One of the challenges posed by renewable energies is the stabilization of parameters related to the quality of electrical energy. This study demonstrates the existence of a relationship between input ...blocks of hydropower and the variation of the fundamental frequency of the electricity grid. By mapping production data provided by the Spanish Electric Network with frequency measured in the laboratory, it is shown that gradients of hydropower are correlated with frequency fluctuations for certain characteristic times. Considering hourly instances of energy input, the study compares two methods for calculating hydropower gradients (linear regression and pseudo-linear regression) and two methods for calculating local frequency extrema (the “specular inertia” method and analysis by comparison with the moving average) in order to corroborate the results.
Stress control as well as other psychological characteristics influence sports performance (SP) and could be relevant according to the playing position in team sports, such as the futsal where ...players have different specific functions within the team. The aim of this study was to analyze the psychological characteristics and profile related to SP of top-level young futsal players, according to the offensive or defensive role. A total of one hundred sixty-seven young promises futsal players participated in this study (84 U16 and 83 U19) and have been chosen to play Championship of Spain Selections. The Psychological Characteristics related to SP for soccer players Questionnaire was used, and one-way ANOVA test was performed based on the playing position (goalkeeper, defender and defender-wing, wing and wing-defender, pivot and wing-pivot, and universal). Results showed that goalkeepers had the best psychological profile and characteristics related to SP. Pivots and wing-pivots had less self-confidence, and universals players, less stress control in relation to the rest of the playing positions (p < 0.05). The main findings revealed that the psychological characteristics and profile related to SP in young promises futsal players are different according to the playing position, and this study suggest the inclusion of psychological-training programs in order to improve the psychological abilities of players, especially for players with offensive role who seek to score goals.
Sarcoidosis is a multisystem chronic inflammatory disease of unknown etiology, characterized by non-caseating granulomas. Sarcoidosis has the potential to involve every tissue in the body, which ...mainly affect the lymphatic system and lungs; gastrointestinal system, and particularly the colon, is an extremely rare location. We report the case of a 64-year-old male with history of pulmonary and cutaneous sarcoidosis diagnosed with neoplasm in the hepatic flexure of the colon and a polyp with high-grade dysplasia in the transverse colon by colonoscopy after a positive fecal occult blood test. The case was presented to a multidisciplinary committee and it was decided to perform a total laparoscopic colectomy and ileorectal anastomosis with histopathological evidence of infiltrating adenocarcinoma and intestinal sarcoidosis with non-caseating granulomas in the appendix, terminal ileum, colon and locoregional lymph nodes. The relationship between colon cancer and sarcoidosis is controversial, with studies showing a possible increased risk of cancer in patients with sarcoidosis, relating it to the chronic proinflammatory state of the disease. In these cases, lymph node involvement is especially important when assessing tumor extension studies, and may lead to changes in staging and, as a consequence, in the therapeutic approach.
Positive allosteric modulation of α7 isoform of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (α7‐nAChRs) is emerging as a promising therapeutic approach for central nervous system disorders such as ...schizophrenia or Alzheimer's disease. However, its effect on Ca2+ signaling and cell viability remains controversial. This study focuses on how the type II positive allosteric modulator (PAM II) PNU120596 affects intracellular Ca2+ signaling and cell viability. We used human SH‐SY5Y neuroblastoma cells overexpressing α7‐nAChRs (α7‐SH) and their control (C‐SH). We monitored cytoplasmic and endoplasmic reticulum (ER) Ca2+ with Fura‐2 and the genetically encoded cameleon targeting the ER, respectively. Nicotinic inward currents were measured using patch‐clamp techniques. Viability was assessed using methylthiazolyl blue tetrazolium bromide or propidium iodide staining. We observed that in the presence of a nicotinic agonist, PNU120596 (i) reduced viability of α7‐SH but not of C‐SH cells; (ii) significantly increased inward nicotinic currents and cytosolic Ca2+ concentration; (iii) released Ca2+ from the ER by a Ca2+‐induced Ca2+ release mechanism only in α7‐SH cells; (iv) was cytotoxic in rat organotypic hippocampal slice cultures; and, lastly, all these effects were prevented by selective blockade of α7‐nAChRs, ryanodine receptors, or IP3 receptors. In conclusion, positive allosteric modulation of α7‐nAChRs with the PAM II PNU120596 can lead to dysregulation of ER Ca2+, overloading of intracellular Ca2+, and neuronal cell death.
This study focuses on how the type II positive allosteric modulator PNU120596 (PAM II PNU12) affects intracellular Ca2+ signaling and cell viability. Using SH‐SY5Y neuroblastoma cells overexpressing α7‐nAChRs (α7‐SH) and their control (C‐SH), we find that PAM of α7‐nAChRs with PNU120596: (i) increases inward calcium current (ICa) and cytosolic Ca2+ concentration (Ca2+cyt); (ii) releases Ca2+ from the ER (Ca2+ER) by a Ca2+‐induced Ca2+ release mechanism; and (iv) reduces cell viability. These findings were corroborated in rat hippocampal organotypic cultures. Ca2+cyt, cytosolic Ca2+ concentration; Ca2+ER, endoplasmic reticulum Ca2+ concentration; α7 nAChR, α7 isoform of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors; α7‐SH, SH‐SY5Y stably overexpressing α7 nAChRs cells; C‐SH, control SH‐SY5Y cells; Nic, nicotine; PNU12, PNU120596.
