Lutein and the C/N as tracers of organic matter in the Palmones River estuary

Los pigmentos vegetales han sido usados como bioindicadores de la presencia de organismos fototrópicos en ríos, estuarios y sedimentos marinos actuales y en estudios paleolimnológicos. En el sedimento del estuario río Palmones (Bahía de Algeciras, Sur de España) se ha estudiado las concentraciones de clorofila a y luteína, el índice C/N y el contenido en materia orgánica. Utilizando la concentración de estos dos pigmentos en diferentes profundidades así como el índice de sedimentación(determinado por Rubio et al. En 2003 por el método del 210Pb), se ha determinado el índice de degradación de la luteína y clorofila a en la marisma. La permanencia de la luteína en el sedimento es mayor que la de la clorofila a. Según estos resultados se ha podido discriminar las fuentes de materia orgánicaPlant pigments have been used as biomarkers of the presence of phototrophic organisms in rivers, estuaries and sea sediments in present and in paleolimnological studies. Chlorophyll a and lutein concentration, C/N ratio and organic matter content have been studied in the sediment of the Palmones River estuary (Algeciras Bay, Southern Spain). Using the concentration of these two pigments at different depths, as well as the sedimentation rate (determined by Rubio et al. in 2003 by means of the 210Pb method), lutein and chlorophyll a degradation rate has been determined, in the saltmarsh. Lutein persistence in the sediment was higher than the persistence of chlorophyll a. According to these results, it was possible to discriminate the organic matter source

Frequency dependence of the dielectric and electro-optic response in suspensions of charged rod-like colloidal particles

We have performed an experimental investigation on the electrokinetic properties of charged rod-like fluorinated latex colloids. Systematic measurements of electrophoretic mobility, dielectric constant and electric birefringence have been performed as a function of the concentration of added nonionic surfactant and salt. In the investigated range of parameters, the zeta potential is a strongly decreasing function of the concentration of nonionic surfactant, while it is basically independent from ionic strength. We have obtained the frequency dependence of dielectric constant and Kerr constant as a function of zeta-potential and ionic strength. We observe the transition from a low frequency behavior, where both the dielectric constant and the Kerr constant are enhanced by the presence of the double layer, to a high frequency behavior, where both quantities take the value expected for unchanged particles in an insulating medium. The shape of the frequency dispersion of the Kerr constant coincides with that of the dielectric constant, but the cut-off frequencies are the same only when the zeta-potential of the particles is low

The person, interactions and environment programme to improve care of people with dementia in hospital: a multisite study

Background: Improving care of people with dementia on acute hospital wards is a policy priority. Person-centred care is a marker of care quality; delivering such care is a goal for service improvement. Objectives: PIE (Person: Interaction; Environment) comprises an observation tool and systematic approach to implement and embed a person-centred approach in routine care for hospitalised patients with dementia. The study aims were to: evaluate PIE as a method to improve the care of older people with dementia on acute hospital wards; and develop insight into what person-centred care might look like in practice in this setting. Methods: We performed a longitudinal comparative case study design in ten purposively selected wards in five Trusts in three English regions; alongside an embedded process evaluation. Data was collected from multiple sources: staff, patients, relatives, organisational aggregate information and documents. Mixed methods were employed: ethnographic observation; interviews and questionnaires; patient case studies (patient observation and conversations ‘in the moment’, interviews with relatives and case records), patient and ward aggregate data. Data was synthesised to create individual case studies of PIE implementation and outcomes in context of ward structure, organisation, patient profile and process of care delivery. Cross case comparison facilitated a descriptive and explanatory account of PIE implementation in context, the pattern of variation, what shaped it and the consequences flowing from it. Quantitative data was analysed using simple descriptive statistics. Qualitative data analysis employed grounded theory methods. Results: The study furthered understanding of dimensions of care quality for older people with dementia on acute hospital wards and the environmental, organisational and cultural factors that shaped delivery. Only two wards fully implemented PIE, sustaining and embedding change over 18 months. The remaining wards either did not install PIE (‘non-implementers’); or were ‘partial implementers’. The interaction between micro-level contextual factors (aspects of leadership (drivers, facilitators, team, networks), fit with strategic initiatives and salience with valued goals) and miso and macro level organisational factors, were the main barriers to PIE adoption. Where implemented, evidence suggests that the programme directly affected improvement in ward practice with positive impact on the experience of patients and caregivers, although the heterogeneity of need and severity of impairment meant that some of the more visible changes did not affect everyone equally. Limitations: Although PIE has potential to improve the care of people with dementia when implemented, findings are indicative only: data on clinical outcomes was not systematically collected; and PIE was not adopted on most study wards. Research implications: Further research is required to identify more precisely the skill-mix and resources necessary to provide person-focused care to hospitalised people with dementia, across the spectrum of need, including those with moderate and severe impairment. Implementing innovations to change practices in complex organisations requires more in-depth understanding of contextual factors that impact the capacity of organisations to absorb and embed new practices

