Structural Transformations in Photo-Thermo-Refractive Glass for Hologram Recording

This dissertation focuses on the structural transformations in photo-thermo-refractive (PTR) glass that enable recording phase holograms for efficient transformation of optical beams and high resolution spectroscopy. PTR glass is a multicomponent silicate matrix doped with Ce, Ag, Sn and Sb. It is a holographic phase medium with the ability of permanent refractive index change after UV exposure and thermal development above 500°C due to the precipitation of a NaF crystalline phase. Electronic processes are studied by analyzing the structure of absorption and luminescence bands of PTR glass matrix and its dopants. We analyze the structural transformations in PTR glass from the perspective of induced optical scattering. A high-sensitivity experimental setup for measuring scattering at 90° with respect to a 1-mm diameter probe beam at 405 nm was constructed. A specific algorithm of UV exposures and thermal regimes to reveal the lowest temperature at which inhomogeneities arise was proposed. It was shown that no scattering increase observed in UV exposed PTR glass after thermal processing at temperatures below 450°C. This means that all structural transformations produced by this treatment occurred at atomic scale. Finally, we discuss the low temperature ion exchange method. We describe the theoretical basis of this method and present an experimental layout capable of performing low-temperature ion exchange in the surface of PTR samples. Results of a system that provides measurements of surface refractive index called \u27the waveguide method\u27 is presented. It is shown how this system can be used for the characterization of planar optical waveguides created on the surface of PTR glass samples and how their refractive index profile can be calculated by the inverse Wentzel-Kramers-Brillouin (WKB) method

Genetic Diversity, Population Structure and Linkage Disequilibrium Assessment among International Sunflower Breeding Collections

Sunflower germplasm collections are valuable resources for broadening the genetic base of commercial hybrids and ameliorate the risk of climate events. Nowadays, the most studied worldwide sunflower pre-breeding collections belong to INTA (Argentina), INRA (France), and USDA-UBC (United States of America?Canada). In this work, we assess the amount and distribution of genetic diversity (GD) available within and between these collections to estimate the distribution pattern of global diversity. A mixed genotyping strategy was implemented, by combining proprietary genotyping-by-sequencing data with public whole-genome-sequencing data, to generate an integrative 11,834-common single nucleotide polymorphism matrix including the three breeding collections. In general, the GD estimates obtained were moderate. An analysis of molecular variance provided evidence of population structure between breeding collections. However, the optimal number of subpopulations, studied via discriminant analysis of principal components (K = 12), the Bayesian STRUCTURE algorithm (K = 6) and distance-based methods (K = 9) remains unclear, since no single unifying characteristic is apparent for any of the inferred groups. Different overall patterns of linkage disequilibrium (LD) were observed across chromosomes, with Chr10, Chr17, Chr5, and Chr2 showing the highest LD. This work represents the largest and most comprehensive inter-breeding collection analysis of genomic diversity for cultivated sunflower conducted to dateFil: Filippi, Carla Valeria. Instituto Nacional de Tecnologia Agropecuaria. Centro de Investigacion En Ciencias Veterinarias y Agronomicas. Instituto de Agrobiotecnologia y Biologia Molecular. - Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Cientificas y Tecnicas. Oficina de Coordinacion Administrativa Pque. Centenario. Instituto de Agrobiotecnologia y Biologia Molecular; ArgentinaFil: Merino, Gabriela Alejandra. Universidad Nacional de Entre Ríos. Instituto de Investigación y Desarrollo en Bioingeniería y Bioinformática - Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Santa Fe. Instituto de Investigación y Desarrollo en Bioingeniería y Bioinformática; ArgentinaFil: Montecchia, Juan Francisco. Instituto Nacional de Tecnologia Agropecuaria. Centro de Investigacion En Ciencias Veterinarias y Agronomicas. Instituto de Agrobiotecnologia y Biologia Molecular. - Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Cientificas y Tecnicas. Oficina de Coordinacion Administrativa Pque. Centenario. Instituto de Agrobiotecnologia y Biologia Molecular; ArgentinaFil: Aguirre, Natalia Cristina. Instituto Nacional de Tecnologia Agropecuaria. Centro de Investigacion En Ciencias Veterinarias y Agronomicas. Instituto de Agrobiotecnologia y Biologia Molecular. - Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Cientificas y Tecnicas. Oficina de Coordinacion Administrativa Pque. Centenario. Instituto de Agrobiotecnologia y Biologia Molecular; ArgentinaFil: Rivarola, Maximo Lisandro. Instituto Nacional de Tecnologia Agropecuaria. Centro de Investigacion En Ciencias Veterinarias y Agronomicas. Instituto de Agrobiotecnologia y Biologia Molecular. - Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Cientificas y Tecnicas. Oficina de Coordinacion Administrativa Pque. Centenario. Instituto de Agrobiotecnologia y Biologia Molecular; ArgentinaFil: Naamati, Guy. European Molecular Biology Laboratory. European Bioinformatics Institute.; Reino UnidoFil: Fass, Mónica Irina. Instituto Nacional de Tecnologia Agropecuaria. Centro de Investigacion En Ciencias Veterinarias y Agronomicas. Instituto de Agrobiotecnologia y Biologia Molecular. - Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Cientificas y Tecnicas. Oficina de Coordinacion Administrativa Pque. Centenario. Instituto de Agrobiotecnologia y Biologia Molecular; ArgentinaFil: Alvarez, Daniel. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria. Centro Regional Córdoba. Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Manfredi; ArgentinaFil: Di Rienzo, Julio Alejandro. Universidad Nacional de Córdoba. Facultad de Ciencias Agropecuarias; ArgentinaFil: Heinz, Ruth Amelia. Instituto Nacional de Tecnologia Agropecuaria. Centro de Investigacion En Ciencias Veterinarias y Agronomicas. Instituto de Agrobiotecnologia y Biologia Molecular. - Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Cientificas y Tecnicas. Oficina de Coordinacion Administrativa Pque. Centenario. Instituto de Agrobiotecnologia y Biologia Molecular; ArgentinaFil: Contreras Moreira, Bruno. European Molecular Biology Laboratory. European Bioinformatics Institute.; Reino UnidoFil: Lia, Verónica Viviana. Instituto Nacional de Tecnologia Agropecuaria. Centro de Investigacion En Ciencias Veterinarias y Agronomicas. Instituto de Agrobiotecnologia y Biologia Molecular. - Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Cientificas y Tecnicas. Oficina de Coordinacion Administrativa Pque. Centenario. Instituto de Agrobiotecnologia y Biologia Molecular; ArgentinaFil: Paniego, Norma Beatriz. Instituto Nacional de Tecnologia Agropecuaria. Centro de Investigacion En Ciencias Veterinarias y Agronomicas. Instituto de Agrobiotecnologia y Biologia Molecular. - Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Cientificas y Tecnicas. Oficina de Coordinacion Administrativa Pque. Centenario. Instituto de Agrobiotecnologia y Biologia Molecular; Argentin

