Analytical pyrolysis evidences the presence of granaticins in the violet stains of a Roman tomb

6 páginas.-- 5 figuras.-- 14 referenciasThe walls of the Circular Mausoleum tomb (Roman Necropolis of Carmona, Spain) exhibit an important number of violet stains of unknown origin. Analytical pyrolysis detected in the tomb walls granaticin A, a violet pigment with an isobenzochromanequinone structure, as well as in the extracts of two bacterial strains isolated from the walls. The bacterium was tentatively identified as Streptomyces sp. High performance liquid chromatography confirmed that this Streptomyces synthesized as major pigments dihydrogranaticin A, granaticin A and granaticin B.This research was funded by projects GCL2010-17183 and 201230E125. M.D.H. and A.Z.M. were supported by a JAE Research Fellowship from CSIC, and a Marie Curie Intra-European Fellow-ship of the European Commission’s 7th Framework Programme(PIEF-GA-2012-328689), respectivelyPeer reviewe

Analytical pyrolysis evidences the presence of granaticins in the violet stains of a Roman tomb

The walls of the Circular Mausoleum tomb (Roman Necropolis of Carmona, Spain) exhibit an important number of violet stains of unknown origin. Analytical pyrolysis detected in the tomb walls granaticin A, a violet pigment with an isobenzochromanequinone structure, as well as in the extracts of two bacterial strains isolated from the walls. The bacterium was tentatively identified as Streptomyces sp. High performance liquid chromatography confirmed that this Streptomyces synthesized as major pigments dihydrogranaticin A, granaticin A and granaticin B.JAE Research Fellowship from CSIC GCL2010-17183 and 201230E125. M.D.H. and A.Z.M.Marie Curie Intra-European Fellowship of the European Commission’s 7th Framework Programme PIEF-GA-2012-32868

The evolution of the ventilatory ratio is a prognostic factor in mechanically ventilated COVID-19 ARDS patients

Background: Mortality due to COVID-19 is high, especially in patients requiring mechanical ventilation. The purpose of the study is to investigate associations between mortality and variables measured during the first three days of mechanical ventilation in patients with COVID-19 intubated at ICU admission. Methods: Multicenter, observational, cohort study includes consecutive patients with COVID-19 admitted to 44 Spanish ICUs between February 25 and July 31, 2020, who required intubation at ICU admission and mechanical ventilation for more than three days. We collected demographic and clinical data prior to admission; information about clinical evolution at days 1 and 3 of mechanical ventilation; and outcomes. Results: Of the 2,095 patients with COVID-19 admitted to the ICU, 1,118 (53.3%) were intubated at day 1 and remained under mechanical ventilation at day three. From days 1 to 3, PaO2/FiO2 increased from 115.6 [80.0-171.2] to 180.0 [135.4-227.9] mmHg and the ventilatory ratio from 1.73 [1.33-2.25] to 1.96 [1.61-2.40]. In-hospital mortality was 38.7%. A higher increase between ICU admission and day 3 in the ventilatory ratio (OR 1.04 [CI 1.01-1.07], p = 0.030) and creatinine levels (OR 1.05 [CI 1.01-1.09], p = 0.005) and a lower increase in platelet counts (OR 0.96 [CI 0.93-1.00], p = 0.037) were independently associated with a higher risk of death. No association between mortality and the PaO2/FiO2 variation was observed (OR 0.99 [CI 0.95 to 1.02], p = 0.47). Conclusions: Higher ventilatory ratio and its increase at day 3 is associated with mortality in patients with COVID-19 receiving mechanical ventilation at ICU admission. No association was found in the PaO2/FiO2 variation

Use of absorbent materials in on-line coupled reversed-phase liquid chromatography–gas chromatography via the through oven transfer adsorption desorption interface

The use of absorbents as retaining materials in the through oven transfer adsorption desorption interface (TOTAD) of an on-line coupled reversed-phase liquid chromatography–gas chromatography system (RPLC–GC) is proposed for the first time. A comparative study of an adsorbent (Tenax TA) and two absorbents, namely polydimethylsiloxane and poly(50% phenyl/50% methylsiloxane) is performed to establish the best experimental conditions for the automated and simultaneous determination of 15 organophosphorus and organochlorine pesticide residues in olive oil. The proposed method provides satisfactory repeatability (RSDs lower, in general, than 8.5%) and sensitivity (limits of detection ranging from 0.6 to 81.9 μg/L) for the investigated compounds.Financial assistance was provided by the Ministerio de Educación y Cultura (Project CTQ2006-01687). The authors thank Caja Rural de Toledo for allowing us to carry out all the experimentation in its laboratory. G.F. also thanks the Ministerio de Educación y Cultura for her grant.Peer reviewe

