Suitability of aquatic mosses for biomonitoring micro/meso plastics in freshwater ecosystems

Abstract Background Mesoplastics (5–25 mm) and microplastics (0.001–5 mm) are emerging pollutants of great concern. However, reliable methods of monitoring these types of plastic in river ecosystems have not yet been established. The goal of this work was to evaluate, for the first time, the suitability of Fontinalis antipyretica as a biomonitor of meso- and micro-plastics in rivers. With this aim, native samples of the moss and devitalized moss clones, held inside the bags, were compared for the uptake of fluorescent polystyrene particles under laboratory conditions, and for retention of plastic debris in the field, in sites close to wastewater treatment plants. Results In the laboratory experiment, the moss retained smaller microplastics, and a higher number of polystyrene meso and microplastics was counted in the moss bags than in the native moss. In the field study, the moss retained plastic debris chiefly in the form of fibres regardless of the capacity and flow rate of the wastewater treatment plants affecting each sampling site. The uniform morphology of moss clone seems to affect the retention of this type of pollutant. The FTIR analysis confirmed the particles entrapped by the moss bags as plastic, specifically polyethylene and polyamide type 6, among the most common plastic polymers detected in rivers. Conclusions The study findings highlighted the value of using uniform material, as the clone exhibited a greater accumulation efficiency with respect to the native moss. The mesh bags could act as selective filters and/or prevent the loss of adhering plastics. In the field, the bags favour plastic fibres retention despite the river flow. Finally, although FTIR is useful for the identification of plastic type, it is not very sensitive when small quantities of ground samples are used

Trends in adult asthma hospitalization: gender-age effect

BACKGROUND: Hospital admissions due to asthma are a reliable source of information on the morbidity of the disease which, after the increase observed in the last quarter of the last century, shows a declining trend in the last few years. The aim of this study was to look at hospital admission trends due to asthma in our community and analyze some of its associated factors. METHODS: Retrospective analysis of all hospital admissions involving adults aged 15 years and older with asthma as the primary or secondary diagnosis (if the first diagnosis was respiratory failure or respiratory infection) in Public Health Service hospitals in the Galician region of Spain between the years 1995-2009 (total 24,766 admissions). RESULTS: The majority of patients admitted were female (71%), over 60 years of age (64%), and admission occurred predominantly in the winter months. The hospitalization rate due to asthma tripled over the period studied, this being mainly accounted for by women aged over 60 years. Mean hospital stay was 9.2 days, longer in older patients or those admitted over the weekend. CONCLUSIONS: A significant increase in hospital admissions due to asthma over the last few years has been observed in our community, mainly involving older women. The mean stay seems long, increasing with patients' age and admission over the weekend

The glass workshop of the 4th-5th Centuries in the Insula II of the Molinete (Cartagena, Spain): archaeological analysis and interpretation

La excavación arqueológica de la denominada Insula II del Molinete (Cartagena, provincia de Murcia, España) permitió documentar un santuario isiaco activo desde finales del siglo I al III. Tras su amortización y abandono, sus estructuras fueron ocupadas entre el segundo cuarto/mediados del siglo IV y la primera mitad del V por sendos talleres artesanales dedicados a la fabricación de vidrio y hierro. En este trabajo se caracterizan dichas instalaciones productivas, poniendo especial énfasis en el taller vidriero y su contexto arqueológico. Se estudia su organización topográfica, la estructura de sus instalaciones e infraestructuras (en particular sus hornos), así como algunos indicios materiales asociados a la actividad productiva. Asimismo, los equipamientos, en especial los hornos, se confrontan con otros similares documentados en diversas regiones del occidente romano, lo que junto con el estudio de algunos desechos de producción procedentes del entorno inmediato del taller permite vincularlos con ciertas garantías a la producción vidriera. También se hace una primera presentación y discusión de los resultados del análisis químico de un conjunto de muestras de vidrio recogidas de los contextos vinculados a la actividad del taller y a algunos niveles de su entorno posteriores al cese de su actividad. La documentación de este nuevo ambiente productivo abre nuevas perspectivas de análisis de la Carthago Spartaria de los siglos IV-V y contribuye a perfilar su carácter artesanal y comercial.The archaeological excavation of the so-called Insula II of the Molinete (Cartagena, province of Murcia, Spain) documented an Isiac sanctuary active from the end of the 1st to the 3rd century. After it was abandoned, its structures were occupied by craft facilities dedicated to the manufacture of glass and the working of iron between the second quarter/ middle of the 4th century and the first half of the 5th century. This paper characterises these production facilities, laying special emphasis on the glass workshop and its archaeological context. Its topographical organisation, the structure of its production facilities and infrastructures (in particular its furnaces) are studied, as well as some of the material evidence associated with production activity. In addition, the facilities, especially the furnaces, are compared with other similar features attested in various regions of the Roman West, which, together with the study of some production waste, allows us to link them with the manufacture of glass. A first presentation and discussion of the results of the chemical analysis of a set of glass samples collected from the contexts linked to the activity of the workshop and some levels of in its vicinity, after the activity of the workshop had ceased, is also presented and discussed. This new evidence opens up new perspectives for the analysis of Carthago Spartaria in the 4th-5th centuries and contributes to outlining its artisanal and commercial character

Regional development gaps in Argentina: A multidimensional approach to identify the location of policy priorities

Spatial inequalities within Latin American countries have historically attracted the interest ofacademics, policy-makers, and international agencies. This article aims to provide amultidimensional diagnosis of provincial development gaps in Argentina, in order to identifythe location of policy priorities. Therefore, we built a large database, which covers sevendevelopment dimensions, and applied multivariate analysis techniques to overcome someanalytical limitations of previous studies. Results show the stability of provincial developmentgaps between 2003 and 2013 and some heterogeneity within geographic regions. Instead,cluster analysis offers a better classification of Argentine provinces according to theirdevelopment gaps, which can help the government to prioritize the places wheredevelopment policies are strategic.Fil: Niembro, Andrés Alberto. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Patagonia Norte; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Río Negro; ArgentinaFil: Sarmiento, Jesica Isabel. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Patagonia Norte; Argentina. Universidad Nacional de Río Negro; Argentin