Sweet-and-salty biocatalysis : fructooligosaccharides production using Cladosporium cladosporioides in seawater

Production of fructooligosaccharides (FOS) from sucrose was obtained using a bioprocess entirely performed in seawater. The halophilic fungus Cladosporium cladosporioides MUT 5506 was grown in a seawater-based medium and mycelium displayed an optimal activity in seawater at 50\u201360 \ub0C, being stable up to 60 \ub0C. Under optimized conditions in seawater (50 \ub0C, sucrose 600 g/L, lyophilized mycelium 40 g/L), C. cladosporioides gave a maximum FOS yield of 344 g/L after 72 h with a preponderance of 1F-FOS derivatives (1-kestose 184 g/L, 1-nystose 98 g/L and 1-fructofuranosylnystose 22 g/L), and the noteworthy presence of the non-conventional disaccharide blastose (30 g/L after 144 h). Lyophilized mycelium exhibited good stability in seawater (76% of the initial activity was retained after 15 cycles of reutilization). This proof-of-concept application reports for the first time the production of FOS in a non-conventional medium such as seawater

An efficient continuous flow process for the synthesis of a non-conventional mixture of fructooligosaccharides

A sustainable and scalable process for the production of a new mixture of fructooligosaccharides (FOS) was developed using a continuous-flow approach based on an immobilized whole cells-packed bed reactor. The technological transfer from a classical batch system to an innovative flow environment allowed a significant improvement of the productivity. Moreover, the stability of this production system was ascertained by up to 7 days of continuous working. These results suggest the suitability of the proposed method for a large-scale production of the desired FOS mixture, in view of a foreseeable use as a novel prebiotic preparation

On the estimation of the curvatures and bending rigidity of membrane networks via a local maximum-entropy approach

We present a meshfree method for the curvature estimation of membrane networks based on the Local Maximum Entropy approach recently presented in (Arroyo and Ortiz, 2006). A continuum regularization of the network is carried out by balancing the maximization of the information entropy corresponding to the nodal data, with the minimization of the total width of the shape functions. The accuracy and convergence properties of the given curvature prediction procedure are assessed through numerical applications to benchmark problems, which include coarse grained molecular dynamics simulations of the fluctuations of red blood cell membranes (Marcelli et al., 2005; Hale et al., 2009). We also provide an energetic discrete-to-continuum approach to the prediction of the zero-temperature bending rigidity of membrane networks, which is based on the integration of the local curvature estimates. The Local Maximum Entropy approach is easily applicable to the continuum regularization of fluctuating membranes, and the prediction of membrane and bending elasticities of molecular dynamics models

The Person, Interactions and Environment Programme to improve care of people with dementia in hospital: a multisite study

Background: Improving the care of people with dementia on acute hospital wards is a policy priority. Person-centred care is a marker of care quality; delivering such care is a goal of service improvement. Objectives: The Person, Interactions and Environment (PIE) Programme comprises an observation tool and a systematic approach to implement and embed a person-centred approach in routine care for hospitalised patients with dementia. The study aims were to evaluate PIE as a method to improve the care of older people with dementia on acute hospital wards, and develop insight into what person-centred care might look like in practice in this setting. Methods: We performed a longitudinal comparative case study design in 10 purposively selected wards in five trusts in three English regions, alongside an embedded process evaluation. Data were collected from multiple sources: staff, patients, relatives, organisational aggregate information and documents. Mixed methods were employed: ethnographic observation; interviews and questionnaires; patient case studies (patient observation and conversations ‘in the moment’, interviews with relatives and case records); and patient and ward aggregate data. Data were synthesised to create individual case studies of PIE implementation and outcomes in context of ward structure, organisation, patient profile and process of care delivery. A cross-case comparison facilitated a descriptive and explanatory account of PIE implementation in context, the pattern of variation, what shaped it and the consequences flowing from it. Quantitative data were analysed using simple descriptive statistics. A qualitative data analysis employed grounded theory methods. Results: The study furthered the understanding of the dimensions of care quality for older people with dementia on acute hospital wards and the environmental, organisational and cultural factors that shaped delivery. Only two wards fully implemented PIE, sustaining and embedding change over 18 months. The remaining wards either did not install PIE (‘non-implementers’) or were ‘partial implementers’. The interaction between micro-level contextual factors [aspects of leadership (drivers, facilitators, team, networks), fit with strategic initiatives and salience with valued goals] and meso- and macro-level organisational factors were the main barriers to PIE adoption. Evidence suggests that the programme, where implemented, directly affected improvements in ward practice, with a positive impact on the experiences of patients and caregivers, although the heterogeneity of need and severity of impairment meant that some of the more visible changes did not affect everyone equally. Limitations: Although PIE has the potential to improve the care of people with dementia when implemented, findings are indicative only: data on clinical outcomes were not systematically collected, and PIE was not adopted on most study wards. Research implications: Further research is required to identify more precisely the skill mix and resources necessary to provide person-focused care to hospitalised people with dementia, across the spectrum of need, including those with moderate and severe impairment. Implementing innovations to change practices in complex organisations requires a more in-depth understanding of the contextual factors that have an impact on the capacity of organisations to absorb and embed new practices

