Los Pirineos en el contexto de las montañas del mundo: rasgos generales y peculiaridades

29 páginas.Este trabajo introductorio intenta presentar la cordillera de los Pirineos, y especialmente sus características naturales dominantes, señalando en particular aquellas que comparte con otras cordilleras del globo, y aquellas que son peculiares de esta cadena, o compartidas con pocos sistemas montañosos similares. Veamos pues, en primer lugar, algunos rasgos generales de la mayor parte de las cordilleras.Peer reviewe

Beweging en voeding op recept bij sarcopenie

Groen BB, Schoorel E, Lambermont VA, Cals JW. Beweging en voeding op recept: sarcopenie en de huisarts. Huisarts Wet 2017;60(12):663-5. Sarcopenie door ziekte of immobilisatie kan optreden bij jong en oud, maar vanaf het 50e levensjaar is het ook een langzaam progressief fysiologisch proces. Dit verlies van spiermassa leidt uiteindelijk tot een verhoogd valrisico, frequente ziekenhuisopnames, geringere kwaliteit van leven, comorbiditeit en mortaliteit. Met de Zes-Minuten Looptest en de handknijpkrachtmeter beschikt de huisarts over twee relatief eenvoudige instrumenten om een dreigende sarcopenie bij oudere patiënten te signaleren. Voldoende eiwitinname, intensief bewegen en krachttraining zijn belangrijke maatregelen om onnodige achteruitgang tegen te gaan

Comparison of Airway Responses in Sheep of Different Age in Precision-Cut Lung Slices (PCLS)

Animal models should display important characteristics of the human disease. Sheep have been considered particularly useful to study allergic airway responses to common natural antigens causing human asthma. A rationale of this study was to establish a model of ovine precision-cut lung slices (PCLS) for the in vitro measurement of airway responses in newborn and adult animals. We hypothesized that differences in airway reactivity in sheep are present at different ages.Lambs were delivered spontaneously at term (147d) and adult sheep lived till 18 months. Viability of PCLS was confirmed by the MTT-test. To study airway provocations cumulative concentration-response curves were performed with different allergic response mediators and biogenic amines. In addition, electric field stimulation, passive sensitization with house dust mite (HDM) and mast cells staining were evaluated.PCLS from sheep were viable for at least three days. PCLS of newborn and adult sheep responded equally strong to methacholine and endothelin-1. The responses to serotonin, leukotriene D4 and U46619 differed with age. No airway contraction was evoked by histamine, except after cimetidine pretreatment. In response to EFS, airways in PCLS from adult and newborn sheep strongly contracted and these contractions were atropine sensitive. Passive sensitization with HDM evoked a weak early allergic response in PCLS from adult and newborn sheep, which notably was prolonged in airways from adult sheep. Only few mast cells were found in the lungs of non-sensitized sheep at both ages.PCLS from sheep lungs represent a useful tool to study pharmacological airway responses for at least three days. Sheep seem well suited to study mechanisms of cholinergic airway contraction. The notable differences between newborn and adult sheep demonstrate the importance of age in such studies

Sex Differences in Lung Gas Volumes After Lipopolysaccharide-Induced Chorioamnionitis in Fetal Sheep

Background: Preterm female infants have a survival advantage and enhanced lung development, which is an important determinant of preterm survival. Objective: Given the modulation of lung development by fetal exposure to infection/inflammation, we hypothesized that female fetuses have enhanced lung maturational responses to chorioamnionitis compared with male fetuses. Methods: Time-pregnant ewes received intra-amniotic injections with saline (n = 60) or lipopolysaccharide (LPS) at 2 days (n = 30) or 7 days (n = 45) before surgical delivery at 123 to 125 days of gestation (term: similar to 147 days). We assessed inflammatory responses in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid and cord blood, lung maturation with pressure-volume curves, and lung structure. Results: Lung gas volume showed differences between the sexes after 2 days LPS (male 4.6 [1.2] mL/kg, female 7.7 [4.4] mL/kg; P = 0.02) and 7 days LPS (male 20.5 [9.3] mL/kg, female 27.0 [7.0] mL/kg; P = 0.01). The control group was not different by sex (male 8.0 [3.6] mL/kg, female 8.9 [3.9] mL/kg; P > 0.05). No difference in lung structure and in pulmonary and systemic inflammatory response was evident by sex. Conclusion: Preterm female sheep fetuses had increased lung gas volumes after exposure to LPS, without any detectable differences in fetal inflammatory responses. (Gend Med. 2012;9:278-286

Treatment of cystoid macular edema after cataract surgery

The purpose of this review was to determine the optimum pharmacologic treatment for cystoid macular edema (CME) after cataract surgery in nondiabetic and diabetic patients. The Cochrane Library, Medline, and Embase databases were searched, and all randomized controlled trials (RCTs) that compared at least 2 pharmacologic strategies for CME after cataract surgery were included. Studies were excluded if preoperative CME or other risk factors for developing CME postoperatively were present. Ten RCTs were included in the systematic review. Five trials included at least 30 participants. Three RCTs showed a greater visual acuity improvement in patients treated with topical nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) than with a placebo. Other studies comparing the efficacy of topical NSAIDs, topical corticosteroids, sub-Tenon corticosteroids, oral NSAIDs, and oral acetazolamide did not report significant differences between treatment groups. Therefore, large RCTs are needed to provide evidence-based recommendations for the optimum treatment of CME after cataract surgery

Early allergic response in sheep PCLS after passive sensitization.

<p>PCLS from newborn (<b>A</b>) or adult (<b>B</b>) sheep were passively sensitized with serum from actively sensitized sheep against HDM and provoked with 5000 U HDM. Data are shown as mean ± SEM, n as indicated on PCLS from different sheep. Time courses were statistically compared by mixed model analysis; *p<0.05. If one compares HDM groups in A and B, courses are also significant different, which points out differences in the kinetics of allergen-induced bronchoconstriction in adult and newborn sheep. <b>C, D</b>) Less than one mast cell per 5 µm thick section were found in PCLS from sheep. PCLS were stained for mast cells with toluidine blue (<b>C, arrow</b>) or with alcian blue and safranin (<b>D</b>).</p

Viability of sheep PCLS.

<p><b>A</b>) Viability was followed by the MTT test. High extinctions indicate high viability. Data are shown as mean ± SEM, n = 3 PCLS from 3 animals per group. Exemplary photographs (in black and white) of a PCLS before (<b>B</b>) and after (<b>C</b>) provocation with 10⁻⁴ M metacholine.</p

Concentration-response curves for common mediators of early allergic response in PCLS of adult (•) and newborn sheep (▪).

<p><b>A</b>) methacholine, <b>B</b>) serotonin, <b>C</b>) histamine, <b>D</b>) endothelin-1, <b>E</b>) leukotriene D₄ (LTD₄), and <b>F</b>) U46619. n  =  number of PCLS, whereby a total of 7 newborn and 5 adult sheep were examined. Data are shown as mean ± SEM. A shared concentration-response curve was plotted for adult and newborn sheep, if no difference was found in any parameter of the 4−parameter logistic equation.</p