Los naufragios de Alvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca: entre la crónica y la novela

Tomo II ; págs. 331-36

Evaluación de la capacidad de la perfusión tumoral con tomografía computarizada para aportar información biológica, predecir y monitorizar la respuesta al tratamiento en el carcinoma de pulmón de células no pequeñas

El objetivo es evaluar si la perfusión por TC (P-TC) en el cáncer de pulmón no microcítico aporta información biológica relevante antes del tratamiento y si permite evaluar la respuesta al tratamiento con QT/RT convencional. Se hizo un estudio de P-TC a 152 pacientes antes del tratamiento y se correlacionaron diferentes variables de perfusión con el subtipo histológico, estadio y respuesta a QT/RT. A 53 pacientes se les realizó una P-TC tras el tratamiento con QT/RT y se evaluaron los cambios en las variables de perfusión correlacionándolos con la respuesta RECIST. Los parámetros de perfusión en el estudio basal, fueron más altos en los tumores neuroendocrinos pero no permitieron diferenciar adenocarcinomas y epidermoides. Disminuyeron a medida que aumentó el estadio y no predijeron la respuesta al tratamiento. El tratamiento con derivados del platino indujo cambios en las variables de perfusión atribuibles al efecto del tratamiento en la vascularización tumoral

Effects of physical exercise interventions in frail older adults: a systematic review of randomized controlled trials

[Abstract] Background: Low physical activity has been shown to be one of the most common components of frailty, and interventions have been considered to prevent or reverse this syndrome. The purpose of this systematic review of randomized, controlled trials is to examine the exercise interventions to manage frailty in older people. Methods: The PubMed, Web of Science, and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials databases were searched using specific keywords and Medical Subject Headings for randomized, controlled trials published during the period of 2003–2015, which enrolled frail older adults in an exercise intervention program. Studies where frailty had been defined were included in the review. A narrative synthesis approach was performed to examine the results. The Physiotherapy Evidence Database (PEDro scale) was used to assess the methodological quality of the selected studies. Results: Of 507 articles, nine papers met the inclusion criteria. Of these, six included multi-component exercise interventions (aerobic and resistance training not coexisting in the intervention), one included physical comprehensive training, and two included exercises based on strength training. All nine of these trials included a control group receiving no treatment, maintaining their habitual lifestyle or using a home-based low level exercise program. Five investigated the effects of exercise on falls, and among them, three found a positive impact of exercise interventions on this parameter. Six trials reported the effects of exercise training on several aspects of mobility, and among them, four showed enhancements in several measurements of this outcome. Three trials focused on the effects of exercise intervention on balance performance, and one demonstrated enhanced balance. Four trials investigated functional ability, and two showed positive results after the intervention. Seven trials investigated the effects of exercise intervention on muscle strength, and five of them reported increases; three trials investigated the effects of exercise training on body composition, finding improvements in this parameter in two of them; finally, one trial investigated the effects of exercise on frailty using Fried’s criteria and found an improvement in this measurement. Exercise interventions have demonstrated improvement in different outcome measurements in frail older adults, however, there were large differences between studies with regard to effect sizes. Conclusions: This systematic review suggested that frail older adults seemed to benefit from exercise interventions, although the optimal program remains unclear. More studies of this topic and with frail populations are needed to select the most favorable exercise program

Adherence to the Mediterranean Diet Is Associated with Health-Related Quality of Life and Anthropometric Measurements in University Professors

The main objective of this study was to assess the relationship between Mediterranean diet (MD) adherence and health-related quality of life (HRQOL) according to the anthropometric measurements of teaching and research staff (TRS) at the University of Granada (UGR), Spain. This diagnostic, non-experimental, cross-sectional, and observational study was performed on university lecturers (65 women and 62 men) using a correlational descriptive methodology. The lecturers’ anthropometric measurements were taken, while MD adherence was determined using the PREvention with MEDiterranean diet (PREDIMED) questionnaire. The Short Form Health Survey (SF-36) was used for measuring HRQOL. Better results for body composition were associated with improvements in the physical and mental dimensions and MD adherence. Statistically significant differences were found between sexes, with men showing higher values for weight, height, waist circumference, BMI, waist/hip ratio (WHR), muscle mass, and systolic and diastolic pressure than women. Similarly, MD adherence was positively correlated with vitality (r = 0.233; p = 0.009), social functioning (r = 0.229; p = 0.008), and the mental component summary (r = 0.205; p = 0.021). The regression model determined that the mental component summary (β = 0.239, p = 0.041), diastolic pressure (PD) (β = −0.473, p < 0.000), fat percentage (FP) (β = −0.241, p = 0.004), and age (β = −0.231, p = 0.022) significantly predicted MD adherence. The results obtained in this study suggest that healthy dietary patterns such as the MD and an optimum body composition contribute to an improved HRQO

