This paper describes devices to extract α-cellulose from small whole wood samples developed at the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory Tree-Ring Lab and explains the procedures for chemical extractions ...and for the dual analysis of carbon (δ13C) and oxygen (δ18O) stable isotopes. Here, we provide the necessary steps and guidelines for constructing a cellulose extraction system for small amounts of wood and leaves. The system allows the simultaneous extraction of cellulose from 150 samples by means of in-house filter tubes, where chemicals used for the cellulose extraction are exchanged and eliminated in batches. This new implementation diminishes the processing time, minimizes physical sample manipulation and potential errors, increases sample throughput, and reduces the amount of chemicals and analytic costs. We also describe the dual measurement of δ13C and δ18O ratios in tree-ring cellulose using high-temperature pyrolysis in a High Temperature Conversion Elemental Analyzer (TC/EA) interfaced with a Thermo Delta V plus mass spectrometer.
Purpose: A systematic review of the research conducted on Cooperative Learning in Physical Education in the last 5 years (2014-2019). Method: Seven databases were used to select those articles that ...included information on the implementation of Cooperative Learning in the different educational stages. After the exclusion criteria, 15 articles were fully assessed based on eight criteria: (1) year and author; (2) country; (3) number of participants, educational level, and duration of implementation; (4) type of research; (5) curricular content; (6) purpose of the research; (7) most relevant results; and (8) learning environment. Results: Results showed how research focused more on secondary education, mainly in short-term interventions. Most studies used qualitative and/or mixed methods, and dealt evenly with sports, motor skills, and physical abilities, leaving body expression underrepresented. Regarding the goals of the studies, social learning was the most frequently assessed, focusing on motivation, group climate, and teacher-student interaction. Criticisms regarding the shortness of the experiences and their fragmentation can still be considered valid. Conclusion: This review can help researchers and practitioners conduct Cooperative Learning intervention programs in primary and secondary Physical Education. They must be rigorous when they claim that they implement this pedagogical model in schools.
Background
The inflammatory cascade is the main cause of death in COVID-19 patients. Corticosteroids (CS) and tocilizumab (TCZ) are available to treat this escalation but which patients to administer ...it remains undefined.
Objective
We aimed to evaluate the efficacy of immunosuppressive/anti-inflammatory therapy in COVID-19, based on the degree of inflammation.
Design
A retrospective cohort study with data on patients collected and followed up from March 1st, 2020, to May 1st, 2021, from the nationwide Spanish SEMI-COVID-19 Registry. Patients under treatment with CS vs. those under CS plus TCZ were compared. Effectiveness was explored in 3 risk categories (low, intermediate, high) based on lymphocyte count, C-reactive protein (CRP), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), ferritin, and
d
-dimer values.
Patients
A total of 21,962 patients were included in the Registry by May 2021. Of these, 5940 met the inclusion criteria for the present study (5332 were treated with CS and 608 with CS plus TCZ).
Main Measures
The primary outcome of the study was in-hospital mortality. Secondary outcomes were the composite variable of in-hospital mortality, requirement for high-flow nasal cannula (HFNC), non-invasive mechanical ventilation (NIMV), invasive mechanical ventilation (IMV), or intensive care unit (ICU) admission.
Key Results
A total of 5940 met the inclusion criteria for the present study (5332 were treated with CS and 608 with CS plus TCZ). No significant differences were observed in either the low/intermediate-risk category (1.5% vs. 7.4%,
p
=0.175) or the high-risk category (23.1% vs. 20%,
p
=0.223) after propensity score matching. A statistically significant lower mortality was observed in the very high–risk category (31.9% vs. 23.9%,
p
=0.049).
Conclusions
The prescription of CS alone or in combination with TCZ should be based on the degrees of inflammation and reserve the CS plus TCZ combination for patients at high and especially very high risk.
To evaluate and compare the ability of 3 protocols of Fourier-domain optical coherence tomography (OCT) to detect retinal thinning and retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) atrophy in patients with ...Parkinson's disease (PD) compared with healthy subjects. To test the intrasession reproducibility of RNFL thickness measurements in patients with PD and healthy subjects using the Cirrus (Carl Zeiss Meditec Inc., Dublin, CA) and Spectralis (Heidelberg Engineering, Inc., Heidelberg, Germany) OCT devices.
Observational, cross-sectional study.
Patients with PD (n = 75) and age-matched healthy subjects (n = 75) were enrolled.
All subjects underwent three 360-degree circular scans centered on the optic disc by the same experienced examiner using the Cirrus OCT instrument, the classic glaucoma application, and the new Nsite Axonal Analytics of the Spectralis OCT instrument.
Differences between the eyes of healthy subjects and the eyes of patients with PD were compared using the 3 protocols. The relationship between measurements provided by each OCT protocol was evaluated. Repeatability was studied by intraclass correlation coefficients and coefficients of variation.