Nature and origin of the violet stains on the walls of a Roman tomb

11 páginas.-- 5 figuras.-- 3 tablas.-- 55 referencias.-- Supplementary data to this article can be found online at http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2017.04.017.The Circular Mausoleum tomb (Roman Necropolis of Carmona, Spain) dates back from the first century AD and is characterized by a dense microbial (phototrophic) colonization on the walls and ceiling. However, some walls exhibited an important number of violet stains of unknown origin. The microbial communities of these violet stains are mainly composed of cyanobacteria, streptomycetes and fungi. A strain of Streptomyces parvus, isolated from the walls, produces a violet pigment in culture media. High performance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry of the culture extracts obtained from this Streptomyces revealed the presence of a few granaticins, pigments with a benzoisochromanequinone structure. When metabolically active in the tomb, S. parvus synthesizes the pigments that diffuse into the mortar. During rain and/or wetting periods, the pigments are solubilized by alkaline waters and elute from the starting position to the surrounding mortar, enlarging the pigmented area and thus contributing to this exceptional biodeterioration phenomenon.This research was funded by projects GCL2010-17183 and 201230E125. M.D.H. and A.Z.M. were supported by a JAE Research Fellowship from CSIC, and Juan de la Cierva Programme, respectively.Peer reviewe

The Roman Necropolis of Carmona, Spain: 10 years of research

The first tomb of a Roman Necropolis in the area of Carmona (Seville, Spain) was accidentally discovered in 1830. Few more tombs were exhumed between 1868 and 1869. These tombs were plundered until the beginning of the archaeological excavations in 1882. This necropolis, located in the town of Carmona, represents one of the most significant Roman burial sites in Southern Spain, and was in use during the 1st and 2nd centuries AD. Initially, the necropolis was used as quarry from which stone blocks were extracted and used for building construction. The quarry was then abandoned and reused as necropolis due to the workability of the rock. The Necropolis has suffered numerous and extensive interventions since its discovery. The first one was the adaptation of the necropolis for visits in 1885, including the construction of a trail, design of gardens around the tombs and plantation of trees. Nowadays, the gardens are considered one of the most deteriorating factors affecting the conservation of the tombs due to irrigation and consequent percolation of water inside the tombs, in addition to the damage caused by roots. Taking into account the cultural, artistic and religious importance of the Necropolis of Carmona, its preservation and conservation are a major issue, both from cultural and economic points of view. This importance emphasizes the need to define accurate and sustainable intervention protocols based on a deep understanding of the environmental and/or anthropogenic-induced deterioration processes. The design of effective preservation and/or conservation strategies should be based on exhaustive in situ surveys and laboratory investigations. Here we review 10 years of research in the Necropolis and we focus on the Circular mausoleum, as a case study, including an assessment of its conservation state, and the identification of the main deteriorating agents. In addition, an intervention proposal for the preservation of the Circular Mausoleum was presented.Peer Reviewe

Resultados de la Vigilancia Epidemiológica de las enfermedades transmisibles. Informe anual. Año 2016

El objetivo final de la vigilancia de las enfermedades transmisibles es reducir su incidencia en la comunidad. La Red Nacional de Vigilancia Epidemiológica (RENAVE) tiene entre sus funciones la recogida sistemática de la información epidemiológica, su análisis e interpretación y la difusión de los resultados. Este informe presenta los resultados de la vigilancia de las enfermedades transmisibles para el año 2016 realizada por los servicios de vigilancia de las comunidades autónomas y el Centro Nacional de Epidemiología (CNE) de acuerdo a los protocolos de la RENAVEAgradecimientos Abreviatruras y Acrónimos usados en este informe. 1. Introducción 2. Vigilancia de las enfermedades infecciosas en 2016. Fuentes de datos y sistemas de notificación de las enfermedades Métodos, presentación e interpretación de la información Calidad de los datos y limitaciones 3. Enfermedades transmitidas por alimentos y agua. Botulismo. Campilobacteriosis. Cólera Criptosporidiosis. Infección por E. coli productor de toxina shiga o verotoxina. Fiebre tifoidea y paratifoidea. Giardiasis. Hepatitis A. Listeriosis. Salmonelosis. Shigelosis. Triquinosis. Yersiniosis. 4. Enfermedades prevenibles por la vacunación. Difteria. Enfermedad meningocócica Temporada 2015-2016. Enfermedad neumocócica invasora. Enfermedad invasora por Haemophilus influenzae. Parotiditis. Rubéola y Síndrome de Rubéola Congénita. Sarampión. Tétanos y Tétanos Neonatal. Tos ferina. Varicela 5. Enfermedades de transmisión aérea. Gripe. Legionelosis. Lepra. Tuberculosis. 6. Enfermedades transmitidas por vectores. Dengue. Fiebre exantemática mediterránea. Fiebre exantemática mediterránea. Fiebre exantemática mediterránea. Fiebre Hemorrágica de Crimea-Congo. Fiebre del Nilo Occidental. Fiebre Recurrente. Transmitida por garrapatas. Leishmaniasis. Paludismo. Enfermedad por virus Chikungunya. Enfermedad por virus Zika. 7. Zoonosis. Brucelosis. Carbunco. Hidatidosis. Fiebre Q. Tularemia. 8. Enfermedades de transmisión sexual y parenteral. Hepatitis B. Hepatitis C. Infección Gonocócica. Infección por Chlamydia trachomatis (excluye linfogranuloma venéreo). Infección por el VIH y SIDA. Linfogranuloma venéreo. Sífilis. Sífilis Congénita.S

