Inkjet printed IGZO memristors with volatile and non-volatile switching.

Solution-based memristors deposited by inkjet printing technique have a strong technological potential based on their scalability, low cost, environmentally friendlier processing by being an efficient technique with minimal material waste. Indium-gallium-zinc oxide (IGZO), an oxide semiconductor material, shows promising resistive switching properties. In this work, a printed Ag/IGZO/ITO memristor has been fabricated. The IGZO thickness influences both memory window and switching voltage of the devices. The devices show both volatile counter8wise (c8w) and non-volatile 8wise (8w) switching at low operating voltage. The 8w switching has a SET and RESET voltage lower than 2 V and - 5 V, respectively, a retention up to 105 s and a memory window up to 100, whereas the c8w switching shows volatile characteristics with a low threshold voltage (Vth < - 0.65 V) and a characteristic time (τ) of 0.75 ± 0.12 ms when a single pulse of - 0.65 V with width of 0.1 ms is applied. The characteristic time alters depending on the number of pulses. These volatile characteristics allowed them to be tested on different 4-bit pulse sequences, as an initial proof of concept for temporal signal processing applications.

Synthetic modified vaccinia Ankara vaccines confer cross-reactive and protective immunity against mpox virus.

BACKGROUND: Although the mpox global health emergency caused by mpox virus (MPXV) clade IIb.1 has ended, mpox cases are still reported due to low vaccination coverage and waning immunity. COH04S1 is a clinically evaluated, multiantigen COVID-19 vaccine candidate built on a fully synthetic platform of the highly attenuated modified vaccinia Ankara (MVA) vector, representing the only FDA-approved smallpox/mpox vaccine JYNNEOS. Given the potential threat of MPXV resurgence and need for vaccine alternatives, we aimed to assess the capacity COH04S1 and its synthetic MVA (sMVA) backbone to confer MPXV-specific immunity. METHODS: We evaluated orthopoxvirus-specific and MPXV cross-reactive immune responses in samples collected during a Phase 1 clinical trial of COH04S1 and in non-human primates (NHP) vaccinated with COH04S1 or its sMVA backbone. MPXV cross-reactive immune responses in COH04S1-vaccinated healthy adults were compared to responses measured in healthy subjects vaccinated with JYNNEOS. Additionally, we evaluated the protective efficacy of COH04S1 and sMVA against mpox in mpox-susceptible CAST/EiJ mice. RESULTS: COH04S1-vaccinated individuals develop robust orthopoxvirus-specific humoral and cellular responses, including cross-reactive antibodies to MPXV-specific virion proteins as well as MPXV cross-neutralizing antibodies in 45% of the subjects. In addition, NHP vaccinated with COH04S1 or sMVA show similar MPXV cross-reactive antibody responses. Moreover, MPXV cross-reactive humoral responses elicited by COH04S1 are comparable to those measured in JYNNEOS-vaccinated subjects. Finally, we show that mice vaccinated with COH04S1 or sMVA are protected from lung infection following challenge with MPXV clade IIb.1. CONCLUSIONS: These results demonstrate the capacity of sMVA vaccines to elicit cross-reactive and protective orthopox-specific immunity against MPXV, suggesting that COH04S1 and sMVA could be developed as bivalent or monovalent mpox vaccine alternatives against MPXV.

Mpox is an ilness caused by the mpox virus (MPXV) that belongs to the poxvirus family. The 2022-2023 mpox outbreak highlights the need to develop effective vaccines against MPXV. We have developed a COVID-19 vaccine using as scaffold chemically synthesized genetic material of a highly attenuated and safe poxvirus vector. This scaffold is the same present in a vaccine that has been approved and is given to prevent mpox. Here, we show that healthy human volunteers or monkeys vaccinated with this COVID-19 vaccine generated a robust immune response against MPXV, similar to that generated by the mpox vaccine with the same scaffold. This COVID-19 vaccine is also able to protect mice from infection caused by the MPXV strain isolated from the recent mpox outbreak. This COVID-19 vaccine in a poxvirus scaffold might be an additional tool to curtail mpox outbreaks.

Environmentally Friendlier Printable Conductive and Piezoresistive Sensing Materials Compatible with Conformable Electronics.

