Co-prescription patterns of cardiovascular preventive treatments: A cross-sectional study in the Aragon worker' health study (Spain)

Objectives: To identify cardiovascular disease (CVD) preventive treatments combinations, among them and with other drugs, and to determine their prevalence in a cohort of Spanish workers. Design: Cross-sectional study. Setting Aragon Workers'' Health Study (AWHS) cohort in Spain. Participants 5577 workers belonging to AWHS cohort. From these subjects, we selected those that had, at least, three prescriptions of the same therapeutic subgroup in 2014 (n=4605). Primary and secondary outcome measures Drug consumption was obtained from the Aragon Pharmaceutical Consumption Registry (Farmasalud). In order to know treatment utilisation, prevalence analyses were conducted. Frequent item set mining techniques were applied to identify drugs co-prescription patterns. All the results were stratified by sex and age. Results: 42.3% of men and 18.8% of women in the cohort received, at least, three prescriptions of a CVD preventive treatment in 2014. The most prescribed CVD treatment were antihypertensives (men: 28.2%, women 9.2%). The most frequent association observed among CVD preventive treatment was agents acting on the renin-angiotensin system and lipid-lowering drugs (5.1% of treated subjects). Co-prescription increased with age, especially after 50 years old, both in frequency and number of associations, and was higher in men. Regarding the association between CVD preventive treatments and other drugs, the most frequent pattern observed was lipid-lowering drugs and drugs used for acid related disorders (4.2% of treated subjects). Conclusions: There is an important number of co-prescription patterns that involve CVD preventive treatments. These patterns increase with age and are more frequent in men. Mining techniques are a useful tool to identify pharmacological patterns that are not evident in the individual clinical practice, in order to improve drug prescription appropriateness

Culturo-Scientific Storytelling

In this article, we reflect on the functions of outreach in developing the modern scientific mind, and discuss its essential importance in the modern society of rapid technological development. We embed our approach to outreach in culturo-scientific thinking. This is constituted by embracing disciplinary thinking (in particular creativity) whilst appreciating the epistemology of science as an evolving dialogue of ideas, with numerous alternative perspectives and uncertain futures to be managed. Structuring scientific knowledge as an assemblage of interacting and evolving discipline-cultures, we conceive of a culturo-scientific storytelling to bring about positive transformations for the public in these thinking skills and ground our approach in quantum science and technologies (QST). This field has the potential to generate significant changes for the life of every citizen, and so a skills-oriented approach to its education, both formal and non-formal, is essential. Finally, we present examples of such storytelling in the case of QST, the classification and evaluation of which correspond to future work in which this narrative approach is studied in action

El teléfono móvil: disponibilidad, usos y relaciones por parte de los adolescentes entre 12 y 16 años

Presentamos los resultados de una investigación sobre el uso, la disponibilidad y algunos aspectos relativos a las relaciones que se establecen con diferentes personas en torno al teléfono móvil en una muestra de adolescentes (N=1211) entre 12 y 16 años de la provincia de Girona. Los resultados ponen de manifiesto la existencia de diferencias de género en cuanto a su disposición y uso, siendo las chicas las que en mayor porcentaje poseen un móvil y más horas dedican a usarlo. Los adolescentes prefieren hablar sobre lo que hacen con el móvil con los iguales, seguido de los hermanos o las hermanas y, en último lugar, con los adultos (progenitores y profesores o profesoras). Finalmente, se analiza cómo los adolescentes se muestran más interesados por e informados sobre Internet y el móvil en comparación con los otros cuatro medios audiovisuales explorados (televisión, ordenador, juegos para ordenador y videojuegos)

Employment Expectations and Gross Flows by Type of Work Contract

There is growing interest in understanding firms’ temporary and permanent employment practices and how institutional changes shape them. Using data on Spanish establishments, we examine: (a) how employers adjust temporary and permanent job and worker flows to prior employment expectations, and (b) how the 1994 and 1997 labour reforms promoting permanent employment affected establishments’ employment practices. Generally, establishments’ prior employment expectations are realized through changes in all job and worker flows. However, establishments uniquely rely on temporary hires as a buffer to confront diminishing long-run employment expectations. None of the reforms significantly affected establishments’ net temporary or permanent employment flows.http://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/40032/3/wp646.pd

