Morphometric and morphological studies of Red seabream (Pagellus bogaraveo) otoliths from the Strait of Gibraltar: Exploratory analysis of its application for ageing

In the last years, the otoliths have become a useful tool for the determination of ichthyic species, because these structures present a high morphologic specificity. Besides, its shape should change between the sampled ages. Thus, our study deals with several features of the otoliths (sagitta) related with the age of the individuals. 235 (Morphometry) and 53 (Morphology) otoliths from Red seabream samples, 2003 – 2008, of the Strait of Gibraltar were analyzed. The combined use of both features (morphometrics and morphological) resulted in a discriminant function which an ageing success higher than 70%.Versión del edito

Open-Source Application for Water Supply System Management: Implementation in a Water Transmission System in Southern Spain

Sustainable water use has become a critical issue for the future of the planet in face of highly probable climate change. The drinking water supply sector has made significant progress over the last 20 years, although improvements in the management of urban hydraulic infrastructures are still required. The proposed system, Integrated Tool for Water Supply Systems Management (ITWSM), built on three interconnected modules (QGIS database, Epanet hydraulic model, and Google My Maps app), was developed on open-source software. The core of ITWSM allows analyzing the behavior of water supply systems under several operation/failure scenarios. It facilitates decision making supported by the mobile application ITWSM-app. Information flows easily through the different decision levels involved in the management process, keeping updated the georeferenced database after system changes. ITWSM has been implemented in a real public water supply company and applied to manage breakdown repairs in water transmission systems. The use of the proposed methodology reduces the average cost of failure repair by 13.6%, mainly due to the optimal planning of the resources involved

Design and Implementation of a Pressure Monitoring System Based on IoT for Water Supply Networks

Increasing the efficiency of water supply networks is essential in arid and semi-arid regions to ensure the supply of drinking water to the inhabitants. The cost of renovating these systems is high. However, customized management models can facilitate the maintenance and rehabilitation of hydraulic infrastructures by optimizing the use of resources. The implementation of current Internet of Things (IoT) monitoring systems allows decisions to be based on objective data. In water supply systems, IoT helps to monitor the key elements to improve system efficiency. To implement IoT in a water distribution system requires sensors that are suitable for measuring the main hydraulic variables, a communication system that is adaptable to the water service companies and a friendly system for data analysis and visualization. A smart pressure monitoring and alert system was developed using low-cost hardware and open-source software. An Arduino family microcontroller transfers pressure gauge signals using Sigfox communication, a low-power wide-area network (LPWAN). The IoT ThingSpeak platform is used for data analysis and visualization. Additionally, the system can send alarms via SMS/email in real time using the If This, Then That (IFTTT) web service when anomalous pressure data are detected. The pressure monitoring system was successfully implemented in a real water distribution network in Spain. It was able to detect both breakdowns and leaks in real time

Improving the Advantages of Single Port in Right Hemicolectomy: Analysis of the Results of Pure Transumbilical Approach with Intracorporeal Anastomosis

Background. Single-port laparoscopic surgery has recently emerged as a method to improve patient recovery and cosmetic benefits of laparoscopic surgery. The evolution of our technique has led us to move from a periumbilical incision to a transumbilical one, avoiding the use of drain and maintaining a pure single-port approach with intracorporeal anastomosis in order to maintain the incision as smaller as possible. Method. We report a prospective clinical analysis of our first 38 patients. Oncological surgical steps were followed as during the standard laparoscopic approach, performing the anastomosis intracorporeally in all cases. Results. Mean age of 68,39 years old and an average BMI of 27,88%. (range 19,81–41,5). Most lesions were adenocarcinoma (65,8%), while the remaining were polyps (31,5%) and one a mucocele of the appendix. We moved from a periumbilical incision, initial 14 cases, into a transumbilical one, (medium size of the incision 3,25 cm). Average surgical time was 117,42 minutes. Drains was only used in our first 3 cases. Mean hospital stay was 5,2 days, (86,5% stayed less than 5 days). Total morbidity was 13%. Histological exams of the specimens showed that the oncological criteria were preserved. Conclusions. Single-port right hemicolectomy with intracorporeal anastomosis is feasible and safe. The advantages of a total intracorporeal anastomosis include that there is no need to enlarge the umbilical incision and avoid traction of the pedicle of the mesenterium of the transverse colon during the extracorporeal anastomosis. A transumbilical incision offers better cosmetic results, and the use of drains can be avoided, which increase, patient's satisfaction

A decade of left atrial appendage closure: from procedural data to long-term clinical benefit

