The steady-state distribution function of neutral beam injection (NBI) fast ions is calculated numerically for the LHD and TJ-II stellarators using the code ISDEP (Integrator of Stochastic ...Differential Equations for Plasmas). ISDEP is an orbit code that solves the guiding centre motion of fast ions using Cartesian coordinates in position space, allowing arbitrary magnetic configurations and the re-entering of particles in the plasma. It takes into account collisions of fast ions with thermal ions and electrons using the Boozer and Kuo-Petravic collision operator. The steady-state distribution function is computed with a time integral following Green's function formalism for a time-independent source. The rotation profiles of the fast ions are also estimated, thus computing their contribution to the total plasma current. In addition, energy slowing down time and escape distribution are studied in detail for both devices.
The electrical mobility of mass-selected single poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) chains of mass m (<14 kDalton) and charge state z (+1 to +5) reveals a near-spherical shape above a critical mass m*(z) ∼ z ...2. The abrupt unfolding observed at m < m*(z) shows that the polymer molecules behave as liquid drops upon reaching the Rayleigh limit, with an apparent surface energy of 0.026 N/m at ion diameters from 1.7 to 3.2 nm. Other nonspherical shape families with structures independent of charge, and with charge-dependent stability domains, are observed. Highly charged ions adopt approximately linear highly stretched configurations where the mobility depends only on m/z, independently of z. An operational definition of the surface energy of a single long chain molecule that is computable and agrees with the measured surface energy is provided.
The Spanish Quality Assurance Program applied to the process of donation after brain death entails an internal stage consisting of a continuous clinical chart review of deaths in critical care units ...(CCUs) performed by transplant coordinators and periodical external audits to selected centers. This paper describes the methodology and provides the most relevant results of this program, with information analyzed from 206,345 CCU deaths. According to the internal audit, 2.3% of hospital deaths and 12.4% of CCU deaths in Spain yield potential donors (clinical criteria consistent with brain death). Out of the potential donors, 54.6% become actual donors, 26% are lost due to medical unsuitability, 13.3% due to refusals to donation, 3.1% due to maintenance problems and 3% due to other reasons. Although the national pool of potential donors after brain death has progressively decreased from 65.2 per million population (pmp) in 2001 to 49 pmp in 2010, the number of actual donors after brain death has remained at about 30 pmp. External audits reveal that the number of actual donors could be 21.6% higher if all potential donors were identified and preventable losses avoided. We encourage other countries to develop similar comprehensive approaches to deceased donation performance.
The Spanish Quality Assurance Program applied to the process of donation after brain death represents a systematic, continuous and sustainable approach for a comprehensive assessment of this process, allowing for the estimation of the potential of donation, the analysis of performance and the identification of areas for improvement.
This study investigated the role of cellular antioxidant defense mechanisms in modulating the neurotoxicity of domoic acid
(DomA), by using cerebellar granule neurons (CGNs) from mice lacking the ...modifier subunit of glutamate-cysteine ligase (Gclm).
Glutamate-cysteine ligase (Glc) catalyzes the first and rate-limiting step in glutathione (GSH) biosynthesis. CGNs from Gclm (-/-) mice have very low levels of GSH and are 10-fold more sensitive to DomA-induced toxicity than CGNs from Gclm (+/+) mice. GSH ethyl ester decreased, whereas the Gcl inhibitor buthionine sulfoximine increased DomA toxicity. Antagonists
of α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid/kainate receptors and of N -methyl- d -aspartate (NMDA) receptors blocked DomA toxicity, and NMDA receptors were activated by DomA-induced l -glutamate release. The differential susceptibility of CGNs to DomA toxicity was not due to a differential expression of ionotropic
glutamate receptors, as evidenced by similar calcium responses and l -glutamate release in the two genotypes. A calcium chelator and several antioxidants antagonized DomA-induced toxicity. DomA
caused a rapid decrease in cellular GSH, which preceded toxicity, and the decrease was primarily due to DomA-induced GSH efflux.
DomA also caused an increase in oxidative stress as indicated by increases in reactive oxygen species and lipid peroxidation,
which was subsequent to GSH efflux. Astrocytes from both genotypes were resistant to DomA toxicity and presented a diminished
calcium response to DomA and a lack of DomA-induced l -glutamate release. Because polymorphisms in the GCLM gene in humans are associated with low GSH levels, such individuals, as well as others with genetic conditions or environmental
exposures that lead to GSH deficiency, may be more susceptible to DomA-induced neurotoxicity.
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► The efflorescences of inside an abandoned Zn–Pb mine as newly formed mineral matrix. ► By their analysis we learned how the weathering processes affect the original mineral ...composition. ► Classification of founded minerals into two main groups: primary and secondary. ► Soluble ion migration may affect not only the mineral composition but also the groundwater. ► A first step in the knowledge of the environmental health assessment of our location.
