocardial injury may contribute to unexpected deaths due to pyometra. To detect myocardial damage, measurement of cardiac troponin I (cTnI) is currently the most sensitive and specific method. The aims of the present study were to evaluate presence of myocardial damage in canine pyometra by analysis of cTnI, to explore whether myocardial injury was associated with systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) and to evaluate whether other clinical or laboratory parameters were associated with cTnI increase. METHODS: Preoperative plasma levels of cTnI were investigated in 58 female dogs with pyometra and 9 controls. The value of physical examination findings, haematological, serum biochemical and pro-inflammatory (CRP and TNF-α) parameters as possible predictors of increased cTnI levels was also evaluated. RESULTS: Seven dogs with pyometra (12%) and one control dog (11%) had increased levels of cTnI. In the pyometra group, the levels ranged between 0.3–0.9 μg l(-1 )and in the control dog the level was 0.3 μg l(-1). The cTnI levels did not differ significantly between the two groups. No cardiac abnormalities were evident on preoperative physical examinations. Four of the pyometra patients died within two weeks of surgery, of which two were examined post mortem. In one of these cases (later diagnosed with myocarditis and disseminated bacterial infection) the cTnI levels increased from 0.9 μg l(-1 )preoperatively to 180 μg l(-1 )the following day when also heart arrhythmia was also detected. The other patient had cTnI levels of 0.7 μg l(-1 )with no detectable heart pathology post mortem. CTnI increase was not associated with presence of SIRS. There was a trend for the association of cTnI increase with increased mortality. No preoperative physical examination findings and few but unspecific laboratory parameters were associated with increased cTnI levels. CONCLUSION: Increased cTnI levels were observed in 12% of the dogs with pyometra. The proportions of dogs with cTnI increase did not differ significantly in the pyometra group compared with the control group. CTnI increase was not associated with presence of SIRS. A trend for association of cTnI increase and mortality was observed. Preoperative physical examination findings and included laboratory parameters were poor predictors of increased cTnI levels