Mediterranean mussels (Mytilus galloprovincialis) exposure to fluoxetine: Bioaccumulation and biotransformation products.

The significant rise in antidepressant consumption in recent years was accentuated by COVID-19 pandemic. Among these antidepressant, fluoxetine, a selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitor (SSRI), is the most prescribed worldwide. The present study investigated its bioaccumulation and metabolization in the mussel Mytilus galloprovincialis, generally recognized as a reliable bioindicator for assessing environmental quality and the accumulation of various contaminants. Mussels were exposed to a nominal concentration of fluoxetine (3.1 µg/L) for 28 days. Mussels were sacrificed at day 2, 7, 14 and 28 of exposure. The order of accumulation level was gills > digestive glands > soft tissues, and a regular increase in fluoxetine and norfluoxetine was observed across the various sampling days for both digestive glands and soft tissues. The calculated bioconcentration factor (BCF) ranged from 253 at D2 to 1734 at D28 for fluoxetine, and pseudo-BCF from 7 at D2 to 64 at D28 for norfluoxetine. Non-targeted approaches highlighted ten metabolites, which are reported for the first time in Mytilus, in addition to norfluoxetine. Notably, this study highlighted two phase I metabolites and one phase II metabolite previously unreported. These findings contribute to the understanding of fluoxetine accumulation and metabolism in Mytilus and enhance the knowledge of pharmaceuticals detoxification processes in non-target organisms.

Exploring the Impacts of Fescue Toxicosis on the Pulmonary Arterial Pressure of Angus Cows.

Vasoconstriction of peripheral blood vessels is one of the hallmark symptoms of fescue toxicosis in cattle. Thus, it was hypothesized that exposure to ergot alkaloids would increase the pulmonary arterial pressure (PAP). The objectives of this study were to examine the relationship between PAP and different physiological parameters of cows grazing either endophyte-infected (EI) or novel-endophyte (EN) fescue, then evaluate changes in PAP and other physiological measurements in cows exposed to EI pastures and deemed as susceptible or tolerant based on animal performance. Pregnant Angus cows at two different locations grazed either EI or EN fescue pastures for 14 consecutive weeks starting in early April of 2022. Forage measurements were collected to assess ergot alkaloid exposure throughout the study. In addition to measuring PAP, weekly measurements and blood samples were collected to evaluate physiological responses to ergot alkaloid consumption. The Fescue Toxicosis Selection Method (FTSM) was used for a post hoc analysis to identify cattle as either tolerant (EI-TOL) or susceptible (EI-SUS) when challenged with ergot alkaloid exposure. Data were analyzed using a MIXED procedure of SAS with repeated measures. Cows grazing on EN pastures had greater mean PAP values than EI cows, (P < 0.01), whereas a location effect was identified when comparing both EI-TOL and EI-SUS groups (P < 0.01). Cows exposed to EN pastures had greater ADG (P = 0.04) and progesterone (P4) concentrations (P < 0.01), and lower hair shedding scores (HSS; P < 0.01) than EI cows. The EI-TOL cows tended to have greater final BW, ADG, and had lower HSS (P < 0.01) than EI-SUS cows. While cattle consuming EI tall fescue exhibited classical physiological changes, the decrease in PAP of cattle consuming EI fescue was unexpected and contradicts the initial hypothesis. Furthermore, the FTSM provides a means to identify animals with superior performance in spite of the chronic exposure to ergot alkaloids. Continued investigations examining the interaction between ergot alkaloid exposure on cardiovascular parameters will lead to a fuller understanding of the disease, and are pivotal for developing innovative strategies that enhance best management practices to help guarantee the sustainability of the U.S. beef industry.

Study of the interference fringes-caustic region interaction in a topological Young's interferometer.

