Seroprevalence of anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in household domestic ferrets (Mustela putorius furo) in Spain, 2019-2023.

SARS-CoV-2 is the causal agent of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) in humans that emerged in late 2019. This virus is able to infect humans and different animal species. Among pets, cats and ferrets are more susceptible to be infected by the SARS-CoV-2. Epidemiological studies are an important tool to provide information under natural conditions of exposure to SARS-CoV-2 virus. In comparison to cats, limited epidemiological studies have been performed in domestic ferrets (Mustela putorius furo) reporting the presence of antibodies in this species. This study analysed the presence of anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in 432 cliend-owned ferrets from different geographical areas of Spain during the different waves of COVID-19 outbreaks from December 2019 to May 2023 (42 months). For this purpose, anti-SARS-CoV-2 antibodies were detected by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent method (ELISA) using the receptor binding domain (RBD) of Spike antigen and confirmed by serum virus neutralization assay. Eighteen of the 432 ferrets included were seroreactive by the in-house ELISA (4.17%, 95% Confidence Interval (CI): 2.65-6.49). In this sense, the wave of COVID-19 with the higher number of seropositive ferrets occurred during the seventh wave when the different Omicron subvariants were the dominant virus variants. Our results suggest that the risk of SARS-CoV-2 transmission in domestic ferrets in natural conditions is low. Further research is need to evaluate the potential risk of transmission of SARS-CoV-2 from human to pets.

Serological exposure to influenza A in cats from an area with wild birds positive for avian influenza.

Influenza A is an emerging zoonotic virus with worldwide distribution. To our knowledge, no studies have been conducted to assess influenza A exposure in stray cats in regions with positive cases of wild birds. This study aimed to determine the seroprevalence of anti-influenza A antibodies in feral cats from a region in Spain with cases of positive wild birds. A cross-sectional study of stray cats (n = 183) was conducted between March 2022 and March 2023. The presence of antibodies against the influenza A virus was tested using a commercial enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kit adapted for this study and confirmed by competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for the detection of antibodies against the haemagglutinin H5. During sample collection, none of the cats exhibited clinical signs of illness. Four of the 183 animals tested showed anti-influenza A antibodies by ELISA, and the seroprevalence of influenza A was 2.19% (95% confidence interval 0.85%-5.48%). Due to the low number of positive cases detected, it appears that cats did not have an important epidemiological role in influenza A transmission during this period.

Old poisons, new signaling molecules: the case of hydrogen cyanide.

The high phenotypic plasticity developed by plants includes rapid responses and adaptations to aggressive or changing environments. To achieve this, they evolved extremely efficient mechanisms of signaling mediated by a wide range of molecules, including small signal molecules. Among them, hydrogen cyanide (HCN) has been largely ignored due to its toxic characteristics. However, not only is it present in living organisms, but it has been shown that it serves several functions in all kingdoms of life. Research using model plants has changed the traditional point of view, and it has been demonstrated that HCN plays a positive role in the plant response to pathogens independently of its toxicity. Indeed, HCN induces a response aimed at protecting the plant from pathogen attack, and the HCN is provided either exogenously (in vitro or by some cyanogenic bacteria species present in the rhizosphere) or endogenously (in reactions involving ethylene, camalexin, or other cyanide-containing compounds). The contribution of different mechanisms to HCN function, including a new post-translational modification of cysteines in proteins, namely S-cyanylation, is discussed here. This work opens up an expanding 'HCN field' of research related to plants and other organisms.

A ventilation early warning system (VEWS) for diaphanous workspaces considering COVID-19 and future pandemics scenarios.

