ATP increases head volume in capacitated human sperm via a purinergic channel.

Scanning ion-conductance microscopy allowed us to document an external Ca2+ dependent ATP driven volume increase (ATPVI) in capacitated human sperm heads. We examined the involvement of purinergic receptors (PRs) P2X2R and P2X4R in ATPVI using their co-agonists progesterone and Ivermectin (Iver), and Cu2+, which co-activates P2X2Rs and inhibits P2X4Rs. Iver enhanced ATPVI and Cu2+ and 5BDBD inhibited it, indicating P2X4Rs contributed to this response. Moreover, Cu2+ and 5BDBD inhibited the ATP-induced acrosome reaction (AR) which was enhanced by Iver. ATP increased the concentration of intracellular Ca2+ ([Ca2+]i) in >45% of individual sperm, most of which underwent AR monitored using FM4-64. Our findings suggest that human sperm P2X4R activation by ATP increases [Ca2+]i mainly due to Ca2+ influx which leads to a sperm head volume increase, likely involving acrosomal swelling, and resulting in AR.

Evidence-based clinical practice guidelines for the management of sedoanalgesia and delirium in critically ill adult patients. / Guías de práctica clínica basadas en la evidencia para el manejo de la sedoanalgesia y delirium en el paciente adulto críticamente enfermo.

Given the importance of the management of sedation, analgesia and delirium in Intensive Care Units, and in order to update the previously published guidelines, a new clinical practice guide is presented, addressing the most relevant management and intervention aspects based on the recent literature. A group of 24 intensivists from 9 countries of the Pan-American and Iberian Federation of Societies of Critical Medicine and Intensive Therapy met to develop the guidelines. Assessment of evidence quality and recommendations was made according to the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation Working Group. A systematic search of the literature was carried out using MEDLINE, Cochrane Library databases such as the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), the Database of Abstracts of Reviews of Effects, the National Health Service Economic Evaluation Database and the database of Latin American and Caribbean Literature in Health Sciences (LILACS). A total of 438 references were selected. After consensus, 47 strong recommendations with high and moderate quality evidence, 14 conditional recommendations with moderate quality evidence, and 65 conditional recommendations with low quality evidence were established. Finally, the importance of initial and multimodal pain management was underscored. Emphasis was placed on decreasing sedation levels and the use of deep sedation only in specific cases. The evidence and recommendations for the use of drugs such as dexmedetomidine, remifentanil, ketamine and others were incremented.

ABPSE: Alineador de ADN Basado en Paralelismo a Nivel de Bit y la Estrategia Siembra y Extiende / ABPSE: DNA Aligner Based on Bit-level Parallelism and the Seed and Extend Strategy

Resumen La alineación de ADN es un proceso clave para la reconstrucción de genomas, a partir de los millones de lecturas cortas producidas por las máquinas de secuenciación paralela masiva. Tal proceso suele realizarse mediante algoritmos con elevada complejidad espacial y temporal, requiriendo varias horas para entregar los resultados, así como decenas de GB de RAM. Esto ha motivado la búsqueda de nuevos algoritmos y/o estrategias que permitan disminuir los tiempos de ejecución, mientras se utilizan recursos mínimos de memoria. En este artículo se presenta ABPSE, un nuevo alineador de ADN que combina el algoritmo de Ferragina y Manzini (o índices de FM) y el algoritmo de Myers, mediante la estrategia siembra y extiende. En la siembra, los índices de FM permiten calcular de manera rápida regiones con alta probabilidad de alineación; mientras que en la extensión, el algoritmo de Myers refina la alineación utilizando operaciones basadas en vectores de bits, calculando simultáneamente varias celdas de la matriz de programación dinámica. Los resultados muestran un 96.1% de lecturas alineadas correctamente, un factor de aceleración de 2.45x en relación a BWA-SW y un uso de memoria de apenas 7.6 GB, cuando se alinea el genoma humano completo.