Herein, an analysis of the optical field emerging from a topological Young's interferometer is conducted. The interferometer consists of two 3D-slit shape curves and is studied by projecting it onto a trihedral reference system. From the projection, Airy, Pearcey, and cusped-type beams emerge. The optical field of these beams is organized around its caustic region. The interference between these types of beams presents interesting physical properties, which can be derived from the interaction between the interference fringes and the caustic regions. One property of the interaction is the irradiance flow, which induces a long-distance interaction between the caustic regions. Another property is the bending of the interference fringes toward the caustic regions, which acts as a sink. Due to the adiabatic features of the caustic regions, the interaction between the fringes-caustic and caustic irradiance is studied using a predator-prey model, which leads to a logistic-type differential equation with nonlinear harvesting. The stability analysis of this equation is in good agreement with the theoretical and experimental results.

The ephemeral microbiota: Ecological context and environmental variability drive the body surface microbiota composition of Magellanic penguins across subantarctic breeding colonies.

Environmental microbes routinely colonize wildlife body surface microbiota. However, animals experience dynamic environmental shifts throughout their daily routine. Yet, the effect of ecological shifts in wildlife body surface microbiota has been poorly explored. Here, we sequenced the hypervariable region V3-V4 of the 16S rRNA gene to characterize the body surface microbiota of wild Magellanic penguins (Spheniscus magellanicus) under two ecological contexts: (1) Penguins walking along the coast and (2) Penguins sheltered underground in their nest, across three subantarctic breeding colonies in the Magellan Strait, Chile. Despite ecological contexts, our results revealed that Moraxellaceae bacteria were the most predominant and abundant taxa associated with penguin body surfaces. Nevertheless, we detected colony-specific core bacteria associated with penguin bodies. The most abundant were: Deinococcus in the Contramaestre colony, Fusobacterium in the Tuckers 1 colony, and Clostridium sensu stricto 1 in the Tuckers 2 colony. Our results give a new perspective on the niche environmental hypothesis for wild seabirds. First, the ecological characteristics of each colony were associated with the microbial communities from the nest soil and the body surface of penguins inside the nests. For example, in the colonies with heterogenous vegetation cover (i.e. the Tuckers Islets), there was a similar microbial composition between the nest soil and the body surface of penguins. In contrast, on the more arid colony (Contramaestre), we detected differences in the microbial communities between the nest soil and the body surface of penguins.

Autoimmune inflammation triggers aberrant astrocytic calcium signaling to impair synaptic plasticity.

Cortical pathology involving inflammatory and neurodegenerative mechanisms is a hallmark of multiple sclerosis and a correlate of disease progression and cognitive decline. Astrocytes play a pivotal role in multiple sclerosis initiation and progression but astrocyte-neuronal network alterations contributing to gray matter pathology remain undefined. Here we unveil deregulation of astrocytic calcium signaling and astrocyte-to-neuron communication as key pathophysiological mechanisms of cortical dysfunction in the experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) model of multiple sclerosis. Using two-photon imaging ex vivo and fiber photometry in freely behaving mice, we found that acute EAE was associated with the emergence of spontaneously hyperactive cortical astrocytes exhibiting dysfunctional responses to cannabinoid, glutamate and purinoreceptor agonists. Abnormal astrocyte signaling by Gi and Gq protein coupled receptors was observed in the inflamed cortex. This was mirrored by treatments with pro-inflammatory factors both in vitro and ex vivo, suggesting cell-autonomous effects of the cortical neuroinflammatory environment. Finally, deregulated astrocyte calcium activity was associated with an enhancement of glutamatergic gliotransmission and a shift of astrocyte-mediated short-term and long-term plasticity mechanisms towards synaptic potentiation. Overall, our data identify astrocyte-neuronal network dysfunctions as key pathological features of gray matter inflammation in multiple sclerosis and potentially additional neuroimmunological disorders.

Effect of an aperture in atomic gravimetry.

