State of the art in the determination of trace elements in seawater: a worldwide proficiency test

This manuscript presents the results of the International Measurement Evaluation Programme 40 (IMEP-40) study, a proficiency test (PT) which was organised to assess the worldwide performance of laboratories for the determination of trace elements in seawater. This PT supports the implementation of the European Union Water Framework Directive 2000/60/EC, which aims at achieving a long-term high level protection of the aquatic environment, covering lakes, ground water and coastal waters. Forty-six participants reported results. The test item was seawater containing the trace elements As, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Mo, Ni, Pb, Se and Zn. The trace elements in the test item were present in very low concentrations to mimic natural levels. The results of the participants were rated with z and zeta (zeta) scores in accordance with ISO 13528 and ISO 17043. The standard deviation for proficiency assessment, , was set at 25 % of the respective assigned values for the 12 measured elements based on previous experience with similar PTs. The low levels of the trace elements combined with the high salt concentration of the seawater made the measurements challenging. Many laboratories were unable to detect or quantify the elements and reported "lower than X" values. The percentage of satisfactory performances (expressed as z scores) ranged from 41 % (Cr, Fe) to 86 % (Mo). The PT study showed that the use of proper standard methods, like ISO 17294-2, and sensitive techniques, like inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS), contributed to performing well in this PT round

Imaging Tests for Predicting the Presence of Difficult Airway in Head and Neck Cancer Patients Undergoing Otorhinolaryngological Surgery

Patients with head and neck cancers represent a challenge for the surgical team from many points of view, but, especially, the surgical moment where greater stress generated corresponds to the perioperative management of the airway, because in many occasions we can face unexpected situations, most of the time, incidental findings can hinder ventilation and endotracheal intubation. Gutierrez et al., in 2018, decided to study four tomography measures and their correlation in anesthesia records with airway management difficulties. Material and methods: A retrospective, observational study was carried out in 104 patients operated by head and neck cancers over a period of 36 months, only in those with access to tomographic records. Four tomographic measurements were considered and were statistically related to the extreme degrees of visualization of the glottis (Cormack III–IV) and the presence of the physical examination of Mallampati III–IV. Results: After performing a multivariate model in the group of extreme degrees of visualization of the glottis, the results were not statistically significant (p > 0.05; 95% CI: 0.030–2.31: EPI/PPW, 0.018–1.37 TB/PPW). In the Mallampati III–IV group, in the multivariate model only the VC/PPW showed clinically significant results (p < 0.05; 95% CI: 0.104–8.53). Conclusions: Tomographic measurements and the physical examination predictors could represent a useful guide in the prediction of the difficult airway in these patients

Integration of WiFi ToF Positioning System in the Open, Flexible and Adaptive WiSHFUL Architecture

We integrate a prototype WiFi Time-of-Flight (ToF) ranging and po- sitioning system in the WiSHFUL software platforms and hardware radios for experimental prototyping. Users can have access to ToF measurements as well as computed positions through uni ed pro- gramming interfaces that make possible to investigate innovative positioning and networking solutions

Lamivudine plus a boosted-protease inhibitor as simplification strategy in HIV-infected patients with toxicity to nucleoside analogues

Purpose of the study: Dual therapy with lamivudine plus a PI boosted with ritonavir (PI/r) could be an alternative to standard triple therapy or PI/r monotherapy as a simplification strategy in patients with toxicity to nucleoside analogues (NA). Methods: Retrospective cohort study of 44 HIV-infected patients on suppressive HAART, with no chronic HBV, who simplified to this dual therapy since 2008. Virological and immunological outcome, lipids and renal changes were evaluated. Summary of results: Mean age was 50 years (38-70), 66% were male, and the median time of HIV infection was 18.6 years. The median nadir CD4+ count was 150 cells/ml (2&#x2013;407). At inclusion, patients were receiving therapy with lamivudine plus atazanavir/r in 5 cases, lopinavir/r in 12, and darunavir/r in 27, and they had an HIV RNA level&#60;50 copies/ml for a median time of 794 days (129&#x2013;2344, 90% &#x003E;6 months). The NA discontinued was tenofovir (27), didanosine (12), AZT (3), and d4T (2). The reasons for changing were toxicity in 76% of cases, especially renal impairment. They had received a mean of 8 regimens before (2&#x2013;20), and 55% were in CDC-stage C. In 11 cases, history of resistance was available (to NA in 7 cases, including the 210W mutation in four). The mutations 184V was not observed, but four patients (9%) had a previous failure to therapy including 3tC. Mutations in the protease gene were observed in 8 patients (2 to 7 mutations, the most frequent 77I and 93L), without resistance to the current PI/r. During 62.8 patient-years of follow-up (median, 802 days), only 2 patients failed (4.5%), due to incomplete adherence, at 27 and 141 days. Of note, these two patients had no previous failed with 3tC or PI. Overall, CD4+ count increased for 55 cells/ml. No new adverse events were observed, but total cholesterol (from 180 to 246 mg/dl, p=0.007) and triglycerides (from 166 to 195, p=0.01) increased during the first 24 weeks with improvement at 48 weeks. On the other hand, estimated glomerular filtration rate improved during follow up (from 74.2 ml/min to 83.08 ml/min after 48 weeks, p=0.1). Conclusions: Dual therapy with lamivudine plus a boosted PI is safe and effective as simplification strategy in patients with toxicity to NA. This combination could be an alternative to mono or triple therapy in hard to treat patients, although an initial increase in lipid parameters could be observed