Abstract DNA alignment is a key process in the assembly of genomes from the millions of short reads that are produced by massive parallel sequencing machines. Such a process is usually done by means of high spatial and temporal complexity algorithms, which takes hours to deliver the results as well as tens of GB of RAM. This has prompted the search for new algorithms and/or strategies that allow shorter runtimes, while using minimal memory footprint. In this article, we present ABPSE, a new DNA aligner that combines the Ferragina and Manzini algorithm (or FM indexes) and the Myers algorithm, by means of the seed and extend strategy. In the seeding, the FM indices allow a rapid calculation of the regions with high probability of alignment. In the extension, the Myers algorithm refines the alignment using operations based on bit vectors. It simultaneously calculates several cells of the dynamic programming matrix. The results show 96.1% of correctly aligned reads, an acceleration factor of 2.45x in relation to BWA-SW and a memory footprint of only 7.6 GB when aligning the entire human genome.

[Transcultural adaptation to the Spanish language of the Balance Evaluation Systems Test (BESTest) in older adults]. / Adaptacion transcultural al castellano del sistema de evaluacion del equilibrio (BESTest) en adultos mayores.

INTRODUCTION: The risk of falls in older adults increases because of the decrease in strength, flexibility, balance and sensory changes affecting functionality and quality of life. For this reason, an integral system of evaluation of equilibrium is necessary, for preventive purposes or for early therapeutic interventions. AIM: To present the results of the transcultural translation and adaptation process of the Balance Evaluation Systems Test (BESTest) to Spanish language. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: The original version of the BESTest was translated into Spanish, following the process of retro-traduction and cultural adaptation considering the semantic, idiomatic, conceptual and experiential equivalences. Subsequently the version was reviewed by a panel of experts qualifying clarity, coherence, relevance and sufficiency. The pilot test included 32 adults between 50 and 80 years old. RESULTS: It was possible to carry out the complete translation of the instrument, the instructions for the subject and for the evaluator. Most items of the test reached the maximum score of 4.0 (100%), nine items achieved an average score of 3.9 (99%), one item got an average score of 3.8 (95%) and two items achieved an average score of 3.7 (92.5%). CONCLUSIONS: With this study the Spanish speakers community has a pertinent sufficient, coherent and clear instrument in order to identify the control postural system altered to focus treatment and to get better functional outcomes from balance evaluation in older adults.

TITLE: Adaptacion transcultural al castellano del sistema de evaluacion del equilibrio (BESTest) en adultos mayores.Introduccion. El riesgo de caidas en adultos mayores se incrementa a consecuencia de la disminucion de la fuerza, la flexibilidad, el equilibrio y los cambios sensoriales, que afectan a la funcionalidad y la calidad de vida. Por tal razon se hace necesario un sistema integral de evaluacion del equilibrio con fines preventivos o para intervenciones terapeuticas tempranas. Objetivo. Presentar los resultados del proceso de traduccion y adaptacion transcultural del sistema de evaluacion del equilibrio (BESTest) al castellano. Sujetos y metodos. Se tradujo al castellano la version original del BESTest, siguiendo el proceso de retrotraduccion y adaptacion cultural y teniendo en cuenta las equivalencias semanticas, idiomaticas, conceptual y experiencial. Posteriormente, la version fue revisada por un panel de expertos que califico la claridad, la coherencia, la pertinencia y la suficiencia. En la prueba piloto participaron 32 adultos de 50-80 años. Resultados. Se realizo la traduccion completa del instrumento y de las instrucciones para el sujeto y para el evaluador. La mayoria de items de la prueba alcanzaron la puntuacion maxima de 4 (100%), nueve items lograron una calificacion media de 3,9 (99%); un item, una calificacion media de 3,8 (95%), y dos items, una calificacion media de 3,7 (92,5%). Conclusiones. Con este estudio, la comunidad de habla hispana cuenta con un instrumento pertinente, suficiente, coherente y claro para identificar el sistema del equilibrio afectado, enfocar el tratamiento y obtener mejores resultados funcionales a partir de la evaluacion del equilibrio en adultos mayores.