Retinal nerve fiber layer atrophy was detected in eyes of patients with PD (P = 0.025, P=0.042, and P < 0.001) with the 3 protocols used, but the Nsite Axonal Analytics of the Spectralis OCT device was the most sensitive for detecting subclinical defects. In eyes of patients with PD, RNFL thickness measurements determined by the OCT devices were correlated, but they were significantly different between the Cirrus and Spectralis devices (P = 0.038). Reproducibility was good with all 3 protocols but better using the Glaucoma application of the Spectralis OCT device.
Fourier-domain OCT can be considered a valid and reproducible device for detecting subclinical RNFL atrophy in patients with PD, especially the Nsite Axonal Analytics of the Spectralis device. Retinal nerve fiber layer thickness measurements differed significantly between the Cirrus and Spectralis devices despite a high correlation of the measurements between the 2 instruments.
Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) is a malignant skin cancer with a 5-year survival rate of approximately 50%. Knowledge of MCC has increased in recent years mostly due to improved diagnosis techniques. In ...Spain there is lack of information regarding the incidence and tumour characteristics, and the treatment approaches are not standardised. The objective of this study was to provide information of the clinical and epidemiological characteristics of MCC patients in Spain.
Retrospective, observational study involving 192 patients from 25 Spanish hospitals. Evaluated variables included overall survival and incidence rate of Merkel cell polyomavirus, in patients diagnosed from 2012 to 2016.
The Spanish incidence rate was estimated 0.32/100,000 inhabitants/year, with variations according to geographical regions, being slightly higher in areas with greater sunlight exposure. In total, 61.5% of tumours showed expansive growth (progressive growth of the tumour), 78.6% showed localisation in UV-exposed skin. 97.4% of patients were diagnosed by excisional biopsy. Surgery was the first line treatment in 96.6% of patients, radiotherapy in 24.6%, and chemotherapy in 6.3%. These treatments were not mutually exclusive. Median overall survival was 38.3 months (78.4% at 12 months and 60% at 24 months). MCPyV was present in 33.8% of patients.
The incidence of MCC in Spain is one of the highest in Europe, with a slight predominance in men. The sample has shown that a biopsy is available for diagnosis in most cases. Moreover, the treatment is surgical when the tumour is localized and is associated with lymphadenectomy, and/or it is radiotherapy if widespread.
•The incidence of Merkel cell carcinoma in Spain is one of the highest in Europe.•Spanish incidence rate of Merkel cell carcinoma: 0.32/100,000 inhabitants/year.•Surgery was the first line treatment in 96.6% of the patients.•MCPyV incidence is in accordance to expected values regarding solar exposition.
Abstract
Background
Mechanical ventilation increases the risk of lung injury (VILI). Some authors propose that the way to reduce VILI is to find the threshold of driving pressure below which VILI is ...minimized. In this study, we propose a method to titrate the driving pressure to pulmonary elastance in an acute respiratory distress syndrome model using Young’s modulus and its consequences on ventilatory-induced lung injury.
Material and methods
20 Wistar Han male rats were used. After generating an acute respiratory distress syndrome, two groups were studied: (a) standard protective mechanical ventilation: 10 rats received 150 min of mechanical ventilation with driving pressure = 14 cm H
2
O, tidal volume < 6 mL/kg) and (b) individualized mechanical ventilation: 10 rats received 150 min of mechanical ventilation with an individualized driving pressure according to their Young’s modulus. In both groups, an individualized PEEP was programmed in the same manner. We analyzed the concentration of IL-6, TNF-α, and IL-1ß in BAL and the acute lung injury score in lung tissue postmortem.
Results
Global driving pressure was different between the groups (14 vs 11 cm H2O,
p
= 0.03). The individualized mechanical ventilation group had lower concentrations in bronchoalveolar lavage of IL-6 (270 pg/mL vs 155 pg/mL,
p
= 0.02), TNF-α (292 pg/mL vs 139 pg/mL,
p
< 0.01) and IL-1ß (563 pg/mL vs 131 pg/mL,
p
= 0.05). They presented lower proportion of lymphocytes (96% vs 79%,
p
= 0.05) as well as lower lung injury score (6.0 points vs 2.0 points,
p
= 0.02).
Conclusion
In our model, individualization of DP to pulmonary elastance through Young’s modulus decreases lung inflammation and structural lung injury without a significant impact on oxygenation.
In the Ossa Morena Domain of SW Iberia, the Calzadilla Ophiolite is formed by an ensemble of ultramafic and mafic rocks that seem to represent a fragment of an oceanic Moho transition zone. The ...ophiolite consists of a main sheet with a minimum thickness of c. 1000m and several ultramafic slices that appear imbricated with Ediacaran siliciclastic rocks of the so called Serie Negra. The mafic rocks of the Calzadilla Ophiolite show an extreme depletion in some HFSE such as Nb, Zr, Th, Hf and Ta, low TiO2 contents and high MgO, which allow identifying them as magmatic types of boninitic affinity, such as those frequently associated with fore-arc settings. U-Pb zircon dating of the gabbroic rocks suggests that the igneous protoliths crystallised at c. 600Ma and were extracted directly from the mantle, according to the juvenile isotopic sources revealed by the Hf isotopic composition of the dated zircons. At c. 540Ma the U-Pb isotopic system was affected by a partial resetting event with moderate generation of new zircon. According to these data, it is considered that the Calzadilla Ophiolite was formed in a supra-subduction zone setting, very likely in a fore-arc domain, during a roll-back episode affecting the peri-Gondwanan subductive slab. The fore-arc domain was probably proximal to the West Africa Craton. It is very likely that the ductile deformation, metamorphism and tectonic imbrication of the Calzadilla Ophiolite and the Serie Negra occurred at c. 540Ma, during an increase in the subduction rate and a significant decrease of the subduction angle of the oceanic slab. The information provided by the Calzadilla Ophiolite allows to better constrain the geodynamic evolution of the African margin of Gondwana.