There is a continuous interest in shrinking the dimensions of portable atomic gravimeters. This inevitably ends up truncating the Gaussian wings of the excitation laser beams whose effect has not been properly quantified yet. The diffraction pattern created from this aperture creates ripples in the wavefront in both the phase and the intensity. We calculate the shift in the measured value of an atomic gravimeter introduced by the phase variations in the wavefront. Fortunately, this shift has a Gaussian decay with the aperture size. For extended clouds, we observe a reduction of the effect thanks to an averaging over transverse positions with different values of the shift. Surprisingly, we found that the intensity variations also introduce an important correction to the photon recoil, which contributes at about the same level as the previous shift in the measurement of the gravitational acceleration. Our results should help decide how small an apparatus can be to guarantee a particular accuracy.

Longitudinal outcomes of obeticholic acid therapy in ursodiol-nonresponsive primary biliary cholangitis: Stratifying the impact of add-on fibrates in real-world practice.

BACKGROUND: Suboptimal response to ursodeoxycholic acid occurs in 40% of primary biliary cholangitis (PBC) patients, affecting survival. Achieving a deep response (normalisation of alkaline phosphatase [ALP] and bilirubin ≤0.6 upper limit of normal) improves survival. Yet, the long-term effectiveness of second-line treatments remains uncertain. AIMS: To evaluate the long-term effectiveness of obeticholic acid (OCA) ± fibrates. Focusing on biochemical response (ALP ≤1.67 times the upper limit of normal, with a decrease of at least 15% from baseline and normal bilirubin levels), normalisation of ALP, deep response and biochemical remission (deep response plus aminotransferase normalisation). METHODS: We conducted a longitudinal, observational, multicentre study involving ursodeoxyccholic acid non-responsive PBC patients (Paris-II criteria) from Spain and Portugal who received OCA ± fibrates. RESULTS: Of 255 patients, median follow-up was 35.1 months (IQR: 20.2-53). The biochemical response in the whole cohort was 47.2%, 61.4% and 68.6% at 12, 24 and 36 months. GLOBE-PBC and 5-year UK-PBC scores improved (p < 0.001). Triple therapy (ursodeoxycholic acid plus OCA plus fibrates) had significantly higher response rates than dual therapy (p = 0.001), including ALP normalisation, deep response and biochemical remission (p < 0.001). In multivariate analysis, triple therapy remained independently associated with biochemical response (p = 0.024), alkaline phosphatase normalisation, deep response and biochemical remission (p < 0.001). Adverse effects occurred in 41.2% of cases, leading to 18.8% discontinuing OCA. Out of 55 patients with cirrhosis, 12 developed decompensation. All with baseline portal hypertension. CONCLUSION: Triple therapy was superior in achieving therapeutic goals in UDCA-nonresponsive PBC. Decompensation was linked to pre-existing portal hypertension.

Prótesis mitral mecánica disfuncionante: cuando el trombo sobre pannus dificulta el diagnóstico / Dysfunctioning mechanical mitral valve prosthesis: When thrombus over pannus makes hinders diagnosis

La obstrucción de una válvula protésica es una complicación rara pero que puede ser letal. Las causas más frecuentes son la formación de trombos y pannus, en ausencia de datos infecciosos. El diagnóstico no siempre es sencillo recurriendo a la realización de tomografía computarizada (TC) cardiaca, y en el 46-85% de los casos coexisten trombo y pannus, por lo que el diagnóstico se complica. Un diagnóstico rápido es esencial para evitar un desenlace fatal de esta patología, cuya mortalidad, a pesar de un tratamiento correcto, es elevada.(AU)

Prosthetic valve obstruction is a rare but potentially lethal complication. The most frequent causes are thrombus and pannus formation, in the absence of infectious data. Diagnosis is not always easy using cardiac CT scanning and in 46-85% of cases thrombus and pannus coexist, complicating the diagnosis. A rapid diagnosis is essential to avoid a fatal outcome of this pathology whose mortality, despite correct treatment, is high.(AU)

Dysfunctioning mechanical mitral valve prosthesis: When thrombus over pannus makes hinders diagnosis.