Evaluación de la contaminación con agentes citotóxicos en hospitales en Colombia / Evaluation of contamination by cytotoxic agents in Colombian hospitals

Introducción: Las revisiones del 2007 a la farmacopea americana vigente en todo el hemisferio occidental (USP capítulo 797) incluyen una sección sobre el manejo de fármacos peligrosos como preparaciones magistrales estériles, donde se recomienda el muestreo ambiental para detectar trazas de fármacos peligrosos no contenidos, afirmando que esta medida de calidad debe llevarse a cabo de forma rutinaria. Objetivo: Determinar la tasa de contaminación con agentes citotóxicos en las áreas de trabajo de tres instituciones hospitalarias de Colombia. Material y métodos: Estudio descriptivo, prospectivo, transversal. Se recolectaron muestras de 18 áreas evaluando simultáneamente la presencia de tres fármacos que han sido históricamente usados como trazadores de contaminación química: Ciclofosfamida, 5-Fluorouracilo y Carboplatino. Se evalúan superficies de áreas de preparación (cabina de seguridad biológica-CSB o aislador de barrera-AB), alistamiento y administración de medicamentos oncológicos incluyendo áreas comunes a la central de mezclas y la sala de administración de medicamentos oncológicos. Resultados: En el departamento de enfermería y farmacia existe contaminación química debido a los medicamentos citostáticos. En enfermería la contaminación se dio más debido a Carboplatino mientras que en el área de central de mezclas, el fármaco que más detectado fue 5-fluoruracilo. La comparación entre ambos departamentos permite evidenciar que la mayor tasa de contaminación se ha encontrado en farmacia. El principio activo más detectado fue 5-fluoruracilo. Conclusión: Se recomienda que las instituciones revisen los estándares para la preparación y administración de fármacos peligrosos a la luz de la normatividad mundial (USP, ASHP, ISOPP) en aspectos como la política y el procedimiento actual, controles de ingeniería, procedimientos de limpieza, manipulación de los viales del fabricante, evaluación de la CSB o AB, capacitación y educación del personal tanto en las áreas de preparación y administración, uso de EPP adecuados, la incidencia de derrames recientes en el área de la farmacia o de preparación que podrían elevar los niveles de detección y la implementación de CSTD

Introduction: The reviews made in 2007 to the current American pharmacopoeia throughout the Western Hemisphere (USP Chapter 797) include a section about handling hazardous drugs as master sterile preparations. In this sense, environmental sampling is recommended to detect traces of dangerous and not contained drugs. It is stated this quality measure should be carried out routinely. Objective: To determine the rate of contamination with cytotoxic agents in the working areas of three hospitals in Colombia. Material and Methods: It was carried out a descriptive, prospective and cross-sectional study. Samples were collected simultaneously from 18 areas. It was evaluated the presence of three drugs that have been historically used as tracers of chemical contamination: Cyclophosphamide, 5-fluorouracil and carboplatin. The surface of preparation areas (biological safety cabinet or isolator CSB-barrier-AB), enlistment areas and the ones of cancer drugs administration including common areas of the central mixing and living areas of oncology drugs administration were evaluated. Results: In the department of nursing and pharmacy exists chemical contamination caused by cytostatic drugs. In nursing pollution was mainly related to carboplatin while in the central mixing area, the most detected document was 5-fluorouracil. The comparison between both departments shows that the highest rate of contamination was found in pharmacy. The most detected active substance was 5-fluorouracil. Conclusion: It is recommended that institutions review the standards for the preparation and administration of hazardous drugs in the light of global standards (USP, ASHP, Isopp) in areas such as politics and the current procedure, engineering controls, cleaning procedures, handling manufacturer’s vials, assessment of CSB or AB, training and education of the staff both, in the areas of preparation and administration, use of appropriate PPE, the incidence of recent spills in the pharmacy or preparation area that could raise detection levels and the implementation of CSTD

Changes of cerebral white matter in patients suffering from Pantothenate Kinase-Associated Neurodegeneration (PKAN): A diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) study.

