Design of a compact off-axis four-mirror objective system for a thermal camera.

The optical design of a compact off-axis four-mirror objective system (OFOS) of a thermal camera for a syndromic surveillance system that captures bioclinical signals, like temperature, directly related to the physical symptoms of the COVID-19 disease through thermal images is presented. The OFOS design works on wavelengths of 7.5-14 µm, with an f-number of 4, and a field of view (FOV) of 24×4 deg.

Atención Farmacéutica Integral a pacientes pediátricos hospitalizados con trastornos siquiátricos / Comprehensive Pharmaceutical Care in pediatric inpatient with psychiatric disorders

Introducción: el incremento de nuevos psicofármacos en la edad pediátrica, requieren la valoración de problemas relacionados con medicamentos, de ahí que resulte necesario el desarrollo de los servicios de Atención Farmacéutica. Objetivo: desarrollar la Atención Farmacéutica Integral para pacientes pediátricos con trastornos psiquiátricos hospitalizados. Métodos: se realizó un estudio prospectivo y de intervención, desde febrero a abril del 2017, en el que participaron pacientes pediátricos con trastornos psiquiátricos. El servicio se desarrolló en tres fases del proceso de cuidado farmacéutico y se empleó un procedimiento normalizado de trabajo. Se determinó el impacto de las intervenciones en la prevención o resolución de los resultados negativos asociados a la medicación, el estado clínico de los pacientes y la satisfacción de los cuidadores. Resultados: predominó el sexo femenino (55%), edades comprendidas entre 15 y 18 años (80%) y nivel de escolaridad medio de los cuidadores (45%). Se identificó falta de adherencia terapéutica antes del ingreso, corroborada con las experiencias subjetivas. Se detectaron 19 resultados negativos asociados a la medicación, predominando los de seguridad (89,4%). Se realizaron 36 intervenciones farmacéuticas, para un 80,5% de aceptación, se previnieron 57,1% y se resolvió el 80 % del total de resultados negativos asociados a la medicación. El 100 % de los pacientes tuvieron una evolución favorable y los cuidadores mostraron satisfacción. Conclusiones: La Atención Farmacéutica Integral permitió identificar factores psicosociales del paciente asociados a la enfermedad y la farmacoterapia y la prevención y resolución de la mayoría de los resultados negativos asociados a la medicación.(AU)

Introduction: the use of new psychoactive drugs and their widespread use in the pediatric age underline the importance of assessing the appearance of drug-related problems, hence the need for the development of Pharmaceutical Care services. Objective:to show the preliminary results of the development of the Comprehensive Pharmaceutical Care service for pediatric inpatients with psychiatric disorders. Methods: in 2020, it was carried out a retrospective study about the preliminary implementation of a service provided to pediatric inpatients with psychiatric disorders, from February 1stto April 28thin 2017. The pharmaceutical care process was developed in three phases, a standard operating procedure and the pharmacotherapeutical profiles of patients were used. The preliminary impact of the interventions on the prevention or resolution of negative results associated with medication, the clinical status of the patients and the satisfaction of the caregivers was determined. Results :twenty patients were included, female sex predominated (55%), ages between 15 and 18 years (80%) and average level of education of caregivers (45%). Lack of therapeutic adherence was identified before admission, corroborated with subjective experiences from patients, 19 negative results associated with medication were detected, predominantly related to safety (89.4%), 36 pharmaceutical interventions were carried out with 80.5% of acceptance, 57.1% were prevented and 80% of the total negative results associated with the medication were resolved. 100% of the patients had a favourable progress and caregivers showed 100 % of satisfaction. Conclusions: the Comprehensive Pharmaceutical Care service allowed to identify psychosocial factors in patients associated to disease and pharmacotherapy and contributed to the...(AU)

Exact calculation of conic constants and baffles for any two-mirror aplanatic telescope.

To calculate the conic constants of the primary and secondary mirrors of any aplanatic two-mirror telescope, nonexact equations have been used considering third-order approximations, although it was not considered that there is an infinite number of conic constants. In this paper, exact nonlinear equations are obtained; with them, the two conic constants of the mirrors are calculated without approximations. We also find that the conic constants depend on the position at the stop where the calculation is carried out, and there are always residual aberrations. In addition, a procedure is established for the exact calculation of the baffles. Finally, examples show the differences between exact and third-order calculations.