Flexible and conformable conductive composites have been developed using different polymers, including water-based polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP), chemical-resistant polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF), and elastomeric styrene-ethylene-butylene-styrene (SEBS) reinforced with nitrogen-doped reduced graphene oxide with suitable viscosity in composites for printable solutions with functional properties. Manufactured by screen-printing using low-toxicity solvents, leading to more environmentally friendly conductive materials, the materials present an enormous step toward functional devices. The materials were enhanced in terms of filler/binder ratio, achieving screen-printed films with a sheet resistance lower than Rsq < 100 Ω/sq. The materials are biocompatible and support bending deformations up to 10 mm with piezoresistive performance for the different polymers up to 100 bending cycles. The piezoresistive performance of the SEBS binder is greater than double that the other composites, with a gauge factor near 4. Thermoforming was applied to all materials, with the PVP-based ones showing the lowest electrical resistance after the bending process. These conductive materials open a path for developing sustainable and functional devices for printable and conformable electronics.

Improved Physical Function After Cardiac Contractility Modulation Therapy in 10 Patients With Chronic Heart Failure.

BACKGROUND: A new generation of therapeutic devices has expanded the options for managing advanced heart failure. We examined the outcomes of cardiac contractility therapy in a series of 10 patients with chronic heart failure. METHODS: Ten patients with chronic heart failure were nonrandomly selected to receive cardiac contractility modulation therapy. Hemodynamics, left ventricular ejection fraction, functional capacity, and clinical outcomes were evaluated at baseline and after 6 months of therapy. RESULTS: Eight male and 2 female patients (mean [SD] age, 63.4 [9.4] years) received cardiac contractility modulation therapy. Between baseline and 6-month follow-up, mean (SD) left ventricular ejection fraction improved from 27.1% (4.18%) to 35.1% (9.89%), New York Heart Association class declined from 3.9 (0.32) to 2.44 (0.52), and 6-minute walk test distance increased from 159.2 (93.79) m to 212.4 (87.24) m. Furthermore, the mean (SD) number of hospital admissions within the 6 months before cardiac contractility modulation therapy was 2.4 (2.27) compared with 1 (1.52) during the 6 months after therapy. CONCLUSION: Cardiac contractility modulation therapy improved physical functioning and reduced hospital admissions in these patients.

Anomalías metabólicas en las nefrolitiasis: manejo clínico y tratamientos en una población pediátrica hospitalaria

RESUMEN Introducción: La litiasis urinaria en los niños es multifactorial y con tendencia a recurrir. Las anomalías metabólicas son factores de riesgo importante. Objetivo: Describir las anomalías metabólicas, el manejo clínico y el tratamiento de la nefrolitiasis en una población pediátrica. Materiales y métodos: Estudio observacional descriptivo de corte transverso retrospectivo. Por muestreo de casos consecutivos fueron incluidos pacientes de 0 a 18 años del Servicio de Nefrología Pediátrica del Hospital General Pediátrico Niños de Acosta Ñu en el periodo de enero del 2020 a diciembre del 2021, con diagnóstico de nefrolitiasis, Variables: datos demográficos, estado nutricional, sintomatología, presencia de factores de riesgo y resultado del estudio de anomalías metabólicas. Los datos fueron recogidos en un formulario de Google y analizados en con el SPSSv21, utilizando estadísticas descriptivas. El protocolo fue aprobado por el comité de ética de la investigación con liberación del consentimiento informado. Resultados: Fueron incluidos 112 pacientes con edad mediana de 13 años, el 61,6% de sexo femenino, los síntomas más frecuentes fueron dolor lumbar, abdominal y hematuria. En 54,5% (n=61) se realizó el estudio metabólico. Se detectó anomalías metabólicas en el 90% (55/61). Las más frecuentes fueron la combinación de hipocitraturia e hipomagnesuria (34,4%). El tratamiento consistió en medidas dietéticas e individualizado de acuerdo a las anomalías detectadas. Conclusiones: La frecuencia de anomalías metabólicas en los pacientes sometidos a estudio fue del 90%. Las más frecuentes fueron la combinación de hipocitraturia e hipomagnesuria. El tratamiento consistió en medidas dietéticas y tratamiento específico de las anomalías detectadas.

