La catástrofe del barranco de Arás (Biescas, Pirineo Aragonés) y su contexto espacio-temporal

[ES] Se estudian las características de la precipitación y del pico de crecida durante la catástrofe ocurrida en el barranco de Arás en la tarde del 7 de agosto de 1996. Se ha podido comprobar que aunque la tormenta fue muy intensa en toda la cuenca, su violencia alcanzó mayor magnitud en un pequeño sector de la subcuenca de Betés, en el que se ha estimado una intensidad superior a 500 mm.hr-1 y una precipitación total algo superior a 250 mm. En el tramo final del barranco de Arás debieron registrarse unos 500 m³s-1 incluyendo los sedimentos transportados, para una cuenca de 18.8 km². Las evaluaciones realizadas permiten estimar que el 75 % del caudal procedió de la subcuenca de Betés, que representa sólo el 28.7 % de la superficie total de la cuenca. Se ha evaluado el volumen de sedimentos movilizados en el sector final del barranco de Arás. Finalmente, el evento tormentoso ha sido situado en un contexto espacial y temporal más amplio. La catástofe del barranco de Arás confirma las limitaciones de los actuales sistemas de análisis probabilístico de riesgos, dada su gran irregularidad espacial y temporal.[EN] The characteristics of precipitation and peak flow during the Arás catastrophe in the evening of August, 7, 1996, are studied. The storm was very intense over the whole basin, and especially in a small area of the Betés subbasin, in which intensities greater than 500 mm.hr-1 have been estimated, with a total amount of precipitation somewhat higher than 250 mm. In the final stretch of the Arás ravine a discharge of 500 m³s-1, including the sediments, have been estimated for a basin of 18.8 km².. Seventy five per cent of the discharge carne from the Betés subbasin, which represents only 28.7 per cent of the basin. The volume of sediments mobilized in the final stretch of the Arás ravine has also been evaluated. Finally, the rainstorm event has been placed in a larger spatial and temporal context. The catastrophe of the Arás ravine confirms the lirnitations of existing systems of probabilistic analysis, due to the spatial and temporal irregularity of storm events.Peer reviewe

Polyurethane-based bioadhesive synthesized from polyols derived from castor oil (Ricinus communis) and low concentration of chitosan

[EN] Polyurethane-based bioadhesive was synthesized with polyols derived from castor oil (chemically modified and unmodified) and hexamethylene diisocyanate with chitosan addition as a bioactive filler. The objective was to evaluate the effect of type of polyols with the incorporation of low-concentrations of chitosan on the mechanical and biological properties of the polymer to obtain suitable materials in the design of biomaterials. The results showed that increasing physical crosslinking increased the mechanical and adhesive properties. An in vitro cytotoxic test of polyurethanes showed cellular viability. The biocompatibility of the polyurethanes favors the adhesion of L929 cells at 6, 24, and 48 h. The polyurethanes showed bacterial inhibition depending on the polyol and percentage of chitosan. The antibacterial effect of the polyurethanes for Escherichia coli decreased 60-90% after 24 h. The mechanical and adhesive properties together with biological response in this research suggested these polyurethanes as external application tissue bioadhesives.This work was supported by the Universidad de La Sabana under grant number ING-176-2016 and by Colciencias under scholarship grant 617-2-2014. CIBER-BBN is an initiative funded by the VI National R&D&I Plan 2008-2011, Iniciativa Ingenio 2010, Consolider Program. CIBER Actions are financed by the Instituto de Salud Carlos III with assistance from the European Regional Development Fund. J.A.G.T. and A.V.L. acknowledge the support of the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (MINECO) through project DPI2015-65401-C3-2-R (including FEDER financial support). Finally, the authors thank the Universitat Politecnica de Valencia for assistance and advice with the equipment.Uscátegui, YL.; Arevalo-Alquichire, SJ.; Gómez-Tejedor, J.; Vallés Lluch, A.; Diaz, LE.; Valero, MF. (2017). Polyurethane-based bioadhesive synthesized from polyols derived from castor oil (Ricinus communis) and low concentration of chitosan. Journal of Materials Research. 32(19):3699-3711. https://doi.org/10.1557/jmr.2017.371S36993711321

El papel de las especies emblemáticas en la protección de los rasgos etnográficos. Caso del garbancillo de Tallante en el Campo de Cartagena