Evaluation of methods for DNA extraction from Clostridium tyrobutyricum spores and its detection by qPCR

Clostridium tyrobutyricum is the major agent that causes the blowing defect in cheese due to the germination of its dormant spores during the ripening stage. As a result, many of the affected cheeses show cavities and cracks, which cause the product loss in most cases. Nowadays, there is not a fast method capable of detecting milk contaminated with C. tyrobutyricum spores. The aim of this study has been to develop a fast and reliable method based on real time PCR (qPCR) to detect C. tyrobutyricum spores in raw milk. One of the main limitations has been to find a good procedure for the spore disruption to extract the DNA due to its high resistance. For this reason, different disruption methods have been tested, including chemical agents, bead beating, enzymatic and microwave treatment. Furthermore, an enzymatic treatment with subtilisin was applied for milk clarification and recovery of spores. The comparison of the assayed methods has been made using sterile milk spiked with C. tyrobutyricum spores, obtained in solid or liquid medium. The results showed that microwave treatment followed by a standard DNA purification step was found to be the best disruption method. The Ct values obtained for spores were higher than those found for vegetative cells by qPCR, for the same quantity of DNA. This difference could be due to the action of the Small Acid Soluble Proteins (SASP) in the DNA packaging of spores. Moreover, spores obtained in agar plate were found more resistant to disruption than those obtained in liquid medium. Subtilisin and microwave treatments were found to be successful for DNA extraction from C. tyrobutyricum spores in milk and subsequent identification by qPCR. However, the differences observed between the amplification of DNA from spores obtained in different media and from vegetative cells have to be taken into account to optimize a method for C. tyrobutyricum detection

Detection of butyric spores by different approaches in raw milks from cow, ewe and goat

Clostridium tyrobutyricum is described as the main causative agent of late blowing defect in cheese. Currently, there are no fast methods to detect this microorganism in raw milk, which would allow determining the use of milk for fresh or cured cheese. The technique commonly used is the Most Probable Number, which is laborious and non-specific. In this work, we present the optimization of a real-time PCR-based detection method for C. tyrobutyricum spores in raw milk samples. This novel approach extracts DNA in a semi-automatic system with magnetic beads. The applicability of the developed procedure has been tested in field milk samples from cow, ewe and goat (n = 202), allowing detection of low levels of butyric spores. Raw milk samples were also analyzed by microbiological culture in a selective medium for butyric bacteria, and positive colonies were identified by multiplex PCR and 16S rDNA sequencing. Apart from C. tyrobutyricum, other Clostridium spp. were identified, which should be considered for further development of detection methods

Sensory function in cluster headache: an observational study comparing the symptomatic and asymptomatic sides

Background: Based on inconsistent sensory alterations demonstrated in cluster headache (CH), the aim of this study was to determine whether patients with CH develop sensory changes in the symptomatic side compared to the asymptomatic side. Methods: Quantitative sensory testing (QST), including pressure pain threshold (PPT), tactile detection threshold (TDT), prick detection threshold (PDT), and two-point detection threshold (2PDT), was evaluated in 16 patients (seven women; age 41.9±6.8 years) with CH. Test sites included the rst, second, and third divisions of the trigeminal nerve, cervical spine, and thenar eminence in the symptomatic and asymptomatic sides. Results: The symptomatic side, compared to the asymptomatic side, presented signi cantly decreased PPT in the rst (P=0.011; 423.81±174.05 kPa vs 480.13±214.99 kPa) and second (P=0.023; 288.88±140.80 kPa vs 326.38±137.33 kPa) divisions of the trigeminal nerve, significantly increased TDT in the first (P=0.002; 2.44±0.40 vs 1.74±0.24) and second (P=0.016; 1.92±0.34 vs 1.67±0.09) divisions, and increased 2PDT in the rst division (P=0.004; 18.13±4.70 mm vs 15.0±4.92 mm) and neck (P=0.007; 45.31±20.65 mm vs 38.44±16.10 mm). Conclusion: These results support the prior evidence suggesting a specific pattern of alteration of sensory function with alterations in the symptomatic side compared to the asymp- tomatic side