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Among the current challenges of the Smart City, traffic management and maintenance are of utmost importance. Road surface monitoring is currently performed by humans, but the road surface condition is one of the main indicators of road quality, and it may drastically affect fuel consumption and the safety of both drivers and pedestrians. Abnormalities in the road, such as manholes and potholes, can cause accidents when not identified by the drivers. Furthermore, human-induced abnormalities, such as speed bumps, could also cause accidents. In addition, while said obstacles ought to be signalized according to specific road regulation, they are not always correctly labeled. Therefore, we developed a novel method for the detection of road abnormalities (i.e., speed bumps). This method makes use of a gyro, an accelerometer, and a GPS sensor mounted in a car. After having the vehicle cruise through several streets, data is retrieved from the sensors. Then, using a cross-validation strategy, a genetic algorithm is used to find a logistic model that accurately detects road abnormalities. The proposed model had an accuracy of 0.9714 in a blind evaluation, with a false positive rate smaller than 0.018, and an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.9784. This methodology has the potential to detect speed bumps in quasi real-time conditions, and can be used to construct a real-time surface monitoring system.

Understanding the molecular logic of cortical cell-type diversity can illuminate cortical circuit function and evolution. Here, we performed single-nucleus transcriptome and chromatin accessibility analyses to compare neurons across three- to six-layered cortical areas of adult mice and across tetrapod species. We found that, in contrast to the six-layered neocortex, glutamatergic neurons of the three-layered mouse olfactory (piriform) cortex displayed continuous rather than discrete variation in transcriptomic profiles. Subsets of piriform and neocortical glutamatergic cells with conserved transcriptomic profiles were distinguished by distinct, area-specific epigenetic states. Furthermore, we identified a prominent population of immature neurons in piriform cortex and observed that, in contrast to the neocortex, piriform cortex exhibited divergence between glutamatergic cells in laboratory versus wild-derived mice. Finally, we showed that piriform neurons displayed greater transcriptomic similarity to cortical neurons of turtles, lizards and salamanders than to those of the neocortex. In summary, despite over 200 million years of coevolution alongside the neocortex, olfactory cortex neurons retain molecular signatures of ancestral cortical identity. This study uses single-cell sequencing to investigate the diversification of cortical cell types during evolution. Comparisons across brain regions and species identify molecular signatures of ancestral cell types in the mammalian olfactory cortex.

Andes virus is unique among hantaviruses because it can be transmitted from person to person. This mechanism was previously supported by epidemiologic data and genetic evidence based only on partial sequences. We used full-length virus sequencing to confirm person-to-person transmission of this virus in a cluster of 3 cases in Argentina in 2014.

La cirugía mínima invasiva ha revolucionado la manera de tratar ciertas patologías en medicina. No obstante, factores como la falta de entrenamiento y los altos costos de equipamiento han limitado su implementación en medicina veterinaria. Un primer paso hacia el uso masivo de estos procedimientos es establecer el potencial que actualmente tienen. Asimismo, es importante conocer el concepto, la filosofía y las múltiples ventajas de estas técnicas, lo que permitirá a los médicos veterinarios ver la cirugía mínima invasiva desde otra perspectiva. De otra parte, se deben hacer a un lado algunos paradigmas teóricos que indican que la cirugía mínima invasiva es solo la laparoscopia y analizar las muchas posibilidades de desarrollo de técnicas en distintas patologías. El futuro de la cirugía veterinaria implica cerrar la brecha tecnológica y aprovechar el camino ya recorrido por la cirugía humana, con el propósito de ofrecer estos beneficios a pacientes veterinarios. Por último, esta revisión concluye con un análisis de algunas de las técnicas de vanguardia en medicina humana que bien pueden ser desarrolladas y empleadas en medicina veterinaria.

Chromatic characteristics and their relationships with copigmentation and phenolic composition were studied in 160 bottled red wines. Free anthocyanins, copigmented anthocyanins and polymeric pigments contributing to color were calculated according to Boulton protocol and related to main changes produced in wine visible spectra after destroying any copigmented anthocyanins effect. Color differences between copigmented and non copigmented wines were quantified and related with ageing, cultivar and phenolic profile. Phenomenon of co-pigmentation visually increases the colour at 420, 520 and 620 nm for most of wines. Copigmented wines showed a mean value of 8.26 CIELab units higher than non copigmented (ΔE ab(c-nc) ), being this shift deeper for young wines than for aged wines. Copigmentation mostly changed hue and decreased L, a* and b* values therefore resulted into purplish and darker wine. Visual variations in color caused by copigmentation was related to particularly anthocyanins and copigments (mostly flavonols and hydroxycinnamic acids).

We describe a patient in Argentina with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 infection and hantavirus pulmonary syndrome (HPS). Although both coronavirus disease and HPS can be fatal when not diagnosed and treated promptly, HPS is much more lethal. This case report may contribute to improved detection of co-infections in HPS-endemic regions.

Here, we compare the distributions of main chain (Φ,Ψ) angles (i.e., Ramachandran maps) of the 20 naturally occurring amino acids in three contexts: (i) molecular dynamics (MD) simulations of Gly-Gly-X-Gly-Gly pentapeptides in water at 298 K with exhaustive sampling, where X = the amino acid in question; (ii) 188 independent protein simulations in water at 298 K from our Dynameomics Project; and (iii) static crystal and NMR structures from the Protein Data Bank. The GGXGG peptide series is often used as a model of the unstructured denatured state of proteins. The sampling in the peptide MD simulations is neither random nor uniform. Instead, individual amino acids show preferences for particular conformations, but the peptide is dynamic, and interconversion between conformers is facile. For a given amino acid, the (Φ,Ψ) distributions in the protein simulations and the Protein Data Bank are very similar and often distinct from those in the peptide simulations. Comparison between the peptide and protein simulations shows that packing constraints, solvation, and the tendency for particular amino acids to be used for specific structural motifs can overwhelm the \"intrinsic propensities\" of amino acids for particular (Φ,Ψ) conformations. We also compare our helical propensities with experimental consensus values using the host-guest method, which appear to be determined largely by context and not necessarily the intrinsic conformational propensities of the guest residues. These simulations represent an improved coil library free from contextual effects to better model intrinsic conformational propensities and provide a detailed view of conformations making up the \"random coil\" state.