Stage-by-stage formation of superficial nanostructures in ITO films reduced by H2-GD at low temperature (100 °C) for applications on plastic substrates.

The formation of superficial nanostructures (SNs) in reduced indium tin oxide (ITO) thin films by H2-Glow discharge (GD) at a low reduction temperature (Tr = 100 °C) was investigated. Sputtered ITO films deposited at low (Td = 100 °C) and high (Td = 300 °C) temperatures were reduced using this low-temperature process. Scanning electron and atomic force microscopy were applied to study the evolution of the nanostructural features and three stages were identified: emerging/densification, coalescence, and depletion stages. The structural characteristics of the SNs were characterized by grazing incidence and conventional θ/2θ x-ray diffractions showing that at Tr = 100 °C, the reduction process was limited to the surface region in which the ion bombardment had influence. The mean diameter, , of the SNs in ITO deposited on the glass substrate was controlled from ∼10-90 nm and the SN densities, d, were obtained from ∼109-1011 SNs cm-2. Finally, the superficial nanostructures were successfully formed in ITO films deposited on flexible polyethylene naphthalate (PEN) substrates. It was demonstrated that, on these substrates, is possible to obtain a uniform distribution in the size and density of the SNs, with = 9.5-20.7 nm and d = 2.66 × 1011-4.20 × 1010 SNs cm-2.

Hybrid algorithm for simulating the collimated transmittance of homogeneous stratified turbid media.

In this work we describe the development of a program that simulates the propagation of photons through refractive and reflecting optical components such as lenses, mirrors and stops that includes a biological tissue sample as the main issue to be investigated in order to get a simulated value of light distribution, in particular, of the unscattered light. The analysis of the photons that travel through the sample is based on the program Monte Carlo Multi-Layered with some modifications that consider a Gaussian beam as initial source of light. Position, directional cosines and weight of photons exiting the turbid media are used to propagate them through an optical system. As a mean of validation of the program, we selected a typical optical system for measurement of collimated transmittance. Therefore, several tests were carried out to find the optical system that gives the theoretical collimated transmittance at different values of the optical properties of the turbid media. Along this validation, the optimal experimental configuration is found. Using this results, a comparison between the simulated optimal configuration and the experimental set-up was done, by using a colloidal suspension as a turbid media.

Retrieving the optical parameters of biological tissues using diffuse reflectance spectroscopy and Fourier series expansions. I. theory and application.

The determination of optical parameters of biological tissues is essential for the application of optical techniques in the diagnosis and treatment of diseases. Diffuse Reflection Spectroscopy is a widely used technique to analyze the optical characteristics of biological tissues. In this paper we show that by using diffuse reflectance spectra and a new mathematical model we can retrieve the optical parameters by applying an adjustment of the data with nonlinear least squares. In our model we represent the spectra using a Fourier series expansion finding mathematical relations between the polynomial coefficients and the optical parameters. In this first paper we use spectra generated by the Monte Carlo Multilayered Technique to simulate the propagation of photons in turbid media. Using these spectra we determine the behavior of Fourier series coefficients when varying the optical parameters of the medium under study. With this procedure we find mathematical relations between Fourier series coefficients and optical parameters. Finally, the results show that our method can retrieve the optical parameters of biological tissues with accuracy that is adequate for medical applications.

Comparison of the antibacterial effect of modified 3-mix paste versus Ultrapex over anaerobic microorganisms from infected root canals of primary teeth: an in vitro study.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to evaluate in vitro the antimicrobial efficacy of a modified 3-mix paste and to compare it with an iodoform paste (Ultrapex) against anaerobic microorganisms isolated from root canals of infected or necrotic primary teeth. STUDY DESIGN: An in vitro experimental assay was performed over isolated and identified anaerobic microorganisms of 21 samples, in order to compare the antimicrobial ability of both root canal filling materials, using a disc-diffusion method. RESULTS: A total of 21 microbial samples (15 polymicrobial and 6 monomicrobial) were obtained, from which 19 different strains were identified. Modified 3-mix paste showed an excellent antimicrobial effect against most of both kinds of microbial samples, although some of them exhibited resistance; on the other hand, Ultrapex showed only minimal antimicrobial ability (null or low categories). Clostridium ramosum exhibited the most resistance to both materials. CONCLUSION: The bactericidal effect of the modified 3-mix paste was superior to Ultrapex, with a statistically significant difference, against anaerobic microorganisms isolated from infected root canals of primary teeth.