Prosthetic valve obstruction is a rare but potentially lethal complication. The most frequent causes are thrombus and pannus formation, in the absence of infectious data. Diagnosis is not always easy using cardiac CT scanning and in 46%-85% of cases thrombus and pannus coexist, complicating the diagnosis. A rapid diagnosis is essential to avoid a fatal outcome of this pathology whose mortality, despite correct treatment, is high.

IBD-PODCAST Spain: A Close Look at Current Daily Clinical Practice in IBD Management.

BACKGROUND: Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC) are inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) that contributes in part to irreversible bowel damage and long-term complications, reduced quality of life, invalidity, and economic burden. Suboptimal control of IBD is associated with higher healthcare resource utilization (HCRU), impaired quality of life (QoL), and reduced work productivity. AIMS: The IBD-PODCAST study aimed to assess the proportion of IBD patients with suboptimal control and its associated impact. METHODS: IBD-PODCAST is a cross-sectional, multicenter study that aimed to characterize the CD and UC population with optimal or suboptimal control according to the STRIDE-II criteria and patient- and physician-reported measures. Here we present the results of the Spanish cohort (n = 396). RESULTS: A total of 104/196 (53.1%) CD and 83/200 (41.5%) UC patients were found to have suboptimal disease control. Long-term treatment targets according to STRIDE-II were applied in 172 (87.8%) CD and 181 (90.5%) UC patients. 125 of 172 (72.7%) CD and 74 of 181 (40.9%) UC patients were currently treated with targeted immunomodulators. Patients with CD and UC and suboptimal disease control showed impaired QoL, higher HCRU and direct costs, and also loss of work productivity compared to those with optimal control. CONCLUSION: Despite a high rate of targeted immunomodulator therapy, a substantial proportion of IBD patients show suboptimal disease control according to the STRIDE II criteria. Those patients with suboptimal disease control exhibit impaired QoL, less work productivity, and higher HCRU, suggesting that there is considerable need for better treatment approaches in IBD.

Characterization of scrubber water discharges from ships using comprehensive suspect screening strategies based on GC-APCI-HRMS.

An extended suspect screening approach for the comprehensive chemical characterization of scrubber discharge waters from exhaust gas cleaning systems (EGCSs), used to reduce atmospheric shipping emissions of sulphur oxides, was developed. The suspect screening was based on gas chromatography coupled with high-resolution mass spectrometry (GC-HRMS) and focused on the identification of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and their alkylated derivatives (alkyl-PAHs), which are among the most frequent and potentially toxic organic contaminants detected in these matrices. Although alkyl-PAHs can be even more abundant than parent compounds, information regarding their occurrence in scrubber waters is scarce. For compound identification, an in-house compound database was built, with 26 suspect groups, including 25 parent PAHs and 23 alkyl-PAH homologues. With this approach, 7 PAHs and 12 clusters of alkyl-PAHs were tentatively identified, whose occurrence was finally confirmed by target analysis using GC coupled with tandem mass spectrometry (GC-MS/MS). Finally, a retrospective analysis was performed to identify other relevant (poly)cyclic aromatic compounds (PACs) of potential concern in scrubber waters. According to it, 18 suspect groups were tentatively identified, including biphenyls, dibenzofurans, dibenzothiophenes and oxygenated PAHs derivatives. All these compounds could be used as relevant markers of scrubber water contamination in heavy traffic marine areas and be considered as potential stressors when evaluating scrubber water toxicity.

Exploring the capture and desorption of CO2 on graphene oxide foams supported by computational calculations.

In the last decade, the highest levels of greenhouse gases (GHG) in the atmosphere have been recorded, with carbon dioxide (CO2) being one of the GHGs that most concerns mankind due to the rate at which it is generated on the planet. Given its long time of permanence in the atmosphere (between 100 to 150 years); this has deployed research in the scientific field focused on the absorption and desorption of CO2 in the atmosphere. This work presents the study of CO2 adsorption employing materials based on graphene oxide (GO), such as GO foams with different oxidation percentages (3.00%, 5.25%, and 9.00%) in their structure, obtained via an environmentally friendly method. The characterization of CO2 adsorption was carried out in a closed system, within which were placed the GO foams and other CO2 adsorbent materials (zeolite and silica gel). Through a controlled chemical reaction, production of CO2 was conducted to obtain CO2 concentration curves inside the system and calculate from these the efficiency, obtained between 86.28 and 92.20%, yield between 60.10 and 99.50%, and effectiveness of CO2 adsorption of the materials under study. The results obtained suggest that GO foams are a promising material for carbon capture and the future development of a new clean technology, given their highest CO2 adsorption efficiency and yield.