Valor alimenticio comparativo del pasto kikuyo (Pennisetum clandestinum, var. Whittet) en dos estaciones de crecimiento con ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum ) Y sudán (Sorgum sudanense) ofrecido a novillos Holstein

P. 135-139Cuatro novillos Holstein (167kg) con cánulas en rumen y duodeno proximal fueron distribuidos en un diseño Cuadro Latino 4×4 para estimar el valor alimenticio comparativo del pasto kikuyo (Pennisetum clandestinum var. Whittet) cosechado en verano e invierno con el de henos de gramínea de verano (pasto sudán; Sorgum sudanense) e invierno (ryegrass anual; Lolium multiflorum var. Oregon). Las dietas experimentales (88,4% MO, 35,5% FDN y 11,8% PC) fueron formuladas con 70% forraje y 30% suplemento. No hubo efecto de tratamientos (P>0,05) en digestión ruminal de la FDN, N, eficiencia microbial ruminal (g de NM/kg de MO fermentada), ni en eficiencia ruminal del N (N no amoniacal que entra a tracto bajo/N consumido). No hubo efecto (P>0,10) de la estación (cosecha en verano vs invierno) en la digestión ruminal y total de la MO, FDN y N en dietas con kikuyo. La digestión ruminal y total de MO, FDN y N fueron similares (P>0,10) para dietas compuestas por kikuyo y sudán. Sin embargo, la digestión ruminal y total de MO y N fue menor (19, 12 y 9%, respectivamente) para dietas con kikuyo a la observada con ryegrass (P0,05) en la relación acetato-propionato. Se concluye que kikuyo tiene un valor alimenticio similar a sudán y representa una alternativa en la alimentación animal como cultivo perenne con aceptable valor nutricional durante el verano.S