Combining experimental and simulation data to describe all of the structures and the pathways involved in folding a protein is problematical. Transition states can be mapped experimentally by φ values 1 , 2 , but the denatured state 3 is very difficult to analyse under conditions that favour folding. Also computer simulation at atomic resolution is currently limited to about a microsecond or less. Ultrafast-folding proteins fold and unfold on timescales accessible by both approaches 4 , 5 , so here we study the folding pathway of the three-helix bundle protein Engrailed homeodomain 6 . Experimentally, the protein collapses in a microsecond to give an intermediate with much native α-helical secondary structure, which is the major component of the denatured state under conditions that favour folding. A mutant protein shows this state to be compact and contain dynamic, native-like helices with unstructured side chains. In the transition state between this and the native state, the structure of the helices is nearly fully formed and their docking is in progress, approximating to a classical diffusion–collision model. Molecular dynamics simulations give rate constants and structural details highly consistent with experiment, thereby completing the description of folding at atomic resolution.

Background:Uveitis may be severe ocular conditions refractory to conventional immunosuppressants and even biological therapy. Janus Kinase inhibitors (JAKINIB) had shown efficacy in refractory cases of different immune-mediated inflammatory diseases (IMID).Objectives:In patients with refractory uveitis treated with JAKINIB our aims were a) to evaluate effectiveness and safety of JAKINIB in patients of Spanish referral centers, b) Literature review.Methods:National multicenter study of 9 patients with refractory uveitis treated with JAKINIB. Efficacy was assessed with the following ocular parameters: best corrected visual acuity (BCVA), anterior chamber cells, and presence of cystoid macular edema. The effectiveness of JAKINIB was compared between the baseline visit, 1st week, 1st and 6th month, and 1st year.For Literature review a search was conducted in PubMed, Embase and the Cochrane library from their inception to 1st January 2024. Original research articles studying JAKINIB treatment in patients with uveitis were included.Results:We have identified 9 cases in seven University Hospitals and 12 cases in the literature review. These 21 patients (14 women/ 7 men) (33 affected eyes), mean age 34±21.1 years, had different patterns of uveitis: panuveitis (n=10), anterior uveitis (n=10; 3 of them with Cystoid macular), and posterior (n=1).Most of uveitis were associated with IMID (n=18, 85.7%) while 3 cases (14.3%.), were idiopathic. The main underlying IMID were spondyloarthritis (n=7, 38.8%) and juvenile idiopathic arthritis (n=6, 33.3%) (Table 1).In addition to systemic corticosteroids, before JAKINIB, conventional (n= 18; 85.7%) and biological immunosuppressive drugs (n=18; 85.7%) were required. The JAKINIB most widely used was upadactinib (n= 9; 42.9%) followed by tofacitinib (n=7; 33.3%). In one patient with Blau Syndrome and uveitis, tofacitinib was switched to baricitinib due to severe lymphopenia. No serious adverse effects were found.After starting JAKINIB treatment, 21 patients presented clinical improvement, complete (n=20, 95.2%) or partial (n= 1; 4.8%). In this patient a reduction in the number of flares was observed (from 4 previous flares to 1 when on treatment).In patients of the multicenter study after 13 [5-20] months of follow-up, BCVA showed a rapid and maintained improvement (Figure 1). All patients had Tyndall + at baseline (n=9, 100%), with a decrease from the first month (n=3, 33.3%) and resolution by the sixth month. Two patients (22.2%) had cystic macular edema at baseline, which resolved at 3 months of follow-up in one case and at 12 months in the other patient.Conclusion:JAKINIB seems to be effective and safe in uveitis related to different IMID, even in patients refractory to previous biological drugs.REFERENCES:[1] Álvarez-Reguera C et al. Clinical and immunological study of Tofacitinib and Baricitinib in refractory Blau syndrome: case report and literature review. Ther Adv Musculoskelet Dis. 2022Figure 1. Rapid and maintained improvement of best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) following the initiation of JAKINIB.Table 1.Cases reports and Literature review of patients with uveitis treated with Janus Kinase Inhibitors.Acknowledgements:NIL.Disclosure of Interests:None declared.

Despite the current advances in global vaccination against SARS-CoV-2, boosting is still required to sustain immunity in the population, and the induction of sterilizing immunity remains as a pending goal. Low-cost oral immunogens could be used as the basis for the design of affordable and easy-to-administer booster vaccines. Algae stand as promising platforms to produce immunogens at low cost, and it is possible to use them as oral delivery carriers since they are edible (not requiring complex purification and formulation processes). Herein, a Chlamydomonas-made SARS-CoV-2 RBD was evaluated as an oral immunogen in mice to explore the feasibility of developing an oral algae-based vaccine. The test immunogen was stable in freeze-dried algae biomass and able to induce, by the oral route, systemic and mucosal humoral responses against the spike protein at a similar magnitude to those induced by injected antigen plus alum adjuvant. IgG subclass analysis revealed a Th2-bias response which lasted over 4 months after the last immunization. The induced antibodies showed a similar reactivity against either Delta or Omicron variants. This study represents a step forward in the development of oral vaccines that could accelerate massive immunization.