Design and evaluation of the MAMMI dedicated breast PET.

Purpose: A breast dedicated positron emission tomography (PET) scanner has been developed based on monolithic LYSO crystals coupled to position sensitive photomultiplier tubes (PSPMTs). In this study, we describe the design of the PET system and report on its performance evaluation.

Methods: MAMMI is a breast PET scanner based on monolithic LYSO crystals.

Reconfigurable 1×2 wavelength selective switch using high birefringence nematic liquid crystals.

A reconfigurable 1×2 wavelength selective switch, based on a Lyot filter and high birefringence nematic liquid crystals, is proposed. Simulations and experimental results of a reconfigurable switch are reported. Insertion losses from 3.

Role of peripherally inserted central catheters in home parenteral nutrition: a 5-year prospective study.

Background: Home parenteral nutrition (HPN) has become a common therapy, with tunneled central venous catheters (CVCs) being preferred for its administration. Peripherally inserted central catheters (PICCs) are not currently recommended for long-term HPN, although evidence to support this statement is scarce. The authors aimed to evaluate the outcomes of HPN, focusing on CVC-related complications.

A polymer optical fiber fuel level sensor: application to paramotoring and powered paragliding.

A low-cost intensity-based polymer optical fiber (POF) sensor for fuel level measurements in paramotoring and powered paragliding is presented, exploiting the advantages of the optical fiber sensing technology. Experimental results demonstrate that the best option can be performed by stripping the fiber at the desired discrete points to measure the fuel level as well as with a gauge-shape fiber bending. The prototype has a good linearity, better than 4% full scale (F.

Circulating free testosterone in obese men after bariatric surgery increases in parallel with insulin sensitivity.

Background And Aim: Male hypogonadism has been linked to obesity and diabetes. We aimed to study the association of changes in insulin sensitivity and testosterone levels in severe obese patients submitted to bariatric surgery.

Subjects And Methods: Prospective intervention study with twenty consecutive patients who underwent bariatric surgery studied before and after significant weight loss.

Phylogenetic relationship of dengue virus type 3 isolated in Brazil and Paraguay and global evolutionary divergence dynamics.

Background: Dengue is the most important mosquito-borne viral disease worldwide. Dengue virus comprises four antigenically related viruses named dengue virus type 1 to 4 (DENV1-4). DENV-3 was re-introduced into the Americas in 1994 causing outbreaks in Nicaragua and Panama.

Pharmacokinetics of an injectable long-acting formulation of doxycycline hyclate in dogs.

Based on its PK/PD ratios, doxycycline hyclate (DOX-h), a time-dependant antibacterial, is ideally expected to achieve both sustained plasma drug concentrations at or slightly above the MIC level for as long as possible between dosing intervals. Pursuing this end, a poloxamer-based matrix was used to produce a long-acting injectable preparation (DOX-h-LA) and its serum concentrations vs. time profile investigated after its SC injection to dogs (≤ 0.

Phylogenetic analyses and toxigenic profiles of Fusarium equiseti and Fusarium acuminatum isolated from cereals from Southern Europe.

Fusarium equiseti and Fusarium acuminatum are toxigenic species that contaminate cereal crops from diverse climatic regions. They are common in Spanish cereals. The information available on their phylogenetics and toxigenic profiles is, however, insufficient to assist risk evaluation.

Chylous ascytes secondary to acute pancreatitis: a case report and review of literature.

Chylous ascites is an uncommon finding which is due to the presence of thoracic or intestinal lymph in the abdominal cavity. It is usually caused by a chronic disruption of the lymphatic system. The present report is one of the rare cases in the literature of chylous ascites secondary to idiopathic acute pancreatitis, which showed a complete resolution with a combination of low fat enteral nutrition with MCT and somatostatin analogs.

Chromatographic determination of drugs of abuse in vitreous humor using solid-phase extraction.

A simple method is presented for the simultaneous determination of morphine, 6-acetylmorphine, codeine, cocaine, benzoylecgonine, cocaethylene, methadone and 2-ethylidene-1,5-dimethyl-3,3-diphenylpyrrolidine (EDDP) in vitreous humor by high-performance liquid chromatography with photodiode array detector after solid-phase extraction with Oasis® HLB cartridges and dichloromethane as eluent. The chromatographic process was carried out using an XTerra® RP8 column (250 × 4.6 mm i.

β-Amyloid exacerbates inflammation in astrocytes lacking fatty acid amide hydrolase through a mechanism involving PPAR-α, PPAR-γ and TRPV1, but not CB₁ or CB₂ receptors.

Background And Purpose: The endocannabinoid system may regulate glial cell functions and their responses to pathological stimuli, specifically, Alzheimer's disease. One experimental approach is the enhancement of endocannabinoid tone by blocking the activity of degradative enzymes, such as fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH).

Experimental Approach: We examined the role of FAAH in the response of astrocytes to the pathologic form of β-amyloid (Aβ).

Dual-core photonic crystal fibers for tunable polarization mode dispersion compensation.

A novel type of dual concentric core photonic crystal fiber (PCF) is proposed and theoretically analyzed, aiming at the design of tunable dispersive fiber elements for polarization-mode-dispersion (PMD) compensation. The adjustment of the fiber's geometrical birefringence through the proper selection of structural parameters leads to very high values of differential group-delay (DGD). Moreover, the value of DGD can be dynamically tuned by infiltrating the outer core capillaries of the PCF with an optical liquid, which allows for the thermal control of its refractive index.

Analysis of the electric field propagation method: theoretical model applied to perfluorinated graded-index polymer optical fiber links.

