Abstract A methodology for the simulation of ultra-peripheral collisions, specifically ultra-relativistic heavy ion 197Au-197Au and p-208Pb collisions, is developed. First, the fluxes of virtual ...photons as a function of the photon energy and the impact parameter are obtained using the Method of Weizsäcker-Williams. Then, the processes induced by photons in photon-hadron collisions γ+Au, γ+p and γ+Pb are simulated, neglecting the photon-photon contribution. The model is implemented in the code CRISP (Collaboration Rio-Sao Paulo), specifically designed for simulations of the nuclear environment. Cross-section, differential cross-section, multiplicity, invariant mass spectrum, angular distribution and p T distribution in 197Au-197Au and p-208Pb collisions are obtained, and a comparison with experimental data is accomplished in order to validate the model.
A methodology for the simulation of ultra-peripheral collisions, specifically ultra-relativistic heavy ion 197Au-197Au and p-208Pb collisions, is developed. First, the fluxes of virtual photons as a ...function of the photon energy and the impact parameter are obtained using the Method of Weizsäcker-Williams. Then, the processes induced by photons in photon-hadron collisions γ+Au, γ+p and γ+Pb are simulated, neglecting the photon-photon contribution. The model is implemented in the code CRISP (Collaboration Rio-Sao Paulo), specifically designed for simulations of the nuclear environment. Cross-section, differential cross-section, multiplicity, invariant mass spectrum, angular distribution and pT distribution in 197Au-197Au and p-208Pb collisions are obtained, and a comparison with experimental data is accomplished in order to validate the model.
To evaluate eosinopenia as an early marker of infection.
Retrospective cohort study.
Medical-surgical ICU patients with high severity scores.
Data on days 1-5: Demographic data, diagnosis, clinical ...repercussion, mechanical ventilation, clinical development, length of stay, APACHE II, leukocytes, SOFA and lactate. Patients divided into two groups: with and without infection. ROCs (receiver operator characteristic) curves were plotted and best point for discriminative values determined.
244 patients were included: 22.5% with infection. 52.9% medical, 22.5% surgical and 24.6% polytrauma patients. APACHE II: 14.9+/-8.9. In a logistic regression model of infection (dependent variable infection), the independent variables were: APACHE II, SOFA, monocytes and eosinophils. The ROC curve for eosinophils on the first day: area of 0.72; the best cut off value is 10 eosinophils/microl, with sensitivity (S): 64.8% and specificity (Sp): 70.9%. In medical patients, the area under curve is 0.80, with ideal cut off value of 9 eosinophils/microl; in surgical patients is 0.53, with a cut off ideal value of 54. We combined eosinophils and monocytes: a cut-off value of 9 eosinophils/microl in medical patients with >400 monocytes/microl, has: S: 86.7%, Sp: 74.7%, a positive predictive value (PPV) of 40.6% and a negative predictive value (NPV) 96.6%; in postsurgical patients with <400 monocytes/microl and a cut-off value of 54 eosinophils: S: 100%, Sp: 20%, PPV: 52.9% and NPV: 100%.
In a medical-surgical ICU, the capacity to discriminate infection through examining eosinopenia is not high. It could be useful to rule out infection if we combined eosinopenia with monocytes count.
The conservation of historical urban centres is an important resource to encourage liveability and sustainable development of cities in the context of global climate change. It is a complex process ...that serves diverse perspectives, among them is the thermal comfort. The paper analyze the contribution of street configuration towards the improvement of thermal comfort at pedestrian level, in the Old Town of Camagüey-Cuba (World Heritage Site, since 2008). Simulations performed are run for summer and winter solstices by using RayMan model. The urban settings are represented by symmetrical street canyons (380 m long, 9 m width), with different solar orientations (i.e. N–S, NE–SW, E–W, NW–SE) and aspect ratios (i.e. H/W = 0.5, 1, 1.5, 2, 3, 4, 5). Results are presented in terms of Physiologically Equivalent Temperature (PET). Our findings confirm that the spatial distribution of thermal conditions at street level, depend strongly on aspect ratio and street orientation. The results show extreme patterns of thermal comfort between N–S and E–W streets. Rotation to N–S orientation is a valid strategy to mitigate the heat stress in summer, with reductions of up to 2 h at the center of the street. Aspect ratios between 1 and 1.5 offer a quite acceptable thermal performance for summer and winter. PET patterns discussed give information about the most suitable locations for pedestrian within the street. The urban guidelines presented enable to urban planners rehabilitate and design cities, which are able to reduce the impact of thermal stress in hot-humid climates. The results could be included in the Urban Regulations of Camagüey.
•Liveability and sustainable development of urban centres in the context of global climate change.•The contribution of street configuration towards the improvement of human thermal comfort conditions.•Support to evaluate temporal-spatial distribution of extreme thermal conditions at pedestrian level.•Suitable spaces, uses of the street, and bioclimatic resources of design into urban canyons.•Urban guidelines to design cities, which are able to reduce the impact of thermal stress.
