Yebes 40m radio telescope is the main and largest observing instrument at Yebes Observatory and it is devoted to Very Long Baseline Interferometry (VLBI) and single dish observations since 2010. It ...has been covering frequency bands between 2 GHz and 90 GHz in discontinuous and narrow windows in most of the cases, to match the current needs of the European VLBI Network (EVN) and the Global Millimeter VLBI Array (GMVA).
Nanocosmos project, a European Union funded synergy grant, opened the possibility to increase the instantaneous frequency coverage to observe many molecular transitions with single tunnings in single dish mode. This reduces the observing time and maximises the output from the telescope.
We present the technical specifications of the recently installed 31.5 - 50GHz (Q band) and 72 - 90.5 GHz (W band) receivers along with the main characteristics of the telescope at these frequency ranges. We have observed IRC+10216, CRL 2688 and CRL 618, which harbour a rich molecular chemistry, to demonstrate the capabilities of the new instrumentation for spectral observations in single dish mode.
The results show the high sensitivity of the telescope in the Q band. The spectrum of IRC+10126 offers a signal to noise ratio never seen before for this source in this band. On the other hand, the spectrum normalised by the continuum flux towards CRL 618 in the W band demonstrates that the 40 m radio telescope produces comparable results to those from the IRAM 30 m radio telescope, although with a smaller sensitivity. The new receivers fulfil one of the main goals of Nanocosmos and open the possibility to study the spectrum of different astrophysical media with unprecedented sensitivity.
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FMFMET, NUK, UL, UM, UPUK
Introduction: Medical students represent a new generation of medical thought, and if they have a favourable attitude towards organ donation this will greatly encourage its promotion.
Objective: To ...analyse the attitude of medical students in Spanish universities towards the donation of their own organs and to determine the factors affecting this attitude.
Material and Methods: Type of study: A sociological, interdisciplinary, multicentre, and observational study in Spain. Study population: Students studying a degree in medicine enrolled in Spain (n = 34,000). Sample size: A sample of 9598 students (confidence of 99% and precision of ±1%), stratified by geographical area and academic year. Instrument of measurement: A validated questionnaire of attitude towards organ donation and transplantation (PCID-DTO RIOS) was self-administered and completed anonymously.
Results: The questionnaire completion rate was 95.7% (n = 9.275). 80% were in favour of donation, 2% against and 18% were undecided. The following main variables were related to a favourable attitude: being of the female sex (Odds Ratio = 1.739); being in the sixth year of the degree (OR = 2.506); knowing a donor (OR = 1.346); having spoken about the subject with one's family (OR = 2.132) and friends (OR = 1.333); having a family circle that is in favour, more specifically, having a father (OR = 1.841), mother (OR = 2.538) or partner in favour (OR = 2.192); being a blood donor (OR = 2.824); acceptance of the mutilation of the body if it were necessary (OR = 2.958); and being an atheist or an agnostic (OR = 1.766).
Conclusions: Spanish medical students generally have a favourable attitude towards organ donation, although 20% are not in favour.
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DOBA, IJS, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, OILJ, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK, VSZLJ
Summary
Itolizumab is a humanized anti‐CD6 monoclonal antibody (mAb) that has previously shown encouraging results, in terms of safety and positive clinical effects, in a 6‐week monotherapy clinical ...trial conducted in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients. The current Phase I study evaluated the safety and clinical response for a longer treatment of 12 itolizumab intravenous doses in subjects with active RA despite previous disease‐modifying anti‐rheumatic drug (DMARD) therapy. Twenty‐one subjects were enrolled into four dosage groups (0·1, 0·2, 0·4 and 0·8 mg/kg). Efficacy end‐points including American College of Rheumatology (ACR)20, ACR50 and ACR70 response rates and disease activity score in 28 joints (DAS28) were monitored at baseline and at specific time‐points during a 10‐week follow‐up period. Itolizumab was well tolerated up to the highest tested dose. No related serious adverse events were reported and most adverse events were mild. Remarkably, itolizumab treatment did not produce lymphopenia and, therefore, was not associated with infections. All patients achieved a clinical response (ACR20) at least once during the study. Eleven subjects (55%) achieved at least a 20% improvement in ACR just 1 week after the first itolizumab administration. The clinical response was observed from the beginning of the treatment and was sustained during 24 weeks. The efficacy profile of this 12‐week treatment was similar to that of the previous study (6‐week treatment). These results reinforce the safety profile of itolizumab and provide further evidence on the clinical benefit from the use of this anti‐CD6 mAb in RA patients.