Multinational prospective cohort study of rates and risk factors for ventilator-associated pneumonia over 24 years in 42 countries of Asia, Africa, Eastern Europe, Latin America, and the Middle East: Findings of the International Nosocomial Infection Control Consortium (INICC)

Objective: Rates of ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP) in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC) are several times above those of high-income countries. The objective of this study was to identify risk factors (RFs) for VAP cases in ICUs of LMICs. Design: Prospective cohort study. Setting: This study was conducted across 743 ICUs of 282 hospitals in 144 cities in 42 Asian, African, European, Latin American, and Middle Eastern countries. Participants: The study included patients admitted to ICUs across 24 years. Results: In total, 289,643 patients were followed during 1,951,405 patient days and acquired 8,236 VAPs. We analyzed 10 independent variables. Multiple logistic regression identified the following independent VAP RFs: male sex (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 1.22; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.16-1.28; P <.0001); longer length of stay (LOS), which increased the risk 7% per day (aOR, 1.07; 95% CI, 1.07-1.08; P <.0001); mechanical ventilation (MV) utilization ratio (aOR, 1.27; 95% CI, 1.23-1.31; P <.0001); continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP), which was associated with the highest risk (aOR, 13.38; 95% CI, 11.57-15.48; P <.0001)Revisión por pare

Integrative epigenomics in Sjögren´s syndrome reveals novel pathways and a strong interaction between the HLA, autoantibodies and the interferon signature

Primary Sjögren's syndrome (SS) is a systemic autoimmune disease characterized by lymphocytic infiltration and damage of exocrine salivary and lacrimal glands. The etiology of SS is complex with environmental triggers and genetic factors involved. By conducting an integrated multi-omics study, we confirmed a vast coordinated hypomethylation and overexpression effects in IFN-related genes, what is known as the IFN signature. Stratified and conditional analyses suggest a strong interaction between SS-associated HLA genetic variation and the presence of Anti-Ro/SSA autoantibodies in driving the IFN epigenetic signature and determining SS. We report a novel epigenetic signature characterized by increased DNA methylation levels in a large number of genes enriched in pathways such as collagen metabolism and extracellular matrix organization. We identified potential new genetic variants associated with SS that might mediate their risk by altering DNA methylation or gene expression patterns, as well as disease-interacting genetic variants that exhibit regulatory function only in the SS population. Our study sheds new light on the interaction between genetics, autoantibody profiles, DNA methylation and gene expression in SS, and contributes to elucidate the genetic architecture of gene regulation in an autoimmune population

Hyperoxemia and excess oxygen use in early acute respiratory distress syndrome : Insights from the LUNG SAFE study

Publisher Copyright: © 2020 The Author(s). Copyright: Copyright 2020 Elsevier B.V., All rights reserved.Background: Concerns exist regarding the prevalence and impact of unnecessary oxygen use in patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS). We examined this issue in patients with ARDS enrolled in the Large observational study to UNderstand the Global impact of Severe Acute respiratory FailurE (LUNG SAFE) study. Methods: In this secondary analysis of the LUNG SAFE study, we wished to determine the prevalence and the outcomes associated with hyperoxemia on day 1, sustained hyperoxemia, and excessive oxygen use in patients with early ARDS. Patients who fulfilled criteria of ARDS on day 1 and day 2 of acute hypoxemic respiratory failure were categorized based on the presence of hyperoxemia (PaO2 > 100 mmHg) on day 1, sustained (i.e., present on day 1 and day 2) hyperoxemia, or excessive oxygen use (FIO2 ≥ 0.60 during hyperoxemia). Results: Of 2005 patients that met the inclusion criteria, 131 (6.5%) were hypoxemic (PaO2 < 55 mmHg), 607 (30%) had hyperoxemia on day 1, and 250 (12%) had sustained hyperoxemia. Excess FIO2 use occurred in 400 (66%) out of 607 patients with hyperoxemia. Excess FIO2 use decreased from day 1 to day 2 of ARDS, with most hyperoxemic patients on day 2 receiving relatively low FIO2. Multivariate analyses found no independent relationship between day 1 hyperoxemia, sustained hyperoxemia, or excess FIO2 use and adverse clinical outcomes. Mortality was 42% in patients with excess FIO2 use, compared to 39% in a propensity-matched sample of normoxemic (PaO2 55-100 mmHg) patients (P = 0.47). Conclusions: Hyperoxemia and excess oxygen use are both prevalent in early ARDS but are most often non-sustained. No relationship was found between hyperoxemia or excessive oxygen use and patient outcome in this cohort. Trial registration: LUNG-SAFE is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT02010073publishersversionPeer reviewe