Factors Influencing Dietary Patterns during Pregnancy in a Culturally Diverse Society

The aim of this study was to identify dietary patterns in pregnant women and to assess the relationships between sociodemographic, lifestyle-related, and pregnancy-related factors. This is a descriptive, correlational study involving 306 pregnant women in Melilla (Spain) in any trimester of pregnancy. A validated food frequency questionnaire was used. Dietary patterns were determined via exploratory factor analysis and ordinal logistic regression using the proportional odds model. Three dietary patterns were identified: Western, mixed, and prudent. Sociodemographic, lifestyle-related, and pregnancy-related factors influencing dietary quality were established. The Western dietary pattern was considered the least recommended despite being the most common among women who live in Melilla (p = 0.03), are Christian (p = 0.01), are primiparous women (p < 0.001), and are in their first or second trimester (p = 0.02). Unemployed pregnant women were also more likely to have a less healthy dietary pattern ( = -0.716; p = 0.040). The prudent dietary pattern, the healthiest of the three, was most commonly observed among Muslim women (p = 0.01), women with more than two children (p < 0.001), and women in the third trimester of pregnancy (p = 0.02). Pregnant women who engaged in no physical activity or a low level of physical activity displayed a mixed pattern (p < 0.001). This study provides evidence on the factors influencing dietary patterns during pregnancy and suggests that more specific nutrition programmes should be developed to improve the nutritional status of pregnant women

Integration of body sensor networks and vehicular ad-hoc networks for traffic safety

The emergence of Body Sensor Networks (BSNs) constitutes a new and fast growing trend for the development of daily routine applications. However, in the case of heterogeneous BSNs integration with Vehicular ad hoc Networks (VANETs) a large number of difficulties remain, that must be solved, especially when talking about the detection of human state factors that impair the driving of motor vehicles. The main contributions of this investigation are principally three: (1) an exhaustive review of the current mechanisms to detect four basic physiological behavior states (drowsy, drunk, driving under emotional state disorders and distracted driving) that may cause traffic accidents is presented; (2) A middleware architecture is proposed. This architecture can communicate with the car dashboard, emergency services, vehicles belonging to the VANET and road or street facilities. This architecture seeks on the one hand to improve the car driving experience of the driver and on the other hand to extend security mechanisms for the surrounding individuals; and (3) as a proof of concept, an Android real-time attention low level detection application that runs in a next-generation smartphone is developed. The application features mechanisms that allow one to measure the degree of attention of a driver on the base of her/his EEG signals, establish wireless communication links via various standard wireless means, GPRS, Bluetooth and WiFi and issue alarms of critical low driver attention levels.Peer ReviewedPostprint (author's final draft

Caregiver's distress related to the patient's neuropsychiatric symptoms as a function of the care-setting

[Abstract] Prevalence of neuropsychiatric symptoms (NPS) and correlation between its intensity and caregiver distress were evaluated as a function of the care-setting in a cross-sectional study including 72 patient-caregiver dyads. The Neuropsychiatric Inventory and the Caregiver Distress Scale were administered. The most prevalent symptoms were: in the formal care-setting, agitation/aggression and depression/dysphoria (42.4%), and in the informal care-setting, aberrant motor behavior (59.0%). While changes in appetite and eating behaviors, depression/dysphoria and irritability/lability were more prevalent in the formal care-setting (p < .0001, p = .011, p = .021), aberrant motor behavior was more prevalent in the informal care-setting (p = .007). NPS were positively correlated with caregiver distress. High patients' scores in hallucinations, sleep and night-time disturbances, anxiety, and aberrant motor behavior were the best predictors of professional caregiver's distress. Agitation/aggression, delusions, disinhibition, apathy/indifference, depression/dysphoria, and elation/euphoria were the best predictors of informal caregiver's distress. Findings may have important clinical implications

