Chronic pain is associated with dysfunctional cortical excitability. Research has identified altered intracortical motor cortex excitability in Chronic Lower Back Pain (CLBP). However, research ...identifying the specific intracortical changes underlying CLBP has been met with inconsistent findings. In the present case–control study, we examined intracortical excitability of the primary motor cortex using transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) in individuals with CLBP. Twenty participants with CLBP (
M
age
= 54.45 years,
SD
age
= 15.89 years) and 18 age- and gender-matched, pain-free controls (
M
= 53.83,
SD
= 16.72) were included in this study. TMS was applied to the hand motor area of the right hemisphere and motor evoked potentials (MEPs) were recorded from the first dorsal interosseous muscle of the contralateral hand. Resting motor threshold (rMT) and MEP amplitude were measured using single-pulse stimulation. Short interval intracortical inhibition (SICI) and intracortical facilitation (ICF) were assessed using paired-pulse stimulation. Individuals with CLBP had significantly higher rMT (decreased corticospinal excitability) and lower ICF compared to controls. No significant differences were found in MEP amplitude and SICI. These findings add to the growing body of evidence that CLBP is associated with deficits in intracortical modulation involving glutamatergic mechanisms.
Many low-mass and extremely low-mass white-dwarf stars are currently being found in the field of the Milky Way. Motivated by this finding, we present a detailed nonadiabatic pulsation study of such ...stars, employing full evolutionary sequences of low-mass He-core pre-white dwarf models. Our pulsation stability analysis is based on a set of low-mass He-core pre-white dwarf models with masses ranging from 0.1554 to 0.2724 M, which were derived by computing the nonconservative evolution of a binary system consisting of an initially 1 M ZAMS star and a 1.4 M neutron star companion. We have considered models in which element diffusion is accounted for and also models in which it is neglected. Discoveries of additional members of this new class of pulsating stars and their analysis in the context of the theoretical background presented in this paper will shed new light on the evolutionary history of their progenitor stars.
The postweaning is recognized as one of the most challenging stages of pig growth that can affect their lifetime productivity. The aim of the study was to evaluate the inclusion of Saccharomyces ...cerevisiae var. boulardii RC009 and Pediococcus pentosaceus RC007 as a probiotic additive in pigs’ postweaning diets and its effect on meat composition, carcass characteristics, and fatty acids profile after slaughter. The following three treatments (550 animals each) were included: T1: control balanced diet (CD), T2: CD with S. boulardii RC009 (1 × 109 CFU/kg feed), and T3: CD with P. pentosaceus RC007 (1 × 109 CFU/kg feed). The additive was administered throughout the postweaning phase (49 d), and then the pigs were moved to a fattening house where they no longer received probiotics in the feed. At 115 ± 5 kg, the animals were transferred to the slaughterhouse. Analyses of carcass composition, muscle depth, protein content, total fat and ash, drip and cooking water loss, and fatty acids were performed. Pigs consuming the probiotic additives had improvements in some of the production parameters. According to our results, we could observe that some modifications in meat composition after slaughter were observed in the group of pigs that consumed the probiotic additives during the postweaning, which could be considered as an improvement in meat quality. Pigs consuming probiotics had higher percentages of essential omega-3 fatty acids such as linolenic acid, and pigs consuming S. cerevisiae var. boulardii RC009 increased lean percentage and reduced the eicosanoic contents in meat. Also, an improvement in water retention capacity was observed in both groups treated with probiotics. While these results are promising, further studies are needed to evaluate the possible effect of these additives closer to slaughter, as well as their combined use.
Aims.
Our main aims are to improve our understanding of the main properties of the radio source G316.8−0.1 (IRAS 14416−5937) where the DBS 89−90−91 embedded clusters are located, to identify the ...stellar population present in this region, and to study the interaction of these stars with the interstellar medium.
Methods.
We analyzed some characteristics of the G316.8−0.1 radio source, consulting the SUMSS to study the radio continuum emission at 843 MHz and the H I SGPS at 21 cm. We also used photometric data at the
JHK
bands in the region of DBS 89−90−91 clusters obtained from the VVV survey and supplemented with the 2MASS catalogue. Our investigation of possible stars associated with the H II region was complemented with an astrometric analysis using the
Gaia
Early Data Release 3. To study the young stellar objects (YSOs), we consulted the mid-infrared photometric information from WISE,
Spitzer
−GLIMPSE Surveys, and the MSX point source catalog.
Results.