Una imagen PET amiloide estática del primer minuto (FMF) se correlaciona con [18F]FDG PET en pacientes con afasia progresiva primaria / Static first-minute-frame (FMF) PET imaging after 18F-labeled amyloid tracer injection is correlated to [18F]FDG PET in patients with primary progressive aphasia

Objetivo Estudiar la correlación entre una imagen PET estática del primer minuto (FMF) adquirida con radiotrazadores de amiloide marcados con flúor-18 y la PET cerebral con [18F]FDG en pacientes con afasia primaria progresiva (APP). Material y métodos La cohorte de estudio incluyó a 17 pacientes diagnosticados de APP con la siguiente distribución: 9APP variante no fluente, 4APP variante logopénica, 1APP variante semántica, 3APP inclasificables. Se extrajeron los SUVR regionales de las FMF y sus correspondientes imágenes PET con [18F]FDG y se calcularon los coeficientes de correlación de Pearson. Resultados Los SUVR de ambas imágenes mostraron patrones similares de alteración cerebral regional. Los análisis de correlación intrapaciente dieron como resultado un coeficiente medio de r=0,94 ±0,06. Los coeficientes de correlación regional entre pacientes de la cohorte del estudio fueron superiores a 0,81. Las subcohortes específicas según el radiotrazador y la variante de APP no mostraron diferencias en la similitud de las imágenes. Conclusiones La FMF estática podría ser una alternativa válida a la PET dinámica de amiloide en fase inicial propuesta en la literatura, así como un biomarcador de neurodegeneración para el diagnóstico y la clasificación de la APP en los estudios de PET amiloide (AU)

Objective To study the correlation between a static PET image of the first-minute-frame (FMF) acquired with 18F-labeled amyloid-binding radiotracers and brain [18F]FDG PET in patients with primary progressive aphasia (PPA). Material and methods The study cohort includes 17 patients diagnosed with PPA with the following distribution: 9nonfluent variant PPA, 4logopenic variant PPA, 1semantic variant PPA, 3unclassifiable PPA. Regional SUVRs are extracted from FMFs and their corresponding [18F]FDG PET images and Pearson's correlation coefficients are calculated. Results SUVRs of both images show similar patterns of regional cerebral alterations. Intrapatient correlation analyses result in a mean coefficient of r=.94 ±.06. Regional interpatient correlation coefficients of the study cohort are greater than 0.81. Radiotracer-specific and variant-specific subcohorts show no difference in the similarity between the images. Conclusions The static FMF could be a valid alternative to dynamic early-phase amyloid PET proposed in the literature, and a neurodegeneration biomarker for the diagnosis and classification of PPA in amyloid PET studies (AU)

Long-term outcomes of ultra-hypofractionated 2 fractions single day HDR brachytherapy in localized prostate cancer.

