Morfotipos de ammonoideos del Albiense superior de la Cuenca Vasco-Cantábrica: paleoecología y relación con las facies sedimentarias

In this work we present a morphological study of 65 planispiral ammonoid specimens occurring in the stratigraphic succession of the lower upper Albian of the central region of the Basque-Cantabrian Basin, northern Spain. The specimens correspond to the Zones of the ammonoids Hysteroceras varicosum and Mortoniceras inflatum. They are grouped into different morphotypes following the method of “Westerman Morphospace” which suggests diverse habitats for ammonoids, based on shell architecture and shape. The objective of this work is to check the likely correspondence of the suggested habitats with the information given by sedimentology. Accordingly, it has been possible to establish a distribution of the ammonoid ecomorphotypes demersal, nektonic, planktonic and vertical migrant, from shallow (neritic) to deeper marine areas (epipelagic to mesopelagic). The distribution of these ecomorphotypes with different bathimetric affinities is in agreement with the environmental interpretation of sedimentological dataSe han estudiado 65 especímenes de ammonoideos planoespirales de las Zonas de Hysteroceras varicosum y de Mortoniceras inflatum obtenidos de la serie estratigráfica correspondiente a la parte inferior del Albiense superior de la región central de la Cuenca Vasco-Cantábrica, norte de España. Los especímenes se han agrupado en diferentes morfotipos siguiendo su análisis mediante el método de “Westerman Morphospace” , el cual sugiere diversos hábitats para ammonoideos, basado en la arquitectura y forma de la concha. El objetivo de este trabajo es contrastar la posible correspondencia de los hábitats con la información aportada por la sedimentología. De esta manera, se ha podido establecer una distribución de los ecomorfotipos de ammonoideos demersal, nectónico, planctónico y migrante vertical, en áreas marino someras (neríticas) a más profundas (epipelágicas a mesopelágicas). La distribución de estos ecomorfotipos con diferentes afinidades batimétricas se correlaciona de manera bastante precisa con la interpretación ambiental de los datos sedimentológico

Efecto de los macro nutrientes en el desarrollo y rendimiento de mandioca (Manihot esculenta, Crantz)

Con el objeto de evaluar la respuesta de la planta de mandioca (Manilwt esculenta, Crantz) y su rendimiento al agregado de los macro nutrientes nitrógeno. Fósforo y potasio, se efectuó un ensayo experimental, con un diseño factorial 23 con cuatro repeticiones. Se realizaron siete tratamientos y un testigo efectuándose todas las combinaciones posibles entre los nutrientes en una sola dosis: 120 kg. ha -1 para el nitrógeno; 60 kg.ha -1 de fósforo y 120 kg.ha-1 de potasio. La densidad utilizada fue de 14.285 pl.ha-1 . Los parámetros considerados fueron: peso de raíces, peso de ramas, cantidad de raíces e índice de cosecha. De los resultados obtenidos se observó que no existe interacción significativa entre los nutrientes, pero el análisis de los nutrientes por separado nos muestra resultados significativos para el nitrógeno en todos los factores considerados, y para el potasio en el peso de ramas. El índice de cosecha dio valores significativos para los tres nutrientes pero en este caso los valores mayores correspondieron a los tratamientos sin fertilizar

Isolation and Identification of an Antimutagenic Phthalate Derivative Compound from Octopus (Paraoctopus limaculatus)

Purpose: To isolate and evaluate the antimutagenic properties of compounds previously identified in octopus (Paraoctopus limaculatus).Methods: Octopus fractions, previously obtained by a sequential thin layer chromatography (TLC) procedure, were subjected to further fractionation by TLC and their anti-mutagenic activity monitored using Salmonella tester strains TA98 and TA100 with metabolic activation (S9) in Ames test. The isolated fractions were subjected to structural studies by Fourier transformed infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), nuclear magnetic resonance (1H and 13C NMR), and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry.Results: Five new fractions were obtained from a previously isolated and reported anti-mutagenic octopus fraction. Fractions RB21321b2 and RB21321b3 inhibited > 80 % of the mutagenicity induced by 500 ng AFB1 on both tester strains and were selected for chemical/structural characterization. Data from IR and 1H and 13C NMR suggested the presence of phthalate type of compounds. GC-MS analysis revealed 278 m/z for both fractions which is consistent with a butyl isobutyl phthalate structure.Conclusion: Based on the findings, the compound responsible for the high anti-mutagenic activity of the isolated fraction from octopus is 1-butyl-2-isobutyl-phthalate.Keywords: Octopus, Anti-Mutagenic, Paraoctopus limaculatus, 1-Butyl-2-isobutyl-phthalat