The COVID-19 pandemic has generated new needs due to the associated health risks and, more specifically, its rapid infection rate. Prevention measures to avoid contagions in indoor spaces, especially in office and public buildings (e.g., hospitals, public administration, educational centres, etc.), have led to the need for adequate ventilation to dilute the possible concentration of the virus. This article presents our contribution to this new challenge, namely the Ventilation Early Warning System (VEWS) which has aims to adapt the operation of the current Heating, Ventilating and Air Conditioning (HVAC) systems to the ventilation needs of diaphanous workspaces, based on a Smart Campus Digital Twin (SCDT) framework approach, while maintaining sustainability. Different technologies such as the Internet of Things (IoT), Building Information Modelling (BIM) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) algorithms are combined to collect and integrate monitoring data (historical records, real-time information, and location-related patterns) to carry out forecasting simulations in this digital twin. The generated outputs serve to assist facility managers in their building governance, considering the appropriate application of health measures to reduce the risk of coronavirus contagion in combination with sustainability criteria. The article also provides the results of the implementation of the VEWS in a university workspace as a case study. Its application has made it possible to detect and warn of inadequate ventilation situations for the daily flow of people in the different controlled zones.

The dynamics of neutralizing antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 in cats naturally exposed to virus reveals an increase in antibody activity after re-infection.

Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 is the causative agent of Coronavirus Disease 2019 in humans. To date, little is known about the persistence of antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 in animals under natural conditions, in particular susceptible pets such as cat. This study reports the detection and monitoring of the humoral response against SARS-CoV-2 including the detection of immunoglobulins G specific for receptor binding domain of SARS-CoV-2 spike protein by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and neutralizing antibodies by virus neutralization assay. Results showed that these antibodies last longer than 16 months in two naturally apparently healthy infected cats with the absence of clinicopathological findings during the follow-up. Moreover, re-infection is also possible with an important increase in virus neutralization test titers in both animals with no evident systemic signs found during each physical examination and with values of hematologic and biochemical parameters inside the normal reference intervals. Our results confirm a slow but progressive decrease of the kinetics and immunity of neutralizing antibodies in cats after the infection. Furthermore, similar to humans SARS-CoV-2 reinfection can stimulate an increase of the neutralizing antibodies determined by these two serological techniques in domestic cats.

Molecular and Serological Studies on Potential SARS-CoV-2 Infection among 43 Lemurs under Human Care-Evidence for Past Infection in at Least One Individual.

In the setting of the recent COVID-19 pandemic, transmission of SARS-CoV-2 to animals has been reported in both domestic and wild animals and is a matter of concern. Given the genetic and functional similarities to humans, non-human primates merit particular attention. In the case of lemurs, generally considered endangered, they are believed to be susceptible to SARS-CoV-2 infection. We have conducted a study for evidence of SARS-CoV-2 infection among the 43 lemurs of Mundomar, a zoological park in Benidorm, Spain. They belong to two endangered lemur species, 23 black-and-white ruffed lemurs (Varecia variegata) and 20 ring-tailed lemurs (Lemur catta). Health assessments conducted in 2022 and 2023 included molecular analyses for SARS-CoV-2 RNA of oral and rectal swabs using two different RT-qPCR assays, always with negative results for SARS-CoV-2 in all animals. The assessment also included serological testing for antibodies against the receptor-binding domain (RBD) of the spike protein (S) of SARS-CoV-2, which again yielded negative results in all animals except one black-and-white ruffed lemur, supporting prior infection of that animal with SARS-CoV-2. Our data, while not indicating a high susceptibility of lemurs to SARS-CoV-2 infection, show that they can be infected, adding to the existing information body on potential ways for SARS-CoV-2 virus spreading in zoos, highlighting the need for animal surveillance for the virus.

Avoidant/resistant rather than tolerant olive rootstocks are more effective in controlling Verticillium wilt.