ABSTRACT Introduction: Urolithiasis in children is multifactorial and tends to recur. Metabolic abnormalities are important risk factors. Objective: To describe the metabolic abnormalities, clinical management, and treatment of nephrolithiasis in a pediatric population. Materials and methods: This was a retrospective, cross-sectional, descriptive and observational study, performed by sampling of consecutive cases. Patients aged 0 to 18 years with a diagnosis of nephrolithiasis from the Pediatric Nephrology Service of the Children's General Pediatric Hospital of Acosta Ñu were included during the period from January 2020 to December 2021. Variables: Demographic data, nutritional status, symptoms, presence of risk factors and results of the study of metabolic abnormalities. The data was collected in a Google form and analyzed with SPSSv21, using descriptive statistics. The protocol was approved by the research ethics committee with the release of informed consent. Results: A total of 112 patients were included with a median age of 13 years, 61.6% female, the most frequent symptoms were lumbar and abdominal pain and haematuria. In 54.5% (n=61) metabolic studies were performed. Metabolic abnormalities were detected in 90% (55/61). The most frequent were the combination of hypocitraturia and hypomagnesuria (34.4%). The treatment consisted of individualized dietary measures, according to the abnormalities detected. Conclusions: The frequency of metabolic abnormalities in the patients studied was 90%. The most frequent were the combination of hypocitraturia and hypomagnesuria. The treatment consisted of dietary measures and specific treatment of the abnormalities detected.

Quo Vadis, Dottore? Religious, Philosophical and Medical Perspectives on the Quest for Immortality.

In the daily practice of medicine, health care providers oftentimes confront the dilemma of offering 'maximum care' based on available technologies and advances versus ethical concerns about futility. Regardless of cultural backgrounds and differences, most human beings aspire to an illness-free life, or better yet, a life lived with utmost quality and longevity. On account on ongoing advances in science and technology, the possibility of achieving "immortality" (a term used as a metaphor for an extremely long and disease-free life) is increasingly perceived as a realistic goal, which is aggressively pursued by some of the world's wealthiest individuals and corporations. However, this quest is not taking place in a philosophical or religious vacuum, which is why we attempt to evaluate the current state of knowledge on religious beliefs revolving around immortality and their alignments with today's medical advancements. The literature searches were performed using relevant databases including JSTOR and PubMed, as well as primary religious sources. Most religions present longevity as a blessing and believe in some sort of immortality, afterlife or reincarnation for the immortal soul. The quest for immortality beyond life in a "body of death" remains consistent with access to medical care and the legitimate possibility of achieving longevity-as long as certain ethical and religious parameters are preserved.

Implantación intraabdominal de un injerto renal con dos arterias renales en un receptor pediátrico de bajo peso. Primer caso reportado en el Paraguay / Intra-abdominal implantation of a kidney graft with two renal arteries in a low-weight pediatric recipient. First case reported in Paraguay

El trasplante renal de órganos provenientes de donantes adultos implantados en una cavidad anatómica estrecha en pacientes pediátricos de bajo peso, ofrece importantes desafíos médicos y quirúrgicos a ser considerados. En esta publicación reportamos el primer caso en el Paraguay de un riñón con dos arterias renales injertado a la aorta y vena cava inferior, dentro de la cavidad abdominal de un paciente pediátrico de 12 kilogramos de peso, evaluando las dificultades médicas, anatómicas y quirúrgicas enfrentadas, así como las opciones de tratamiento instituidas para llevar a cabo este procedimiento de manera exitosa

Kidney transplantation of organs from adult donors implanted into a narrow anatomical cavity in underweight pediatric patients offers significant medical and surgical challenges to be considered. In this publication we report the first case in Paraguay of a kidney with two renal arteries, grafted to the aorta and inferior vena cava within the abdominal cavity, on a 12 kilogram pediatric patient, evaluating the medical, anatomical and surgical conditions faced, as well as the treatment options instituted to successfully carry out this procedure

The influence of hydrogen ions on coagulation in traumatic brain injury, explored by molecular dynamics.