The photometric and astrometric research carried out in the IRAS 14416−5937 region allowed us to improve our current understanding of the DBS 89−90−91 embedded clusters and their interaction with the interstellar medium. In the case of the cluster DBS 89, we identified 9 astrophotometric candidate members and 19 photometric candidate members, whereas for DBS 90−91 clusters we found 18 candidate photometric members. We obtained a distance value for DBS 89 linked to the radio source G316.8−0.1 of 2.9 ± 0.5 kpc. We also investigated 12 Class I YSO candidates, 35 Class II YSO candidates, 2 massive young stellar objects (MYSOs), and 1 compact ionized hydrogen (CHII) region distributed throughout the IRAS 14416−5937 region. Our analysis reveals that the G316.8−0.1 radio source is optically thin at frequencies ≥0.56 GHz. The H II regions G316.8−0.1−A and G316.8−0.1−B have similar radii and ionized hydrogen masses of ∼0.5 pc and ∼35
M
⊙
, respectively. The ionization parameter computed with the younger spectral types of adopted members of DBS 89 and DBS 90−91 clusters shows that they are able to generate the H II regions. The flux density of the H II region G316.8−0.1−B is lower than the flux density of the H II region G316.8−0.1−A.
Conclusions.
We carried out a photometric and astrometric study, looking for members of the DBS 89−90−91 embedded clusters. We were able to identify the earliest stars of the clusters as the main exciting sources of the G316.8−0.1 radio source and have also estimated the main physical parameters of this source. We improve the current knowledge of the stellar components present in the Sagittarius-Carina arm of our Galaxy and its interaction with the interstellar medium.
•SABR provides high rates of local control to lung oligometastases.•Local control of colorectal lung metastases seems lower compared to other tumors.•We identified predictive factors of SABR response ...and polymetastases development.•Predictive factors of local control are BED ≥125 Gy and lesion diameter ≤20 mm.•Having lesion >20 mm and 4–5 metastases predicted for a polymetastatic evolution.
Stereotactic ablative radiotherapy (SABR) has been shown to increase survival in oligometastatic disease, but local control of colorectal metastases remains poor. We aimed to identify potential predictive factors of SBRT response through a multicenter large retrospective database and to investigate the progression to the polymetastatic disease (PMD).
The study involved 23 centers, and was approved by the Ethical Committee (Prot. Negrar 2019-ZT). 1033 lung metastases were reported. Clinical and biological parameters were evaluated as predictive for freedom from local progression-free survival (FLP). Secondary end-point was the time to the polymetastatic conversion (tPMC).
Two-year FLP was 75.4%. Two-year FLP for lesions treated with a BED < 00 Gy, 100–124 Gy, and ≥125 Gy was 76.1%, 70.6%, and 94% (p = 0.000). Two-year FLP for lesion measuring ≤10 mm, 10–20 mm, and >20 mm was 79.7%, 77.1%, and 66.6% (p = 0.027). At the multivariate analysis a BED ≥125 Gy significantly reduced the risk of local progression (HR 0.24, 95%CI 0.11–0.51; p = 0.000). Median tPMC was 26.8 months. Lesions treated with BED ≥125 Gy reported a significantly longer tPMC as compared to lower BED. The median tPMC for patients treated to 1, 2–3 or 4–5 simultaneous oligometastases was 28.5, 25.4, and 9.8 months (p = 0.035).
The present is the largest series of lung colorectal metastases treated with SABR. The results support the use of SBRT in lung oligometastatic colorectal cancer patients as it might delay the transition to PMD or offer relatively long disease-free period in selected cases. Predictive factors were identified for treatment personalization.
To investigate the clinical outcome after intracoronary administration of autologous progenitor cells in patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI).
Using a double-blind, placebo-controlled ...multicentre trial design, we randomized 204 patients with successfully reperfused AMI to receive intracoronary infusion of bone-marrow-derived progenitor cells (BMCs) or placebo medium into the infarct artery 3-7 days after successful infarct reperfusion therapy. At 12 months, the pre-specified cumulative endpoint of death, myocardial infarction, or necessity for revascularization was significantly reduced in the BMC group compared with placebo (P=0.009). Likewise, the combined endpoint death, recurrence of myocardial infarction, and rehospitalization for heart failure was significantly (P=0.006) reduced in patients receiving intracoronary BMC administration. Intracoronary administration of BMC remained a significant predictor of a favourable clinical outcome by Cox regression analysis, adjusting for classical predictors of poor outcome after AMI.
