High Prevalence of Signs of Renal Damage Despite Normal Renal Function in a Cohort of HIV-Infected Patients: Evaluation of Associated Factors

Renal disorders are an emerging problem in HIV-infected patients. We performed a cross-sectional study of the first 1000 HIV-infected patients attended at our HIV unit who agreed to participate. We determined the frequency of renal alterations and its related risk factors. Summary statistics and logistic regression were applied. The study sample comprised 970 patients with complete data. Most were white (94%) and men (76%). Median (IQR) age was 48 (42–53) years. Hypertension was diagnosed in 19%, dyslipidemia in 27%, and diabetes mellitus in 3%. According to the Chronic Kidney Disease Epidemiology Collaboration (CKD EPI) equation, 29 patients (3%) had an eGFR < 60 ml/min/1.73m2; 18 of them (62%) presented altered albumin/creatinine and protein/creatinine (UPC or UAC) ratios. Of the patients with eGFR> 60mL/min, it was present in 293 (30%), 38 of whom (7.1%) had UPC> 300mg/g. Increased risk of renal abnormalities was correlated with hypertension (OR, 1.821 [95%CI, 1.292;2.564]; p = 0.001), age (OR, 1.015 [95%CI, 1.001;1.030], per one year; p = 0.040), and use of tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF) plus protease inhibitor (PI), (OR, 1.401 [95%CI, 1.078;1.821]; p = 0.012). Current CD4 cell count was a protective factor (OR, 0.9995 [95%CI, 0.9991;0.9999], per one cell; p = 0.035). A considerable proportion of patients presented altered UPC or UAC ratios, despite having an eGFR > 60mL/min. CD4 cell count was a protective factor; age, hypertension, and use of TDF plus PIs were risk factors for renal abnormalities. Based on our results, screen of renal abnormalities should be considered in all HIV-infected patients to detect these alterations early.

Neural synchrony indexes impaired motor slowing after errors and novelty following white matter damage.

In humans, action errors and perceptual novelty elicit activity in a shared frontostriatal brain network, allowing them to adapt their ongoing behavior to such unexpected action outcomes. Healthy and pathologic aging reduces the integrity of white matter pathways that connect individual hubs of such networks and can impair the associated cognitive functions. Here, we investigated whether structural disconnection within this network because of small-vessel disease impairs the neural processes that subserve motor slowing after errors and novelty (post-error slowing, PES; post-novel slowing, PNS). Participants with intact frontostriatal circuitry showed increased right-lateralized beta-band (12-24 Hz) synchrony between frontocentral and frontolateral electrode sites in the electroencephalogram after errors and novelty, indexing increased neural communication. Importantly, this synchrony correlated with PES and PNS across participants. Furthermore, such synchrony was reduced in participants with frontostriatal white matter damage, in line with reduced PES and PNS. The results demonstrate that behavioral change after errors and novelty result from coordinated neural activity across a frontostriatal brain network and that such cognitive control is impaired by reduced white matter integrity.

Brief report : Academic amotivation in light of the dark side of identity formation

The study intended to determine motivational profiles of first-year undergraduates and aimed their characterization in terms of identity processes. First, a cluster analysis revealed five motivational profiles: combined (i.e., high quantity of motivation, low amotivation); intrinsic (i.e., high intrinsic, low introjected and external regulation, low amotivation); "demotivated" (i.e., very low quantity of motivation and amotivation); extrinsic (i.e., high extrinsic and identified regulation and low intrinsic and amotivation); and "amotivated" (i.e., low intrinsic and identified, very high amotivation). Second, using Lebart's (2000) methodology, the most characteristic identity processes were listed for each motivational cluster. Demotivated and amotivated profiles were refined in terms of adaptive and maladaptive forms of exploration. Notably, exploration in breadth and in depth were underrepresented in demotivated students compared to the total sample; commitment and ruminative exploration were under and overrepresented respectively in amotivated students. Educational and clinical implications are proposedand future research is suggested.

Effect of tow-drop gaps on the damage resistance and tolerance of Variable-Stiffness Panels

This paper presents an experimental study of the effects of tow-drop gaps in Variable Stiffness Panels under drop-weight impact events. Two different configurations, with and without ply-staggering, have been manufactured by Automated Fibre Placement and compared with their baseline counterpart without defects. For the study of damage resistance, three levels of low velocity impact energy are generated with a drop-weight tower. The damage area is analysed by means of ultrasonic inspection. Results of the analysed defect configurations indicate that the influence of gap defects is only relevant under small impact energy values. However, in the case of damage tolerance, the residual compressive strength after impact does not present significant differences to that of conventional straight fibre laminates. This indicates that the strength reduction is driven mainly by the damage caused by the impact event rather than by the influence of manufacturing-induced defects

Determination of Rod and Cone Influence to the Early and Late Dynamic of the Pupillary Light Response.

