Actualización de la distribución del meloncillo en Castilla-La Mancha y áreas de posible expansión mediante la combinación de cuestionarios a agentes medioambientales y modelos biogeográficos

Conocer la distribución de una especie es fundamental para su gestión y conservación. Esto supone un reto importante, especialmente cuando se trata de áreas de distribución extensas y de especies poco abundantes y/o difíciles de detectar. Uno de estos casos lo encontramos en el meloncillo Herpestes ichneumon, la única mangosta con presencia en Europa desde tiempos históricos, cuya distribución se restringe al suroeste de la península ibérica. Estudios previos realizados en Portugal, Extremadura y Andalucía sugieren que la especie se ha expandido en las últimas décadas hacia el norte y el este. Sin embargo, se desconoce su área de distribución actual en el centro de la Península, zona de potencial de expansión. Los objetivos de este trabajo fueron: actualizar la distribución de la especie en Castilla-La Mancha e identificar las áreas ambientalmente favorables para el meloncillo y su posible expansión futura. Los datos sobre presencia actual de meloncillos (periodo 2010-2018) fueron obtenidos a nivel de municipio mediante encuestas on-line dirigidas a los agentes medioambientales de la región. Para modelar la distribución potencial actual y pronosticar el área de posible expansión de la especie utilizamos modelos de regresión logística y la función de favorabilidad, basados en las presencias obtenidas en las encuestas y en un conjunto de variables ambientales. Más de dos tercios de los agentes respondieron a la encuesta, proporcionando información sobre el meloncillo en el 93.5% de la superficie de la región. Los resultados revelan que el meloncillo está presente en casi todo el sector occidental de la región (provincias de Ciudad Real y Toledo). Los modelos de favorabilidad muestran como en este sector existen municipios con favorabilidad media-alta donde la especie no fue detectada. Además, sugieren que su expansión podría continuar hacia el sureste de la región (provincia de Albacete), donde existen condiciones ambientales favorables.Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech

Nutritional and socio-economic factors associated with Plasmodium falciparum infection in children from Equatorial Guinea: results from a nationally representative survey

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Malaria has traditionally been a major endemic disease in Equatorial Guinea. Although parasitaemia prevalence on the insular region has been substantially reduced by vector control in the past few years, the prevalence in the mainland remains over 50% in children younger than five years. The aim of this study is to investigate the risk factors for parasitaemia and treatment seeking behaviour for febrile illness at country level, in order to provide evidence that will reinforce the EG National Malaria Control Programme.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>The study was a cross-sectional survey of children 0 to 5 years old, using a multistaged, stratified, cluster-selected sample at the national level. It included a socio-demographic, health and dietary questionnaires, anthropometric measurements, and thick and thin blood smears to determine the <it>Plasmodium </it>infection. A multivariate logistic regression model was used to determine risk factors for parasitaemia, taking into account the cluster design.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The overall prevalence of parasitemia was 50.9%; it was higher in rural (58.8%) compared to urban areas (44.0%, p = 0.06). Age was positively associated with parasitemia (p < 0.0001). In rural areas, risk factors included longer distance to health facilities (p = 0.01) and a low proportion of households with access to protected water in the community (p = 0.02). Having had an episode of cough in the 15 days prior to the survey was inversely related to parasitemia (p = 0.04). In urban areas, the risk factors were stunting (p = 0.005), not having taken colostrum (p = 0.01), and that someone in the household slept under a bed net (p = 0.002); maternal antimalarial medication intake during pregnancy (p = 0.003) and the household socio-economic status (p = 0.0002) were negatively associated with parasitemia. Only 55% of children with fever were taken outside their homes for care, and treatment seeking behaviour differed substantially between rural and urban populations.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Results suggest that a national programme to fight malaria in Equatorial Guinea should take into account the differences between rural and urban communities in relation to risk factors for parasitaemia and treatment seeking behaviour, integrate nutrition programmes, incorporate campaigns on the importance of early treatment, and target appropriately for bed nets to reach the under-fives.</p

