Victims crossing overflowing watercourses with vehicles in Spain

Heavy rainfall causes many watercourses to overflow. In these circumstances, crossing by car even on a road, can be extremely dangerous; however, dozens of drivers are swept away every year in their vehicles. This paper analyses this type of accident in Spain between 2008 and 2018, recording the date, location, number of victims, age and gender, and rainfall during the event. The results show that 125 accidents occurred with 200 victims including 45 fatalities. Most accidents occurred in E, S and SE Spain, where the rainfall irregularity is greater, during December, October and March, although fatalities were concentrated in September and October. Among the victims male drivers dominated, with an average age of 52 years. The main cause of these accidents was the drivers' behaviour due to: underestimating risk, overconfidence, overvaluation of their driving skills, an excess of trust in the authorities, ignorance about vehicle drag and buoyancy risks, and, social pressure. To reduce these risks, it is necessary to increase adaptation and protection measures on roads, but above all, a change in drivers' behaviour to stop them trying to cross‐flooded rivers

Atlas de la flora alóctona de Madrid, I. Monilophyta-Gymnospermae

En este artículo se incluye la primera parte del atlas de flora alóctona de la Comunidad de Madrid, que incluye los taxones de helechos y gimnospermas. Únicamente se han considerado taxones que crecen fuera de zonas urbanas, parques y jardines, tanto introducidos como naturalizados. En total se han analizado 49 taxones, 2 de helechos y 47 de gimnospermas (33 Pinaceae y 14 Cupressaceae). De ellos, se han considerado 34 taxones (1 Salviniaceae, 22 Pinaceae, 11 Cupressaceae) incluyendo mapas de distribución, mientras que en otros 15 su presencia es dudosa en la actualidad o están únicamente localizadas en zonas urbanas. Dominan las especies de Pinaceae como resultado de las plantaciones forestales realizadas. Buena parte de las especies consideradas tienen capacidad para naturalizarse (se tiene constancia en 19 de ellas), pero por lo general su capacidad de expansión es limitada, no siendo invasoras; únicamente Azolla filiculoides Lam. tiene un comportamiento invasor, aunque su distribución en Madrid parece estable

Especies afectadas por el cambio climático: el melojo (Quercus pyrenaica)

Depto. de Biodiversidad, Ecología y EvoluciónFac. de Ciencias BiológicasTRUEpu

Heme metabolism, oxidative and nitrosative markers in a mouse model of Hemochromatosis: Effect of Isoflurane, ethanol and 5-aminolevulinic acid

Hereditary hemochromatosis (HH) is characterized by iron homeostasis alterations. Association between HH and Porphyria Cutanea Tarda has been reported. The aim was to characterize oxidative and nitrosative stress status and its relationship with heme metabolism in a hemochromatosis mouse model (Hfe-/-), and to evaluate the effects of Isoflurane, ethanol and 5-aminolevulinic acid (ALA). Male and female Hfe−/− and wild-type C57BL/6J mice received Isoflurane (2 ml/kg); ethanol (30%) or ALA (40 mg/kg). In male Hfe-/-, reduced glutathione (GSH) was diminished respect to C57BL/6J mice. Female Hfe-/- showed higher levels of GSH and total antioxidant capacity than male Hfe-/-. Catalase activity was lower in male and female Hfe-/- than in controls. 5-Aminolevulinic acid synthetase activity was higher in male and female Hfe-/- than in controls. In male Hfe-/-, Porphobilinogen deaminase (PBG-D) activity was augmented and Heme oxygenase (HO) activity was diminished probably to avoid iron increase. Isoflurane and ethanol reduced PBG-D and increased HO activities. HO induction would indicate oxidative stress instauration being more striking due to ethanol that also induced Superoxide dismutase activity. Isoflurane reduced Nitric Oxide Synthase expression. ALA altered antioxidant system. In Hfe-/- mice different metabolisms were altered being more affected by the drugs studied. Findings here described would contribute to increase the knowledge about the association between HH and the Porphyrias and about the effects of volatile anaesthetics on different metabolisms in genetic models of Porphyrias and associated diseases.Fil: Buzaleh, Ana Maria. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Cientificas y Tecnicas. Oficina de Coordinacion Administrativa Houssay. Centro de Invest. Sobre Porfirinas y Porfirias; Argentina. Hospital 12 de Octubre; España. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales. Departamento de Química Biológica; ArgentinaFil: Moreno Carraledo, Maria. Hospital 12 de Octubre; EspañaFil: Mendez, Manuel. Hospital 12 de Octubre; EspañaFil: Batlle, Alcira Maria del C.. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Cientificas y Tecnicas. Oficina de Coordinacion Administrativa Houssay. Centro de Invest. Sobre Porfirinas y Porfirias; ArgentinaFil: Enriquez de Salamanca, Rafael. Hospital 12 de Octubre; EspañaFil: Moran Jimenez, Maria Jose. Hospital 12 de Octubre; Españ

