Accuracy of the fetal cerebroplacental ratio for the detection of intrapartum compromise in nonsmall fetuses.

OBJECTIVE: To study the accuracy of the cerebroplacental ratio (CPR) for the detection of intrapartum fetal compromise (IFC) in fetuses growing over the 10th centile. METHODS: This was a prospective study of 569 nonsmall fetuses attending the day hospital unit of a tertiary hospital that underwent an ultrasound examination at 36-40 weeks, and were delivered within 4 weeks of examination. IFC was defined as a composite of: abnormal intrapartum fetal heart rate or intrapartum fetal scalp pH < 7.20 requiring cesarean section, neonatal umbilical cord pH < 7.20, 5' Apgar score < 7 and postpartum admission to neonatal or pediatric intensive care units. The accuracy of CPR for the prediction of IFC was calculated alone and in combination with other perinatal parameters using univariate and multivariate logistic regression models, which alternatively included the onset of labor to evaluate the influence of induction of labor (IOL) on IFC and a brief composite adverse outcome of two parameters to prove the strength of the approach. RESULTS: The incidence of IFC was 17.9%. CPR sensitivity was 30.4% for a false positive rate (FFR) of 10 and 14.7% for a FPP of 5% (AUC = 0.62, p < 0.001). The multivariate analysis showed that only fetal gender and parity increased the predictive accuracy of CPR alone, although the improvement was poor (AUC = 0.67, p < 0.001). No differences were observed using any of the alternative models. Finally, IOL had no influence of IFC. CONCLUSION: Despite their apparent normality, a proportion of fetuses growing over the 10th centile suffer IFC. Some of them are suitable for detection by means of CPR

Progression of Doppler changes in early-onset small for gestational age fetuses. How frequent are the different progression sequences?

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the progression of Doppler abnormalities in early-onset fetal smallness (SGA). METHODS: A total of 948 Doppler examinations of the umbilical artery (UA), middle cerebral artery (MCA) and ductus venosus (DV), belonging to 405 early-onset SGA fetuses, were studied, evaluating the sequences of Doppler progression, the interval examination-labor at which Doppler became abnormal and the cumulative sum of Doppler anomalies in relation with labor proximity. RESULTS: The most frequent sequences were that in which only the UA pulsatility index (PI) became abnormal (42.1%) and that in which an abnormal UA PI appeared first, followed by an abnormal MCA PI (24.2%). In general, 71.3% of the fetuses followed the classical progression sequence UA→MCA→DV, mostly in the early stages of growth restriction (84.1%). In addition, the UA PI was the first parameter to be affected (9 weeks before delivery), followed by the MCA PI and the DV PIV (1 and 0 weeks). Finally, the UA PI began to sum anomalies 5 weeks before delivery, while the MCA and DV did it at 3 and 1 weeks before the pregnancy ended. CONCLUSIONS: In early-onset SGA fetuses, Doppler progression tends to follow a predictable order, with sequential changes in the umbilical, cerebral and DV impedances

El análisis de suelo como guía para hacer recomendaciones de fertilizantes y enmiendas

Se muestra como se usa el análisis de suelos para hacer recomendaciones de fertilizantes y cal y algunos factores que afectan las recomendaciones. Se explican los métodos seguidos en el Laboratorio para la obtención del pH, la materia orgánica, el Al intercambiable, el P por el método Bray II, el K por el fotómetro de llama y la textura utilizando el método de bouyoucos modificado por Day, o al tacto. Se explica que las prácticas que se sugieren para el N, tienen en cuenta el contenido de materia orgánica, de arena y arcilla en la capa arable. Para el P y K bajo, medio y alto se tienen en cuenta los resultados obtenidos por el Programa de Suelos del ICA, mediante pruebas regionales. Para los elementos menores no se han desarrollado en el país técnicas que determinen la cantidad que en forma aprovechable existe en el suelo, pero se tiene en cuenta el pH, materia orgánica y textura que pueden dar indicios de deficiencias de elementos menores. Las recomendaciones sobre cal por parte del ICA, se basan en el contenido de Al intercambiable. El análisis de suelos es una guía para la aplicación correcta de fertilizantes, pero debe estar acompañada de todas las labores y recomendaciones técnicas para el cultivo de que se trate. Se dan recomendaciones de fertilizantes para algodón, arroz, pastos, fríjol, soya, hortalizas y tomate, maíz, sorgo, trigo, cebada, papa, yuca, caña de azúcar, cacao y árboles frutale

Mortality Causes in Free-Ranging Eurasian Brown Bears (Ursus arctos arctos) in Spain 1998–2018