Itolizumab is a humanized anti‐CD6 monoclonal antibody that has shown encouraging results in terms of safety and positive clinical effects in autoimmune desesases. This article provide new clinical evidence of benefit from the use of a longer treatment (12 doses) with itolizumab without lymphopenia in rheumatoid arthritis patients.
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BFBNIB, DOBA, FZAB, GIS, IJS, IZUM, KILJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBMB, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
The clinical course of COVID-19 critically ill patients, during their admission in the intensive care unit (UCI), including medical and infectious complications and support therapies, as well as ...their association with in-ICU mortality has not been fully reported.
This study aimed to describe clinical characteristics and clinical course of ICU COVID-19 patients, and to determine risk factors for ICU mortality of COVID-19 patients.
Prospective, multicentre, cohort study that enrolled critically ill COVID-19 patients admitted into 30 ICUs from Spain and Andorra. Consecutive patients from March 12
to May 26
, 2020 were enrolled if they had died or were discharged from ICU during the study period. Demographics, symptoms, vital signs, laboratory markers, supportive therapies, pharmacological treatments, medical and infectious complications were reported and compared between deceased and discharged patients.
A total of 663 patients were included. Overall ICU mortality was 31% (203 patients). At ICU admission non-survivors were more hypoxemic SpO
with non-rebreather mask, 90 (IQR 83 to 93) vs. 91 (IQR 87 to 94); P<.001 and with higher sequential organ failure assessment score SOFA, 7 (IQR 5 to 9) vs. 4 (IQR 3 to 7); P<.001. Complications were more frequent in non-survivors: acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) (95% vs. 89%; P=.009), acute kidney injury (AKI) (58% vs. 24%; P<10
), shock (42% vs. 14%; P<10
), and arrhythmias (24% vs. 11%; P<10
). Respiratory super-infection, bloodstream infection and septic shock were higher in non-survivors (33% vs. 25%; P=.03, 33% vs. 23%; P=.01 and 15% vs. 3%, P=10
), respectively. The multivariable regression model showed that age was associated with mortality, with every year increasing risk-of-death by 1% (95%CI: 1 to 10, P=.014). Each 5-point increase in APACHE II independently predicted mortality OR: 1.508 (1.081, 2.104), P=.015. Patients with AKI OR: 2.468 (1.628, 3.741), P<10
), cardiac arrest OR: 11.099 (3.389, 36.353), P=.0001, and septic shock OR: 3.224 (1.486, 6.994), P=.002 had an increased risk-of-death.
Older COVID-19 patients with higher APACHE II scores on admission, those who developed AKI grades ii or iii and/or septic shock during ICU stay had an increased risk-of-death. ICU mortality was 31%.
The release of new olive cultivars with an increased squalene content in their virgin olive oil is considered an important target in olive breeding programs. In this work, the variability of the ...squalene content in a core collection of 36 olive cultivars was first studied, revealing two olive cultivars, 'Dokkar' and 'Klon-14', with extremely low and high squalene contents in their oils, respectively. Next, four cDNA sequences encoding squalene synthases (SQS) were cloned from olive. Sequence analysis and functional expression in bacteria confirmed that they encode squalene synthases. Transcriptional analysis in distinct olive tissues and cultivars indicated that expression levels of these four SQS genes are spatially and temporally regulated in a cultivar-dependent manner and pointed to OeSQS2 as the gene mainly involved in squalene biosynthesis in olive mesocarp and, therefore, in the olive oil. In addition, the biosynthesis of squalene appears to be transcriptionally regulated in water-stressed olive mesocarp.