Background: Patients in intensive care units with traumatic brain injuries (TBI) frequently present acid-base abnormalities and coagulability disorders, which complicate their condition.Objective: To identify protonation through in silico simulations of molecules involved in the process of coagulation in standard laboratory tests.Materials and methods: Ten patients with TBI were selected from the intensive care unit in addition to ten "healthy control subjects", and another nine patients as "disease control subjects"; the latter being a comparative group, corresponding to subjects with diabetes mellitus 2 (DM2). Fibrinogen, FVII, FVIII, FIX, FX, and D-dimer in the presence of acidification were evaluated in 20 healthy subjects in order to compare clinical results with molecular dynamics (MD), and to explain proton interactions and coagulation molecules.Results: The TBI group presented a slight, non-significant increase in D-dimer; but this was not present in "disease control subjects". Levels of fibrinogen, FVII, FIX, FX, and D-dimer were affected in the presence of acidification. We observed that various specific residues of coagulation factors "trap" ions.Conclusion: Protonation of tissue factor and factor VIIa may favor anticoagulant mechanisms, and protonation does not affect ligand binding sites of GPIIb/IIIa (PAC1) suggesting other causes for the low affinity to PAC1.

Geographic range estimates and environmental requirements for the harpy eagle derived from spatial models of current and past distribution.

Understanding species-environment relationships is key to defining the spatial structure of species distributions and develop effective conservation plans. However, for many species, this baseline information does not exist. With reliable presence data, spatial models that predict geographic ranges and identify environmental processes regulating distribution are a cost-effective and rapid method to achieve this. Yet these spatial models are lacking for many rare and threatened species, particularly in tropical regions. The harpy eagle (Harpia harpyja) is a Neotropical forest raptor of conservation concern with a continental distribution across lowland tropical forests in Central and South America. Currently, the harpy eagle faces threats from habitat loss and persecution and is categorized as Near-Threatened by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Within a point process modeling (PPM) framework, we use presence-only occurrences with climatic and topographical predictors to estimate current and past distributions and define environmental requirements using Ecological Niche Factor Analysis. The current PPM prediction had high calibration accuracy (Continuous Boyce Index = 0.838) and was robust to null expectations (pROC ratio = 1.407). Three predictors contributed 96% to the PPM prediction, with Climatic Moisture Index the most important (72.1%), followed by minimum temperature of the warmest month (15.6%) and Terrain Roughness Index (8.3%). Assessing distribution in environmental space confirmed the same predictors explaining distribution, along with precipitation in the wettest month. Our reclassified binary model estimated a current range size 11% smaller than the current IUCN range polygon. Paleoclimatic projections combined with the current model predicted stable climatic refugia in the central Amazon, Guyana, eastern Colombia, and Panama. We propose a data-driven geographic range to complement the current IUCN range estimate and that despite its continental distribution, this tropical forest raptor is highly specialized to specific environmental requirements.

Efficiency in chronic illness care coordination: public-private collaboration models vs. traditional management.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this paper is to analyze the differences in the coordination of chronic illness care between the different public hospital management models coexisting in the Spanish region of Madrid (25 hospitals) during the period 2013-2017. METHODS: The performance of hospitals might be affected by the characteristics of the population they serve and, therefore, this information should be taken into account when estimating efficiency measures. For this purpose, we apply the nonparametric Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) conditioned to some contextual variables and adapted to a dynamic framework, so that we can assess hospitals during a five-year period. The outputs considered are preventable hospitalizations, readmissions for heart failure and readmissions for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, whereas the inputs considered are the number of beds, personnel (physicians and other healthcare professionals) and total expenditure on goods and services. RESULTS: The results suggest that the level of efficiency demonstrated by the public-private collaboration models of hospital management is higher than traditionally managed hospitals throughout the analyzed period. Nevertheless, we notice that efficiency differences among hospitals are significantly reduced when contextual factors were taken into account. CONCLUSIONS: Hospitals managed under public-private collaboration models are more efficient than those under traditional management in terms of chronic illness care coordination, being this difference attributable to more agile and flexible management under the collaborative models.