BACKGROUND: To look for microstructural white matter alterations in patients with dystonia due to Pantothenate Kinase-Associated Neurodegeneration. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We examined 21 genetically confirmed patients and an age-matched group of 21 healthy controls by diffusion tensor imaging. Evaluation of data was performed by tract-based spatial statistics analysis and a voxel-wise comparison of calculated maps of fractional anisotropy. Findings were compared between groups and correlated to the dystonia score of the Burke-Fahn-Marsden Scale (p ≤ 0.05). RESULTS: Patients showed reductions of fractional anisotropy mainly in the periventricular substance surrounding the third ventricle, in the medial part of both putamina and in the frontal white matter including the anterior limbs of the internal capsules and the corpus callosum. Infratentorially, the cerebellar white matter and dorsal parts of the pons and medulla were affected. CONCLUSION: In addition to cortical grey matter changes, we now have a second structural finding pointing to a more widespread affection of cerebral tissue in PKAN dystonia than just the lesion and iron accumulation in the globus pallidus.

Dose distribution response in HDRB measured with EBT2 and compared with PLATO SYSTEM.

Dose distribution of a High Dose Rate Brachytherapy (BHDR) oncological treatment with (192)Ir was measured using a Gafchromic EBT2 film. The film calibration was performed with a (60)Co unit and a LINAC of 6 mV and 18 mV. Gafchromic behavior of a dosimeter varies in respect of energy. Experimental results of dose distribution match with those planned in the PLATO commercial system, they also show that there is a difference of 2.11% between the planning system and isodoses measured.

Influencia del pH en las relaciones microbianas de la cavidad bucal: revisión bibliográfica / Influence pH on the oral cavity microbial relations: literature review

El pH es el grado de acidez de una solución. En cavidad bucal, el pH define diferentes sucesos tanto bioquímicos como microbiológicos, entre los factores que ejercen influencia en todos estos eventos intrabucales encontramos: 1) capacidad buffer salival, la saliva no estimulada es de pH ligeramente ácido, la saliva estimulada posee pH básico. 2) carbohidratos exógenos. 3) bacterias acidógenas de la biopelícula dental, las cuales coexisten en microambientes altamente organizados, pudiendo metabolizar rápidamente ciertos azúcares a glucanos y productos finales ácidos. 4) agentes químicos, tales como hidróxido de calcio, el cual libera iones hidroxilos al medio, alcalinizándolo y haciéndolo no viable para el metabolismo bacteriano; clorhexidina, antiséptico de gran sustantividad, activo en bacterias Gram positivas y Gram negativas; fluoruros, que exhiben capacidad de inhibición metabólica, mecanismo antiadherente, producción de cambios en la carga superficial del diente. 5) azúcares alcoholes edulcorantes (xilitol), presenta la propiedad de retardar el flujo metabólico de ciertas bacterias cariogénicas.

pH is the acidity of a solution. In oral cavity, pH defines different events both biochemical and microbiological, factors that influence these intraoral events are: 1) salivary buffer capacity, unstimulated saliva is slightly acidic, stimulated saliva has basic pH. 2) exogenous carbohydrates. 3) acidogenic bacteria of dental biofilm , which coexist in highly organized microenvironments , can rapidly metabolize some sugars to glucans and acidic end products . 4) chemical agents, such as calcium hydroxide , which releases hydroxyl ions to the medium, and makes it non viable for bacterial metabolism; chlorhexidine antiseptic with high substantivity , active in Gram positive and Gram negative bacteria; fluorides exhibit metabolic inhibition capacity, antiadherent mechanism, production of changes in the surface charge of the tooth. 5) Sweeteners sugar alcohols (xylitol), has the property of retarding certain metabolic flux of cariogenic bacteria.

Clinical practice guidelines for evidence-based management of sedoanalgesia in critically ill adult patients.