Ideas Circulares para un Espacio Sostenible. Concurso de ideas para estudiantes de arquitectura para transformar el parque de la pollina en un entorno basado en los principios de la economía circular

Concurso de ideas para la renovación del parque de La Pollina en Fuenlabrada organizado por el Ayuntamiento, la empresa ECOEMBES y la participación de los estudiantes de arquitectura Desde el equipo de redacción queremos agradecer la participación de los estudiantes del curso participantes en el Concurso, César Manso Garzón, Guillermo García Prieto, Víctor Romero Gil, Carmen Povedano Olleros, Hernán González González, Pablo Javier Navas Díaz, Miguel Calvo Utrilla, Carmen Leguina León, Pedro Manzanares Romero, Diego Martín Acosta Toledo, Francisco Xavier Ordoñez Córdova, Eduardo Delgado Álvaro, Paula Andosilla Herraiz, Beatriz Menénde Ontañón, Andrés Pérez Rodríguez, Paula Lozano Romero, Raquel Nieto Valdivia y Damián Sánchez Plata. También al Exmo. Ayuntamiento de Fuenlabrada y a ECOEMBES por su interés en llevar esta publicación a sus convecinos como entidades promotora

Inter-Rater Variability in the Evaluation of Lung Ultrasound in Videos Acquired from COVID-19 Patients

Lung ultrasound (LUS) allows for the detection of a series of manifestations of COVID-19, such as B-lines and consolidations. The objective of this work was to study the inter-rater reliability (IRR) when detecting signs associated with COVID-19 in the LUS, as well as the performance of the test in a longitudinal or transverse orientation. Thirty-three physicians with advanced experience in LUS independently evaluated ultrasound videos previously acquired using the ULTRACOV system on 20 patients with confirmed COVID-19. For each patient, 24 videos of 3 s were acquired (using 12 positions with the probe in longitudinal and transverse orientations). The physicians had no information about the patients or other previous evaluations. The score assigned to each acquisition followed the convention applied in previous studies. A substantial IRR was found in the cases of normal LUS (κ = 0.74), with only a fair IRR for the presence of individual B-lines (κ = 0.36) and for confluent B-lines occupying < 50% (κ = 0.26) and a moderate IRR in consolidations and B-lines > 50% (κ = 0.50). No statistically significant differences between the longitudinal and transverse scans were found. The IRR for LUS of COVID-19 patients may benefit from more standardized clinical protocols

Neonatal Infection Due to SARS-CoV-2: An Epidemiological Study in Spain

Objective: Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) cases caused by the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) continue to increase worldwide. Although some data from pediatric series are available, more evidence is required, especially in neonates, a group with specific characteristics that deserve special attention. This study aimed to describe general and clinical characteristics, management, and treatment of postnatal-acquired (community and nosocomial/hospital-acquired) COVID-19 neonatal cases in Spain. Methods: This was a national prospective epidemiological study that included cases from a National Registry supported by the Spanish Society of Neonatology. Neonates with postnatal SARS-CoV-2 infection were included in this study. General data and infection-related information (mode and source of transmission, age at diagnosis, clinical manifestations, need for hospitalization, admission unit, treatment administered, and complementary studies performed, hospital stay associated with the infection) were collected. Results: A total of 40 cases, 26 community-acquired and 14 nosocomial were registered. Ten were preterm newborns (2 community-acquired and 8 nosocomial COVID-19 cases). Mothers (in both groups) and healthcare workers (in nosocomial cases) were the main source of infection. Hospital admission was required in 22 community-acquired cases [18 admitted to the neonatal intermediate care unit (NIMCU) and 4 to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU)]. Among nosocomial COVID-19 cases (n = 14), previously admitted for other reasons, 4 were admitted to the NIMCU and 10 to the NICU. Ten asymptomatic patients were registered (5 in each group). In the remaining cases, clinical manifestations were generally mild in both groups, including upper respiratory airways infection, febrile syndrome or acute gastroenteritis with good overall health. In both groups, most severe cases occurred in preterm neonates or neonates with concomitant pathologies. Most of the cases did not require respiratory support. Hydroxychloroquine was administered to 4 patients in the community-acquired group and to 2 patients in the nosocomial group. Follow-up after hospital discharge was performed in most patients. Conclusions: This is the largest series of COVID-19 neonatal cases in Spain published to date. Although clinical manifestations were generally mild, prevention, treatment, and management in this group are essential