The identification of rootstocks of low susceptibility to Verticillium dahliae can become a valuable procedure to achieve effective control of Verticillium wilt in the olive grove. This not only involves the identification of suitable genotypes, but also the study of the interaction between the rootstock and the grafted scion. Thus, a rootstock that prevents or minimizes V. dahliae proliferation (avoidance/resistance strategy) can have very different effects on a susceptible scion compared to a rootstock that shows few or no symptoms despite being infected (tolerance strategy). Both resistance and tolerance mechanisms have been recently identified in wild olive genotypes with low susceptibility to V. dahliae. When used as rootstocks of the highly susceptible variety 'Picual', we found that resistant genotypes, including the cultivar 'Frantoio', were more effective than tolerant genotypes in controlling Verticillium wilt. Furthermore, tolerant genotypes were as ineffective as susceptible or extremely susceptible genotypes in controlling Verticillium wilt. We also identified rootstock-scion combinations with behaviours that were not expected according to the degree of susceptibility previously observed in the non-grafted rootstock. Although the rootstocks were able to control Verticillium wilt according to its degree of susceptibility to V. dahliae, the ability to control the infection was not adequately transferred to the grafted scion. Our results confirmed that: the degree of susceptibility to Verticillium wilt of an olive variety does not predict its performance as a rootstock; to use a very low susceptible genotype as rootstock of a susceptible scion increases the susceptibility of the genotype used as rootstock; in any case, avoidant/resistant rootstocks are more effective than tolerant rootstocks in reducing the susceptibility of the grafted plant to V. dahliae.

Welfare Indicators in Tilapia: An Epidemiological Approach.

Interest and concern about rearing methods and their impact on animal welfare have increased. Production evaluation is population-based, and animal welfare analysis should be similar. In fish, the most common welfare indicators are gill state, fin damage, and body condition. The objective of this study was to evaluate the feeding rate effect on the welfare indicators of Oreochromis niloticus using an epidemiological approach. Five growth stages (from 1.2 to 360 g) were studied using four feeding rates as treatments: underfeeding (80%), recommended feeding (100%), and two levels of overfeeding (120% and 140%). The evaluated welfare indicators include the presence of lesions in different body areas and fins, the decrease in body condition index, and their impact on biomass production. Incidence and relative risk were determined for each indicator. Statistically significant associations were found in the indicators of mortality, weight, body condition (K), and presence of evident damage in the caudal and anal fin in all stages. The results showed that the feed rate directly affects the welfare indicators and production. Mortality, weight reduction, K reduction, and caudal and anal fin damage incidence showed to be relevant indicators in all O. niloticus growing stages. As a result of this study, the epidemiological approach seems to be a valuable tool for production. A risk traffic light method is a proposal that could have great potential, with the suggested limits for WI's concerning the individuals present in the culture pond, allowing progressive evaluation and decision-making to correct risky situations.

Growth Quality and Development of Olive Plants Cultured In-Vitro under Different Illumination Regimes.

Light-emitting diodes (LEDs) are useful for the in-vitro micropropagation of plants, but little information is available on woody species. This work compares the effects of light quality and intensity on the growth and development of micropropagated olive plants from two different subspecies. Illumination was provided with fluorescent and LED lamps covering different red/blue ratios (90/10, 80/20, 70/30, 60/40) or red/blue/white combinations, as well as different light intensities (30, 34, 40, 52, 56, 84, 98 and 137 µmol m-2 s-1 of photosynthetic photon fluxes, PPF). Olive plants exhibited high sensitivity to light quality and intensity. Higher red/blue ratios or lower light intensities stimulated plant growth and biomass mainly as a consequence of a higher internodal elongation rate, not affecting either the total number of nodes or shoots. In comparison to fluorescent illumination, LED lighting improved leaf area and biomass, which additionally was positively correlated with light intensity. Stomatal frequency was positively, and pigments content negatively, correlated with light intensity, while no clear correlation was observed with light quality. In comparison with fluorescent lamps, LED illumination (particularly the 70/30 red/blue ratio with 34 µmol m-2 s-1 PPF intensity) allowed optimal manipulation and improved the quality of in-vitro micropropagated olive plants.

Wild Olive Genotypes as a Valuable Source of Resistance to Defoliating Verticillium dahliae.