INTRODUCTION: Optimal management of sedation, analgesia and delirium offers comfort and security for the critical care patient, allows support measures to be applied more easily and enables an integral approach of medical care, at the same time that lowers the incidence of complications, wich translates in better patient outcomes. OBJECTIVE: To update the Guía de práctica clínica basada en la evidencia para el manejo de la sedoanalgesia en el paciente adulto críticamente enfermo published in Medicina Intensiva in 2007, and give recommendations for the management of sedation, analgesia, and delirium. METHODOLOGY: A group of 21 intensivists from 9 countries of the Federación Panamericana e Ibérica de Sociedades de Medicina Crítica y Terapia Intensiva, 3 of them also specialists in clinical epidemiology and methodology, gathered for the development of guidelines. Assessment of evidence quality and recommendations were made based on the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation system. Strength of recommendations was classified as 1=strong, or 2=weak, and quality of evidence as A=high, B=moderate, or C=low. Two authors searched the following databases: MEDLINE through PUBMED, The Cochrane Library and Literatura Latinoamericana y del Caribe en Ciencias de la Salud and retrieved pertinent information. Members assigned to the 11 sections of the guidelines, based on the literature review, formulated the recommendations, that were discussed in plenary sessions. Only those recommendations that achieved more than 80% of consensus were approved for the final document. The Colombian Association of Critical Medicine and Intensive Care (AMCI) supported the elaboration of this guidelines. RESULTS: Four hundred sixty-seven articles were included for review. An increase in number and quality of publications was observed. This allowed to generate 64 strong recommendations with high and moderate quality of evidence in contrast to the 28 recommendations of the previous edition. CONCLUSIONS: This Guidelines contains recommendations and suggestions based on the best evidence available for the management of sedation, analgesia and delirium of the critically ill patient, including a bundle of strategies that serves this purpose. We highlight the assessment of pain and agitation/sedation through validated scales, the use of opioids initially to apropiate analgesic control, associated with multimodal strategies in order to reduce opioide consumption; to promote the lowest level of sedation necessary avoiding over-sedation. Also, in case of the need of sedatives, choose the most appropiate for the patient needs, avoiding the use of benzodiazepines and identify risk factors for delirium, in order to prevent its occurrence, diagnose delirium and treat it with the most suitable pharmacological agent, whether it is haloperidol, atypical antipsychotics or dexmedetomidine, once again, avoiding the use of benzodiazepines and decreasing the use of opioids.

Virus de papiloma humano y cáncer bucal / Human papiloma virus and buccal cancer

Los virus del papiloma humano (VPH), son virus ADN de doble cadena helicoidal, epiteliotrópicos que producen lesiones verrugosas en piel y mucosas. Algunas evidencias indican que ciertos tipos específicos de estos virus son necesarios pero no totalmente suficientes para ocasionar la transformación maligna, debido a que requieren algunas acciones sinérgicas de otros eventos iniciadores. Existen más de 230 tipos de VPH, 118 tipos están bien caracterizados, más de 40 tipos anogenitales, de los cuales 15 de ellos son oncogénicos; y en humanos constituyen uno de los grupos virales más frecuentes que infectan el epitelio de piel y mucosas: conjuntivas, cavidad bucal, laringe, árbol traqueobronquial, esófago, vejiga, ano y tracto genital. El examen clínico de la boca y sus anexos, constituye el paso inicial para la detección de una infección por este virus. El examen histológico revela el cambio morfológico y patognomónico más relevante de la infección por VPH, las células coilocíticas; las técnicas moleculares, como la Reacción en Cadena de la Polimerasa, la Hibridación in situ, entre otras, están basadas en la detección del genoma del virus. El VPH puede asociarse a distintos agentes físicos y químicos que promueven el desarrollo del carcinoma bucal, siendo los tipos (16, 18, 31, 32, 33 y 35) potencialmente oncogénicos. Esta revisión se propone analizar los diferentes tipos de VPH asociados con lesiones malignas de la cavidad bucal

Human papillomaviruses (HPV) are epitheliotropic and double-helix stranded DNA viruses, which produce warty lesions in mucosae and skin. A bigger amount of evidence suggests that specific types of viruses are necessary but not enough to produce the malignant transformation, also it´s necessary the synergistic action of other indicators. There are more than 230 types of HPV, 118 types are well characterized, more than 40 types anus genital, 15 of them have an oncogenic potential; in humans constitutes one of the most frequent viral groups infecting skin epithelium and mucosae: conjunctives, oral cavity, tracheo-bronchial tree, esophagus, bladder, anus and genital tract. Clinical exam of the mouth and its annexes constitutes the initial step for the detection of an infection by this virus. Histological exam reveals morphological and pathognomonic most relevant changes of HPV infection, koilocytes; molecular techniques such as Polimerase Chain Reaction, in situ hybridization, among others, are based in the detection of virus genome. HPV can act with different types of physical and chemical agents that promote the development of oral carcinoma being (16, 18, 31, 32, 33 y 35) HPV´s potentially oncogenic. This review analyzes the different types of HPV associated with malignant lesions of oral cavity