El Garbancillo de Tallante es una planta endémica que vive exclusivamente en la zona Oeste de Cartagena. En el año 2012 comenzó el proyecto LIFE+ ‘Conservación de Astragalus nitidiflorus en su hábitat potencial en la Región de Murcia’, cuyo objetivo se centra en la recuperación y conservación del Garbancillo de Tallante en la Región de Murcia para garantizar así la supervivencia a largo plazo de esta especie. Esta especie está localizada próxima a Tallante y los Puertos de Santa Bárbara, en el entorno rural y agrícola del Campo de Cartagena. Su hábitat está estrechamente ligado a los enclaves volcánicos del entorno, con edades geológicas de entre los 2,8-2,6 millones de años. En las cercanías de las poblaciones de Garbancillo encontramos importantes elementos de patrimonio cultural e histórico, como es el caso de las ermitas, los “molinos harineros”, o “norias de sangre”. Aprovechando el interés mediático de esta especie se están dando a conocer de forma significativa los elementos etnográficos claves del territorio. Así, se considera que la conservación de una especie endémica, como Astragalus nitidiflorus, puede tener efectos sinérgicos de estim, los recursos culturales o el mantenimiento de las actividades tradicionales del lugar

Headache as a COVID-19 onset symptom and post-COVID-19 symptom in hospitalized COVID-19 survivors infected with the Wuhan, Alpha, or Delta SARS-CoV-2 variants

OBJECTIVE: This study looked at differences in the presence of headache as an onset symptom of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) and as a post‐COVID‐19 symptom in individuals previously hospitalized owing to infection with the Wuhan, Alpha, or Delta variants of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‐CoV‐2). BACKGROUND: Headache can be present in up to 50% of individuals during the acute phase of SARS‐CoV‐2 infection and in 10% of subjects during the post‐COVID‐19 phase. There are no data on differences in the occurrence of headache in the acute‐ and post‐COVID‐19 phase according to the SARS‐CoV‐2 variants. METHODS: A cross‐sectional cohort study was conducted. Unvaccinated subjects previously hospitalized for COVID‐19 caused by the Wuhan (n = 201), Alpha (n = 211), or Delta (n = 202) SARS‐CoV‐2 variants were scheduled for a telephone interview 6 months after hospital discharge. Hospitalization data were collected from hospital medical records. RESULTS: The presence of headache as a COVID‐19 onset symptom at hospitalization was higher in subjects with the Delta variant (66/202, 32.7%) than in those infected with the Wuhan (42/201, 20.9%; odds ratio [OR] 1.83, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.17–2.88) or Alpha (25/211, 11.8%; OR 3.61, 95% CI, 2.16–6.01) variants. The prevalence of post‐COVID‐19 headache 6 months after hospital discharge was higher in individuals infected with the Delta variant (26/202, 12.9%) than in those infected with the Wuhan (11/201, 5.5%; OR 2.52, 95% CI 1.22–5.31) or Alpha (eight of 211, 3.8%; OR 3.74, 95% CI 1.65–8.49) variants. The presence of headache as a COVID‐19 onset symptom was associated with post‐COVID‐19 headache in subjects infected with the Wuhan (OR 7.75, 95% CI 2.15–27.93) and Delta variants (OR 2.78, 95% CI 1.20–6.42) but not with the Alpha variant (OR 2.60, 95% CI 0.49–13.69). CONCLUSION: Headache was a common symptom in both the acute‐ and post‐COVID‐19 phase in subjects infected with the Wuhan, Alpha, and Delta variants but mostly in those infected with the Delta variant

Obtention and Study of Polyurethane-Based Active Packaging with Curcumin and/or Chitosan Additives for Fruits and Vegetables¿Part I: Analysis of Morphological, Mechanical, Barrier, and Migration Properties

[EN] Several polyurethane-formulated films with curcumin and/or chitosan additives for food packaging have been previously obtained. The study examines the effect of the additives on the film¿s morphological, mechanical, barrier, and migration properties. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), water contact angle, thermogravimetric and differential thermal analysis (TGA and DTGA), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), dynamic mechanical thermal analysis (DMTA), oxygen transmission rate (OTR), water vapor transmission rate (WVTR), and the overall and specific migration tests were conducted. The results show that the presence of chitosan significantly increased the overall migration and mechanical properties, such as the elongation at break, tensile strength, and Young¿s modulus of most polyurethane formulations, while curcumin had a minor influence on the mechanical performance. Based on the results, formulations with curcumin but without chitosan are suitable for food packaging.This research was funded by Universidad de La Sabana, grant number ING-289-2021. The APC was funded by Universidad de La Sabana and the Centre for Biomaterials and Tissue Engineering at Universitat Politècnica de València. CIBER-BBN, Biomedical Research Networking Center in Bioengineering, Biomaterials, and Nano-medicine is an initiative funded by the VI National R&D&I Plan 2008¿2011, Iniciativa Ingenio 2010, Consolider Program. CIBER Actions were financed by the Instituto de Salud Carlos III with assistance from the European Regional Development Fund. J.A.G.-T thanks MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033 grant number PID2020-114894RB-I00.Ruiz, D.; Uscátegui, YL.; Diaz, L.; Arrieta-Pérez, RR.; Gómez-Tejedor, J.; Valero, MF. (2023). Obtention and Study of Polyurethane-Based Active Packaging with Curcumin and/or Chitosan Additives for Fruits and Vegetables¿Part I: Analysis of Morphological, Mechanical, Barrier, and Migration Properties. Polymers. 15(22):1-22. https://doi.org/10.3390/polym15224456122152

Do EnChroma glasses improve color vision for colorblind subjects?