PURPOSE: This study aims to identify which aspects of the pupil light reflex are most influenced by rods and cones independently by analyzing pupil recordings from different mouse models of photoreceptor deficiency. METHODS: One-month-old wild type (WT), rodless (Rho-/-), coneless (Cnga3-/-), or photoreceptor less (Cnga3-/-; Rho-/- or Gnat1-/-) mice were subjected to brief red and blue light stimuli of increasing intensity. To describe the initial dynamic response to light, the maximal pupillary constriction amplitudes and the derivative curve of the first 3 seconds were determined. To estimate the postillumination phase, the constriction amplitude at 9.5 seconds after light termination was related to the maximal constriction amplitude. RESULTS: Rho-/- mice showed decreased constriction amplitude but more prolonged pupilloconstriction to all blue and red light stimuli compared to wild type mice. Cnga3-/- mice had constriction amplitudes similar to WT however following maximal constriction, the early and rapid dilation to low intensity blue light was decreased. To high intensity blue light, the Cnga3-/- mice demonstrated marked prolongation of the pupillary constriction. Cnga3-/-; Rho-/- mice had no pupil response to red light of low and medium intensity. CONCLUSIONS: From specific gene defective mouse models which selectively voided the rod or cone function, we determined that mouse rod photoreceptors are highly contributing to the pupil response to blue light stimuli but also to low and medium red stimuli. We also observed that cone cells mainly drive the partial rapid dilation of the initial response to low blue light stimuli. Thus photoreceptor dysfunction can be derived from chromatic pupillometry in mouse models.

Immunotherapeutic targeting of LIGHT/LTβR/HVEM pathway fully recapitulates the reduced cytotoxic phenotype of LIGHT-deficient T cells.

Tumor necrosis factor (TNF)/TNF receptor (TNFR) superfamily members play essential roles in the development of the different phases of the immune response. Mouse LIGHT (TNFSF14) is a type II transmembrane protein with a C-terminus extracellular TNF homology domain (THD) that assembles in homotrimers and regulates the course of the immune responses by signaling through 2 receptors, the herpes virus entry mediator (HVEM, TNFSFR14) and the lymphotoxin β receptor (LTβR, TNFSFR3). LIGHT is a membrane-bound protein transiently expressed on activated T cells, natural killer (NK) cells and immature dendritic cells that can be proteolytically cleaved by a metalloprotease and released to the extracellular milieu. The immunotherapeutic potential of LIGHT blockade was evaluated in vivo. Administration of an antagonist of LIGHT interaction with its receptors attenuated the course of graft-versus-host reaction and recapitulated the reduced cytotoxic activity of LIGHT-deficient T cells adoptively transferred into non-irradiated semiallogeneic recipients. The lack of LIGHT expression on donor T cells or blockade of LIGHT interaction with its receptors slowed down the rate of T cell proliferation and decreased the frequency of precursor alloreactive T cells, retarding T cell differentiation toward effector T cells. The blockade of LIGHT/LTβR/HVEM pathway was associated with delayed downregulation of interleukin-7Rα and delayed upregulation of inducible costimulatory molecule expression on donor alloreactive CD8 T cells that are typical features of impaired T cell differentiation. These results expose the relevance of LIGHT/LTβR/HVEM interaction for the potential therapeutic control of the allogeneic immune responses mediated by alloreactive CD8 T cells that can contribute to prolong allograft survival.

Chemistry and light - part 2: light and energy

The conversion of solar energy into more useful forms of energy, such as chemical fuels or electricity, is one of the central problems facing modern science. Progress in photochemistry and chemical synthesis has led to a point where light energy conversion by means of artificial molecular devices can be rationally attempted. In this article, a general approach towards this challenging goal is presented.

Security Authentication using Phase-Encoded Nanoparticle Structures and Polarized Light

Phase encoded nano structures such as Quick Response (QR) codes made of metallic nanoparticles are suggested to be used in security and authentication applications. We present a polarimetric optical method able to authenticate random phase encoded QR codes. The system is illuminated using polarized light and the QR code is encoded using a phase-only random mask. Using classification algorithms it is possible to validate the QR code from the examination of the polarimetric signature of the speckle pattern. We used Kolmogorov-Smirnov statistical test and Support Vector Machine algorithms to authenticate the phase encoded QR codes using polarimetric signatures.

Pilot study about the effect of rt-PA administration on the excitotoxicity mediated brain damage and its repercussion on the functional prognosis of patients with ischaemic stroke: research protocol

Fibrinolytic therapy with Recombinant Tissue-Plasminogen Activator (rt-PA) is currently the only effective treatment for ischaemic stroke in its acute phase. Even though its use generally improves the prognosis of those patients likely to receive it, rt-PA administration is associated to several risks, such as haemorrhagic transformation ofthe ischaemic lesion and activation of excitotoxic mechanisms that may contribute to an increase in mortality or to a poor outcome in certain occasions, specially when arterial recanalization is not achieved or the rt-PA is lately administrated. Since in the last few years the role of glutamate in the neurotoxicity associated toischaemia has been widely studied and it is known that high plasma glutamate levels are predictors of ischaemic lesion growth and poor neurological outcome, it is necessary to find out which factors can contribute to glutamate release in the brain. The aim of this study is to determine if rt-PA administration is related to an increase in plasma glutamate levels, as well as to define if higher plasma glutamate levels at admission are related to different evolution and prognosis of our patients, both in those in which recanalisation is achieved and not. A series of cases of patients with hemispheric cerebral infarction admitted in our hospital during a year will be studied, and the data obtained from them will be compared to the data obtained from a control group, the samples of wich were takenyears ago, before rt-PA was routinely used