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IJS, KILJ, NUK, PNG, UL, UM, UPUK
The current economic crisis is increasingly affecting the public sector, requiring stricter control of deficits, and local administrations are not exempt from these requirements. Therefore, it is ...essential to consider management forms that may produce cost savings in the provision of public services. In this article we propose an evaluation of municipal waste collection and disposal services to determine whether single/joint or public/private municipal service provision, together with other factors including quality, political aspects, and the socio‐economic environment, most contribute to reducing costs. The results obtained for the period 2002–08 show that joint management (inter‐municipal cooperation) and public management (in relation to single and private management systems, respectively) have a greater effect on reducing the costs of this service. Thus, small and medium‐sized local authorities can identify formulas for reducing costs and thus be in a better position to overcome the economic crisis.
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BFBNIB, FZAB, GIS, IJS, IZUM, KILJ, NLZOH, NUK, ODKLJ, OILJ, PILJ, SAZU, SBCE, SBMB, UL, UM, UPUK
Summary
Background
Suboptimal response to ursodeoxycholic acid occurs in 40% of primary biliary cholangitis (PBC) patients, affecting survival. Achieving a deep response (normalisation of alkaline ...phosphatase ALP and bilirubin ≤0.6 upper limit of normal) improves survival. Yet, the long‐term effectiveness of second‐line treatments remains uncertain.
Aims
To evaluate the long‐term effectiveness of obeticholic acid (OCA) ± fibrates. Focusing on biochemical response (ALP ≤1.67 times the upper limit of normal, with a decrease of at least 15% from baseline and normal bilirubin levels), normalisation of ALP, deep response and biochemical remission (deep response plus aminotransferase normalisation).
Methods
We conducted a longitudinal, observational, multicentre study involving ursodeoxyccholic acid non‐responsive PBC patients (Paris‐II criteria) from Spain and Portugal who received OCA ± fibrates.
Results
Of 255 patients, median follow‐up was 35.1 months (IQR: 20.2–53). The biochemical response in the whole cohort was 47.2%, 61.4% and 68.6% at 12, 24 and 36 months. GLOBE‐PBC and 5‐year UK‐PBC scores improved (p < 0.001). Triple therapy (ursodeoxycholic acid plus OCA plus fibrates) had significantly higher response rates than dual therapy (p = 0.001), including ALP normalisation, deep response and biochemical remission (p < 0.001). In multivariate analysis, triple therapy remained independently associated with biochemical response (p = 0.024), alkaline phosphatase normalisation, deep response and biochemical remission (p < 0.001). Adverse effects occurred in 41.2% of cases, leading to 18.8% discontinuing OCA. Out of 55 patients with cirrhosis, 12 developed decompensation. All with baseline portal hypertension.
Conclusion
Triple therapy was superior in achieving therapeutic goals in UDCA‐nonresponsive PBC. Decompensation was linked to pre‐existing portal hypertension.
Longitudinal, real‐world study on 255 UDCA‐nonresponsive PBC patients (Per Paris II criteria); median follow‐up of 35.1 months (IQR: 20–53). All patients received obeticholic acid (OCA), with 25% receiving later add‐on fibrate treatment (triple therapy). In multivariate analysis, triple therapy outperformed dual therapy across all surrogate biochemical endpoints of outcomes.
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BFBNIB, FZAB, GIS, IJS, KILJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, SBCE, SBMB, UL, UM, UPUK
INTRODUCTIONSARS-CoV-2 was first detected in December 2019 in the Chinese city of Wuhan and has since spread across the world. At present, the virus has infected over 1.7 million people and caused ...over 100 000 deaths worldwide. Research is currently focused on understanding the acute infection and developing effective treatment strategies. In view of the magnitude of the epidemic, we conducted a speculative review of possible medium- and long-term neurological consequences of SARS-CoV-2 infection, with particular emphasis on neurodegenerative and neuropsychiatric diseases of neuroinflammatory origin, based on the available evidence on neurological symptoms of acute SARS-CoV-2 infection.DEVELOPMENTWe systematically reviewed the available evidence about the pathogenic mechanisms of SARS-CoV-2 infection, the immediate and lasting effects of the cytokine storm on the central nervous system, and the consequences of neuroinflammation for the central nervous system.CONCLUSIONSSARS-CoV-2 is a neuroinvasive virus capable of triggering a cytokine storm, with persistent effects in specific populations. Although our hypothesis is highly speculative, the impact of SARS-CoV-2 infection on the onset and progression of neurodegenerative and neuropsychiatric diseases of neuroinflammatory origin should be regarded as the potential cause of a delayed pandemic that may have a major public health impact in the medium to long term. Cognitive and neuropsychological function should be closely monitored in COVID-19 survivors.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
•Eustressors are physical, chemical, and biological stress factors that might improve vegetables production.•Eustressors have shown to improve plant growth, quality and alleviate stresses.•Basic ...concepts on eustressors should be clarified to apply in horticulture for legislation purposes.•Physical eustressors deserves to be considered to enhance vegetables production.•Eustressors should regularly be used in vegetables production systems.