Mining activities provide a good source of minerals of different nature. On the one hand, the primary minerals for whose formation a geological time-scale is required. On the other hand, secondary minerals, formed from removed products after the earlier weathering and alteration states. These are characteristic of the local geology and the environment context that commonly appears due to the low chemical stability of their original primary minerals. This work shows how quickly the reactions promoting secondary minerals may have taken place, due to the fact that these were found in newly formed solid materials called efflorescences. To achieve this purpose, the sampling is crucial. It was carried out in such a way that tried to guarantee that the samples collected consisted in the very top soil matter (first 2
cm depth). Thus, unlike the deeper soil, the material analysed may have been newly formed due to the interactions that they had with the place weathering agents (i.e. air oxygen, humidity, and microbial activities).
Raman spectroscopy has emerged as a good and fast non-destructive technique that provides molecular information of the local mineralogy without the need of any pre-treatment of the samples. At the same time, the work looked for information on the variety of non-stable lead and-or zinc containing minerals due to the possible health and environmental risks they convey. Among the different minerals identified, 16 were of primary nature while 23 may be classified as secondary minerals, probably formed in the last decades as the result of the extractive activities.
Average ranges of particulate matter (PM
10 and PM
2.5) concentrations and chemical composition in Spain show significant variations across the country, with current PM
10 levels at several ...industrial and traffic hotspots exceeding recommended pollution limits. Such variations and exceedances are linked to patterns of anthropogenic and natural PM emissions, climate, and reactivity/stability of particulate species. PM
10 and PM
2.5 concentrations reach 14–22
μg
PM
10
m
−3 and 8–12
μg
PM
2.5
m
−3 at most rural/regional background sites, 25–30
μg
PM
10
m
−3 and 15–20μg
PM
2.5
m
−3 at suburban sites, 30–46
μg
PM
10
m
−3 and 20–30
μg
PM
2.5
m
−3 at urban background and industrial sites, and 46–50
μg
PM
10
m
−3 and 30–35
μg
PM
2.5
m
−3 at heavy traffic hotpots. Spatial distributions show sulphate and carbon particle levels reach maxima in industrialised areas and large cities (where traffic emissions are higher), and nitrate levels increase from the Atlantic to the Mediterranean (independent of the regional NO
x
emissions). African dust outbreaks have an influence on the number of exceedances of the daily limit value, but its additional load on the mean annual PM
10 levels is only highly significant in Southern Iberia and Canary and Balearic islands. The marine aerosol contribution is near one order of magnitude higher in the Canaries compared to the other regions. Important temporal influences include PM intrusion events from Africa (more abundant in February–March and spring–summer), regional-scale pollution episodes, and weekday versus weekend activity. Higher summer insolation enhances (NH
4)
2SO
4 but depletes particulate NO
3
− (as a consequence of the thermal instability of ammonium nitrate in summer) and Cl
− (due to HCl volatilisation resulting from the interaction of gaseous HNO
3 with the marine NaCl), as well as generally increasing dry dust resuspension under a semi-arid climate. Average trace metal concentrations rise with the highest levels at industrial and traffic hotspots sites, in some cases (Ti, Cr, Mn, Cu, Zn, As, Sn, W, and Pb) exceeding rural background levels by over an order of magnitude.
Oral granulomatosis with polyangiitis a systematic review Labrador, Alberto J. Peraza; Valdez, Luciano H. M.; Marin, Nestor R. Gonzalez ...
Clinical and experimental dental research,
February 2023, Letnik:
9, Številka:
1
Journal Article
Recenzirano
Odprti dostop
Objective
Granulomatosis with polyangiitis is an unusual multisystemic inflammatory disease, with vasculitis of small‐ and medium‐sized vessels, with a predilection for upper lower airways and ...kidneys. The etiology remains unknown although it may originate from different stimuli, in genetically susceptible patients.
Materials and Methods
A detailed database search was performed. The variables were demographics, localization, histopathological findings, antineutrophil cytoplasmic autoantibody, cytoplasmic (c‐ANCA) tests, treatment, and follow‐up.
Results
Fifty‐two cases were identified; the mean age was 49.6 years, with a range from 6 to 87 years. It was most frequently seen in females (57.7%). The most common race was white (59.6%). The most frequent location was in the maxillary gingiva (28.8%), followed by both the upper and lower gingiva (19.2%). The most common clinical presentation was “strawberry gingivitis” (61.5%). The main symptom was pain, in 50%. Regarding the c‐ANCA test, it was positive in 71.2% of cases. The most common therapy was prednisone and cyclophosphamide, utilized in 51.9%. The average follow‐up was 23.6 months, and 88.5% of patients were still alive at follow‐up.
Conclusion
The diagnosis initially was difficult to establish, an early diagnosis and treatment are mandatory. If untreated the disease can be associated with morbidity and mortality. For the oral clinician, this disease needs to be addressed in the differential diagnosis of oral lesions.
