The location of creative clusters in non-metropolitan areas: A methodological proposition

This article studies creative clusters outside metropolitan areas in Spain. Both the notion of cluster and that of creative activity tend to be associated by mainstream research with urban settings; thus, situating them in an non metropolitan or rural localities has required us to adapt the usual methodology to the scale and idiosyncrasies of a rural setting. Based on this new focus, we have been able to identify 761 municipalities that could host creative clusters within an initial area of study of 7367 non-metropolitan municipalities with fewer than 50,000 inhabitants. This methodology also has allowed us to measure intensity, internal composition, and localization, so that those of a more mature or advanced character, having a greater level of specialization and diversity, predominate in places close to metropolitan areas and the Mediterranean axis, whereas in the inner Spain, they are found in a lower proportion and in a more scattered and discontinuous manner. Activities belonging to the Functional Creations sector prevail over those from Communication and Patrimony in the configuration of the clusters, although there are differences in relative specialization according to their mature or advanced level. In addition, some of the most significant indicators of rural dynamism e population growth, human capital, unemployment, and economic activity e show much better behaviour in municipalities with creative clusters

Congenital long QT syndrome

Artículo especialThe long QT syndrome (LQTS) is an hereditary disease that produces a malfunction on the sodium and potassium channels of the heart and lengthens the duration of the cardiac repolarization stage. It is characterized by the appearance of syncopes, arrhythmias and even sudden death. There are two variants of the congenital LQTS: the autosomal dominant Romano-Ward syndrome and the autosomal recessive Jervell-Lange-Nielsen syndrome, that is associated with sensorineural deafness and is less frequent than the other type. The diagnosis is made from the clinical criteria, the electrocardiogram and the family history. In the last few years, molecular studies have been developed, opening new possibilities not only for its diagnosis but also for the treatment of these patients.N

Heavy metal pollution in drinking water - a global risk for human health: A review

Water resources in the world have been profoundly influenced over the last years by human activities, whereby the world is currently facing critical water supply and drinking water quality problems. In many parts of the world heavy metal (HM) concentrations in drinking water are higher than some international guideline values. Discussing about the HM pollution in drinking water, the incorporation of them into the food chain, and their implications as a global risk for the human health, are the objectives of this review. It is known that there are million people with chronic HM poisoning which has become a worldwide public health issue, while 1.6 million children die each year from diseases for which contaminated drinking water is a leading cause. There is also evidence of HM in drinking water that are responsible for causing adverse effect on human health through food chain contamination. A global effort to offering affordable and healthy drinking water most to be launched throughout the world, while various laws and regulations to protect and improve the utilization of drinking water resources should be updated or created throughout the world, including the low income countries; otherwise, the problem of HM-polluted drinking water will be growing because demand for drinking water is still growing such as this problem will become even more pressing in the future. Finally, notwithstanding, additional researches are necessaries about the correlation between HM concentration in drinking water and human diseases, while the development of robust, cheap and sustainable technologies to improve the drinking water quality is necessary.Key words: Groundwater, aquifer, water quality, water pollution, microorganism, water supply, microbial communities, food chain, disease

APLICACIÓN DE LA ESCALA NEMS EN LA CUANTIFICACIÓN DEL TRABAJO DE ENFERMERÍA EN UNA UCI POLIVALENTE

Workloads nursing should be the basis for the staffing of nursing. In the present study, using the scale of NEMS workloads to hear and evaluate the utilization of human resources of a polyvalent ICU. It is noted that the score of that scale is high, and that the rate of use of labour is higher than the European average, and that the efficiency of human resources of the unit is higher. There is a correlation between severity of the patients and scoring NEMS, as well as conditions of isolation. The valuation of workloads allows an ICU monitor and evaluate adequately the potential changes in time, as well as sharing of resources between units objectively, always competing in times of shortage of human resources.Las cargas de trabajo de enfermería deben ser la base de la dotación de personal de enfermería. En el presente estudio, se utiliza la escala NEMS de cargas de trabajo para conocer y valorar la utilización de recursos humanos de una UCI polivalente. Se observa que la puntuación de dicha escala es alta, y que la razón de utilización de trabajo es más elevada que la media europea, y que la eficiencia de recursos humanos de la unidad es más elevada. Se observa una correlación entre gravedad de los pacientes y puntuación del NEMS, así como con existencia de condiciones de aislamiento. La valoración de las cargas de trabajo permite monitorizar una UCI y valorar adecuadamente los posibles cambios producidos en el tiempo, así como repartir de forma objetiva recursos entre unidades, siempre en competencia en épocas de escasez de recursos humanos

Genomic Diversity of Mycobacterium tuberculosis Complex Strains in Cantabria (Spain), a Moderate TB Incidence Setting