Worldwide plants are exposed to different biotic and abiotic stress factors limiting yield, growth, quality and performance. Agricultural and horticultural practices for food production aim at plant cultivation at minimized stress using different production systems either under protected or open field conditions. However, it is also possible to stress plants to enhance horticultural production. The theory of stress indicates a dose/response relationship between the strength and length of the stress factor (stressor) and the plant response. Plant responses to cope stress are triggered after recognition of a range of biological, chemical, and physical stressors. Slight doses of stressors might cause positive effects on plant performance (“positive stress” or eustress), whereas on the contrary, high doses provoke negative effects (“negative stress” or distress). Managed as eustress dose and lenght, an eustressor might stimulates the plant response in such a way that plant production and quality are improved. A myriad of literature has reported beneficial effects for the applications of biological (biostimulants/elicitors) and non-biological chemical eustressors in horticulture. However, physical eustressors have not been exhaustively studied in this sense. The present review aims at presenting the current status of the concepts, case studies and applications of eustressors in horticulture. Moreover, the review focuses on the necessity of exploring physical eustressors as stress factors that modulate and increase the quality of horticultural commodities.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
The long-term cardiovascular (CV) outcomes of COVID-19 have not been fully explored.
This was an international, multicenter, retrospective cohort study conducted between February and December 2020. ...Consecutive patients ≥18 years who underwent a real-time reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) for SARS-CoV2 were included. Patients were classified into two cohorts depending on the nasopharyngeal swab result and clinical status: confirmed COVID-19 (positive RT-PCR) and control (without suggestive symptoms and negative RT-PCR). Data were obtained from electronic records, and clinical follow-up was performed at 1-year. The primary outcome was CV death at 1-year. Secondary outcomes included arterial thrombotic events (ATE), venous thromboembolism (VTE), and serious cardiac arrhythmias. An independent clinical event committee adjudicated events. A Cox proportional hazards model adjusted for all baseline characteristics was used for comparing outcomes between groups. A prespecified landmark analysis was performed to assess events during the post-acute phase (31-365 days).
A total of 4,427 patients were included: 3,578 (80.8%) in the COVID-19 and 849 (19.2%) control cohorts. At one year, there were no significant differences in the primary endpoint of CV death between the COVID-19 and control cohorts (1.4% vs. 0.8%; HRadj 1.28 0.56-2.91; p = 0.555), but there was a higher risk of all-cause death (17.8% vs. 4.0%; HRadj 2.82 1.99-4.0; p = 0.001). COVID-19 cohort had higher rates of ATE (2.5% vs. 0.8%, HRadj 2.26 1.02-4.99; p = 0.044), VTE (3.7% vs. 0.4%, HRadj 9.33 2.93-29.70; p = 0.001), and serious cardiac arrhythmias (2.5% vs. 0.6%, HRadj 3.37 1.35-8.46; p = 0.010). During the post-acute phase, there were no significant differences in CV death (0.6% vs. 0.7%; HRadj 0.67 0.25-1.80; p = 0.425), but there was a higher risk of deep vein thrombosis (0.6% vs. 0.0%; p = 0.028). Re-hospitalization rate was lower in the COVID-19 cohort compared to the control cohort (13.9% vs. 20.6%; p = 0.001).
At 1-year, patients with COVID-19 experienced an increased risk of all-cause death and adverse CV events, including ATE, VTE, and serious cardiac arrhythmias, but not CV death.
URL: https://www.clinicaltrials.gov. Unique identifier: NCT04359927.
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DOBA, IZUM, KILJ, NUK, PILJ, PNG, SAZU, SIK, UILJ, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK
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