Assessment of environmental change according to "junqueros" and "leñateros" in the southern sector of the Río de la Plata region (Argentina)

Mediante un abordaje etnoecológico, se realizaron 24 entrevistas a informantes calificados de los partidos de Magdalena y Punta Indio, en el litoral rioplatense, con el objetivo de recopilar y evaluar las narrativas de junqueros y leñateros locales respecto del cambio ambiental y su impacto en sus vidas cotidianas. Estas actividades extractivas (obtención de leña y recolección de juncos) fueron muy importantes en esta zona, aunque en la actualidad sufren una merma, sobre todo en la actividad junquera, debido principalmente a dos acontecimientos que marcaron el rumbo de la actividad: derrame de petróleo y cambios en los sistemas productivos. En la actividad leñera se registraron cambios principalmente como producto de la creación de la Reserva de Biosfera Parque Costero del Sur, sin embargo, a diferencia de los junqueros, la abundancia del recurso leñatero y la reformulación en las prácticas y estrategias de selección hizo posible la permanencia de la actividad a pesar de los cambios sufridos en el área de estudio. Las actividades ejercidas por los informantes influyeron en las narrativas sobre su valoración del cambio ambiental, dado que se reconocieron pocos cambios en común, principalmente, en relación con el clima y la fauna.Through an ethnoecological approach, 24 interviews to key informants were made in Magdalena and Punta Indio districts, Rio de la Plata region, Argentina. The aim was collecting and evaluating junqueros and leñateros local narratives regarding environmental change and its impact on their daily lives. The extractive activities: fuelwood and rushes collection, were very important in this area, although they have declined nowadays, especially the latter one. Two events have influenced the activity: oil spill and changes in production systems. As a result of the establishment of the "Parque Costero del Sur", a biosphere reserve, modifications in the fuelwood activity were registered. However, unlike the rushes collection, the abundance of wood and the reformulation of selection practices and strategies have made it possible to continue this activity, despite the changes in the study area. Each activity by the key informants influenced the narratives about their assessment of the environmental change, since few changes were in common among them and recognized in relation to climate and wildlife.Fil: Stampella, Pablo César. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo. Laboratorio de Etnobotánica y Botánica Aplicada; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata; ArgentinaFil: Doumecq, María Belén. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo. Laboratorio de Etnobotánica y Botánica Aplicada; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata; ArgentinaFil: Vojkovic, Matilde. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo. Laboratorio de Etnobotánica y Botánica Aplicada; ArgentinaFil: Laborda, Luciana. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo. Laboratorio de Etnobotánica y Botánica Aplicada; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata; Argentin

Assessment of environmental change according to "junqueros" and "leñateros" in the southern sector of the Río de la Plata region (Argentina)

Through an ethnoecological approach, 24 interviews to key informants were made in Magdalena and Punta Indio districts, Rio de la Plata region, Argentina. The aim was collecting and evaluating junqueros and leñateros local narratives regarding environmental change and its impact on their daily lives. The extractive activities: fuelwood and rushes collection, were very important in this area, although they have declined nowadays, especially the latter one. Two events have influenced the activity: oil spill and changes in production systems. As a result of the establishment of the "Parque Costero del Sur", a biosphere reserve, modifications in the fuelwood activity were registered. However, unlike the rushes collection, the abundance of wood and the reformulation of selection practices and strategies have made it possible to continue this activity, despite the changes in the study area. Each activity by the key informants influenced the narratives about their assessment of the environmental change, since few changes were in common among them and recognized in relation to climate and wildlife.Mediante un abordaje etnoecológico, se realizaron 24 entrevistas a informantes calificados de los partidos de Magdalena y Punta Indio, en el litoral rioplatense, con el objetivo de recopilar y evaluar las narrativas de junqueros y leñateros locales respecto del cambio ambiental y su impacto en sus vidas cotidianas. Estas actividades extractivas (obtención de leña y recolección de juncos) fueron muy importantes en esta zona, aunque en la actualidad sufren una merma, sobre todo en la actividad junquera, debido principalmente a dos acontecimientos que marcaron el rumbo de la actividad: derrame de petróleo y cambios en los sistemas productivos. En la actividad leñera se registraron cambios principalmente como producto de la creación de la Reserva de Biosfera “Parque Costero del Sur”, sin embargo, a diferencia de los junqueros, la abundancia del recurso leñatero y la reformulación en las prácticas y estrategias de selección hizo posible la permanencia de la actividad a pesar de los cambios sufridos en el área de estudio. Las actividades ejercidas por los informantes influyeron en las narrativas sobre su valoración del cambio ambiental, dado que se reconocieron pocos cambios en común, principalmente, en relación con el clima y la fauna.Laboratorio de Etnobotánica y Botánica Aplicad