The aim of this study was to define the dendrometric and dasometric parameters of five Mediterranean bushy plant species, to make their environmental assessment and to determine correlations with ...LIDAR data. The species studied were:
Quercus coccifera,
Rosmarinus officinalis,
Ulex parviflorus,
Cistus albidus, and
Erica multiflora. We calculated the global form factor for each species so as to be able to determine the volume of the plants by measuring their base diameter and length. The model volume closest to the real volume was the cylinder, which had form factor values of between 0.8 and 2.33. We also studied the evolution of the moisture content of the vegetation after cutting. The initial values were from 20 to 30%, with a dry density of 1
t/m
3. We defined an occupation factor to determine the relationship between the real volume occupied by the plants in an area and a model volume (hemisphere, paraboloid, cone, and cylinder). The occupation factor was similar for the five species studied in dm
3 of material per m
3 of (model) apparent volume: 3.5
dm
3/m
3 for the cylinder; 12.5
dm
3/m
3 for the cone; 8.5
dm
3/m
3 for the paraboloid; and 14.5
dm
3/m
3 for the hemisphere. These factors enabled us to calculate the biomass contained in an apparent volume of bushes (including materials and hollows) by density. The prediction models tested in this study will thus serve to determine the biomass of a bushy forest area when the Canopy Height Model (CHM) is calculated from LIDAR data.
Novel predictors of prognosis and treatment response for prostate cancer (PCa) are required to better individualize treatment. Single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in four genes directly (XRCC5 ...(X-ray repair complementing defective repair in Chinese hamster cells 5) and XRCC6 (X-ray repair complementing defective repair in Chinese hamster cells 6)) or indirectly (PARP1 and major vault protein (MVP)) involved in non-homologous end joining were examined in 494 Spanish PCa patients.
A total of 22 SNPs were genotyped in a Biotrove OpenArray NT Cycler. Clinical tumor stage, diagnostic PSA serum levels and Gleason score at diagnosis were obtained for all participants. Genotypic and allelic frequencies were determined using the web-based environment SNPator.
(XRCC6) rs2267437 appeared as a risk factor for developing more aggressive PCa tumors. Those patients carrying the GG genotype were at higher risk of developing bigger tumors (odds ratio (OR)=2.04, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.26-3.29, P=0.004), present higher diagnostic PSA levels (OR=2.12, 95% CI 1.19-3.78, P=0.011), higher Gleason score (OR=1.65, 95% CI 1.01-2.68, P=0.044) and D'Amico higher risk tumors (OR=2.38, 95% CI 1.24-4.58, P=0.009) than those patients carrying the CC/CG genotypes. Those patients carrying the (MVP) rs3815824 TT genotype were at higher risk of presenting higher diagnostic PSA levels (OR=4.74, 95% CI 1.40-16.07, P=0.013) than those patients carrying the CC genotype. When both SNPs were analyzed in combination, those patients carrying the risk genotypes were at higher risk of developing D'Amico higher risk tumors (OR=3.33, 95% CI 1.56-7.17, P=0.002).
We believe that for the first time, genetic variants at XRCC6 and MVP genes are associated with risk of more aggressive disease, and would be taken into account when assessing the malignancy of PCa.
Salt‐detached gravity gliding/spreading systems having a rugose base‐of‐salt display complex strain patterns. However, little was previously known about how welding of supra‐salt minibasins to the ...sub‐salt may influence both the downslope translation of minibasins on salt‐detached slopes and the regional pattern of supra‐salt strain. Using a regional 3D seismic reflection data set, we examine a large salt‐stock canopy system with a rugose base on the northern Gulf of Mexico slope, on which minibasins both subside and translate downslope. Some minibasins are welded at their bases and others are not. We suggest that basal welds obstruct downslope translation of minibasins and control regional patterns of supra‐canopy strain. The distribution of strain above the canopy is complex and variable. Each minibasin that becomes obstructed modifies the local strain field, typically developing a zone of shortening immediately updip and an extensional breakaway zone immediately downdip of the obstructed minibasin. This finding is corroborated by observations from a physical sandbox model of minibasin obstruction. We also find in our natural example that minibasins can be obstructed to different degrees, ranging from severe (e.g., caught in a feeder) to mild (e.g., welded to a flat or gently dipping base‐of‐salt). By mapping both the presence of obstructed minibasins and the relative degree of minibasin obstruction, we provide an explanation for the origin of complex 3‐D strain fields on a salt‐detached slope and, potentially, a mechanism that explains differential downslope translation of minibasins. In minibasin‐rich salt‐detached slope settings, our results may aid: i) structural restorations and regional strain analyses; ii) prediction of subsalt relief in areas of poor seismic imaging; and iii) prediction of stress fields and borehole stability. Our example is detached on allochthonous salt and where the base‐of‐salt is rugose, with the findings applicable to other such systems worldwide (e.g., Gulf of Mexico; Scotian Margin, offshore eastern Canada). However, our findings are also applicable to systems where the salt is autochthonous but has significant local basal relief (e.g., Santos Basin, Brazil; Kwanza Basin, Angola).
In the early stages of margin development when minibasins are relatively thin and do not interact with the base‐of‐salt relief, the strain pattern on the salt‐detached slope is expected to be relatively simple. In contrast, later in margin development, when minibasins are thick enough such that their bases weld to the rugose base‐of‐salt, they become obstructed. During the latter stage a more complex strain pattern develops, with shortening strains typically developed immediately upslope of each obstructed minibasin and an extensional breakaway developed immediately downslope. In this paper, we propose that minibasin obstruction exerts a first‐order control on the mobility of minibasins and the pattern of supra‐salt strain.
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