Display omitted
•The Calzadilla Ophiolite (600Ma) is a fragment of an oceanic Moho transition zone.•The boninitic affinity of the mafic rocks suggests a supra-subduction zone setting.•This ophiolite reveals fore-arc activity developed in the African margin of Gondwana.
To evaluate the thickness of the 10 retinal layers in the paramacular area of patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) compared with healthy subjects using the new segmentation technology of spectral ...domain optical coherence tomography (OCT). To examine which layer has better sensitivity for detecting neurodegeneration in patients with MS.
Observational, cross-sectional study.
Patients with MS (n = 204) and age-matched healthy subjects (n = 138).
The Spectralis OCT system (Heidelberg Engineering, Inc., Heidelberg, Germany) was used to obtain automated segmentation of all retinal layers in a parafoveal scan in 1 randomly selected eye of each participant, using the new segmentation application prototype.
The thicknesses of 512 parafoveal points in the 10 retinal layers were obtained in each eye, and the mean thickness of each layer was calculated and compared between patients with MS and healthy subjects. The analysis was repeated, comparing patients with MS with and without previous optic neuritis. Correlation analysis was performed to evaluate the association between each retinal layer mean thickness, duration of disease, and functional disability in patients with MS. A logistic regression analysis was performed to determine which layer provided better sensitivity for detecting neurodegeneration in patients with MS.
All retinal layers, except the inner limiting membrane, were thinner in patients with MS compared with healthy subjects (P < 0.05). Greater effects were observed in the inner retinal layers (nerve fiber, ganglion cells, inner plexiform, and inner nuclear layers) of eyes with previous optic neuritis (P < 0.05). The retinal nerve fiber layer and ganglion cell layer thicknesses were inversely correlated with the functional disability score in patients with MS. The ganglion cell layer and inner plexiform layer thicknesses could predict axonal damage in patients with MS.
Analysis based on the segmentation technology of the Spectralis OCT revealed retinal layer atrophy in patients with MS, especially of the inner layers. Reduction of the ganglion cell and inner plexiform layers predicted greater axonal damage in patients with MS.
Augmented reality, augmented television and second screen are cutting edge technologies that provide end users extra and enhanced information related to certain events in real time. This enriched ...information helps users better understand such events, at the same time providing a more satisfactory experience. In the present paper, we apply this main idea to human-robot interaction (HRI), to how users and robots interchange information. The ultimate goal of this paper is to improve the quality of HRI, developing a new dialog manager system that incorporates enriched information from the semantic web. This work presents the augmented robotic dialog system (ARDS), which uses natural language understanding mechanisms to provide two features: (i) a non-grammar multimodal input (verbal and/or written) text; and (ii) a contextualization of the information conveyed in the interaction. This contextualization is achieved by information enrichment techniques that link the extracted information from the dialog with extra information about the world available in semantic knowledge bases. This enriched or contextualized information (information enrichment, semantic enhancement or contextualized information are used interchangeably in the rest of this paper) offers many possibilities in terms of HRI. For instance, it can enhance the robot's pro-activeness during a human-robot dialog (the enriched information can be used to propose new topics during the dialog, while ensuring a coherent interaction). Another possibility is to display additional multimedia content related to the enriched information on a visual device. This paper describes the ARDS and shows a proof of concept of its applications.
Canine leishmaniosis is frequently associated with the development of renal disease. Its pathogenesis is complex and not fully understood. For this reason, this study aimed to describe the urinary ...proteome, and identify possible new biomarkers in dogs with kidney disease secondary to leishmaniosis. Urine samples were collected from 20 dogs, 5 from healthy dogs, and 15 from stages Leishvet III and IV. Urine samples were analyzed by UHPLC–MS/MS. The data are available via ProteomeXchange with identifier PXD029165. A total of 951 proteins were obtained. After bioinformatic analysis, 93 urinary proteins were altered in the study group. Enrichment analysis performed on these proteins showed an overrepresentation of the complement activation pathway, among others. Finally, 12 discriminant variables were found in dogs with renal disease secondary to leishmaniosis, highlighting C4a anaphylatoxin, apolipoprotein A-I, haptoglobin, leucine-rich alpha-2-glycoprotein 1, and beta-2-microglobulin. This study is the first to describe the urinary proteomics of dogs with renal disease caused by leishmaniosis, and it provides new possible biomarkers for the diagnosis and monitoring of this disease.
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