Motor imagery and mental practice in the subacute and chronic phases in upper limb rehabilitation after stroke: a systematic review

Introduction. Motor imagery and mental practice can be defined as a continuous mechanism in which the subject tries to emulate a movement using cognitive processes, without actually performing the motor action. The objective of this review was to analyse and check the efficacy of motor imagery and/or mental practice as a method of rehabilitating motor function in patients that have suffered a stroke, in both subacute and chronic phases. Material and Methods. We performed a bibliographic search from 2009 to 2021 in the following databases, Medline (PubMed), Scopus, WOS, Cochrane, and OTSeeker. The search focused on randomized clinical trials in which the main subject was rehabilitating motor function of the upper limb in individuals that had suffered a stroke in subacute or chronic phases. Results. We analysed a total of 11 randomized clinical trials, with moderate and high methodological quality according to the PEDro scale. Most of the studies on subacute and chronic stages obtained statistically significant short-term results, between pre- and postintervention, in recovering function of the upper limb. Conclusions. Motor imagery and/or mental practice, combined with conventional therapy and/or with other techniques, can be effective in the short term in recovering upper limb motor function in patients that have suffered a stroke. More studies are needed to analyse the efficacy of this intervention during medium- and long-term follow-up

Pandemic and post-pandemic Influenza A (H1N1) infection in critically ill patients

Background: There is a vast amount of information published regarding the impact of 2009 pandemic Influenza A (pH1N1) virus infection. However, a comparison of risk factors and outcome during the 2010-2011 post-pandemic period has not been described. Methods: A prospective, observational, multi-center study was carried out to evaluate the clinical characteristics and demographics of patients with positive RT-PCR for H1N1 admitted to 148 Spanish intensive care units (ICUs). Data were obtained from the 2009 pandemic and compared to the 2010-2011 post-pandemic period. Results: Nine hundred and ninety-seven patients with confirmed An/H1N1 infection were included. Six hundred and forty-eight patients affected by 2009 (pH1N1) virus infection and 349 patients affected by the post-pandemic Influenza (H1N1)v infection period were analyzed. Patients during the post-pandemic period were older, had more chronic comorbid conditions and presented with higher severity scores (Acute Physiology And Chronic Health Evaluation II (APACHE II) and Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA)) on ICU admission. Patients from the post-pandemic Influenza (H1N1)v infection period received empiric antiviral treatment less frequently and with delayed administration. Mortality was significantly higher in the post-pandemic period. Multivariate analysis confirmed that haematological disease, invasive mechanical ventilation and continuous renal replacement therapy were factors independently associated with worse outcome in the two periods. HIV was the only new variable independently associated with higher ICU mortality during the post-pandemic Influenza (H1N1)v infection period. Conclusion: Patients from the post-pandemic Influenza (H1N1)v infection period had an unexpectedly higher mortality rate and showed a trend towards affecting a more vulnerable population, in keeping with more typical seasonal viral infection

Pandemic and post-pandemic Influenza A (H1N1) infection in critically ill patients

Background: There is a vast amount of information published regarding the impact of 2009 pandemic Influenza A (pH1N1) virus infection. However, a comparison of risk factors and outcome during the 2010-2011 post-pandemic period has not been described. Methods: A prospective, observational, multi-center study was carried out to evaluate the clinical characteristics and demographics of patients with positive RT-PCR for H1N1 admitted to 148 Spanish intensive care units (ICUs). Data were obtained from the 2009 pandemic and compared to the 2010-2011 post-pandemic period. Results: Nine hundred and ninety-seven patients with confirmed An/H1N1 infection were included. Six hundred and forty-eight patients affected by 2009 (pH1N1) virus infection and 349 patients affected by the post-pandemic Influenza (H1N1)v infection period were analyzed. Patients during the post-pandemic period were older, had more chronic comorbid conditions and presented with higher severity scores (Acute Physiology And Chronic Health Evaluation II (APACHE II) and Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA)) on ICU admission. Patients from the post-pandemic Influenza (H1N1)v infection period received empiric antiviral treatment less frequently and with delayed administration. Mortality was significantly higher in the post-pandemic period. Multivariate analysis confirmed that haematological disease, invasive mechanical ventilation and continuous renal replacement therapy were factors independently associated with worse outcome in the two periods. HIV was the only new variable independently associated with higher ICU mortality during the post-pandemic Influenza (H1N1)v infection period. Conclusion: Patients from the post-pandemic Influenza (H1N1)v infection period had an unexpectedly higher mortality rate and showed a trend towards affecting a more vulnerable population, in keeping with more typical seasonal viral infection