Resistance to the defoliating pathotype of Verticillium dahliae has been evaluated in a pool of 68 wild genotypes of olive belonging to the SILVOLIVE collection. Resistance was evaluated by assessing symptom severity using a 0-4 rating scale, estimating the relative area under the disease progress curve (RAUDPC), determining the percentage of dead plants (PDP), and measuring the evolution of morphological parameters in inoculated plants over time. In addition, the density levels of V. dahliae in the stem of root-inoculated genotypes have been quantified by means of quantitative real-time PCR at 35 and 120 days after inoculation (dai). Fifteen genotypes (22%) were cataloged as resistant to V. dahliae (i.e., disease parameters did not significantly differ from those of the resistant cultivar Frantoio, or were even lower). Resistant genotypes are characterized by presenting fewer symptoms and a lower amount of V. dahliae DNA at 120 dai than at 35 dai, indicating their ability to control the disease and reduce the density of the pathogen. The rest of the evaluated genotypes showed variable levels of susceptibility. Overall analysis of all genotypes showed high correlation between symptomatology and the amount of V. dahliae DNA in the stem of inoculated genotypes at 120 dai, rather than at 35 dai. However, correlation at 120 dai was not observed in the set of resistant genotypes, suggesting that resistance to defoliating V. dahliae in olive is based on the occurrence of different mechanisms such as avoidance or tolerance. These mechanisms are valuable for designing breeding programs and for the identification of target genes and resistant rootstocks to better control Verticillium wilt in the olive grove.

Chloride nutrition improves drought resistance by enhancing water deficit avoidance and tolerance mechanisms.

Chloride (Cl-), traditionally considered harmful for agriculture, has recently been defined as a beneficial macronutrient with specific roles that result in more efficient use of water (WUE), nitrogen (NUE), and CO2 in well-watered plants. When supplied in a beneficial range of 1-5 mM, Cl- increases leaf cell size, improves leaf osmoregulation, and reduces water consumption without impairing photosynthetic efficiency, resulting in overall higher WUE. Thus, adequate management of Cl- nutrition arises as a potential strategy to increase the ability of plants to withstand water deficit. To study the relationship between Cl- nutrition and drought resistance, tobacco plants treated with 0.5-5 mM Cl- salts were subjected to sustained water deficit (WD; 60% field capacity) and water deprivation/rehydration treatments, in comparison with plants treated with equivalent concentrations of nitrate, sulfate, and phosphate salts. The results showed that Cl- application reduced stress symptoms and improved plant growth during water deficit. Drought resistance promoted by Cl- nutrition resulted from the simultaneous occurrence of water deficit avoidance and tolerance mechanisms, which improved leaf turgor, water balance, photosynthesis performance, and WUE. Thus, it is proposed that beneficial Cl- levels increase the ability of crops to withstand drought, promoting a more sustainable and resilient agriculture.

A metagenomic assessment of microbial communities in anaerobic bioreactors and sediments: Taxonomic and functional relationships.

The present study used metagenomic sequencing, metagenome assembly and physical-chemical analysis to describe taxonomically and functionally 3 anaerobic bioreactors treating manure (LI), brewery (BR) and cornmeal (CO) wastes, and an anaerobic estuarine sediment (ES). Proteobacteria, Firmicutes, Euryarchaeota and Bacteroidetes were the most abundant Phyla in all metagenomes. A bacteria/archaea ratio of 3.4 was found in the industrial full-scale anaerobic bioreactors BR and CO, while ratios greater than 10 were found for LI and ES. Canonical correspondence analysis showed that environmental variables such as chemical oxygen demand, lipid content, and ammonium nitrogen influenced the ordination of taxonomic groups. Mesotoga prima was linked to high-temperature conditions, particularly in the BR bioreactor, along with the presence of heat shock proteins genes. Likewise, the hydrogenotrophic methanogen, Methanoregula formicica, was associated with high ammonium concentration in LI bioreactor. The interactions of microbes with specific methanogenic pathways were identified using Clusters of Orthologous Groups (COG) functions, while metagenome-assembled genomes (MAGs) further confirmed relationships between taxa and functions. Our results provide valuable information to understand microbial processes in anaerobic environments.

Chloride Improves Nitrate Utilization and NUE in Plants.