The commercialization of EnChroma glasses has generated great expectations for people to be able to see new colors or even correct color vision deficiency (CVD). We evaluate the effectiveness of these glasses using two complementary strategies for the first time. The first consists of using the three classical types of tests — recognition, arrangement and discrimination — with and without glasses, with a high number of individuals. In the second, we use the spectral transmittance of the glasses to simulate the appearance of stimuli in a set of scenes for normal observers and observers with CVD. The results show that the glasses introduce a variation of the perceived color, but neither improve results in the diagnosis tests nor allow the observers with CVD to have a more normal color vision.Spanish State Agency of Research (AEI); Ministry for Economy, Industry and Competitiveness (MIMECO) (Grant numbers FIS2017-89258-P and DPI 2015-64571-R); European Union FEDER (European Regional Development Funds)

Aircraft icing: in‐cloud measurements and sensitivity to physical parameterizations

The prediction of supercooled cloud drops in the atmosphere is a basic tool for aviation safety, owing to their contact with and instant freezing on sensitive locations of the aircraft. One of the main disadvantages for predicting atmospheric icing conditions is the acquisition of observational data. In this study, we used in‐cloud microphysics measurements taken during 10 flights of a C‐212 research aircraft under winter conditions, during which we encountered 37 regions containing supercooled liquid water. To investigate the capability of the Weather Research and Forecasting model to detect regions containing supercooled cloud drops, we propose a multiphysics ensemble approach. We used four microphysics and two planetary boundary layer schemes. The Morrison parameterization yielded superior results, whereas the planetary boundary layer schemes were essential in evaluating the presence of liquid water content. The Goddard microphysics scheme best detected the presence of ice water content but tended to underestimate liquid water content.This research was carried out in the framework of the SAFEFLIGHT project, financed by MINECO (CGL2016‐78702) and LE240P18 project (Junta de Castilla y León)

Impact of COVID-19 on the degree of compliance with hand hygiene: a repeated cross-sectional study

Hand hygiene (HH) is the paramount measure used to prevent healthcare associated infections. A repeated cross-sectional study was undertaken with direct observation of the degree of compliance on HH of healthcare personnel during the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic. Between, 2018-2019, 9,083 HH opportunities were considered, and 5,821 in 2020-2022. Chi squared tests were used to identify associations. The crude and adjusted odds ratios were used along with a logistic regression model for statistical analyses. Compliance on HH increased significantly (p < 0.001) from 54.5% (95% CI: 53.5, 55.5) to 70.1% (95% CI: 68.9, 71.2) during the COVID-19 pandemic. This increase was observed in four of the five key moments of HH established by the World Health Organization (WHO) (p<0.05), except at moment 4. The factors that were significantly and independently associated with compliance were the time period considered, type of healthcare-personnel, attendance at training sessions, knowledge of HH and WHO guidelines, and availability of hand disinfectant alcoholic solution in pocket format. Highest HH compliance occurred during the COVID-19 pandemic, reflecting a positive change in healthcare-personnel’s behavior regarding HH recommendations.We received funding through the Alicante Institute for Health and Biomedical Research (ISABIAL) plan for scientific and technical research and innovation project number 2021-0392

Role of Endocrine-Disrupting Chemicals in the Pathogenesis of Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease: A Comprehensive Review

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is considered the most common liver disorder, affecting around 25% of the population worldwide. It is a complex disease spectrum, closely linked with other conditions such as obesity, insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes mellitus, and metabolic syndrome, which may increase liver-related mortality. In light of this, numerous efforts have been carried out in recent years in order to clarify its pathogenesis and create new prevention strategies. Currently, the essential role of environmental pollutants in NAFLD development is recognized. Particularly, endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs) have a notable influence. EDCs can be classified as natural (phytoestrogens, genistein, and coumestrol) or synthetic, and the latter ones can be further subdivided into industrial (dioxins, polychlorinated biphenyls, and alkylphenols), agricultural (pesticides, insecticides, herbicides, and fungicides), residential (phthalates, polybrominated biphenyls, and bisphenol A), and pharmaceutical (parabens). Several experimental models have proposed a mechanism involving this group of substances with the disruption of hepatic metabolism, which promotes NAFLD. These include an imbalance between lipid influx/efflux in the liver, mitochondrial dysfunction, liver inflammation, and epigenetic reprogramming. It can be concluded that exposure to EDCs might play a crucial role in NAFLD initiation and evolution. However, further investigations supporting these effects in humans are required