Intracoronary administration of BMCs is associated with a significant reduction of the occurrence of major adverse cardiovascular events after AMI. Large-scale studies are warranted to confirm the effects of BMC administration on mortality and morbidity in patients with AMIs.
Landslides are natural hazards that can cause severe damage and loss of life. Optical cameras are a low-cost and high-resolution alternative among many monitoring systems, as their size and ...capabilities can vary, allowing for flexible implementation and location. Computer vision is a branch of artificial intelligence that can analyze and understand optical images, using techniques such as optical flow, image correlation and machine learning. The application of such techniques can estimate the motion vectors, displacement fields, providing valuable information for landslide detection, monitoring and prediction. However, computer vision also faces some challenges such as illumination changes, occlusions, image quality, and computational complexity. In this work, a computer vision approach based on Lucas-Kanade optical dense flow was applied to estimate the motion vectors between consecutive images obtained during landslide simulations in a laboratory environment. The approach is applied to two experiments that vary in their illumination and setup parameters to test its applicability. We also discuss the application of this methodology to images from Sentinel-2 satellite optical sensors for landslide monitoring in real-world scenarios.
Zika virus (ZIKV) is amosquito-borne flavivirus that emerged recently as a global health threat, causing a pandemic in the Americas. ZIKV infection mostly causes mild disease, but is linked to ...devastating congenital birth defects and Guillain-Barré syndrome in adults. The high level of cross-reactivity among flaviviruses and their cocirculation has complicated serological approaches to differentially detect ZIKV and dengue virus (DENV) infections, accentuating the urgent need for a specific and sensitive serological test. We previously generated a ZIKV nonstructural protein 1 (NS1)-specific human monoclonal antibody, which we used to develop an NS1-based competition ELISA. Well-characterized samples from RT-PCR-confirmed patients with Zika and individuals exposed to other flavivirus infections or vaccination were used in a comprehensive analysis to determine the sensitivity and specificity of the NS1 blockade-of-binding (BOB) assay, which was established in laboratories in five countries (Nicaragua, Brazil, Italy, United Kingdom, and Switzerland). Of 158 sera/plasma from RT-PCR-confirmed ZIKV infections, 145 (91.8%) yielded greater than 50% inhibition. Of 171 patients with primary or secondary DENV infections, 152 (88.9%) scored negative. When the control group was extended to patients infected by other flaviviruses, other viruses, or healthy donors (n = 540), the specificity was 95.9%. We also analyzed longitudinal samples from DENV-immune and DENVnaive ZIKV infections and found inhibition was achieved within 10 d postonset of illness and maintained over time. Thus, the Zika NS1 BOB assay is sensitive, specific, robust, simple, low-cost, and accessible, and can detect recent and past ZIKV infections for surveillance, seroprevalence studies, and intervention trials.
In this paper, we present an independent inference of the mass of the axion using the recent determination of the evolutionary cooling rate of R548, the DAV class prototype. We employ a ...state-of-the-art code which allows us to perform a detailed asteroseismological fit based on fully evolutionary sequences. Stellar cooling is the solely responsible of the rates of change of period with time (II) for the DAV class. We found that if the dominant period at 213.13 s in R548 is associated with a pulsation mode trapped in the hydrogen envelope, our models indicate the existence of additional cooling in this pulsating white dwarf, consistent with axions of mass m sub(a) cos super(2) beta ~ 17.1 meV at a 2sigma confidence level.
Corynebacterium ulcerans
is mainly known for its ability to cause animal infections. Some strains of
C. ulcerans
produce diphtheria toxin, which can cause life-threatening cardiopathies and ...neuropathies in humans. Human cutaneous
C. ulcerans
infection is a very rare disease that mimics classical cutaneous diphtheria. We present a very rare case of a
C. ulcerans
skin infection caused by a non-diphtheria toxin-producing strain of
C. ulcerans
that resolved after 3 weeks of therapy with amoxicillin–clavulanate. A pet cat was the probable source of infection. The presence of
C. ulcerans
in the mouth of the cat was confirmed by 16S rRNA gene analysis and the API Coryne system. In cases of human infection with potentially toxigenic corynebacteria, it is important to determine the species and examine the isolate for diphtheria toxin production. If toxigenicity is present, diphtheria antitoxin should be administered immediately. Carriers and potential infectious sources of
C. ulcerans
include not only domestic livestock but also pet animals. For the primary prevention of disease caused by diphtheria toxin-producing corynebacteria, vaccination with diphtheria toxoid is recommended.
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