Chloride (Cl-) has traditionally been considered harmful to agriculture because of its toxic effects in saline soils and its antagonistic interaction with nitrate (NO3 -), which impairs NO3 - nutrition. It has been largely believed that Cl- antagonizes NO3 - uptake and accumulation in higher plants, reducing crop yield. However, we have recently uncovered that Cl- has new beneficial macronutrient, functions that improve plant growth, tissue water balance, plant water relations, photosynthetic performance, and water-use efficiency. The increased plant biomass indicates in turn that Cl- may also improve nitrogen use efficiency (NUE). Considering that N availability is a bottleneck for the plant growth, the excessive NO3 - fertilization frequently used in agriculture becomes a major environmental concern worldwide, causing excessive leaf NO3 - accumulation in crops like vegetables and, consequently, a potential risk to human health. New farming practices aimed to enhance plant NUE by reducing NO3 - fertilization should promote a healthier and more sustainable agriculture. Given the strong interaction between Cl- and NO3 - homeostasis in plants, we have verified if indeed Cl- affects NO3 - accumulation and NUE in plants. For the first time to our knowledge, we provide a direct demonstration which shows that Cl-, contrary to impairing of NO3 - nutrition, facilitates NO3 - utilization and improves NUE in plants. This is largely due to Cl- improvement of the N-NO3 - utilization efficiency (NUTE), having little or moderate effect on N-NO3 - uptake efficiency (NUPE) when NO3 - is used as the sole N source. Clear positive correlations between leaf Cl- content vs. NUE/NUTE or plant growth have been established at both intra- and interspecies levels. Optimal NO3 - vs. Cl- ratios become a useful tool to increase crop yield and quality, agricultural sustainability and reducing the negative ecological impact of NO3 - on the environment and on human health.

SILVOLIVE, a Germplasm Collection of Wild Subspecies With High Genetic Variability as a Source of Rootstocks and Resistance Genes for Olive Breeding.

Wild subspecies of Olea europaea constitute a source of genetic variability with huge potential for olive breeding to face global changes in Mediterranean-climate regions. We intend to identify wild olive genotypes with optimal adaptability to different environmental conditions to serve as a source of rootstocks and resistance genes for olive breeding. The SILVOLIVE collection includes 146 wild genotypes representative of the six O. europaea subspecies and early-generations hybrids. These genotypes came either from olive germplasm collections or from direct prospection in Spain, continental Africa and the Macaronesian archipelago. The collection was genotyped with plastid and nuclear markers, confirming the origin of the genotypes and their high genetic variability. Morphological and architectural parameters were quantified in 103 genotypes allowing the identification of three major groups of correlative traits including vigor, branching habits and the belowground-to-aboveground ratio. The occurrence of strong phenotypic variability in these traits within the germplasm collection has been shown. Furthermore, wild olive relatives are of great significance to be used as rootstocks for olive cultivation. Thus, as a proof of concept, different wild genotypes used as rootstocks were shown to regulate vigor parameters of the grafted cultivar "Picual" scion, which could improve the productivity of high-density hedgerow orchards.

Hydraulic Traits Emerge as Relevant Determinants of Growth Patterns in Wild Olive Genotypes Under Water Stress.

The hydraulic traits of plants, or the efficiency of water transport throughout the plant hydraulic system, could help to anticipate the impact of climate change and improve crop productivity. However, the mechanisms explaining the role of hydraulic traits on plant photosynthesis and thus, plant growth and yield, are just beginning to emerge. We conducted an experiment to identify differences in growth patterns at leaf, root and whole plant level among four wild olive genotypes and to determine whether hydraulic traits may help to explain such differences through their effect on photosynthesis. We estimated the relative growth rate (RGR), and its components, leaf gas exchange and hydraulic traits both at the leaf and whole-plant level in the olive genotypes over a full year. Photosynthetic capacity parameters were also measured. We observed different responses to water stress in the RGRs of the genotypes studied being best explained by changes in the net CO2 assimilation rate (NAR). Further, net photosynthesis, closely related to NAR, was mainly determined by hydraulic traits, both at leaf and whole-plant levels. This was mediated through the effects of hydraulic traits on stomatal conductance. We observed a decrease in leaf area: sapwood area and leaf area: root area ratios in water-stressed plants, which was more evident in the olive genotype Olea europaea subsp. guanchica (GUA8), whose RGR was less affected by water deficit than the other olive genotypes. In addition, at the leaf level, GUA8 water-stressed plants presented a better photosynthetic capacity due to a higher mesophyll conductance to CO2 and a higher foliar N. We conclude that hydraulic allometry adjustments of whole plant and leaf physiological response were well coordinated, buffering the water stress experienced by GUA8 plants. In turn, this explained their higher relative growth rates compared to the rest of the genotypes under water-stress conditions.