Síndrome de boca ardiente y saliva / Burning mouth syndrome and saliva

El síndrome de Boca Ardiente (SBA) se caracteriza por ardor, picor, escozor y dolor bucal sin causa orgánica que lo justifique. La boca ardiente aún es un desafío en el campo de la medicina. Su etiología es desconocida, a pesar de que diversos estudios indican que intervienen una serie de factores locales, sistémicos y psicológicos que se consideran como posibles agentes causales. La saliva puede desempeñar un papel importante en la sintomatología del ardor bucal, presenta propiedades físicas y químicas (reológicas) que determinan funciones imprescindibles para el equilibrio de la cavidad bucal. En pacientes con boca ardiente hay cambios en la composición y tasa del flujo salival relacionados con boca seca, viscosidad, ardor bucal, humedad entre otros. En esta revisión se trata de actualizar varios aspectos que relacionan las distintas causas del síndrome de boca ardiente con la saliva y sus alteraciones como uno de los factores más importantes en la etiología del ardor bucal. Estudios recientes sugieren que el ácido alfa lipoico combinado con gabapentina es un tratamiento efectivo para este síndrome

Burning mouth syndrome is characterized by burning, smarting and oral pain without any organic cause justifying it. Burning mouth is still a challenge in medical field. It has an unknown aetiology; despite many studies indicate the involvement of local, systemic and psychological factors that can be considered possible causal agents. Saliva can perform an important role in oral smarting symptomatology, shows physico-chemical properties (rheological) determining vital functions for oral cavity equilibrium. There are changes in composition and salivary flow rate of burning mouth patients, related with dry mouth, viscosity, oral smarting, and humidity, among others. This review pretends to update many aspects that relate different causes of burning mouth syndrome with saliva and its alterations as one of the most important factors in the aetiology of oral smarting. Recent studies suggest that alpha lipoic acid combined with gabapentin is an effective treatment for this syndrome

Thermoluminescent dosimetry in total body irradiation.

The aim of this paper was to develop a thermoluminescent dosimetry method for the absorbed dose determination of 6 MeV high-energy electron beams by thermoluminescent dosimetry. Total body irradiation (TBI) was performed using four dual fields angled at 252° and 285° in high-dose rate (HDR) mode. TBI measurements were investigated to estimate the absorbed dose in different anatomical parts of the patient. Experimental results were obtained using thermoluminescent detectors and solid water phantoms. The TL response of the dosimeters, as a function of the high-energy electron beam (HEEB) absorbed dose, was linear, from 0.1 to 500 cGy. The entrance skin dose (ESD) and isodose distribution on the surface of the treatment were investigated graphically.

Motor activation in patients with Pantothenate-Kinase Associated Neurodegeneration: a functional magnetic resonance imaging study.

BACKGROUND: In a variety of dystonias, functional magnetic resonance imaging has shown deviations of cortical and basal ganglia activations within the motor network, which might cause the movement disturbances. Because these investigations have never been performed in secondary dystonia due to Pantothenate-Kinase Associated Neurodegeneration, we report our results in a small group of such patients from the Dominican Republic. METHODS: Functional magnetic resonance imaging was carried out in 7 patients with a genetically confirmed mutation of the PANK2 gene and a non-affected control group (matched pairs) using an event-related motor activation paradigm (hand movements). RESULTS: Compared to the control group (p ≤ 0.01), patients showed a larger amount of activated voxels starting in the contralateral cerebellum and contralateral premotor cortex 2 s before the actual hand movement. Whereas these "hyperactivations" gradually diminished over time, activations in the contralateral primary motor cortex and the supplementary motor area peaked during the next second and those of the contralateral putamen at the time of the actual hand movement. In a multiple regression analysis, all these areas correlated positively with the degree of dystonia of the contralateral arm as judged by the Burke-Fahn-Marsden-scale (p ≤ 0.001). CONCLUSION: As in other forms of dystonia, the increased activations of the motor system found in our patients could be related to the origin of the dystonic movements. Because in this condition the primary lesion affects the pallidum, a defect of the feed-back control mechanism between basal ganglia and cortex might be the responsible factor.