Management of hyponatremia associated with acute porphyria-proposal for the use of tolvaptan

Hyponatremia is a common feature during the neurovisceral acute attacks which characterize hepatic porphyrias, as well as a sign of its severity. Therapeutic options for first-line acute attacks are intravenous administration of glucose and/or exogenous heme. The former treatment can aggravate hyponatremia by dilution and cause seizures; thus, the correction of hyponatremia must be carried out with extreme caution. This review summarizes recommendations for the management of hyponatremia during acute episodes of porphyria. Hyponatremia should be corrected slowly and seizures treated with medications in order to not exacerbate motor and sensory axonal neuropathy. The syndrome of inappropriate antidiuretic hormone secretion (SIADH) is considered a frequent cause of hyponatremia in acute porphyrias and must be identified as a symptom of an acute porphyria attack. Tolvaptan produces aquaresis and is considered a safe drug in porphyria. However, its use has only been reported in isolated cases during a porphyria attack. The convenience and usefulness of this drug in acute porphyria are discussed

Bacterial Diversity in Meconium of Preterm Neonates and Evolution of Their Fecal Microbiota during the First Month of Life

The establishment and succession of bacterial communities in infants may have a profound impact in their health, but information about the composition of meconium microbiota and its evolution in hospitalized preterm infants is scarce. In this context, the objective of this work was to characterize the microbiota of meconium and fecal samples obtained during the first 3 weeks of life from 14 donors using culture and molecular techniques, including DGGE and the Human Intestinal Tract Chip (HITChip) analysis of 16S rRNA amplicons. Culture techniques offer a quantification of cultivable bacteria and allow further study of the isolate, while molecular techniques provide deeper information on bacterial diversity. Culture and HITChip results were very similar but the former showed lower sensitivity. Inter-individual differences were detected in the microbiota profiles although the meconium microbiota was peculiar and distinct from that of fecal samples. Bacilli and other Firmicutes were the main bacteria groups detected in meconium while Proteobacteria dominated in the fecal samples. Culture technique showed that Staphylococcus predominated in meconium and that Enterococcus, together with Gram-negative bacteria such as Escherichia coli, Escherichia fergusonii, Klebsiella pneumoniae and Serratia marcescens, was more abundant in fecal samples. In addition, HITChip results showed the prevalence of bacteria related to Lactobacillus plantarum and Streptococcus mitis in meconium samples whereas those related to Enterococcus, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae and Yersinia predominated in the 3(rd) week feces. This study highlights that spontaneously-released meconium of preterm neonates contains a specific microbiota that differs from that of feces obtained after the first week of life. Our findings indicate that the presence of Serratia was strongly associated with a higher degree of immaturity and other hospital-related parameters, including antibiotherapy and mechanical ventilatio

Halomonas indalinina sp.nov., a moderately halophilic bacterium isolated from a solar saltern in Cabo de Gata, Al,eria, southern Spain

moderately halophilic bacterium, strain CG2.1T, isolated from a solar saltern at Cabo de Gata, a wildlife reserve located in the province of Almería, southern Spain, was subjected to a polyphasic taxonomic study. This organism was an aerobic, motile, Gram-negative rod that produced orange-pigmented colonies. Strain CG2.1T was able to grow at salinities of 3¿25 % (w/v) and at temperatures of 15¿40 °C. The pH range for growth was 5¿9. Strain CG2.1T was a heterotroph capable of utilizing various carbohydrates as carbon sources. The organism reduced nitrate and showed phenylalanine deaminase activity. The major fatty acids were C18 : 17c, C16 : 0 and C19 : 0 cyclo 8c. The DNA G+C content was 60.9 mol%. On the basis of the phenotypic and phylogenetic data, strain CG2.1T appeared to be a member of the genus Halomonas and clustered closely with Halomonas marisflavi (97.1 % 16S rRNA gene sequence similarity). However, the level of DNA¿DNA relatedness between the novel isolate and the most closely related Halomonas species was low. On the basis of these data, strain CG2.1T represents a novel member of the genus Halomonas, for which the name Halomonas indalinina is proposed. The type strain is CG2.1T (=CECT 5902T=LMG 23625T)