Patrimonio geopaleontológico de los depósitos aluviales situados sobre la terraza +28 m del Jarama. Nuevos datos micropaleontológicos y cronológicos (Solar de la Real Fábrica de Paños de San Fernando de Henares)

Trabajo presentado en la Reunión de Arqueología Madrileña, celebrada en Alcalá de Henares el 20 y 21 de noviembre de 2014.[ES] Durante los trabajos de vigilancia de los movimientos de tierras asociados a la obra de la construcción de viviendas en el solar de la Real Fábrica de Paños (en adelante RFP) de San Fernando de Henares se documentaron materiales geológicos de edad miocena y cuaternaria con un contacto lateral dinámico entre ellos, constituido por una falla extensional de dirección norte-sur. En los niveles cuaternarios se registraron numerosos restos paleontológicos y algunas piezas de industria lítica. Según los estudios preliminares geomorfológicos y de macromamíferos (Tapias y Arango 2008; Yravedra et al. 2008; Dones et al. 2011) se asignó una cronología genérica de Pleistoceno Medio, confirmada por la datación obtenida por racemización de aminoácidos de un molar de Equus caballus (304 ka). En este trabajo se aportan nuevos datos a partir de la revisión y estudio de los restos de micromamíferos recuperados en la unidad 3. La presencia de Microtus brecciensis y M. arvalis en la base de los depósitos aluviales posibilita su adscripción cronológica al Pleistoceno Medio avanzado (MIS 8 o MIS 6).[EN] During the monitoring of the movements of land associated with the work of the construction of homes in the Solar of the Royal Factory of Cloths of San Fernando de Henares, some geological materials of Miocene and Quaternary age were documented. Numerous paleontological remains and some stone tools have been registered in these quaternary levels. According to geomorphological preliminary studies and macromammals (Tapias y Arango 2008; Yravedra et al. 2008; Dones et al. 2011) a generic Middle Pleistocene chronology was assigned. This was confirmed by the aminoacids racemization dating of Equus caballus molar (304 ka) This paper provides new data of the remains of micromammals recovered. The faunal assemblage, with Microtus brecciensis and M arvalis found at the base of the alluvial deposits, has allowed reviewing previous studies. It could be more specific on the geochronological and paleoenviromental contextualization of remains and materials that could be assigned to advanced Middle Pleistocene (MIS 8 or MIS 6).Peer reviewe

Bronchopulmonary Lophomoniasis, Infection by Endocommensal Protozoa of Intradomiciliary Cockroaches: Presentation of a Case in an Immunocompromised Patient from Querétaro, Mexico

Infection in humans by the intestinal protozoan of cockroaches and termites called Lophomonas blattarum has been diagnosed in respiratory infections of children aged 2–5 years contaminated orally or by air, with cysts or trophozoites contained in the feces of the cockroach Periplaneta americana. In respiratory infections of adults, it is difficult to diagnose since the cyst or trophozoite is not recognized as a human pathogen and is only related to immunosuppressed patients, transplant patients with severe lung disease and those living in poor and unhealthy sanitary conditions. Normally, its presence is manifested with fevers of 38–39°C, cough with thick expectoration, respiratory insufficiency and pulmonary abscesses. The laboratory diagnosis is mainly based on bronchoscopic cytologies and bronchoalveolar lavage biopsies. The case in question is about a 60-year-old male. Single, he lives alone, with a diagnosis of 9 baths behind non-Hodgkin lymphoma, undergoing treatment with radiotherapy and chemotherapy. For edema after treatment, thoracentesis and pericardiocentesis were performed, as well as gastrostomy, which he maintained for 1 year. He started with throat discomfort, followed by production of productive cough without blood, general weakness, and difficulty breathing, with apparent diagnosis of possible respiratory failure due to mycobacteria. It was possible to visualize the protozoan, in fresh preparations of bronchial aspirate and expectoration in wet assembly with saline solution and stained with Pap smears, Harris Hematoxylin and Eosin (H/E), and Giemsa