Use of simple noninvasive biomarkers to predict liver fibrosis in HIV/HCV coinfection in routine clinical practice

This study was supported by a grant from Abbott Laboratories. The authors wish to thank the Spanish Health Ministry (ISCIII-RETIC RD06/006) for financial support.Background Simple noninvasive tests to predict fibrosis, as an alternative to liver biopsy (LB), are needed. Of these, the aspartate aminotransferase (AST) to platelet ratio index (APRI) and the Forns index (FI) have been validated in HIV/hepatitis C virus (HCV) coinfection. However, these indexes may have lower diagnostic value in situations other than the circumscribed conditions of validation studies. We therefore examined the value of the APRI and FI in HIV/HCV-coinfected patients for the detection of significant fibrosis in real-life conditions. Patients and methods HIV/HCV-coinfected patients who had participated in a multicentre cross-sectional retrospective study were selected if they had undergone an LB within 24 months before the last visit. The predictive accuracy of the APRI and FI was measured using the areas under receiver-operating-characteristic curves (AUROCs). Diagnostic accuracy was determined using the positive (PPV) and negative (NPV) predictive values. Results A total of 519 coinfected individuals were included in the study. The AUROC [95% confidence interval (95% CI)] of the APRI was 0.67 (0.66–0.71) and that of the FI was 0.67 (0.62–0.71). The PPV of the APRI was 79% and its NPV was 66%. The PPV of the FI was 74% and its NPV was 64%. LB length was available and was ≥15 mm in 120 individuals. In this group, the PPV of the APRI was 85%, and that of the FI was 81%. Using these indexes, 22% of patients could be spared LB. Applying both models sequentially, 30% of patients could be spared LB. Conclusions In HIV/HCV-coinfected patients, the diagnostic accuracy of the APRI in real-life conditions was similar to that in the validation studies. The FI performed less well. However, combining the two indexes to make decisions on anti-HCV therapy may prevent a significant proportion of patients from having to undergo LB.Abbott LaboratoriesSpanish Health Ministry (ISCIII-RETIC RD06/006

Cerebral insulin bolus revokes the changes in hepatic lipid metabolism induced by chronic central leptin infusion

Central actions of leptin and insulin on hepatic lipid metabolism can be opposing and the mechanism underlying this phenomenon remains unclear. Both hormones can modulate the central somatostatinergic system that has an inhibitory effect on growth hormone (GH) expression, which plays an important role in hepatic metabolism. Using a model of chronic central leptin infusion, we evaluated whether an increase in central leptin bioavailability modifies the serum lipid pattern through changes in hepatic lipid metabolism in male rats in response to an increase in central insulin and the possible involvement of the GH axis in these effects. We found a rise in serum GH in leptin plus insulin-treated rats, due to an increase in pituitary GH mRNA levels associated with lower hypothalamic somatostatin and pituitary somatostatin receptor-2 mRNA levels. An augment in hepatic lipolysis and a reduction in serum levels of non-esterified fatty acids (NEFA) and triglycerides were found in leptin-treated rats. These rats experienced a rise in lipogenic-related factors and normalization of serum levels of NEFA and triglycerides after insulin treatment. These results suggest that an increase in insulin in leptin-treated rats can act on the hepatic lipid metabolism through activation of the GH axisThis research was funded by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation with the help of European FEDER funding (FIS PI19/00166), Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad (BFU 2017-82565-C2-1-R) and the Network Center for Biomedical Research on Obesity and Nutrition (CIBEROBN) Instituto Carlos III. S.C. was supported by CIBEROB

Ubicación y dimensionamiento óptimo de generación distribuida: una revisión del estado del arte