Silent S-Type Anion Channel Subunit SLAH1 Gates SLAH3 Open for Chloride Root-to-Shoot Translocation.

Higher plants take up nutrients via the roots and load them into xylem vessels for translocation to the shoot. After uptake, anions have to be channeled toward the root xylem vessels. Thereby, xylem parenchyma and pericycle cells control the anion composition of the root-shoot xylem sap [1-6]. The fact that salt-tolerant genotypes possess lower xylem-sap Cl(-) contents compared to salt-sensitive genotypes [7-10] indicates that membrane transport proteins at the sites of xylem loading contribute to plant salinity tolerance via selective chloride exclusion. However, the molecular mechanism of xylem loading that lies behind the balance between NO3(-) and Cl(-) loading remains largely unknown. Here we identify two root anion channels in Arabidopsis, SLAH1 and SLAH3, that control the shoot NO3(-)/Cl(-) ratio. The AtSLAH1 gene is expressed in the root xylem-pole pericycle, where it co-localizes with AtSLAH3. Under high soil salinity, AtSLAH1 expression markedly declined and the chloride content of the xylem sap in AtSLAH1 loss-of-function mutants was half of the wild-type level only. SLAH3 anion channels are not active per se but require extracellular nitrate and phosphorylation by calcium-dependent kinases (CPKs) [11-13]. When co-expressed in Xenopus oocytes, however, the electrically silent SLAH1 subunit gates SLAH3 open even in the absence of nitrate- and calcium-dependent kinases. Apparently, SLAH1/SLAH3 heteromerization facilitates SLAH3-mediated chloride efflux from pericycle cells into the root xylem vessels. Our results indicate that under salt stress, plants adjust the distribution of NO3(-) and Cl(-) between root and shoot via differential expression and assembly of SLAH1/SLAH3 anion channel subunits.

Threshold Evolution as an Analysis of the Different Pulse Frequencies in Rechargeable Systems for Spinal Cord Stimulation.

INTRODUCTION: Pulse frequency (Fc) is one of the most important parameters in neurostimulation, with Pulse Amplitude (Pw) and Amplitude (I). Up to certain Fc, increasing the number of pulses will generate action potentials in neighboring neural structures and may facilitate deeper penetration of the electromagnetic fields. In addition, changes in frequency modify the patient's sensation with stimulation. MATERIALS/METHODS: Fifty patients previously implanted with rechargeable current control spinal cord stimulation. With pulse width fixed at 300 µsec, we stimulated at 26 different Fc values between 40 and 1200 Hz and determine the influence of these changes on different stimulation thresholds: perception threshold (Tp ), therapeutic perception (Tt), and discomfort threshold (Td). Simultaneously, paresthesia coverage of the painful area and patient's sensation and satisfaction related to the quality of stimulation were recorded. RESULTS: Pulse Fc is inversely proportional to stimulation thresholds and this influence is statistically significant (p < 0.05). As Pulse Fc increased from 40 to 1200 Hz, the mean threshold decreases from 7.25 to 1.38 mA (Tp ), 8.17 to 1.63 (Tt ), and 9.20 to 1.85 (Td). Significant differences for Tp and Tt began at 750 Hz (Tp , Tt ) and at 650 Hz for Td. No significant influence was found regarding paresthesia coverage. As expected, Fc affects significantly patient's sensation and satisfaction. DISCUSSION: Changes in Fc affect the quality of paresthesias. Within the evaluated parameters higher frequencies are inversely proportional to stimulation thresholds and Tt. It seems that Fc is a vital parameter to achieve therapeutic success. CONCLUSIONS: Changes in Fc is a useful parameter to modulate the patient's sensory perception. Fc can be successfully used to adjust the quality of the paresthesias and to modify patient's subjective sensation. We showed that as the frequency increases, the patient's satisfaction with the perceived sensation decreases, suggesting that higher Fc may need to be set up at subthreshold amplitude to achieve positive response.

Is the introduction of another variable to the strength-duration curve necessary in neurostimulation?

INTRODUCTION: Neurostimulation is the process and technology derived from the application of electricity with different parameters to activate or inhibit nerve pathways. Pulse width (Pw) is the duration of each electrical impulse and, along with amplitude (I), determines the total energy charge of the stimulation. OBJECTIVES: The aim of the study was to test Pw values to find the most adequate pulse widths in rechargeable systems to obtain the largest coverage of the painful area, the most comfortable paresthesia, and the greatest patient satisfaction. MATERIAL AND METHODS: A study of the parameters was performed, varying Pw while maintaining a fixed frequency at 50 Hz. Data on perception threshold (Tp ), discomfort threshold (Td ), and therapeutic threshold (Tt ) were recorded, applying 14 increasing Pw values ranging from 50 µsec to 1000 µsec. Lastly, the behavior of the therapeutic range (TR), the coverage of the painful area, the subjective patient perception of paresthesia, and the degree of patient satisfaction were assessed. RESULTS: The findings after analyzing the different thresholds were as follows: When varying the Pw, the differences obtained at each threshold (Tp , Tt , and Td ) were statistically significant (p < 0.05). The differences among the resulting Tp values and among the resulting Tt values were statistically significant when varying Pw from 50 up to 600 µsec (p < 0.05). For Pw levels 600 µsec and up, no differences were observed in these thresholds. In the case of Td , significant differences existed as Pw increased from 50 to 700 µsec (p ≤ 0.05). The coverage increased in a statistically significant way (p < 0.05) from Pw values of 50 µsec to 300 µsec. Good or very good subjective perception was shown at about Pw 300 µsec. CONCLUSIONS: The patient paresthesia coverage was introduced as an extra variable in the chronaxie-rheobase curve, allowing the adjustment of Pw values for optimal programming. The coverage of the patient against the current chronaxie-rheobase formula will be represented on three axes; an extra axis (z) will appear, multiplying each combination of Pw value and amplitude by the percentage of coverage corresponding to those values. Using this new comparison of chronaxie-rheobase curve vs. coverage, maximum Pw values will be obtained different from those obtained by classic methods.

Effects of movement and postural positions in spinal cord stimulation in the new rechargeable systems.

BACKGROUND: Despite recent developments in implantable neurostimulation devices, the adjustment of stimulation levels to the patient's postural changes has remained a problem so far. OBJECTIVE: This study was conducted with the newest rechargeable devices, in order to compare its results with the ones published from conventional systems. STUDY DESIGN: It is a prospective study. SETTING: In 46 patients implanted with rechargeable constant current stimulation systems we measured impedance, stimulation thresholds, therapeutic range, as well patients' satisfaction and sensation in 7 different body postures. RESULTS: Data analysis was performed in 46 patients, whose most frequent pathologies were failed back surgery syndrome (FBSS) and complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS). The lowest amplitude needed to reach the different thresholds was always scored in the supine decubitus position, with no significant changes in the therapeutic range and impedance. For all stimulation thresholds, there is always a difference between the supine position and all other postures. No statistically significant differences with regard to patients' satisfaction and sensation were found for the different postures. LIMITATIONS: Sample sample size. CONCLUSION: The findings of the present work are similar to those described in previous publications that showed the relationship between postural changes and several stimulation thresholds and pulse energy. The posture which requires lower energy - and whose corresponding therapeutic range (TR) is narrower--is supine decubitus.

Aortic homograft for pulmonary artery augmentation in single lung transplantation.

We present a case of unilateral lung transplantation in which a segment of the donor's descending aorta was used as a homograft for pulmonary artery augmentation in the donor lung. This technique can be used when the donor's lung artery has been cut at the base of the hilum during the harvesting procedure.