We evaluate a theoretical model based on the electric field propagation method but applied for the first time to amorphous perfluorinated graded-index polymer optical fibers (PF GIPOFs). The belief is that a better understanding of the factors that affect the fiber frequency response will prove very useful in increasing the performance of PF-GIPOF-based optical links in real situations. The influence of some parameters involved in the frequency response is addressed, and results show experimental data that validate, with tolerable discrepancy, the model described applied to this kind of optical fibers.

Mechanisms involved in reduction of ochratoxin A produced by Aspergillus westerdijkiae using Debaryomyces hansenii CYC 1244.

Aspergillus westerdijkiae is one of the most relevant ochratoxin A (OTA) producing species within the Section Circumdati contaminating a number of agroproducts. The yeast Debaryomyces hansenii CYC 1244 was previously reported to be able to reduce growth and extracellular OTA produced by A. westerdijkiae.

A rapid analytical method based on microwave-assisted extraction for the determination of drugs of abuse in vitreous humor.

Robust and simple validated analytical methods are required in postmortem toxicology to confirm immunoassay screening analysis of drugs of abuse. In this work, microwave-assisted extraction (MAE) was evaluated as an alternative method for extraction of target compounds such as cocaine, benzoylecgonine, cocaethylene, morphine, codeine, 6-monoacetylmorphine, methadone, and 2-ethylidene-1,5-dimethyl-3,3-diphenylpyrrolidine from vitreous humor. The MAE procedure parameters, namely, extraction temperature, time, and solvent volume, were optimized using a central composite design and applying desirability functions.

Will the glass be half full or half empty? Brain potentials and emotional expectations.

Brainwave responses to words in context depend on semantic and world-knowledge expectations. Using the N400 component of event-related potentials as an index of word expectation, we explored brain responses to negatively and positively biased sentence frames randomly presented with their emotionally matched highly expected outcome or with violations that included switches to unexpected emotionally opposite outcomes or nonsense. Nonsense elicited large N400 responses regardless of the bias of the preceding sentence frame.

Validation of a food frequency questionnaire in Spanish patients with familial hypercholesterolaemia.

Background And Aims: The aim of this study is to validate a semi-quantitative Food Frequency Questionnaire (FFQ) used for general population in Spain, in patients with familial hypercholesterolaemia (FH).

Subjects And Methods: Subjects with genetic diagnosis of FH were randomly selected from the Spanish FH Registry. They completed an FFQ based in 113 food items at inclusion (FFQ1) and after 1 year (FFQ2), and a 3-day dietary records (DR) every 3 months.

Association between asthma and dental caries in the primary dentition of Mexican children.

Background: Asthma has been associated with a great number of negative health outcomes. This study was undertaken to detect the association between asthma and dental caries in the primary dentition.

Methods: Data were obtained from a cohort of 1160 Mexican children aged 4-5 years.

Highly sensitive PCR-based detection specific to Aspergillus flavus.

Aspergillus flavus is an important fungal species that frequently contaminates food commodities with diverse toxins, with aflatoxins being the most relevant in food safety. In addition, this is one of the major pathogenic Aspergillus species. In this work, specific PCR-based protocol for this species is described which allows the discrimination of other closely related species from the Aspergillus section Flavi, particularly Aspergillus parasiticus.

Serum concentrations of osteocalcin, procollagen type 1 N-terminal propeptide and beta-CrossLaps in obese subjects with varying degrees of glucose tolerance.

Aims: To evaluate serum levels of osteocalcin (OC), procollagen type 1 N-terminal propeptide (P1PN) and beta-CrossLaps (beta-CTx) in obese subjects and their relationship with glucose metabolism parameters.

Subjects: Sixty-four obese patients classified according to their glucose tolerance.

Design: Case-control study.

Severe ketoacidosis secondary to starvation in a frutarian patient.

The present paper presents the first clinical case of a patient suffering from Frutarianism a new "Eating disorder" and severe Ketoacidosis. The life-style feed strictly only on fruits (not even other vegetables, since plant death is necessary previous consumption).This behavioural alteration frequently leads to starvation and the subsequent Ketoacidosis due to starvation.

Taurine and glucose metabolism: a review.

Introduction: Taurine has probed to be involved in a wide range of biological processes and to provide several different important health benefits. Its effects have been revealed to be exerted mainly through its antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects, among other mechanisms.

Objectives And Methods: The present review is aimed to provide a solid body of evidence regarding the beneficial effects of taurine in the context of diabetes and its complications, with an special focus on the cardiovascular health impairments so frequently associated to this disease, so that data from this updated systematic review of the literature, may constitute a base to back up future clinical and epidemiological studies, on the possibilities of taurine supplementation as a useful tool for both prevention and treatment of diabetes complications.

What else do you feel when you feel sad? Emotional overproduction, neuroticism and rumination.

Numerous experimental and naturalistic studies have shown the relevant role of ruminative styles in the onset, duration and severity of depressive episodes. Recent research has increasingly focused on the precursors of these ruminative responses. Neuroticism has been found to be closely related to ruminative styles, but the nature of this relationship is unknown.

Epilepsy surgery in Argentina: long-term results in a comprehensive epilepsy centre.

Rationale: Epilepsy surgery procedures started in Argentina more than 50 years ago. This is the first comprehensive and systematic survey of epilepsy surgery long-term outcome from our country.

Methods: A descriptive cohort study was conducted between 1998 and 2008 for drug-resistant epilepsy surgery with a minimum of 12 months follow-up (n=110).