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES: We previously published the toxicity and initial results of a prospective cohort of patients treated with 2 fractions HDR-BRT administered in a single day. In the present analysis we report the long-term cancer control results of our prospective trial and investigate the relationship between PSA nadir and biochemical control. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A total of 120 patients were treated with HDR Brachytherapy monotherapy administered in two fractions in a single day. Between November 2010 and February 2016, 84 patients with low-risk and 36 patients with intermediate-risk prostate cancer in accordance with the NCCN practice guidelines. RESULTS: Median age was 66 years (range 45-84) and median PSA was 7.5 ng/ml (range 0.01-16 ng/ml). Overall, 84.2% had Gleason score 6 and 15.8% Gleason 7. Thirty-one percent of patients received ADT.After a median follow-up of the cohort was 123 months. Actuarial rates of no biochemical evidence of disease (bNED), overall survival, local control and metastasis-free survival for all patients were 93.3%, 86.7%, 95.2% and 96.1%, respectively.The median time to achieve PSA nadir was 80.5 months. Patients who attained a PSA Nadir ≤ 0.20 ng/mL exhibited a 10-year bNED survival rate of 96.9%, whereas thosewho failed to reach this PSA level had a survival rate of only 40%. CONCLUSIONS: In patients with favorable localized prostate cancer, 2 fractions HDR-BT monotherapy is a highly curative radiation technique that attains PSA nadir levels < 0.2 ng/mL in 95% of cases.

A case of lipogranulomatous conjunctivitis in a horse.

OBJECTIVE: To describe a case of lipogranulomatous conjunctivitis in a horse. ANIMAL STUDIED: A client-owned 12-year-old Standardbred gelding presenting with chronic conjunctivitis and palpebral masses. METHODS: Complete ophthalmic examination, surgical excision, histopathology, and bacterial culture of biopsy samples were performed. RESULTS: Upper and lower eyelids of both eyes were affected, with multiple yellow-to-white nodules on the palpebral conjunctiva, adjacent to the eyelid margin. Nodule removal was achieved via partial tarsal plate excision. Histopathological examination revealed granulomatous inflammation and large droplets of presumed free lipid in the conjunctival lamina propria. The animal was diagnosed with lipogranulomatous conjunctivitis. No postoperative ocular discomfort was observed for months; however, 3 years later, new conjunctival nodules were noticed, requiring a second surgical procedure on three of the eyelids. Transient entropion in the left lower eyelid was observed 2 months after the second surgery, and no recurrence of conjunctival nodules was observed after 18 months of follow-up. CONCLUSION: To our knowledge, this is the first report of lipogranulomatous conjunctivitis in horses.

RNA- and ATAC-sequencing Reveals a Unique CD83+ Microglial Population Focally Depleted in Parkinson's Disease.

All brain areas affected in Parkinson's disease (PD) show an abundance of microglia with an activated morphology together with increased expression of pro-inflammatory cytokines, suggesting that neuroinflammation may contribute to the neurodegenerative process in this common and incurable disorder. We applied a single nucleus RNA- and ATAC-sequencing approach using the 10x Genomics Chromium platform to postmortem PD samples to investigate microglial heterogeneity in PD. We created a multiomic dataset using substantia nigra (SN) tissues from 19 PD donors and 14 non-PD controls (NPCs), as well as three other brain regions from the PD donors which are differentially affected in this disease: the ventral tegmental area (VTA), substantia inominata (SI), and hypothalamus (HypoTs). We identified thirteen microglial subpopulations within these tissues as well as a perivascular macrophage and a monocyte population, of which we characterized the transcriptional and chromatin repertoires. Using this data, we investigated whether these microglial subpopulations have any association with PD and whether they have regional specificity. We uncovered several changes in microglial subpopulations in PD, which appear to parallel the magnitude of neurodegeneration across these four selected brain regions. Specifically, we identified that inflammatory microglia in PD are more prevalent in the SN and differentially express PD-associated markers. Our analysis revealed the depletion of a CD83 and HIF1A- expressing microglial subpopulation, specifically in the SN in PD, that has a unique chromatin signature compared to other microglial subpopulations. Interestingly, this microglial subpopulation has regional specificity to the brainstem in non-disease tissues. Furthermore, it is highly enriched for transcripts of proteins involved in antigen presentation and heat-shock proteins, and its depletion in the PD SN may have implications for neuronal vulnerability in disease.

Combined exposure of the bivalve Mytilus galloprovincialis to polyethylene microplastics and two pharmaceuticals (citalopram and bezafibrate): Bioaccumulation and metabolomic studies.