Activation status of integrated stress response pathways in neurones and astrocytes of HIV-associated neurocognitive disorders (HAND) cortex.

AIMS: Combined anti-retroviral therapy (cART) has led to a reduction in the incidence of HIV-associated dementia (HAD), a severe motor/cognitive disorder afflicting HIV(+) patients. However, the prevalence of subtler forms of neurocognitive dysfunction, which together with HAD are termed HIV-associated neurocognitive disorders (HAND), continues to escalate in the post-cART era. The microgliosis, astrogliosis, dendritic damage, and synaptic and neuronal loss observed in autopsy cases suggest an underlying neuroinflammatory process, due to the neurotoxic factors released by HIV-infected/activated macrophages/microglia in the brain, might underlie the pathogenesis of HAND in the post-cART era. These factors are known to induce the integrated stress response (ISR) in several neurodegenerative diseases; we have previously shown that BiP, an indicator of general ISR activation, is upregulated in cortical autopsy tissue from HIV-infected patients. The ISR is composed of three pathways, each with its own initiator protein: PERK, IRE1α and ATF6. METHODS: To further elucidate the specific ISR pathways activated in the central nervous system of HAND patients, we examined the protein levels of several ISR proteins, including ATF6, peIF2α and ATF4, in cortical tissue from HIV-infected patients. RESULTS: The ISR does not respond in an all-or-none fashion in HAND, but rather demonstrates a nuanced activation pattern. Specifically, our studies implicate the ATF6 pathway of the ISR as a more likely candidate than the PERK pathway for increases in BiP levels in astrocytes. CONCLUSION: These findings begin to characterize the nature of the ISR response in HAND and provide potential targets for therapeutic intervention in this disease.

Métodos de clasificación para identificar lesiones en piel a partir de espectros de reflexión difusa / Classification methods to identify lesions in skin starting from spectra of diffuse reflectance

Con el objetivo de discriminar lesiones benignas y malignas en la piel humana a partir de espectros de reflexión difusa, se han analizado diferentes algoritmos de clasificación usando el software de aprendizaje automático y reconocimiento de patrones WEKA. Además, dada la alta dimensionalidad de la señal espectral, fue empleada una técnica selección de atributos para determinar las variables que aporten la mayor cantidad de información. Se probó la clasificación de la señal usando los algoritmos de máquinas de vectores de soporte, redes neuronales y bosques aleatorios, el desempeño fue evaluado usando el promedio de la k-fold cross-validation tomando en cuenta los porcentajes de instancias clasificadas correctamente, el índice kappa, el área bajo la curva ROC, la sensibilidad, y la especifidad. Finalmente se demuestra que el algoritmo de redes neuronales con los parámetros momentum y learning rate en 0,6 y 0,3 respectivamente, es el que mejor se adapta al problema de reconocimiento de patrones ya que clasifica correctamente al 89,89% de los casos.

In order to differentiate between benign and malignant lesions in the human skin using diffuse reflection spectra, different classification algorithms were tested using the WEKA data mining software. In addition, due to the high dimensionality of the spectral signal, an attribute selection technique was applied to determine the variables that contribute with more information. The spectral signal classification was tested using support vector machines, neural networks and random forests, their performance was measured using the k-fold cross-validation percentages of the Kappa statistic, area under the ROC curve, specificity and sensitivity. Finally it is shown that the one layer neural network with 6 neurons and the parameters momentum and learning rate in 0.6 and 0.3 respectively, is best suited to the problem of pattern recognition, achieving correctly classify 89.89% of the cases.

Summation of excitatory postsynaptic potentials in electrically-coupled neurones.