River barriers affect river dynamics and aquatic biota, altering the entire ecosystem. Nevertheless, dams and reservoirs provide goods like water supply and low-carbon energy that are becoming ...increasingly critical under current climate change. To know to what extent dams and reservoirs are important to the population, we explored social attitudes towards dams and reservoirs using a face-to-face questionnaire in two regions of contrasting climate and water security in Spain, a country with one of highest densities of dams in Europe. Results (N = 613) revealed a higher support for dams, mediated by the recognition of the services they provide, in the drier Mediterranean Malaga province (Andalusia), than in the wetter Atlantic Asturias province (Bay of Biscay), where water shortages are rare. Awareness of the impacts of the dams was more pronounced in Malaga, coupled with a higher willingness to pay for reconnecting rivers. Social awareness of both impacts and services provided by dams and reservoirs may depend on local climate and water security; different dam acceptance emphasizes the need to involve local citizens in the decision-making processes about water management.
Background Juvenile recurrent parotitis (JRP) is characterized by recurrent episodes of painful parotid swelling in children. The purpose of this systematic review was to determine the diagnostic and ...therapeutic effectiveness of sialendoscopy in children affected by JRP. Methods A systematic literature search was performed in PubMed, EMBASE, Scopus and the Cochrane Library until April 2022, without language restrictions or specified start date. Quality assessment was performed using the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS). Results Our review included 524 patients and 646 sialendoscopies. The sample sizes of the different studies ranged from 3 to 77 subjects. Most authors performed sialendoscopy under general anesthesia. The mean percentage of recurrences observed was 25.1% (95% confidence intervals) (CI 23.6-26.6). There was a statistically significant relationship between the number of attacks/year and recurrences (p < 0.05). The percentage of recurrences according to the type of irrigation/flushing used ranged from 22.2% to 25.2%, with no significant differences between the use of corticosteroids alone (25.2% of recurrences), corticosteroids plus antibiotics (25% of recurrences) or saline alone (22.2% of recurrences). Sialoendoscopy has proved in all cases to be a valid method for the diagnosis of JRP, but it does not allow a reliable differential diagnosis with other autoimmune parotitis such as Sjögren's syndrome. Conclusion According to our results, parotid sialoendoscopy was 74.9% effective as a primary treatment in the prevention of recurrent symptoms in JRP. The type of ductal irrigation used did not significantly influence the prognostic outcome. Keywords: Sialendoscopy, Juvenile recurrent parotitis, Sialadenitis, Salivary gland
Cannabinoids form a singular group of plant‐derived compounds, endogenous lipids and synthetic derivatives with multiple therapeutic effects exerted by targeting different elements of the ...endocannabinoid system. One of their therapeutic applications is the preservation of neuronal integrity exerted by attenuating the multiple neurotoxic events that kill neurons in neurodegenerative disorders. In this review, we will address the potential of cannabinoids as neuroprotective agents in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a devastating neurodegenerative disorder characterized by muscle denervation, atrophy and paralysis, and progressive deterioration in upper and/or lower motor neurons. The emphasis will be paid on the cannabinoid type 2 (CB2) receptor, whose activation limits glial reactivity, but the potential of additional endocannabinoid‐related targets will be also addressed. The evidence accumulated so far at the preclinical level supports the need to soon move towards the patients and initiate clinical trials to confirm the potential of cannabinoid‐based medicines as disease modifiers in ALS.
LINKED ARTICLES
This article is part of a themed issue on Neurochemistry in Japan. To view the other articles in this section visit http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/bph.v178.6/issuetoc
Background
Recurrent vulvovaginal candidiasis (RVVC) is an important and underestimated fungal infection.
Objective
We aimed to determine the fungicidal and proliferative capacities of neutrophils ...and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs), respectively and the clinical and microbiological characteristics of a cohort of Colombian patients diagnosed with RVVC.
Methods
A cross‐sectional study was conducted. A total of 66 women were included (40 diagnosed with RVVC and 26 healthy women HW). Demographic and clinical data were recorded. Vaginal fluid samples were obtained for isolation, identification and antifungal susceptibility testing of Candida species using selective culture media and the Vitek 2.0® system. Blood samples were also obtained to evaluate cell subpopulations; furthermore, neutrophils and PBMCs were isolated to determine their fungicidal and proliferative capacities, respectively.
Results
The median age was 29 (IQR: 34–23) for RVVC and 24 (IQR: 30–23) for HW. Only two species of the genus Candida were identified: Candida albicans (92.5%) and Candida lusitaniae (7.5%). Resistance to fluconazole, voriconazole, flucytosine and amphotericin B was observed on six C. albicans isolates and one C. lusitaniae isolate. Only the family history of vulvovaginal candidiasis was associated with RVVC occurrence. The RVVC group exhibited a significantly higher number of neutrophils but with lower fungicidal activity in comparison to HW; likewise, PBMCs from RVVC patients presented a lower proliferation index when stimulated with C. albicans.
Conclusion
Contrary to what has been reported worldwide, in Colombian patients with RVVC, C. albicans was the main isolated species without increased antifungal resistance. The diminished fungicidal and proliferative capacities of neutrophils and PBMCs, respectively, could suggest a possible alteration in the innate and adaptive immune responses.
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