Pharmaceuticals and microplastics constitute potential hazards in aquatic systems, but their combined effects and underlying toxicity mechanisms remain largely unknown. In this study, a simultaneous characterization of bioaccumulation, associated metabolomic alterations and potential recovery mechanisms was performed. Specifically, a bioassay on Mediterranean mussels (Mytilus galloprovincialis) was carried out with polyethylene microplastics (PE-MPLs, 1 mg/L) and citalopram or bezafibrate (500 ng/L). Single and co-exposure scenarios lasted 21 days, followed by a 7-day depuration period to assess their potential recovery. PE-MPLs delayed the bioaccumulation of citalopram (lower mean at 10 d: 447 compared to 770 ng/g dw under single exposure), although reaching similar tissue concentrations after 21 d. A more limited accumulation of bezafibrate was observed overall, regardless of PE-MPLs co-exposure (

First-Pass Effect in M1-Occlusion Stroke Patients Treated with Combined Stent-Retriever/Large-Bore Distal Aspiration Catheter Thrombectomy.

INTRODUCTION: Combined stent-retriever/large-bore distal aspiration catheter (LB-DAC) thrombectomy was recently introduced to treat large-vessel occlusion; however, it is unclear whether larger inner diameters improve outcomes. We compared angiographic and clinical outcomes in patients with occlusions of the M1 segment of the middle cerebral artery treated with mechanical thrombectomy using extra-LB-DAC versus LB-DAC in combination with stent-retrievers. METHODS: We analyzed consecutive patients with M1 occlusion included in the ROSSETTI registry treated with non-balloon guide catheter combined LB-DAC/stent-retriever thrombectomy between June 2019 and April 2022. We compared demographics, baseline clinical variables, procedural variables, angiographic outcomes, and clinical outcomes [National Institute of Health Stroke Scale score at 24 h (24h-NIHSS) and modified Rankin scale score at 3 months] between patients treated with extra-LB-DAC (Sofia Plus, MIVI Q6, Catalyst7; inner diameter, 0.068″-0.070″) versus LB-DAC (Sofia 5F, MIVI Q5, Catalyst 6; inner diameter, 0.055″-0.064″). Primary outcome was the first-pass effect (FPE) rate, defined as near-complete/complete reperfusion (mTICI 2c-3) after a single pass of the device. RESULTS: We included 324 patients (extra-LB-DAC, 185, 57.1% patients). Demographics, clinical data, and clinical outcomes were similar between the two groups; however, there was a trend towards improvement in National Institute of Health Stroke Scale score at 24 h (24h-NIHSS) in the cohort treated with extra-LB-DAC 9 points (IQR 4;16 points) vs. 12 points (IQR 4;18 points, P = 0.083). Patients treated with extra-LB-DAC had higher FPE rate (47% vs. 30.9%; P = 0.003) and higher modified FPE (mTICI ≥ 2b after a single pass) rate (65.9% vs 46.8%; P = 0.001). The use of extra-LB-DAC was an independent factor in predicting FPE (odds ratio 1.982, 95% confidence interval 1.250-3.143, P = 0.004). CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that in combined LB-DAC/stent-retriever thrombectomy, a larger aspiration catheter inner diameter is associated with higher rates of FPE and mFPE.

Compact laser modulation system for a transportable atomic gravimeter.

Nowadays, atom-based quantum sensors are leaving the laboratory towards field applications requiring compact and robust laser systems. Here we describe the realization of a compact laser system for atomic gravimetry. Starting with a single diode laser operating at 780 nm and adding only one fiber electro-optical modulator, one acousto-optical modulator and one laser amplifier we produce laser beams at all the frequencies required for a Rb-87 atomic gravimeter. Furthermore, we demonstrate that an atomic fountain configuration can also be implemented with our laser system. The modulated system reported here represents a substantial advance in the simplification of the laser source for transportable atom-based quantum sensors that can be adapted to other sensors such as atomic clocks, accelerometers, gyroscopes or magnetometers with minor modifications.