Introducción y objetivos: Conocer el beneficio clínico del cierre percutáneo de la orejuela izquierda (OI) en nuestro medio; en concreto, la reducción de eventos tromboembólicos y hemorrágicos, que permitiría un mejor posicionamiento de esta intervención. Métodos: Estudio retrospectivo que recoge la actividad del cierre de OI en un centro durante 9 años. Se registraron la tasa de éxito del dispositivo y del procedimiento, así como las tasas de eventos tromboembólicos y de hemorragia mayor. Resultados: Se evaluaron 260 procedimientos de cierre de OI en una población con fibrilación auricular no valvular y puntuación en las escalas CHA 2 DS 2 -VASc de 4,3 ± 1,6 y HAS-BLED de 3,7 ± 1,2. El éxito del procedimiento fue del 98,8%, y la tasa de eventos adversos graves en los primeros 7 días fue del 2,3%. Con un seguimiento medio de 2,5 ± 1,9 años y una población de 637,9 pacientes-año, la tasa de eventos tromboembólicos fue de 1,4 por 100 pacientes-año (75,5% de reducción del riesgo) y la de hemorragia mayor fue de 3,0 por 100 pacientes-año (58,5% de reducción del riesgo), ambas significativamente menores que las predichas. Las tasas de eventos por 100 pacientes-año en los pacientes con seguimiento muy largo (más de 4 años) mostraron tendencia a ser menores que en el resto de la población (0,7 frente a 2,0, con p = 0,17, para evento tromboembólico, y 1,7 frente a 4,0, con p = 0,09, para hemorragia mayor). Conclusiones: En nuestra población, el cierre de la OI mostró un elevado éxito del procedimiento y una baja tasa de eventos inmediatos. El cierre de la OI indujo una significativa reducción en la tasa prevista de eventos tromboembólicos y hemorrágicos, y dicha reducción se mantuvo a muy largo plazo.Introduction and objectives: A better positioning of left atrial appendage closure (LAAC) requires assessment of its clinical benefits to reduce thromboembolic and bleeding events in a real-word population. Methods: Single-center retrospective study of our consecutive LAAC activity for 9 years. Both the device success and procedural success were registered as well as the reduction of the expected rates of thromboembolic and major bleeding events. Results: A total of 260 LAAC procedures were performed in a population with nonvalvular atrial fibrillation with CHA2 DS 2 -VASc and HAS-BLED scores of 4.3 ± 1.6 and 3.7 ± 1.2, respectively. Procedural success was 98.8%, and the rate of serious adverse events within the first 7 days was 2.3%. At a median follow-up of 2.5 ± 1.9 years and an estimated population of 637.9 patients-year, the thromboembolic event rate was 1.4 per 100 patients-year (75.5% risk reduction) and the rate of major bleeding was 3.0 per 100 patients-year (58.5% risk reduction), which was significantly lower than anticipated. The thromboembolic and major bleeding events per 100 patients-year showed a lower tendency for patients with very long follow-up (over 4 years) compared to the remaining of the population (0.7 vs 2.0 with P = .17, and 1.7 vs 4.0 with P = .09, respectively)

The search for novel diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers in cholangiocarcinoma

[EN] The poor prognosis of cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) is in part due to late diagnosis, which is currently achieved by a combination of clinical, radiological and histological approaches. Available biomarkers determined in serum and biopsy samples to assist in CCA diagnosis are not sufficiently sensitive and specific. Therefore, the identification of new biomarkers, preferably those obtained by minimally invasive methods, such as liquid biopsy, is important. The development of innovative technologies has permitted to identify a significant number of genetic, epigenetic, proteomic and metabolomic CCA features with potential clinical usefulness in early diagnosis, prognosis or prediction of treatment response. Potential new candidates must be rigorously evaluated prior to entering routine clinical application. Unfortunately, to date, no such biomarker has achieved validation for these purposes. This review is an up-to-date of currently used biomarkers and the candidates with promising characteristics that could be included in the clinical practice in the next future. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Cholangiocytes in Health and Disease edited by Jesus Banales, Marco Marzioni, Nicholas LaRusso and Peter Jansen

Drug-loaded PCL electrospun nanofibers as anti-pancreatic cancer drug delivery systems

Cancer is one of the main causes of death worldwide, being pancreatic cancer the second deadliest cancer in Western countries. Surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy form the basis of pancreatic cancer's current treatment. However, these techniques have several disadvantages, such as surgery complications, chemotherapy systemic side effects and cancer recurrence. Drug delivery systems can reduce side effects, increasing the effectivity of the treatment by a controlled release at the targeted tumor cells. In this context, coaxial electrospun fibers can increase the control on the release profile of the drug. The aim of this study was to encapsulate and release different anticancer drugs (5-Fluorouracil and Methotrexate) from a polymeric fiber mat. Different flows and ratios were used to test their effect on fiber morphology, FTIR spectrum, drug encapsulation and release. Good integration of the anticancer drugs was observed and the use of a desiccator for 24 h showed to be a key step to remove solvent remanence. Moreover, the results of this study demonstrated that the polymeric solution could be used to encapsulate and release different drugs to treat cancers. This makes coaxial electrospinning a promising alternative to deliver complex chemotherapies that involve more than one drug, such as FOLFIRINOX, used in pancreatic cancer treatment

TARTESSUS: A customized electrospun drug delivery system loaded with Irinotecan for Local and sustained chemotherapy release in pancreatic cancer

Post-surgical chemotherapy in pancreatic cancer has notorious side effects due to the high dose required. Multiple devices have been designed to tackle this aspect and achieve a delayed drug release. This study aimed to explore the controlled and sustained local delivery of a reduced drug dose from an irinotecan-loaded electrospun nanofiber membrane (named TARTESSUS) that can be placed on the patients' tissue after tumor resection surgery. The drug delivery system formulation was made of polycaprolactone (PCL). The mechanical properties and the release kinetics of the drug were adjusted by the electrospinning parameters and by the polymer ratio between 10 w.t.% and 14 w.t.% of PCL in formic acid:acetic acid:chloroform (47.5:47.5:5). The irinotecan release analysis was performed and three different release periods were obtained, depending on the concentration of the polymer in the dissolution. The TARTESSUS device was tested in 2D and 3D cell cultures and it demonstrated a decrease in cell viability in 2D culture between 72 h and day 7 from the start of treatment. In 3D culture, a decrease in viability was seen between 72 h, day 7 (p < 0.001), day 10 (p < 0.001), 14 (p < 0.001), and day 17 (p = 0.003) as well as a decrease in proliferation between 72 h and day 10 (p = 0.030) and a reduction in spheroid size during days 10 (p = 0.001), 14 (p < 0.001), and 17 (p < 0.001). In conclusion, TARTESSUS showed a successful encapsulation of a chemotherapeutic drug and a sustained and delayed release with an adjustable releasing period to optimize the therapeutic effect in pancreatic cancer treatment