Chitosan Modification of Adenovirus to Modify Transfection Efficiency in Bovine Corneal Epithelial Cells

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study is to modulate the transfection efficiency of adenovirus (Ad) on the cornea by the covalent attachment of chitosan on adenoviral capsids via a thioether linkage between chitosan modified with 2-iminothiolane and Ad cross-linked with N-[gamma-maleimidobutyryloxy]succinimide ester (GMBS). METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Modified Ad was obtained by reaction with the heterobifunctional crosslinking reagent, GMBS, producing maleimide-modified Ad (Ad-GMBS). Then, the chitosan-SH was conjugated to Ad-GMBS via a thioether bond at different ratios of Ad to GMBS to chitosan-SH. The sizes and zeta potentials of unmodified Ad and chitosan-modified Ads were measured, and the morphologies of the virus particles were observed under transmission electron microscope. Primary cultures of bovine corneal epithelial cells were transfected with Ads and chitosan-modified Ads in the absence or presence of anti-adenovirus antibodies. Chitosan modification did not significantly change the particle size of Ad, but the surface charge of Ad increased significantly from -24.3 mV to nearly neutral. Furthermore, primary cultures of bovine corneal epithelial cells were transfected with Ad or chitosan-modified Ad in the absence or presence of anti-Ad antibodies. The transfection efficiency was attenuated gradually with increasing amounts of GMBS. However, incorporation of chitosan partly restored transfection activity and rendered the modified antibody resistant to antibody neutralization. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: Chitosan can provide a platform for chemical modification of Ad, which offers potential for further in vivo applications

Effect of the ultrastructure of chitosan nanoparticles in colloidal stability, quorum quenching and antibacterial activities

We have fabricated two types of crosslinked chitosan-based nanoparticles (NPs), namely (1) ionically crosslinked with tripolyphosphate (TPP), designated as IC-NPs and (2) dually co-crosslinked (ionically and covalently with TPP and genipin, respectively) termed CC-NPs. The two types of NPs were physichochemically characterized by means of DLS-NIBS, synchrotron SAXS and M3-PALS (zeta potential). First, we found that covalent co-crosslinking of ionically pre-crosslinked nanoparticles yielded monodisperse CC-NPs in the size range of ∼200 nm, whereas the parental IC-NPs remained highly polydisperse. While both types of chitosan nanoparticles displayed a core-shell structure, as determined by synchrotron SAXS, only the structure of CC-NPs remained stable at long incubation times. This enhanced structural robustness of CC-NPs was likely responsible of their superior colloidal stability even in biological medium. Second, we explored the antimicrobial and quorum sensing inhibition activity of both types of nanoparticles. We found that CC-NPs had lower long-term toxicity than IC-NPs. In contrast, sub-lethal doses of IC-NPs consistently displayed higher levels of quorum quenching activity than CC-NPs. Thus, this work underscores the influence of the NP’s ultrastructure on their colloidal and biological properties. While the cellular and molecular mechanisms at play are yet to be fully elucidated, our results broaden the spectrum of use of chitosan-based nanobiomaterialsin the development of antibiotic-free approaches against Gram-negative pathogenic bacteria

Project justification and EIA: Anything goes?

Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) incorporates environmental aspects into decision-making, but sometimes it is not effective in rejecting projects with dubious justification, significant impacts and little social utility, especially when they have political support. EIA is expected to achieve sustainable development, but without calling development into question; however, it should be able to ask the question of whether development is really necessary. Although EIA is political, as a part of the decision-making process, politicization must be limited to prevent it from becoming a mere instrument for giving an “environmental veneer” to development. Some measures thar can help avoid unjustified projects are: adopting administrative justice approach to EIA; minimising politicization of EIA agencies; improving transparency in decision-making and proportionality of EIA procedures; carrying out pre-feasibility studies; increasing the scope of SEA; allowing more than one SEA or EIA procedure for the same development throughout the planning process; strengthening the justification of the project in EIA documents; or making the scoping phase mandatory at least for major projects