Pasados y presente. Estudios para el profesor Ricardo García Cárcel

Ricardo García Cárcel (Requena, 1948) estudió Historia en Valencia bajo el magisterio de Joan Reglà, con quien formó parte del primer profesorado de historia moderna en la Universidad Autónoma de Barcelona. En esta universidad, desde hace prácticamente cincuenta años, ha desarrollado una extraordinaria labor docente y de investigación marcada por un sagaz instinto histórico, que le ha convertido en pionero de casi todo lo que ha estudiado: las Germanías, la historia de la Cataluña moderna, la Inquisición, las culturas del Siglo de Oro, la Leyenda Negra, Felipe II, Felipe V, Austrias y Borbones, la guerra de la Independencia, la historia cultural, los mitos de la historia de España... Muy pocos tienen su capacidad para reflexionar, ordenar, analizar, conceptualizar y proponer una visión amplia y llena de matices sobre el pasado y las interpretaciones historiográficas. A su laboriosidad inimitable se añade una dedicación sin límites en el asesoramiento de alumnos e investigadores e impulsando revistas, dosieres, seminarios o publicaciones colectivas. Una mínima correspondencia a su generosidad lo constituye este volumen a manera de ineludible agradecimiento

Combining questionnaire survey and biogeographic models to update and forecast the distribution of the only mongoose species in Europe

Resumen del trabajo presentado al 8th European Congress of Mammalogy, celebrado en Varsovia (Polonia) del 23 al 27 de noviembre de 2019.Peer reviewe

The economic and nutrition transition in Equatorial Guinea coincided with a double burden of over- and under nutrition

We assess trends in children's nutritional status in Equatorial Guinea, a country in socioeconomic transition. Nationally representative samples were conducted in 1997, at the start of the economic take off, and again in 2004. Children aged 0-60 months were included in the surveys (N = 436, 552). Both surveys included a sociodemographic, dietary and health questionnaire, and anthropometric measurements from which height-for-age (HAZ); weight-for-age (WAZ) and weight-for-height (WHZ) Z-scores were calculated. Between 1997 and 2004, the prevalence of child overweight for all children increased from 21.8% to 31.7%, especially in urban areas (from 18.2% to 29.4%, p = 0.01). Stunting prevalence among children >=2 years old decreased (from 57.9% to 45.3%, p Nutrition transition Children Africa Equatorial Guinea Overweight Stunting Malnutrition Economic development Height Physical stature

Sentinel lymph node biopsy versus observation in thick melanoma: A multicenter propensity score matching study.

The clinical value of sentinel lymph node (SLN) biopsy in thick melanoma patients (Breslow >4 mm) has not been sufficiently studied. The aim of the study is to evaluate whether SLN biopsy increases survival in patients with thick cutaneous melanoma, and, as a secondary objective, to investigate correlations between survival and lymph node status. We included 1,211 consecutive patients with thick melanomas (>4 mm) registered in the participating hospitals' melanoma databases between 1997 and 2015. Median follow-up was 40 months. Of these patients, 752 were matched into pairs by propensity scores based on sex, age, tumor location, histologic features of melanoma, year of diagnosis, hospital and adjuvant interferon therapy. The SLN biopsy vs. observation was associated with better DFS [adjusted hazard ratio (AHR), 0.74; 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.61-0.90); p = 0.002] and OS (AHR, 0.75; 95% CI, 0.60-0.94; p = 0.013) but not MSS (AHR, 0.84; 95% CI, 0.65-1.08; p = 0.165). SLN-negative patients had better 5- and 10-year MSS compared with SLN-positive patients (65.4 vs. 51.9% and 48.3 vs. 38.8%; p = 0.01, respectively). As a conclusion, SLN biopsy was associated with better DFS but not MSS in thick melanoma patients after adjustment for classic prognostic factors. SLN biopsy is useful for stratifying these patients into different prognostic groups