This study focuses on how the type II positive allosteric modulator PNU120596 (PAM II PNU12) affects intracellular Ca2+ signaling and cell viability. Using SH‐SY5Y neuroblastoma cells overexpressing α7‐nAChRs (α7‐SH) and their control (C‐SH), we find that PAM of α7‐nAChRs with PNU120596: (i) increases inward calcium current (ICa) and cytosolic Ca2+ concentration (Ca2+cyt); (ii) releases Ca2+ from the ER (Ca2+ER) by a Ca2+‐induced Ca2+ release mechanism; and (iv) reduces cell viability. These findings were corroborated in rat hippocampal organotypic cultures. Ca2+cyt, cytosolic Ca2+ concentration; Ca2+ER, endoplasmic reticulum Ca2+ concentration; α7 nAChR, α7 isoform of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors; α7‐SH, SH‐SY5Y stably overexpressing α7 nAChRs cells; C‐SH, control SH‐SY5Y cells; Nic, nicotine; PNU12, PNU120596.
We evaluated the expression of the neural markers, neuron-specific enolase, and synaptophysin, as a tool to confirm the diagnosis of retinoblastoma (RB) in undifferentiated and advanced tumors. ...Additionally, we determined whether the extent of RB-associated protein (pRb) expression is helpful in assessing the prognosis in RB patients.
Conventional whole tissue section and tissue microarray immunohistochemistry for neuron-specific enolase, synaptophysin, and pRb were carried out in a series of 22 RBs.
Neuron-specific enolase and synaptophysin were expressed in 75%-100% of the tumor cells, and the staining intensity was strong. Two RBs expressed pRb in 75%-100% of the tumor cells, also with strong staining intensity. Concordance between the immunohistochemical outcomes for whole tissue staining and tissue microarray staining was 76.2% for neuron-specific enolase, 85.7% for synaptophysin, and 80.0% for pRb.
Neuron-specific enolase and synaptophysin have the potential to be useful markers for the diagnosis of RBs. Extensive and strong pRb staining is not associated with less aggressive tumor behavior according to the pathologic classification of RBs.
Purpose
The prevalence of postoperative hypoparathyroidism has been studied in registries and in surgical series with highly variable and imprecise results. However, the frequency of this hormonal ...deficiency in the clinical practice of endocrinologists is not known with accuracy. We aimed to assess the prevalence and risk factors of hypoparathyroidism in patients undergoing total thyroidectomy in Spain.
Methods
We designed a retrospective, multicentre and nation-wide protocol including all patients with total thyroidectomy who were seen in the endocrinology clinic of the participant centers from January to March 2018. Prevalence of hypoparathyroidism was evaluated at discharge of surgery, 3–6 months after surgery, 12 months after surgery and at last visit. Twenty hospitals participated in the study.
Results
Of 1792 patients undergoing total thyroidectomy, 866 (48.3%) developed postoperative hypoparathyroidism at discharge of surgery. Most of them recover parathyroid function over time. Prevalence of hypoparathyroidism at 3–6 months, 12 months and at last visit was 22.9%, 16.7% and 14.5%, respectively. The risk of developing definitive hypoparathyroidism was related to the presence of parathyroid tissue at histology, lymph node dissection, and two-stage thyroidectomy. Patients with thyroid cancer, with higher postoperative calcium levels and treated by expert surgical teams exhibited lower risk of developing permanent hypoparathyroidism.
Conclusions
Although most patients with postsurgical hypoparathyroidism recover parathyroid function, the prevalence of permanent disease in clinical practice is non negligible (14.5%). Postoperative calcium, extent and timing of surgery, the presence of cancer, expert surgical team, and parathyroid tissue at histology are predictors of permanent hypoparathyroidism.
Precipitation extremes such as heavy rainfall and floods are of great interest for climate scientists, particularly for small islands vulnerable to weather phenomena such as hurricanes. In this ...study, we investigated the spatio-temporal evolution of extreme rainfall over Cuba from 1980 to 2019, separating the dry and rainy periods. In addition, a ranking of extreme precipitation events was performed, which provides the number of events, the area affected, and a ranking of their magnitude by considering the magnitude of anomalies. The analysis was conducted using daily data from the multi-source weighted-ensemble precipitation (MSWEPv2). In determining the extreme precipitation ranking, the daily extreme precipitation anomaly was calculated with respect to the 95th percentile climatological distribution, giving a measure of the rarity of the event for each day and each grid point. For a more detailed analysis regarding the ranking, a separation was made by regions applying the K-mean methodology. The months belonging to the rainy period of the year presented the highest amount of precipitation above the 95th percentile compared to results obtained for the dry period. Of the six months belonging to the cyclonic season, in five of them Cuba was affected, directly or indirectly, by a tropical cyclone. The years 1982–83 and 1998 presented the highest-ranking value for the dry and rainy periods, respectively. Moreover, a trend analysis revealed an increase in the trend of occurrence of extreme events and a decrease in the percentage of the area affected. The analysis by regions showed a similar behavior to that carried out for all of Cuba. It was found that the warm phase of the ENSO events influenced approximately ~22% of the occurrence of extreme events for both periods.
Patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) suffer with age an early immunosenescence process, which influence the treatment response and increase the risk of infections. We explored whether lipid-specific ...oligoclonal IgM bands (LS-OCMB) associated with highly inflammatory MS modify the immunological profile induced by age in MS. This cross-sectional study included 263 MS patients who were classified according to the presence (M+, n=72) and absence (M-, n=191) of LS-OCMB. CSF cellular subsets and molecules implicated in immunosenescence were explored. In M- patients, aging induced remarkable decreases in absolute CSF counts of CD4+ and CD8+ T lymphocytes, including Th1 and Th17 cells, and of B cells, including those secreting TNF-alpha. It also increased serum anti-CMV IgG antibody titers (indicative of immunosenescence) and CSF CHI3L1 levels (related to astrocyte activation). In contrast, M+ patients showed an age-associated increase of TIM-3 (a biomarker of T cell exhaustion) and increased values of CHI3L1, independently of age. Finally, in both groups, age induced an increase in CSF levels of PD-L1 (an inductor of T cell tolerance) and activin A (part of the senescence-associated secretome and related to inflammaging). These changes were independent of the disease duration. Finally, this resulted in augmented disability. In summary, all MS patients experience with age a modest induction of T-cell tolerance and an activation of the innate immunity, resulting in increased disability. Additionally, M- patients show clear decreases in CSF lymphocyte numbers, which could increase the risk of infections. Thus, age and immunological status are important for tailoring effective therapies in MS.
Introduction
Endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) has become the treatment of choice for early gastric malignancies. In recent years, the ESD technique has been implemented in Western countries ...with increasing use.
Objectives
To describe the results of gastric ESD in a Western country with a low incidence of gastric cancer.
Patients and Methods
The prospective national registry was conducted over 4 years in 23 hospitals, including 30 endoscopists. Epithelial and subepithelial lesions (SEL) qualified to complete removal with ESD were assessed. The technique, instruments, and solution for submucosal injection varied at the endoscopist's discretion. ESD was defined as difficult when: en‐bloc resection was not achieved, had to be converted to a hybrid resection, lasted more than 2 h or an intraprocedural perforation occurred. Additionally, independent risk factors for difficult ESD were analyzed.
Results
Two hundred and thirty gastric ESD in 225 patients were performed from January 2016 to December 2019 (196 epithelial and 34 SEL). Most lesions were located in the lower stomach (111; 48.3%). One hundred and twenty‐eight (55.6%) ESD were considered difficult. The median procedure time was 105 min (interquartile range IQR: 60–150). The procedure time for SEL was shorter than for epithelial lesions (90 min 45–121 vs. 110 min 62–160; p = 0.038). En‐bloc, R0, and curative resection rates were 91.3%, 75.2%, and 70.9%, respectively. Difficult ESD had lower R0 resection rates than ESD that did not meet the difficulty criteria (64.8% and 87.6%; p = 0.000, respectively). Fibrosis and poor maneuverability were independent factors associated with difficult ESD (OR 3.6, 95%CI 1.1–11.74 and OR 5.07, 95%CI 1.6–16.08; respectively).
Conclusions
Although the number of cases is limited, the results of this analysis show acceptable en‐bloc and R0 rates in gastric ESD considering the wide variability in experience among the operators. Fibrosis and poor maneuverability were associated with more difficulty in completing ESD.
Key Summary
Summarize the established knowledge on this subject
Endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) is the standard of care for treatment of early gastric cancers (GC). Due to a lower incidence of GC in European countries, the introduction of gastric ESD has been more gradual than in the East.
ESD complications, technical and clinical success depend on the endoscopist's experience, the presence of submucosal fibrosis or invasive cancer, and poor access location.
What are the significant and/or new findings of this study?
This study shows the results from a prospective nationwide registry of gastric ESD in a low GC incidence country. Despite a relative low number of cases, quite acceptable outcomes (en‐bloc, R0 and curative resection of 91.3%, 75.2% and 70.9%, respectively) were observed considering the wide variability in experience among the operators.
Difficult ESD were mainly associated with the presence of submucosal fibrosis and poor maneuverability; however, independent pre‐procedural factors were not identified. There was a trend of association between ESD difficulty and the location of the lesion in the upper/middle stomach
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