Toimintamalli asuinkiinteistö öljyvahingon hoitamiseksi

Pienkiinteistöjen öljyvahingot ovat viime vuosina lisääntyneet. Tämän työn tarkoituksena on luoda öljyvahingon torjuntaan ja jälkihoitoon osallistuvalle urakoitsijalle toimintamalli asuinkiinteistön öljyvahingon hoitamiseksi. Mallin halutaan erityisesti kuvaavan öljyvahingon hoitoon osallistuvien viranomaisten ja muiden tahojen vastuita ja velvollisuuksia. Työn tavoitteena on myös tunnistaa pienkiinteistöissä tapahtuvat öljyvahinkotyypit sekä niille altistavat riskitekijät. Öljyn päästäminen ympäristöön sekä öljyn käsittely ja varastointi niin, että siitä aiheutuu öljyvahingon vaara, kielletään laissa. Vahinkojen torjumiseksi on annettu määräyksiä muun muassa öljylämmityslaitteistojen turvallisuutta koskien. Asuinkiinteistöjen öljyvahingot liittyvät yleensä öljysäiliön täyttötilanteisiin. Vahinkojen syynä on usein säiliön ja sen varusteiden puutteellisuus tai huono kunto. Asuinrakennusten lämmitykseen käytetään kevyttä polttoöljyä. Maahan joutuessaan polttoöljy imeytyy sora- ja hiekkamaahan nopeasti, jolloin vaarana on öljyn kulkeutuminen pohjaveteen ja vesistöihin. Asuinkiinteistön öljyvahingossa öljyä joutuu usein myös rakenteisiin. Öljyvahingosta tulee ilmoittaa aina hätäkeskukseen. Vastuu öljyvahinkojen torjunnasta kuuluu alueelliselle pelastustoimelle. Torjuntatoimiin osallistuu usein myös urakoitsija. Jos vahinkokohdetta ei torjuntatoimin saada kunnostettua, alueellinen ympäristökeskus voi määrätä puhdistamisesta vastuussa olevan selvittämään pilaantuneen alueen laajuuden ja puhdistamistarpeen sekä toteuttamaan mahdollisen kunnostuksen. Pilaantuneen maaperän kunnostus voidaan toteuttaa massan vaihtona tai paikan päällä maata kaivamatta. Likaantuneiden rakenteiden saneerausta tarvitaan sisäilman hajuhaittojen poistamiseksi. Öljyvahingon kustannukset voivat nousta hyvinkin suuriksi. Ensisijainen vastuu niistä kuuluu vahingonaiheuttajalle.

Hydrology, light and the use of organic and inorganic materials as structuring factors of biological communities in Mediterranean streams

Hydrological disturbances, light availability and nutrients are the most relevant factors determining the structure of the biological communities in Mediterranean rivers. While some hydrological disturbances are able to induce catastrophic effects, which may cause a complete reset in physical and biological conditions, continued enrichment or changes in light availability are factors leading to the progressive shift in the communities of autotrophs and heterotrophs in the systems. Primary production in Mediterranean streams shows relevant seasonal changes which mainly follows the variations in light availability. In most forested streams, the algal community is shade-adapted. Nutrient enrichment (especially phosphorus) leads to marked increases in primary production, but this increase is not lineal and there is a saturation of algal biomass even in the most enriched systems. The heterotrophs (bacteria, fungi) are related to the pattern of DOC availability (which most depends on the seasonal discharge and leaf fall dynamics) and to the available substrata in the stream. It has been repeatedly observed that shorttime increases of extracellular enzyme activities are related to the accumulation of autochthonous (algal) and/or allochthonous (leaves) organic matter on the streambed during spring and summer, this being more remarkable in dry than in wetter years. Flow reduction favours detritus concentration in pools, and the subsequent increase in the density and biomass of the macroinvertebrate community. In Mediterranean streams collectors are accounting for the highest density and biomass, this being more remarkable in the least permanent systems, in accordance with the effect of floods on the organic matter availability. Nutrients, through the effect on the primary producers, also affect the trophic food web in the streams by favouring the predominance of grazers

A Micromechanics-Based Damage Model for [± θ / 90n ]s Composite Laminates

A new damage model based on a micromechanical analysis of cracked [± θ / 90n ]s laminates subjected to multiaxial loads is proposed. The model predicts the onset and accumulation of transverse matrix cracks in uniformly stressed laminates, the effect of matrix cracks on the stiffness of the laminate, as well as the ultimate failure of the laminate. The model also accounts for the effect of the ply thickness on the ply strength. Predictions relating the elastic properties of several laminates and multiaxial loads are presented