Revealing the reporting disparity: VigiBase highlights underreporting of clozapine in other Western European countries compared to the UK

Background: Pharmacovigilance studies indicate clozapine history is marked by adverse drug reactions (ADRs). Objective: In a 2021 article, the United Kingdom (UK) had >90 % of European clozapine-related fatal outcomes in VigiBase, the World Health Organization's pharmacovigilance database. Two possibly opposing hypotheses could explain this disparity: 1) fewer reported fatal outcomes in other Western European countries mainly reflect underreporting to VigiBase, and 2) the higher number of UK reports reflects higher real relative mortality. Methods: VigiBase reports from clozapine's introduction to December 31, 2022, were studied for ADRs and the top 10 causes of fatal outcomes. The UK was compared with 11 other top reporting Western countries (Germany, Denmark, France, Finland, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland). Nine countries (except Ireland and Switzerland) were compared after controlling for population and clozapine prescriptions. Results: The UK accounted for 29 % of worldwide clozapine-related fatal outcomes, Germany 2 % and <1 % in each of the other countries. The nonspecific label "death" was the top cause in the world (46 %) and in the UK (33 %). "Pneumonia" was second in the world (8 %), the UK (12 %), Ireland (8 %) and Finland (14 %). Assuming that our corrections for population and clozapine use are correct, other countries underreported only 1-10 % of the UK clozapine fatal outcome number. Conclusions: Different Western European countries consistently underreport to VigiBase compared to the UK, but have different reporting/publishing styles for clozapine-related ADRs/fatal outcomes. Three Scandinavian registries suggest lives are saved as clozapine use increases, but this cannot be studied in pharmacovigilance databases

¿Tienen una personalidad distinta los adolescentes consumidores de psicoestimulantes?

El consumo de psicoestimulantes tiene una especial importancia en nuestro medio por su notable incremento entre los más jóvenes. El objetivo del presente estudio es determinar si hay diferencias entre menores de edad consumidores y no consumidores de psicoestimulantes (cocaína y éxtasis) en función de las características de personalidad evaluadas con el MACI. La muestra está formada por 398 jóvenes entre 14 y 17 años que fueron seleccionados con un muestreo aleatorio en los domicilios de los entrevistados y en lugares de ocio y diversión. Los resultados confirman la existencia de importantes diferencias en las características de personalidad de ambos. Los jóvenes que han consumido psicoestimulantes se caracterizan por tener los prototipos de personalidad Rebelde, Rudo, Oposicionista y Tendencia límite. Do adolescents who use stimulants have a different personality? Stimulant consumption is especially important in our context because its use has greatly increased in recent years. The aim of the present study is to analyze the differences between stimulant users and nonusers (under 18 years old) in personality characteristics assessed with the MACI. The sample comprises 398 youths between 14 and 17 years old who were selected through random sampling in their homes or in recreational night spots. Results show important differences in personality features between stimulant users and nonusers. Stimulant users are characterized by having unruly, forceful, oppositional and borderline-tendency personality prototypes

The incidence of psychotic disorders among migrants and minority ethnic groups in Europe: Findings from the multinational EU-GEI study

BackgroundIn Europe, the incidence of psychotic disorder is high in certain migrant and minority ethnic groups (hence: 'minorities'). However, it is unknown how the incidence pattern for these groups varies within this continent. Our objective was to compare, across sites in France, Italy, Spain, the UK and the Netherlands, the incidence rates for minorities and the incidence rate ratios (IRRs, minorities v. the local reference population).MethodsThe European Network of National Schizophrenia Networks Studying Gene-Environment Interactions (EU-GEI) study was conducted between 2010 and 2015. We analyzed data on incident cases of non-organic psychosis (International Classification of Diseases, 10th edition, codes F20-F33) from 13 sites.ResultsThe standardized incidence rates for minorities, combined into one category, varied from 12.2 in Valencia to 82.5 per 100 000 in Paris. These rates were generally high at sites with high rates for the reference population, and low at sites with low rates for the reference population. IRRs for minorities (combined into one category) varied from 0.70 (95% CI 0.32-1.53) in Valencia to 2.47 (95% CI 1.66-3.69) in Paris (test for interaction: p = 0.031). At most sites, IRRs were higher for persons from non-Western countries than for those from Western countries, with the highest IRRs for individuals from sub-Saharan Africa (adjusted IRR = 3.23, 95% CI 2.66-3.93).ConclusionsIncidence rates vary by region of origin, region of destination and their combination. This suggests that they are strongly influenced by the social context