Background Tuberculosis (TB) control strategies are focused mainly on prevention, early diagnosis, compliance to treatment and contact tracing. The objectives of this study were to explore the frequency and risk factors of recent transmission of clinical isolates of Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (MTBC) in Cantabria in Northern Spain from 2012 through 2013 and to analyze their clonal complexity for better understanding of the transmission dynamics in a moderate TB incidence setting. Methods DNA from 85 out of 87 isolates from bacteriologically confirmed cases of MTBC infection were extracted directly from frozen stocks and genotyped using the mycobacterial interspersed repetitive units-variable number tandem repeat (MIRU-VNTR) method. The MIRUVNTRplus database tool was used to identify clusters and lineages and to build a neighbor joining (NJ) phylogenetic tree. In addition, data were compared to the SITVIT2 database at the Pasteur Institute of Guadeloupe. Results The rate of recent transmission was calculated to 24%. Clustering was associated with being Spanish-born. A high prevalence of isolates of the Euro-American lineage was found. In addition, MIRU-VNTR profiles of the studied isolates corresponded to previously found MIRU-VNTR types in other countries, including Spain, Belgium, Great Britain, USA, Croatia, South Africa and The Netherlands. Six of the strains analyzed represented clonal variants. Conclusion Transmission of MTBC is well controlled in Cantabria. The majority of TB patients were born in Spain. The population structure of MTBC in Cantabria has a low diversity of major clonal lineages with the Euro-American lineage predominating

Photosensitiser-gold nanoparticle conjugates for photodynamic therapy of cancer

Gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) have been extensively studied within biomedicine due to their biocompatibil- ity and low toxicity. In particular, AuNPs have been widely used to deliver photosensitiser agents for photodynamic therapy (PDT) of cancer. Here we review the state-of-the-art for the functionalisation of the gold nanoparticle surface with both photosensitisers and targeting ligands for the active targeting of cancer cell surface receptors. From the initial use of the AuNPs as a simple carrier of the photosensitiser for PDT, the field has significantly advanced to include: the use of PEGylated modification to provide aqueous compatibility and stealth properties for in vivo use; gold metal-surface enhanced singlet oxygen generation; functionalisation of the AuNP surface with biological ligands to specifically target over- expressed receptors on the surface of cancer cells and; the creation of nanorods and nanostars to enable combined PDT and photothermal therapies. These versatile AuNPs have significantly enhanced the efficacy of traditional photosensitisers for both in vitro and in vivo cancer therapy. From this review it is apparent that AuNPs have an important future in the treatment of cancer

Cerebellar astrocytes co-express several ADP receptors. Presence of functional P2Y13-like receptors

Astrocytes exhibit a form of excitability based on variations of intracellular Ca2+ concentration in response to various stimuli, including ADP, ATP, UTP and dinucleotides. Here, we investigate the presence of the recently cloned ADP-sensitive receptors, P2Y12 and P2Y13 subtypes, which are negatively coupled to adenylate cyclase, in cerebellar astrocytes. We checked the effect of specific agonists, 2-methylthioadenosine diphosphate (2MeSADP) and ADP, on adenylate cyclase stimulation induced by isoproterenol. Both agonists significantly reduced the cAMP accumulation induced by isoproterenol. The inhibitory effect was concentration-dependent with IC50 values of 46 ± 13 and 23 ± 14 nM for 2MeSADP and ADP, respectively. The experiments were carried out in the presence of MRS-2179, a specific antagonist of P2Y1 receptor, to avoid any contribution of this receptor. Using fura-2 microfluorimetry we also proved that astrocytes responded to 2MeSADP stimulations with calcium responses in the absence and also in the presence of MRS-2179. Both effects, inhibition of adenylate cyclase and intracellular calcium mobilization, were not modified by 2MeSAMP, an antagonist of P2Y12 receptor, suggesting that were mediated by P2Y13-like receptors

A GBD 2019 study of health and Sustainable Development Goal gains and forecasts to 2030 in Spain

This study aimed to report mortality, risk factors, and burden of diseases in Spain. The Global Burden of Disease, Injuries, and Risk Factors 2019 estimates the burden due to 369 diseases, injuries, and impairments and 87 risk factors and risk factor combinations. Here, we detail the updated Spain 1990-2019 burden of disease estimates and project certain metrics up to 2030. In 2019, leading causes of death were ischaemic heart disease, stroke, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, Alzheimer's disease, and lung cancer. Main causes of disability adjusted life years (DALYs) were ischaemic heart disease, diabetes, lung cancer, low back pain, and stroke. Leading DALYs risk factors included smoking, high body mass index, and high fasting plasma glucose. Spain scored 74/100 among all health-related Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) indicators, ranking 20 of 195 countries and territories. We forecasted that by 2030, Spain would outpace Japan, the United States, and the European Union. Behavioural risk factors, such as smoking and poor diet, and environmental factors added a significant burden to the Spanish population's health in 2019. Monitoring these trends, particularly in light of COVID-19, is essential to prioritise interventions that will reduce the future burden of disease to meet population health and SDG commitments

Reaction rates and transport in neutron stars

Understanding signals from neutron stars requires knowledge about the transport inside the star. We review the transport properties and the underlying reaction rates of dense hadronic and quark matter in the crust and the core of neutron stars and point out open problems and future directions.Comment: 74 pages; commissioned for the book "Physics and Astrophysics of Neutron Stars", NewCompStar COST Action MP1304; version 3: minor changes, references updated, overview graphic added in the introduction, improvements in Sec IV.A.