Simulated seawater flooding reduces oilseed rape growth, yield and progeny performance.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Of the many threats to global food security, one of the most pressing is the increased incidence of extreme weather events. In addition to extreme rainfall, a combination of global sea level rise and storm surge is likely to result in frequent episodes of seawater flooding in arable systems along low-lying coasts. Our aim was to elucidate the effects of simulated seawater and freshwater flooding on the survival, growth and reproductive potential of four cultivars of the important seed crop, Brassica napus [canola, or oilseed rape (OSR)]. METHODS: Established plants were exposed to 24 or 96 h freshwater or seawater root zone immersion (with a no immersion 'control'). Initial post-treatment performance over 7 weeks was quantified using dry weight biomass. A second group of plants, cultivated until maturity, were used to quantify reproductive yield (siliqua and seed number, and seed size) and subsequent progeny performance (germination and seedling growth). RESULTS: Oilseed rape growth and reproductive responses were unaffected by freshwater, but seawater negatively affected growth and siliqua number for all cultivars, and seed mass for two ('Agatha' and 'Cubic'). In addition to impacts on crop yield, the growth of seedlings cultivated from seed collected from maternal plants subjected to seawater immersion was also reduced. CONCLUSIONS: Our results demonstrate the potential impact of seawater inundation on coastal cropping systems; although OSR may survive acute saline flooding, there are longer term impacts on growth and yield for some cultivars. The threat may necessitate changes in land-use practice and/or the development of salt-tolerant cultivars to maintain economically viable yields. In addition, by evidencing a hitherto unknown effect on reproductive performance (i.e. reduced seed yield) and subsequent seedling growth, our study highlights an important potential impact of coastal flooding on plant community dynamics for (semi-) natural habitats.

Demographic amplification is a predictor of invasiveness among plants.

Invasive plant species threaten native biodiversity, ecosystems, agriculture, industry and human health worldwide, lending urgency to the search for predictors of plant invasiveness outside native ranges. There is much conflicting evidence about which plant characteristics best predict invasiveness. Here we use a global demographic survey for over 500 plant species to show that populations of invasive plants have better potential to recover from disturbance than non-invasives, even when measured in the native range. Invasives have high stable population growth rates in their invaded ranges, but this metric cannot be predicted based on measurements in the native ranges. Recovery from demographic disturbance is a measure of transient population amplification, linked to high levels of reproduction, and shows phylogenetic signal. Our results demonstrate that transient population dynamics and reproductive capacity can help to predict invasiveness across the plant kingdom, and should guide international policy on trade and movement of plants.

Soft Magnetic Switching in a FeSr2YCu2O7.85 Superconductor with Unusually High Iron Valence.

Ozone oxidation has allowed the stabilization of a very high iron oxidation state in the FeSr2YCu2O7.85 cuprate, in which a long-range magnetic ordering of the high valent iron cations coexists with the superconducting interactions (magnetic ordering temperature TN = 110 K > superconducting critical temperature Tc = 70 K). The somewhat unexpected A-type AFM structure, with a µ(Fe) ∼ 2 µB magnetic saturation moment associated with the hypervalent iron sublattice, suggests an unusual low spin state for the iron cations, while the low dimensionality of the magnetic structure results in a soft switching toward ferromagnetism under small external magnetic fields. The role of the crystal structure and of the high charge concentration in the stabilization of this unusual electronic configuration for the iron cations is discussed.

[New hospital management models as an alternative for the sustainability of public hospital system: An analysis of efficiency in health expenditure]. / Los nuevos modelos de gestión de hospitales como alternativa para la sostenibilidad del sistema hospitalario público: un análisis de eficiencia en gasto sanitario.

OBJECTIVE: To analyse the efficiency in health expenditure of the new hospital management models (Private Finance Initiative [PFI], Public Private Partnership [PPP] and other new management models) compared to the traditional management, with the objective of determining which is the more sustainable and efficient. MATERIAL AND METHODS: The efficiency was measured in health expenditure terms of the different general hospitals management models in the period 2009-2016, using data envelopment analysis (DEA). The study included a population of 7 hospitals with a PFI model, a population of 3 hospitals with a PPP model, a population of 4 hospitals with other new management models, and a population of 11 public hospitals with direct public management by the Madrid Health Service (SERMAS). RESULTS: The highest mean health expenditure efficiency corresponded to the PPP model (85.8%), followed by the PFI model (73.5%), and the other new management models (56.6%). The lowest mean health expenditure efficiency corresponded to the direct public management model, with 53.3%. As regards changes in productivity, measured by the Malmquist Index, there were increases amounting to 1.1% in the PPP model, 1% in the PFI model, 1.8% in traditional management, and a decrease of 3.8% in the other new management models. CONCLUSIONS: Hospitals governed by new management models had a higher health expenditure efficiency, and from the health expenditure point of view they are an alternative to be considered in the planning of new health infrastructures.

Enhanced recovery after surgery protocol allows ambulatory laparoscopic appendectomy in uncomplicated acute appendicitis: a prospective, randomized trial.

BACKGROUND: Previous observational studies have demonstrated the safety of discharging patients after laparoscopic appendectomy within the same day without hospitalization. The application of Enhanced Recovery After Surgery (ERAS) guidelines has resulted in shorter length of stay, fewer complications, and reduction in medical costs. The aim of this study was to investigate if ERAS protocol implementation in patients with acute uncomplicated appendicitis decreases the length of stay enough to allow for ambulatory laparoscopic appendectomy. METHODS: In this prospective, randomized controlled clinical trial, 108 patients were randomized into two groups: laparoscopic appendectomy with ERAS (LA-E) or laparoscopic appendectomy with conventional care (LA-C). The primary endpoint was postoperative length of stay. The secondary end points were time to resume diet, postoperative pain, postoperative complications, re-admission rate, and reoperation rate. RESULTS: From January 2016 through May 2017, 50 patients in the LA-E group and 58 in the LA-C were analyzed. There were no significant differences in preoperative data. Regarding the primary end point of the study, the ERAS protocol significantly reduced the postoperative length of stay with a mean of 9.7 h (SD: 3.1) versus 23.2 h (SD: 6.8) in the conventional group (p < 0.001). The ERAS protocol allowed ambulatory management in 90% of the patients included in this group. There was a significant reduction in time to resume diet (110 vs. 360 min, p < 0.001) and less moderate-severe postoperative pain (28 vs. 62.1%, p < 0.001) in the LA-E versus LA-C group. The rate of complications, readmissions, and reoperations were comparable in both groups (p = 0.772). CONCLUSIONS: ERAS implementation was associated with a significantly shorter length of stay, allowing for the ambulatory management of this group of patients. Ambulatory laparoscopic appendectomy is safe and feasible with similar rates of morbidity and readmissions compared with conventional care.

Analysis of the technical efficiency of the forms of hospital management based on public-private collaboration of the Madrid Health Service, as compared with traditional management.

FUNDAMENTALS: The study aims to carry out a comparative analysis of the technical efficiency of hospital management based on public-private collaboration, as compared with traditional management. Specifically, we compare traditionally managed public hospitals, public hospitals managed by a private finance initiative (PFI), public hospitals managed through a public-private partnership (PPP), and hospitals managed through other forms of management, during the period 2009 to 2014, in the hospitals dependent on the Madrid Health Service (SERMAS). METHODS: The study covers all publicly owned general hospitals under SERMAS, consisting of seven PFI hospitals, three PPP hospitals, 11 traditionally managed public hospitals (with the category of general hospital), and four hospitals managed through other forms of hospital management. The technical efficiency indices of the hospitals were calculated using the data envelopment analysis technique. Subsequently, a sensitivity analysis was performed by bootstrapping and variation of model variables to verify their impact on efficiency. Finally, an analysis of the evolution of efficiency in the analyzed period was carried out using the Malmquist Index. RESULTS: In all the analysis models carried out in the analyzed period, the hospitals managed based on public-private collaboration were more efficient than the hospitals under traditional management. CONCLUSIONS: The greater efficiency of hospitals managed based on public-private collaboration, as compared with traditional management, could be attributed to greater organizational and management flexibility.

Influence of Structural (Cation and Anion) Order in the Superconducting Properties of Ozone-Oxidized Mo0.3Cu0.7Sr2RECu2O y (RE = Yb, Tm, Gd, Nd, and Pr).