Dendritic electrical coupling increases the number of effective synaptic inputs onto neurones by allowing the direct spread of synaptic potentials from one neurone to another. Here we studied the summation of excitatory postsynaptic potentials (EPSPs) produced locally and arriving from the coupled neurone (transjunctional) in pairs of electrically-coupled Retzius neurones of the leech. We combined paired recordings of EPSPs, the production of artificial excitatory postsynaptic potentials (APSPs) in neurone pairs with different coupling coefficients and simulations of EPSPs produced in the coupled dendrites. Summation of the EPSPs produced in the dendrites was always linear, suggesting that synchronous EPSPs are produced at two or more different pairs of coupled dendrites and not in both sides of any one gap junction. The different spatio-temporal relationships explored between pairs of EPSPs or APSPs produced three main effects. (1) Synchronous pairs of EPSPs or APSPs exhibited an elongation of their decay phase compared to single EPSPs. (2) Asymmetries in the amplitudes between the pair of EPSPs added a "hump" to the smallest EPSP. (3) Modelling the inputs near the electrical synapse or anticipating the production of the transjunctional APSP increased the amplitude of the compound EPSP. The magnitude of all these changes depended on the coupling coefficient of the neurones. We also show that the hump improves the passive conduction of EPSPs by adding low frequency components. The diverse effects of summation of local and alien EPSPs shown here endow electrically-coupled neurones with a wider repertoire of adjustable integrative possibilities.

Monoclonal antibody to dengue capsid protein: its application in dengue studies.

Dengue fever (DF) and dengue hemorrhagic fever/dengue shock syndrome (DHF/DSS) are considered the most important arthropod-borne viral diseases in terms of morbidity and mortality. The emergency and severity of dengue (Den) infections increase the necessity of an early, quick and effective dengue laboratory diagnostic. Viral isolation is considered a gold standard for diagnosis of dengue infection using monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) as a tool for determining serotype specificity. Alternatives have been used to improve sensitivity and time to dengue diagnosis. Based on the early expression of dengue C protein in the life cycle, we focused our study on the application of an anti-dengue 2 virus capsid protein mAb in dengue diagnosis. The kinetic expression of dengue-2 capsid in mosquito cells and its immuno-localization in experimentally infected suckling albin Swiss (OF-1) mice brain tissues was established. The results demonstrate the possible utility of this mAb in early dengue diagnosis versus traditional isolation. In addition, a preliminary study of an enzyme immunoassay method using 8H8 mAb for specific detection of dengue C protein antigen was performed, making possible recombinant C protein quantification. The results suggest that detection of dengue capsid protein could be useful in the diagnosis of early dengue infection.

Monoclonal antibody to dengue capsid protein: its application in dengue studies

Dengue fever (DF) and dengue hemorrhagic fever/dengue shock syndrome (DHF/DSS) are considered the most important arthropod-borne viral diseases in terms of morbidity and mortality. The emergency and severity of dengue (Den) infections increase the necessity of an early, quick and effective dengue laboratory diagnostic. Viral isolation is considered a gold standard for diagnosis of dengue infection using monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) as a tool for determining serotype specificity. Alternatives have been used to improve sensitivity and time to dengue diagnosis. Based on the early expression of dengue C protein in the life cycle, we focused our study on the application of an anti-dengue 2 virus capsid protein mAb in dengue diagnosis. The kinetic expression of dengue-2 capsid in mosquito cells and its immuno-localization in experimentally infected suckling albin Swiss (OF-1) mice brain tissues was established. The results demonstrate the possible utility of this mAb in early dengue diagnosis versus traditional isolation. In addition, a preliminary study of an enzyme immunoassay method using 8H8 mAb for specific detection of dengue C protein antigen was performed, making possible recombinant C protein quantification. The results suggest that detection of dengue capsid protein could be useful in the diagnosis of early dengue infection(AU)

Treatment of severe acute respiratory distress syndrome: a final report on a phase I study.

Adult respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) has a high mortality. Its only effective treatment is respiratory therapy. If this fails mortality is probably 100 per cent. No other treatment for ARDS has proved effective including "magic bullets." Twenty patients suffering from ARDS secondary to trauma and/or sepsis failed to respond to treatment with mechanical ventilation and positive end-expiratory pressure. On the assumption that disseminated intravascular coagulation initiates ARDS by occluding the pulmonary microcirculation with microclots, the patients were treated with plasminogen activators. The patients responded with significant improvement in partial pressure of oxygen in arterial blood. No bleeding occurred and clotting parameters remained normal. We conclude that ARDS can be safely treated with plasminogen activator.