© 2020 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).[EN] This work summarizes the mortality cases of twenty-five free-ranging Eurasian wild brown bears (Ursus arctos arctos) from the Cantabrian mountain range submitted for necropsy in Asturias and Castilla y León (northwestern Spain) from 1998 to 2018. Mortality cases were classified both caused by (i) "non-human intervention" or "human intervention” causes and based on (ii) "non-infectious" or "infectious" etiology. In four cases (16%) it was not possible to determine the cause of death due to the inadequate preservation of collected specimens or insufficient tissue availability. Based on "non-human intervention" or "human intervention” causes, fourteen of the 21 (66.7%) brown bears died as a consequence of "non-human intervention" due to traumatic lesions (fights, unknown traumas or infanticide), infectious canine hepatitis, neoplasia or mushroom poisoning. In contrast, seven (33.3%) brown bears died by “human intervention” due to illegal hunting (shooting or snare), handling (during transit in an attempt to reintroduce a bear back into the wild) or strychnine poisoning. Based on "non-infectious" or "infectious" etiology, twelve of the 21 (57.1%) brown bears died due to "non-infectious” causes, namely traumatic lesions such as shooting, snare, fighting or infanticide, handling, strychnine poisoning, mushroom poisoning or neoplasia. The remaining nine (42.9%) animals died due to “infectious” diseases which included gangrenous myositis, infectious canine hepatitis or septicemia. In six of those cases traumatic lesions caused by non-human or human activities were complicated with bacterial infection (clostridiosis and septicemia) which finally caused the death of those animals. Additionally, exertional myopathy was observed in the handled animal and in one bear found in a snare. In a free-ranging population of Eurasian brown bear from the Cantabrian mountain range, main causes of death are attributed to non-human related traumatic lesions and infectious diseases (primary developed such as infectious canine hepatitis or secondary developed such as clostridiosis or septicemia) which is in contrast to previously reported data for other bear populations. These data are valuable and may help in the conservation and management of this recovering population.SIAuthors thank colleagues from SERIDA, University of León, Servicios del Principado de Asturias (SERPA), Servicio de Espacios Protegidos y Conservación de la Naturaleza, Dirección General de Biodiversidad from Viceconsejería de Medio Ambiente del Principado de Asturias and Consejería de Fomento y Medio Ambiente de la Junta de Castilla y Léon for the invaluable collaboration. We thank Kevin P. Dalton for critically reviewing the manuscript.This work was partially supported by the Principado de Asturias, PCTI 2018–220 (GRUPIN: IDI2018-000237 and FEDER)

Goats Naturally Infected with the Spanish Goat Encephalitis Virus (SGEV): Pathological Features and An Outbreak

[EN] In autumn 2011, a disease outbreak caused by Spanish goat encephalitis virus (SGEV) was reported in a herd of goats from Asturias (north-western Spain), expanding the known geographic distribution of tick-borne encephalitis in Europe. The virus was classified as a new subtype (subspecies) within the Louping-ill virus species of the mammalian tick-borne flavivirus group. The aims of the present study were to describe the pathology in goats naturally infected with SGEV, as well as discuss the pathogenesis of the disease in that outbreak. A total of 22/85 (25.88%) goats (20 adults and 2 kids) died between October 2011 and June 2012, showing neurological clinical signs. Over three years, the mortality rate in the herd reached 100%. Neuropathological lesions caused by SGEV were severe and widespread throughout the central nervous system but were more severe and numerous in the proximal cervical spinal cord, medulla oblongata, pons and cerebellar cortex. They consisted of neuron necrosis, neuronophagia, mononuclear inflammatory cell perivascular cuffs (lymphocytes, plasma cells and macrophages) and gliosis. The distribution of viral antigens was restricted to the cytoplasm of neurons in several brain areas but not associated with inflammatory foci nor inflammatory cells. SGEV should be considered a significant pathogen of goats that results in severe neurological clinical disease and high mortality.SIThis work was partially funded by the Principality of Asturias (PCTI 2021–2023, GRUPIN: IDI-2021-000102) and European Regional Development Fun

Las nuevas excavaciones (1995-2006) en el yacimiento del Mioceno final de Venta del Moro, Valencia

Se presenta una síntesis preliminar de la metodología y de los principales resultados obtenidos en las nuevas campañas de excavación (1995-2006) en la localidad clásica de vertebrados del Mioceno final (Turoliense superior, MN13) de Venta del Moro (Valencia, España). Destaca la actualización de la lista faunística, con la incorporación de más de una decena de taxones de vertebrados no citados anteriormente en el yacimiento. Así, si consideramos sólo la asociación de mamíferos, el listado se compone, por el momento, de 43 taxones. Además, se presentan las listas provisionales de otros grupos, como los moluscos, y se cita por vez primera el hallazgo de foraminíferos.From 1995 until 2006 new paleontological excavations were carried out at Venta del Moro (Valencia, Spain), one of the classical Uppermost Miocene (Upper Turolian, MN 13) vertebrate locality of Spain. In the present paper a preliminary synthesis of the methods and main results are presented. Abundant faunal remains were recovered including ten vertebrate taxa no previously recorded from the site. Up to now 43 mammalian species are known from the site. Preliminary list of others groups, as mollusc, are given. The occurrence of foraminifera is reported for the first [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] [email protected]

Efficiency Maximization of a Jet Pump for an Hydraulic Artificial Lift System

In science and engineering, mathematical modeling serves as a tool to understand processes and systems acting as a testing bed for several hypotheses. The selection of a specific model, as well as its variables and parameters, depends on the nature of the system under analysis and the acceptable simplifying assumptions. Therefore, it must allow for a good fit between both the hypothesis and the available data. Opposite to other design approaches based on experimental data or/and complex models, this work presents a simpler numerical design method for efficiency maximization of an Hydraulic Jet Pump (HJP) for oil-well extraction process, considering its hydraulic and geometric parameters. The design process consists in setting and solving a constrained non-linear optimization problem by taking into account the hydraulic model of the HJP in terms four design variables: throat area, nozzle area, injection flow, and injection pressure to the oil-well. The objective function of this case aims to maximize the HJP's efficiency avoiding to approach cavitation condition as well fulfilling technical constraints. A numerical technique, Differential Evolution Algorithm (DEA), has been implemented to solve the optimization problem. The proposed methodology leads to a solution set by considering only commercial geometries and feasible operating conditions for the HJP, which facilitates its practical implementation. A set of ten oil-wells with land production data, operating in the southeaster of Mexico, is used to compare and validate several Jet pump designs, i. e., through comparison with actual oil-well's operation condition.Peer Reviewe