The influence of rare earth (RE) elements on superconducting properties of the transition element (TE)-substituted TE xCu1- xSr2RECu2O y cuprates has not been sufficiently emphasized so far. In the case of molibdo-cuprates with the general formula Mo0.3Cu0.3Sr2RECu2O y, all the RE element containing compounds except La, Ce, and Lu can be prepared at room pressure. The influence of the crystal structure on the superconducting properties after ozone oxidation of the present system is reported selecting three groups of RE elements attending to their different atom sizes: small (Yb and Tm), medium (Gd), and big (Nd and Pr). Advanced transmission electron microscopy, various diffraction techniques, and spectroscopic analysis have been used to demonstrate that the increase of structural disorder complemented with a decrease in the hole content play a major role in the vanishing of superconductivity within the present system.

Divergent demographic strategies of plants in variable environments.

One of the best-supported patterns in life history evolution is that organisms cope with environmental fluctuations by buffering their most important vital rates against them. This demographic buffering hypothesis is evidenced by a tendency for temporal variation in rates of survival and reproduction to correlate negatively with their contribution to fitness. Here, we show that widespread evidence for demographic buffering can be artefactual, resulting from natural relationships between the mean and variance of vital rates. Following statistical scaling, we find no significant tendency for plant life histories to be buffered demographically. Instead, some species are buffered, whereas others have labile life histories with higher temporal variation in their more important vital rates. We find phylogenetic signal in the strength and direction of variance-importance correlations, suggesting that clades of plants are prone to being either buffered or labile. Species with simple life histories are more likely to be demographically labile. Our results suggest important evolutionary nuances in how species deal with environmental fluctuations.

Aphrodisiac Activity of the Aqueous Crude Extract of Purple Corn ( Zea mays) in Male Rats.

In the present study, the aphrodisiac properties of the purple corn ( Zea mays) in male rats were analyzed. The aqueous crude extract of purple corn (at 25, 50, and 75 mg/kg) was administered to ( a) copulating male rats and ( b) anesthetized and spinal cord transected male rats. Behavioral parameters of copulatory behavior and parameters of the genital motor pattern of ejaculation previous to its inhibition, under the influence of the purple corn extract, are described. Administration of the aqueous crude extract of purple corn significantly facilitates the arousal and execution of male rat sexual behavior without significant influences on the ambulatory behavior. In addition, purple corn extract elicit a significant increase in the number of discharges of the ejaculatory motor patterns and in the total number of genital motor patterns evoked in spinal rats. The present findings show that the aqueous crude extract of purple corn possesses aphrodisiac activity.

Effect of drug interactions involving antiretroviral drugs on viral load in HIV population.

BACKGROUND: Most studies focus on potential drug interactions, without considering the effect of these on the response to antiretroviral (ARV) therapy. We assess the effect of potential drug-drug interactions (pDDIs) that could have lowered the ARV concentration (pDDI-lowerARV) on HIV viral load. METHODS: Retrospective observational cohort study was conducted on all HIV-infected outpatients attending the Pharmacy Service of a regional reference hospital in Murcia (south-eastern Spain). The complete treatment was subsequently screened for pDDIs using the database 'InteraccionesHIV.com'. The study focused on interactions involving at least one ARV drug and, especially, any pDDI-lowerARV. RESULTS: Two hundred and twenty-nine patients were included in the study. A total of 168 pDDIs were identified, of which 62 (36.9%) had the potential to lower ARV concentrations. In 77% of cases, the drug involved in the reduction of plasma concentrations was a protease inhibitor (PI), and in the rest of the drug interactions the ARV drug affected was a non-nucleoside reverse-transcriptase inhibitor. Baseline viral suppression was noted in 57.1% of patients with pDDI-lowerARV compared with 61.5% of patients without pDDI-lowerARV (p=0.605), and in 85.7% versus 79.7%, respectively, after a 24-week follow-up period (p=0.516). CONCLUSIONS: This study shows that prevalence of pDDI-lowerARV was high; however, no association was found between the presence of these interactions and virological failure. These results confirm the need for further studies to understand the consequences of interactions in real-life clinical practice, since most pharmacokinetic studies tend to evaluate the ability of interaction between two drugs under controlled conditions.