Influence of early neurological complications on clinical outcome following lung transplant

Sistema Nerviós Autònom; Risc de malalties cardiovasculars; Procediments mèdics quirúrgics i invasiusSistema nervioso autónomo; Riesgo de enfermedad cardiovascular; Procedimientos médicos quirúrgicos e invasivosAutonomic Nervous System; Cardiovascular disease risk; Surgical and invasive medical proceduresBackground Neurological complications after lung transplantation are common. The full spectrum of neurological complications and their impact on clinical outcomes has not been extensively studied. Methods We investigated the neurological incidence of complications, categorized according to whether they affected the central, peripheral or autonomic nervous systems, in a series of 109 patients undergoing lung transplantation at our center between January 1 2013 and December 31 2014. Results Fifty-one patients (46.8%) presented at least one neurological complication. Critical illness polyneuropathy-myopathy (31 cases) and phrenic nerve injury (26 cases) were the two most prevalent complications. These two neuromuscular complications lengthened hospital stays by a median period of 35.5 and 32.5 days respectively. However, neurological complications did not affect patients’ survival. Conclusions The real incidence of neurological complications among lung transplant recipients is probably underestimated. They usually appear in the first two months after surgery. Despite not affecting mortality, they do affect the mean length of hospital stay, and especially the time spent in the Intensive Care Unit. We found no risk factor for neurological complications except for long operating times, ischemic time and need for transfusion. It is necessary to develop programs for the prevention and early recognition of these complications, and the prevention of their precipitant and risk factors.JG is the recipient of a grant from the Spanish Fondo de Investigaciones Sanitarias (FIS PI13-01272-FEDER)

Quibas-Sima: A unique 1 ma-old vertebrate succession in southern Iberian Peninsula

With the identification of the Jaramillo geomagnetic subchron, the late Early Pleistocene vertebrate succession of the Quibas-Sima section (Quibas karstic complex, southern Spain) represents a time span scarcely recorded in Europe. To complete the existing chronostratigraphic framework published earlier by Piñero et al. (2020), we provide here additional new information about the lithostratigraphy and micromammal succession along the sedimentary sequence. Seven lithostratigraphic units have been differentiated (QS-1 to QS-7) at Quibas-Sima, documenting an almost continuous small mammal record, including representatives of the families Soricidae, Erinaceidae, Rhinolophidae, Vespertilionidae, Arvicolidae, Muridae, Gliridae, Sciuridae, Leporidae and Ochotonidae. The small mammal association indicates that units QS-1 to QS-4 have an intermediate biostratigraphic position between the sites of Fuente Nueva 3 (ca. 1.2 Ma) and Cueva Victoria (ca. 0.9 Ma). New numerical age result from the combined U-series/ESR dating of one equid tooth from QS-3 consistently support the general chronostratigraphic framework based on magnetostratigraphy and biostratigraphic inferences by confirming a post-Olduvai age. Based on an estimation of the sedimentation rate during the Jaramillo subchron, these broad chronological constraints may be confidently refined to approx. 1.1–0.9 Ma for the whole sequence. While we acknowledge the existing uncertainty associated to this age range, it is nevertheless consistent with biostratigraphic evidence indicating that all stratigraphic units most likely do not significantly differ from a chronological point of view. Both independent proxies (biostratigraphy and the sedimentation rate) strongly suggest that the sedimentary sequence covers a relatively short time interval (<200 kyr). These results place the Quibas-Sima sequence as one of the longest and most complete pre-Jaramillo (QS-1) to Jaramillo (QS-2 to QS-5) continental vertebrate succession in Europe