Molecular Characterization of Monocyte Subsets Reveals Specific and Distinctive Molecular Signatures Associated With Cardiovascular Disease in Rheumatoid Arthritis

Objectives: This study, developed within the Innovative Medicines Initiative Joint Undertaking project PRECISESADS framework, aimed at functionally characterize the monocyte subsets in RA patients, and analyze their involvement in the increased CV risk associated with RA.Methods: The frequencies of monocyte subpopulations in the peripheral blood of 140 RA patients and 145 healthy donors (HDs) included in the PRECISESADS study were determined by flow cytometry. A second cohort of 50 RA patients and 30 HDs was included, of which CD14+ and CD16+ monocyte subpopulations were isolated using immuno-magnetic selection. Their transcriptomic profiles (mRNA and microRNA), proinflammatory patterns and activated pathways were evaluated and related to clinical features and CV risk. Mechanistic in vitro analyses were further performed.Results: CD14++CD16+ intermediate monocytes were extended in both cohorts of RA patients. Their increased frequency was associated with the positivity for autoantibodies, disease duration, inflammation, endothelial dysfunction and the presence of atheroma plaques, as well as with the CV risk score. CD14+ and CD16+ monocyte subsets showed distinctive and specific mRNA and microRNA profiles, along with specific intracellular signaling activation, indicating different functionalities. Moreover, that specific molecular profiles were interrelated and associated to atherosclerosis development and increased CV risk in RA patients. In vitro, RA serum promoted differentiation of CD14+CD16− to CD14++CD16+ monocytes. Co-culture with RA-isolated monocyte subsets induced differential activation of endothelial cells.Conclusions: Our overall data suggest that the generation of inflammatory monocytes is associated to the autoimmune/inflammatory response that mediates RA. These monocyte subsets, -which display specific and distinctive molecular signatures- might promote endothelial dysfunction and in turn, the progression of atherosclerosis through a finely regulated process driving CVD development in RA

Spontaneous Breathing in Early Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome: Insights From the Large Observational Study to UNderstand the Global Impact of Severe Acute Respiratory FailurE Study

OBJECTIVES: To describe the characteristics and outcomes of patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome with or without spontaneous breathing and to investigate whether the effects of spontaneous breathing on outcome depend on acute respiratory distress syndrome severity. DESIGN: Planned secondary analysis of a prospective, observational, multicentre cohort study. SETTING: International sample of 459 ICUs from 50 countries. PATIENTS: Patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome and at least 2 days of invasive mechanical ventilation and available data for the mode of mechanical ventilation and respiratory rate for the 2 first days. INTERVENTIONS: Analysis of patients with and without spontaneous breathing, defined by the mode of mechanical ventilation and by actual respiratory rate compared with set respiratory rate during the first 48 hours of mechanical ventilation. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Spontaneous breathing was present in 67% of patients with mild acute respiratory distress syndrome, 58% of patients with moderate acute respiratory distress syndrome, and 46% of patients with severe acute respiratory distress syndrome. Patients with spontaneous breathing were older and had lower acute respiratory distress syndrome severity, Sequential Organ Failure Assessment scores, ICU and hospital mortality, and were less likely to be diagnosed with acute respiratory distress syndrome by clinicians. In adjusted analysis, spontaneous breathing during the first 2 days was not associated with an effect on ICU or hospital mortality (33% vs 37%; odds ratio, 1.18 [0.92-1.51]; p = 0.19 and 37% vs 41%; odds ratio, 1.18 [0.93-1.50]; p = 0.196, respectively ). Spontaneous breathing was associated with increased ventilator-free days (13 [0-22] vs 8 [0-20]; p = 0.014) and shorter duration of ICU stay (11 [6-20] vs 12 [7-22]; p = 0.04). CONCLUSIONS: Spontaneous breathing is common in patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome during the first 48 hours of mechanical ventilation. Spontaneous breathing is not associated with worse outcomes and may hasten liberation from the ventilator and from ICU. Although these results support the use of spontaneous breathing in patients with acute respiratory distress syndrome independent of acute respiratory distress syndrome severity, the use of controlled ventilation indicates a bias toward use in patients with higher disease severity. In addition, because the lack of reliable data on inspiratory effort in our study, prospective studies incorporating the magnitude of inspiratory effort and adjusting for all potential severity confounders are required