Measurement of blood flow in arteriovenous malformations before and after embolization using arterial spin labeling.

The assessment of shunt reduction after an embolization of an arteriovenous malformation (AVM) or fistula (AVF) from conventional angiography is often difficult and may be subjective. Here we present a completely non-invasive method using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to measure shunt reduction. Using pulsed arterial spin labeling (PASL), we determined the relative amount of signal attributed to the shunt over 1.75 s and 6 different slices covering the lesion. This amount of signal from the shunt was related to the total signal from all slices and measured before and after embolization. The method showed a fair agreement between the PASL results and the judgement from conventional angiography. In the case of a total or subtotal shunt occlusion, PASL showed a shunt reduction between 69% and 92%, whereas in minimal shunt reduction as judged by conventional angiography, the ASL result was -6% (indicating slightly increased flow) to 35% in a partially occluded vein of Galen aneurysm. The PASL method proved to be fairly reproducible (up to 2% deviation between three measurements without interventions). On conclusion, PASL is able to reliably measure the amount of shunt reduction achieved by embolization of AVMs and AVFs.

Improvement of ECG signal quality measurement using correlation and diversity-based approaches.

A large proportion of cardiovascular diseases might be preventable, however, majority of this diseases occurs in rural areas where there is a poor presence of cardiologists. To overcome this issue, the use of wearable devices within the telemedicine framework would be of benefit. However, implementation of processing algorithms in smart-phones at mobile environments imposes restrictions ensuring high measurement quality of acquired ECG data, while maintaining low computation burden. This work presents an algorithm for scoring the quality of measured ECG recordings is developed. Particularly, a quality score is provided that takes into account the proportional correlation observed in acceptable signals based on a diversity scheme, and their inverse relation with standard deviation. Testing of proposed algorithm is carried out upon two different databases, the first one is of own production, while the second one is obtained from Physionet. As a result, high values of sensitivity and specificity are achieved.

Electronic structure and optical spectra of catechol on TiO2 nanoparticles from real time TD-DFT simulations.

The electronic structure and the optical response of free catechol, [Ti(cat)(3)](2-) complex, and catechol bound to TiO(2) nanoclusters have been analysed using time dependent density functional theory (TD-DFT) performing calculations both in real time and frequency domains. Both approaches lead to similar results providing the basis sets and functionals are similar. For all cases, the simulated spectra agree well with the experimental ones. For the adsorption systems, the spectra show a band at 4.7 eV associated to intramolecular catechol π→π* transitions, and low energy bands corresponding to transitions from catechol to the cluster with a tail that is red-shifted when the coupling between the dye and the cluster is more effective. Thus, dissociative adsorption modes provide longer tails than the molecular mode. Although the bidentate complex is more stable than the monodentate, the energy difference between both is smaller when the cluster size increases. Small cluster models reproduce the main features of the optical response, however, the (TiO(2))(15) cluster constitutes the minimal size to provide a complete picture. In this case, the conventional TD-DFT (frequency domain) calculations are highly demanding computationally, while real time TD-DFT is more efficient and the calculations become affordable.

Influence of temperature on the interaction between Pd clusters and the TiO2 (110) surface.

The behavior of a Pd nanocluster on the rutile TiO2 (110) surface has been analyzed by extensive first principles molecular dynamics simulations between 100 K and 1073 K. Calculations predict a steep change in the morphological and electronic cluster structure around 800 K in excellent agreement with previous experimental evidence. At low temperature, the cluster geometry is mainly controlled by the substrate structure; however, upon the transition temperature, the cluster-substrate interaction decreases appreciably, and the cluster adopts a geometry more stable in vacuum and becomes metallic. These results illustrate at an atomistic level the influence of temperature on the geometrical and electronic properties of oxide-supported clusters.