Modelling sugar beet water use in Spain

Crop production has a great contribution to water use and abstraction. Sugar beet is an important crop in irrigated land in Spain and covers 70.000 Ha. Crop and resources management are key factors for a sustainable agriculture. The aim of this work is to mode the sugar beet crop growth and water consumption in order to quantify crop water use and virtual water content in different growing conditions

Accuracy of a method based on atomic absorption spectrometry to determine inorganic arsenic in food : Outcome of the collaborative trial IMEP-41

Peer reviewedPublisher PD

BIRI: a new approach for automatically discovering and indexing available public bioinformatics resources from the literature

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The rapid evolution of Internet technologies and the collaborative approaches that dominate the field have stimulated the development of numerous bioinformatics resources. To address this new framework, several initiatives have tried to organize these services and resources. In this paper, we present the BioInformatics Resource Inventory (BIRI), a new approach for automatically discovering and indexing available public bioinformatics resources using information extracted from the scientific literature. The index generated can be automatically updated by adding additional manuscripts describing new resources. We have developed web services and applications to test and validate our approach. It has not been designed to replace current indexes but to extend their capabilities with richer functionalities.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>We developed a web service to provide a set of high-level query primitives to access the index. The web service can be used by third-party web services or web-based applications. To test the web service, we created a pilot web application to access a preliminary knowledge base of resources. We tested our tool using an initial set of 400 abstracts. Almost 90% of the resources described in the abstracts were correctly classified. More than 500 descriptions of functionalities were extracted.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>These experiments suggest the feasibility of our approach for automatically discovering and indexing current and future bioinformatics resources. Given the domain-independent characteristics of this tool, it is currently being applied by the authors in other areas, such as medical nanoinformatics. BIRI is available at <url>http://edelman.dia.fi.upm.es/biri/</url>.</p

Prevalencia del Helicobacter pylori mediante Elisa en estudiantes de la Facultad de Odontología de la Universidad de San Marcos

With the objective of prove the prevalence of the Helicobacter pylori (flp) in odontology students and establish the relation between the positive seroreactors and related symptomatologies to Hp, like: stress, gastritis, ulcer and cancer it was selected a random population sample of 91 students between 15-24 years old, for the detection of IgG antibodies in sera using the Kit Platelia R. To the same population sample ¡t was applied a personal information form lo be filled by the students. Front a total of 91 students that have finished the study, ¡t was founded a general seroprevalence of the Hp in 72,5 % (66/91), with sexual prevalence of 68,3 and 76 %, in women and men, respectively. At the time of relate the personal information, with the positive seroreactors, it was founded that: the 73,1 % (19/26) have stress, 61,5 % (8/13) have gastritis y 100 % (2/2) have ulcer. With regard to the symptomatologies in the student of the sample, it was founded that: the 28,6 % (26/91) have stress, 14,3 % (13/91) have gastritis y 2,2 % (2/91) have ulcer In relation of the symptomatologies in the students familiars, ¡t was founded that the 33 % (30/91) have gastritis, 18,7 % (17/91) have ulcer and a 5,5 % (5/91) have cancer It was concluded that the 72,5 % of the de positive seroreactors are between the rank of Hp seroprevalence of the countries in development; that there is a high relation (&gt; 60 %) of ~ositive seroreactors with registered symptomatologies in the forms, like: stress, gastritis and ulcer; in the same manner it reveal sequestered numbers of the presence of these symptomatologies in the students, and these in relation with their familiars, nevertheless, the applied statistic test do not found significatives differences.Con el objetivo de demostrar la prevalencia de Helicobacter pylori (Hp) en estudiantes de Odontología y establecer la relación de los seroreactores positivos con sintomatologías conexas a Hp como: estrés, gastritis, úlcera y cáncer; se seleccionó al azar una muestra poblacional de 91 estudiantes de 15-24 años de edad, para la detección de anticuerpos IgG en sueros mediante el Kit Platelia Ò A la misma muestra poblacional se le aplicó una ficha para el llenado de sus datos personales y los relacionados con antecedentes familiares, sobre las sintomatologías descritas anteriormente. De un total de 91 estudiantes que completaron el estudio, se encontró una seraprevalencia general del Hp en un 72,5 % (66/91), con prevalencia sexual de 68,3 y 76 %, en mujeres y hombres, respectivamente. Al relacionar los datos declarados en las fichas, con los seroreactores positivos, se halló que: 73,1 % (19/26) sufren estrés, 61,5 % (8/13) sufren gastritis y 100 % (2/2) tienen úlcera. En lo referente a la sintomatologías en el alumno declarados por la muestra estudiantil, se encontró que: el 28,6 % (26/91) sufre de estrés, 14,3 % (13/91) sufre de gastritis y 2,2 % (2191) tiene úlcera. Con relación a las sintomatologías en los familiares declarados por el estudiante, se halló que el 33% (30/91) sufre de gastritis, 18,7 % (17/91) tiene úlcera y 5,5 % (5/91) tiene cáncer. Se concluye que el 72,5 % de los seroreactores positivos, se halla dentro del rango de seroprevalencia de Hp de los países en Desarrollo; que hay una alta relación (&gt; 60 %) de seroreactores positivos con sintomatologías registradas en las fichas como: estrés, gastritis y úlcera; igualmente revelan cifras sugerentes de la presencia de estas sintomatologías tanto en los propios estudiantes, como en relación con sus familiares, sin embargo, las pruebas estadísticas aplicadas no hallaron diferencias significativas

The role of Cis-Regulatory elements in morphological adaptation to cave environment in Astyanax mexicanus

Trabajo presentado en EMBO Workshop Enhanceropathies: Understanding enhancer function to understand human disease, celebrado en Santander (España) del 06 al 09 de octubre de 2021