Distributed generation (DG) has gained great interest from the electric industry in recent years. Currently, the presence of DG is increasingly common in distribution networks. This has motivated the exploration of different methodologies for its proper location and sizing, in order to harvest its potential benefits. A review of the state of the art regarding location and sizing of DG in electric power systems is presented. The methodologies that are usually applied for this aim are classified in five main groups: i) analytical, ii) heuristic, iii) meta-heuristic, iv) hybrid, and v) mathematical programming. These methodologies (used to determine the optimal location of DG, its optimal sizing, or both) are presented and discussed.La generación distribuida (GD) ha cobrado gran interés en la industria eléctrica en los últimos años. En la actualidad, es cada vez más común la presencia de DG en las redes de distribución. Esto ha motivado la exploración de diferentes metodologías para su correcta ubicación y dimensionamiento en aras de aprovechar sus beneficios potenciales. En este artículo se presenta una revisión del estado del arte en el tema de ubicación y dimensionamiento de DG en sistemas de energía eléctrica. Las metodologías utilizadas para este objetivo se han agrupado en cinco grupos principales: i) Analíticas, ii) Heurísticas, iii) Metaheurísticas, iv) Híbridas y v) Programación Matemática. A lo largo del documento estas metodologías (utilizadas para encontrar la ubicación óptima de la DG, su dimensionamiento o ambas cosas) son presentadas y discutidas

Follow-up with Telemedicine in Early Discharge for COPD Exacerbations: Randomized Clinical Trial (TELEMEDCOPD-Trial)

The results reported by different studies on telemonitoring in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) have been contradictory, without showing clear benefits to date. The objective of this study was to ascertain whether an early discharge and home hospitalization telehealth program for patients with COPD exacerbation is as effective as and more efficient than a traditional early discharge and home hospitalization program. A prospective experimental non-inferiority study, randomized into two groups (telemedicine/control) was conducted. The telemedicine group underwent monitoring and was required to transmit data on vital constants and ECGs twice per day, with a subsequent telephone call and 2 home visits by healthcare staff (intermediate and at discharge). The control group received daily visits. The main variable was time until first exacerbation. The secondary variables were: number of exacerbations; use of healthcare resources; satisfaction; quality of life; anxiety-depression; and therapeutic adherence, measured at one and 6 months of hospital discharge. A total of 116 patients were randomized (58 to each group) without significant differences in baseline characteristics or time until first exacerbation, i.e. median 48 days (pp. 25-75:23-120) in the control group, and 47 days (pp. 25-75:19-102) in the intervention group; p = 0.52). A significant decrease in the number of visits was observed in the intervention versus the control group, 3.8 ± 1 vs 5.1 ± 2(p = 0.001), without significant differences in the number of exacerbations. In conclusion follow-up via a telemedicine program in early discharge after hospitalization is as effective as conventional home follow up, being the cost of either strategy not significantly different.This study was awarded a Health Research Fund (Fondo de Investigaciones Sanitarias/FIS) grant, dossier No. PI12/01161 of the Carlos III Institute of Health and the Ministry of Sciences, Innovation and Universities.S

Real world data in primary care: validation of diagnosis of atrial fibrillation in primary care electronic medical records and estimated prevalence among consulting patients

Primary care electronic medical records contain clinical-administrative information on a high percentage of the population. Before this information can be used for epidemiological purposes, its quality must be verified. This study aims to validate diagnoses of atrial fibrillation (AF) recorded in primary care electronic medical records and to estimate the prevalence of AF in the population attending primary care consultations. Methods: We performed a cross-sectional validation study of all diagnoses of AF recorded in primary care electronic medical records in Madrid (Spain). We also performed simple random sampling of diagnoses of AF (ICPC-2 code K78) registered by 55 physicians and random age- and sex-matched sampling of the records that included a diagnosis of AF. Electrocardiograms, echocardiograms, and hospital discharge or cardiology clinic reports were matched. Sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values (PPV and NPV), and overall agreement were calculated using the kappa statistic (κ). The prevalence of AF in the community of Madrid was estimated considering the sensitivity and specificity obtained in the validation. All calculations were performed overall and by sex and age groups. Results: The degree of agreement was very high (κ = 0.952), with a sensitivity of 97.84%, specificity of 97.39%, PPV of 97.37%, and NPV of 97.85%. The prevalence of AF in the population aged over 18 years was 2.41% (95%CI 2.39–2.42% [2.25% in women and 2.58% in men]). This increased progressively with age, reaching 16.95% in those over 80 years of age (15.5% in women and 19.44% in men). Conclusions: The validation results obtained enable diagnosis of AF recorded in primary care to be used as a tool for epidemiological studies. A high prevalence of AF was found, especially in older patientsThis study forms part of research funded by the FIS (Fondo de Investigaciones Sanitarias—Health Research Fund, Instituto de Salud Carlos III) grants no. PI13/00632, and co-funded by the European Union through the Fondo Europeo de Desarrollo Regional (FEDER, “A way of shaping Europe”. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript