Development and validation of the Spanish hazard perception test

Objective: The aim of the current study is to develop and obtain validity evidence for a Hazard Perception test suitable for the Spanish driving population. To obtain validity evidence to support the use of the test, the effect of hazardous and quasi-hazardous situations on the participants’ Hazard Prediction is analysed and the pattern of results of drivers of different driving experience: learner, novice and expert drivers and re-offender vs. non-offender drivers, is compared. Potentially hazardous situations are those that develop without involving any real hazard (i.e., the driver didn’t actually have to decelerate or make any evasive manoeuvre to avoid a potential collision). The current study analysed multiple offender drivers attending compulsory re-education programmes as a result of reaching the maximum number of penalty points on their driving licence, due to repeated violations of traffic laws. Method: A new video-based hazard perception test was developed, using a total of 20 hazardous situation videos plus 8 quasi-hazardous situation videos. They were selected from 167 recordings of natural hazards in real Spanish driving settings

Rapid and accurate detection of escherichia coli and klebsiella pneumoniae strains susceptible/resistant to cotrimoxazole through evaluation of cell elongation

Trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole is a well-known antibiotic that inhibits folic acid synthesis, a topic of renewed interest. Since resistant strains are increasingly more common, an early and accurate discrimination of susceptibility may assure confident therapy. Two morphological assays were performed in Escherichia coli (n = 50; 27 non-susceptible) and Klebsiella pneumoniae (n = 52; 18 non-susceptible). First, the strains were incubated with the CLSI breakpoint of cotrimoxazole for 150 min, which induced cell lengthening in the susceptible strains. Second, the bacteria were incubated with mitomycin C (MMC) (0.5 mg/L) for 120 min to induce a SOS-linked cell enlargement higher than that obtained by cotrimoxazole alone. When cotrimoxazole was added 30 min before MMC, the inhibition of folic acid synthesis in the susceptible strain resulted in the suppression of MMC-induced extra elongation. In the non-susceptible strains, folic acid synthesis continued despite the antibiotic, so that the MMC-induced extra cell lengthening could not be impeded. Whereas the first assay resulted in five false negatives and four false positives of resistance, the results of the second assay matched those of the conventional antibiogram. This simple morphological procedure is performed in 2 h and 45 min and may allow a rapid selection of useful and relatively inexpensive therapy, thereby preserving the newer broad-spectrum antibiotics

La afanosa metamorfosis de Gregorio Olías (Una reflexión psicopatológica sobre: "Juegos de la edad tardía", de L. Landero).

Gregorio Olías, nuestro héroe de papel, procede de una familia marcada por el deseo. O mejor, por el afán. Que ¿qué es el afán?: "El deseo de ser un gran hombre y de hacer grandes cosas, y la pena y la gloria que todo eso produce". Su abuelo lo tuvo claro, su padre también. Su abuelo iba a ser notario y su padre coronel, "aunque de mentira". "Por el día trabajaban la tierra y el ganado y a la noche se sentaban a echar cuentas del deseo". Porque "solo el afán nos mantiene vivos y voraces"; y ¿dónde hay algo más grande que donde no hay? Pero ambos sabían, cual ley familiar, "nunca permitáis que se cumpla el afán" y que "las torturas del afán" se evitan poniendo "el deseo tan alto, que siendo inalcanzable" se dejase la vida en el empeño

La afanosa metamorfosis de Gregorio Olías (Una reflexión psicopatológica sobre: "Juegos de la edad tardía", de L. Landero).

Gregorio Olías, nuestro héroe de papel, procede de una familia marcada por el deseo. O mejor, por el afán. Que ¿qué es el afán?: "El deseo de ser un gran hombre y de hacer grandes cosas, y la pena y la gloria que todo eso produce". Su abuelo lo tuvo claro, su padre también. Su abuelo iba a ser notario y su padre coronel, "aunque de mentira". "Por el día trabajaban la tierra y el ganado y a la noche se sentaban a echar cuentas del deseo". Porque "solo el afán nos mantiene vivos y voraces"; y ¿dónde hay algo más grande que donde no hay? Pero ambos sabían, cual ley familiar, "nunca permitáis que se cumpla el afán" y que "las torturas del afán" se evitan poniendo "el deseo tan alto, que siendo inalcanzable" se dejase la vida en el empeño

Faster disease progression in Parkinson's disease with type 2 diabetes is not associated with increased α-synuclein, tau, amyloid-β or vascular pathology

AIMS: Growing evidence suggests a shared pathogenesis between Parkinson's disease and diabetes although the underlying mechanisms remain unknown. The aim of this study is to evaluate the effect of type 2 diabetes on Parkinson's disease progression and to correlate neuropathological findings to elucidate pathogenic mechanisms. METHODS: In this cohort study, medical records were retrospectively reviewed of cases with pathologically-confirmed Parkinson's disease with and without pre-existing type 2 diabetes. Time to disability milestones (recurrent falls, wheelchair dependence, dementia, and care home placement) and survival were compared to assess disease progression and their risk estimated using Cox hazard regression models. Correlation with pathological data was performed, including quantification of α-synuclein in key brain regions and staging of vascular, Lewy and Alzheimer's pathologies. RESULTS: Patients with PD and diabetes (male 76%; age at death 78.6 ± 6.2 years) developed earlier falls (P < 0.001), wheelchair dependence (P = 0.004), dementia (P < 0.001), care home admission (P < 0.001) and had reduced survival (P < 0.001). Predating diabetes was independently associated with a two to three-fold increase in the risk of disability and death. Neuropathological assessment did not show any differences in global or regional vascular pathology, α-synuclein load in key brain areas, staging of Lewy pathology or Alzheimer's disease pathology. CONCLUSIONS: Pre-existing type 2 diabetes contributes to faster disease progression and reduced survival in Parkinson's disease which is not driven by increased vascular, Lewy or Alzheimer's pathologies. Additional non-specific neurodegeneration related to chronic brain insulin resistance may be involved

Sex chromosome and autosome divergence in Podisma (Orthoptera) in western Europe

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