Monitoring stabilizing procedures of archaeological iron using electrochemical impedance spectroscopy

A methodology for monitoring washing procedures applied to stabilize archaeological iron is described. It is based on the combination of voltammetry of microparticles (VMP) with electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS). A semi-empirical approach is used where the impedances at low and high frequencies were related with the fraction areas of passive and corrosion layers generated during the stabilizing treatment, the thickness, and the porosity of the corrosion layer. The variation of such parameters with the time of washing was determined from EIS data for four types of desalination procedures using concentrated NaOH and/or Na2SO3 aqueous solutions on archaeological iron artifacts. After 2 months of treatment, EIS data indicate that an essentially identical “stable” state was attained in all cases, as confirmed by the formation of a passive magnetite layer identified in VMP measurements while the rate of variation of corroded surface and porosity at short washing times varied significantly from one stabilization procedure to another.Peer Reviewe

Multicenter prospective study on the burden of rotavirus gastroenteritis in children less than 3 years of age in Spain

Background: Rotavirus is acknowledged as an important cause of paediatric gastroenteritis worldwide. In Spain, comprehensive data on the burden of rotavirus disease was lacking. Methods: A prospective, multicenter, observational study was carried out, during the winter season, from October to April 2014 in selected areas of Spain (Catalonia, Basque Country, Andalusia) to estimate the frequency and characteristics of acute gastroenteritis (AGE) and rotavirus gastroenteritis (RVGE) in children <= 3 years of age seeking medical care in primary care and emergency department centres. Results: Of the 1087 episodes of AGE registered, 33.89 % were RVGE positive. The estimated incidence of RVGE, was 40.3 (95 % CI 36.1-44.8) episodes per 10,000 child-months in children <= 3 years of age and the 5-month (December-April) seasonal RVGE incidence rate was 2.01 [1.81-2.24] per 100 children. No vaccination and attending a day care centre were the main risk factors for RV infection. RVGE infected children presented more frequently with fever (63.9 % vs. 45.1 %, p = 0.009), vomiting (61.2 % vs. 44.3 %, p = 0.015), suffered more dehydration, and were hospitalised and went to the emergency room more often (41.7 % vs. 15.7 %, p < 0.001) than non-RVGE infected ones. Children were usually more tired (77.5 % vs. 54.2 %, p < 0.001), tearful, (47.2 % vs. 34.8 %, p < 0.001), and easily irritated (76.5 % vs. 59.8 %, p < 0.001), and parents were more concerned (41.7 % vs. 15.7 %, p < 0.001) and suffered more working rhythm disturbances (39.0 % vs. 22.9 %, p < 0.001). The cost for families of RVGE cases was significantly higher than the cost of non-RVGE infected ones (47.3 vs 36.7 euros, p = 0.011). Vaccinated children suffered less clinical symptoms and no hospitalization. Therefore, vaccination decreases the psychosocial stressors caused by the disease in the family. Conclusions: Rotavirus infections are responsible for a substantial proportion of AGE cases in children = 3 years of age in Spain attended at primary care visits. RVGE episodes are associated with greater clinical severity, greater alterations in the child ' s behaviour, and higher parental distress. The outcomes of the present study recommend that routine rotavirus vaccination in infants <= 3 years of age could considerably reduce the serious burden of this potentially serious childhood disease.This project was funded by a contract from Sanofi Pasteur MSD SA, Madrid, Spain, to OXON Epidemiology. Belen San Jose is employed at OXON Epidemiology. Maria San Martin is an employee of Sanofi Pasteur MSD, who was responsible for the study coordination at SPMSD and acted as a collaborator and facilitator with Oxon Epidemiology and the Study investigators in the setup and communication phases of the study. The design, conduct, analysis, interpretation, and publication of the study results were not, to any extent, conditioned or influenced by at any moment by SPMSD