El asiento de avería y el origen de la compañía privilegiada en España

El presente artículo analiza cómo la autonomía patrimonial del capital destinado a la organización de las flotas con América acabó adquiriendo la forma de una verdadera compañía privilegiada de comercio, antecedente directo de la actual sociedad anónima, cuando la Corona dejó por entero a los particulares la administración de la avería a través del sistema de asientos. Los paralelismos de los asientos con las compañías llegaron a ser tan grandes que los funcionarios a quienes el conde-duque de Olivares encomendó el estudio de las compañías extranjeras, con objeto de introducirlas en España, vieron en los asientos una verdadera compañía privilegiada.This paper analyses how the progressive autonomy of the capital used to arrange the treasure fleets from Seville to America derived in a real chartered company, a precedent of today’s joint-stock company, when the Crown finally privatised it through the asientos de avería. The parallelism among the asientos and the companies were so noticeable that the public officers appointed by the Count-Duke of Olivares to study the foreign companies couldn’t detect any difference between both institutions.Publicad

Comparison of body mass index (BMI) with the CUN-BAE body adiposity estimator in the prediction of hypertension and type 2 diabetes

Background Obesity is a world-wide epidemic whose prevalence is underestimated by BMI measurements, but CUN-BAE (Clínica Universidad de Navarra - Body Adiposity Estimator) estimates the percentage of body fat (BF) while incorporating information on sex and age, thus giving a better match. Our aim is to compare the BMI and CUN-BAE in determining the population attributable fraction (AFp) for obesity as a cause of chronic diseases. Methods We calculated the Pearson correlation coefficient between BMI and CUN-BAE, the Kappa index and the internal validity of the BMI. The risks of arterial hypertension (AHT) and diabetes mellitus (DM) and the AFp for obesity were assessed using both the BMI and CUN-BAE. Results 3888 white subjects were investigated. The overall correlation between BMI and CUN-BAE was R2 = 0.48, which improved when sex and age were taken into account (R2 > 0.90). The Kappa coefficient for diagnosis of obesity was low (28.7 %). The AFp was 50 % higher for DM and double for AHT when CUN-BAE was used. Conclusions The overall correlation between BMI and CUN-BAE was not good. The AFp of obesity for AHT and DM may be underestimated if assessed using the BMI, as may the prevalence of obesity when estimated from the percentage of BF

Efficacy of β-lactam/β-lactamase inhibitors to treat extended-spectrum beta-lactamase-producing Enterobacterales bacteremia secondary to urinary tract infection in kidney transplant recipients (INCREMENT-SOT Project)

REIPI/INCREMENT-SOT Group.[Background] Whether active therapy with β-lactam/β-lactamase inhibitors (BLBLI) is as affective as carbapenems for extended-spectrum β-lactamase-producing Enterobacterales (ESBL-E) bloodstream infection (BSI) secondary to urinary tract infection (UTI) in kidney transplant recipients (KTRs) remains unclear.[Methods] We retrospectively evaluated 306 KTR admitted to 30 centers from January 2014 to October 2016. Therapeutic failure (lack of cure or clinical improvement and/or death from any cause) at days 7 and 30 from ESBL-E BSI onset was the primary and secondary study outcomes, respectively.[Results] Therapeutic failure at days 7 and 30 occurred in 8.2% (25/306) and 13.4% (41/306) of patients. Hospital-acquired BSI (adjusted OR [aOR]: 4.10; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.50-11.20) and Pitt score (aOR: 1.47; 95% CI: 1.21-1.77) were independently associated with therapeutic failure at day 7. Age-adjusted Charlson Index (aOR: 1.25; 95% CI: 1.05-1.48), Pitt score (aOR: 1.72; 95% CI: 1.35-2.17), and lymphocyte count ≤500 cells/μL at presentation (aOR: 3.16; 95% CI: 1.42-7.06) predicted therapeutic failure at day 30. Carbapenem monotherapy (68.6%, primarily meropenem) was the most frequent active therapy, followed by BLBLI monotherapy (10.8%, mostly piperacillin-tazobactam). Propensity score (PS)-adjusted models revealed no significant impact of the choice of active therapy (carbapenem-containing vs any other regimen, BLBLI- vs carbapenem-based monotherapy) within the first 72 hours on any of the study outcomes.[Conclusions] Our data suggest that active therapy based on BLBLI may be as effective as carbapenem-containing regimens for ESBL-E BSI secondary to UTI in the specific population of KTR. Potential residual confounding and unpowered sample size cannot be excluded (ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT02852902).This work was supported by: (1) Plan Nacional de I+D+i 2013-2016 and Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII), Subdirección General de Redes y Centros de Investigación Cooperativa, Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades, Spanish Network for Research in Infectious Diseases [RD16/0016/0001, RD16/0016/0002, REIPI RD16/0016/0008; RD16/0016/00010], co-financed by European Development Regional Fund “A way to achieve Europe”, Operative Program Intelligent Growth 2014-2020; (2) European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious diseases Study Group for Infections in Compromised Hosts (ESGICH, grant to J.M.A.); (3) Sociedad Andaluza de Trasplante de Órgano Sólido (SATOT, grant to L.M.M.); (4) Research project PI16/01631 integrated into the Plan Estatal de I+D+I 2013-2016 and co-financed by the ISCIII-Subdirección General de Evaluación y Fomento de la Investigación and the Fondo Europeo de Desarrollo Regional (FEDER); (5) M.F.R. holds a research contract “Miguel Servet” (CP 18/00073) from ISCIII, Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades. The work was also supported by the following European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious diseases (ESCMID) study groups: Infections in Compromised Hosts (ESGICH), Bloodstream Infections and Sepsis (ESGBIS) and Antimicrobial Resistance Surveillance (ESGARS).Peer reviewe

Protection and consolidation of stone heritage by self-inoculation with indigenous carbonatogenic bacterial communities

Enhanced salt weathering resulting from global warming and increasing environmental pollution is endangering the survival of stone monuments and artworks. To mitigate the effects of these deleterious processes, numerous conservation treatments have been applied that, however, show limited efficacy. Here we present a novel, environmentally friendly, bacterial self-inoculation approach for the conservation of stone, based on the isolation of an indigenous community of carbonatogenic bacteria from salt damaged stone, followed by their culture and re-application back onto the same stone. This method results in an effective consolidation and protection due to the formation of an abundant and exceptionally strong hybrid cement consisting of nanostructured bacterial CaCO3 and bacterially derived organics, and the passivating effect of bacterial exopolymeric substances (EPS) covering the substrate. The fact that the isolated and identified bacterial community is common to many stone artworks may enable worldwide application of this novel conservation methodology.This work was supported by the Spanish Government (Grants MAT2012-37584, CGL2012-35992 and CGL2015-70642-R), the Junta de Andalucía through Proyecto de excelencia RNM-3493 and Project P11-RNM-7550, the Research Groups BIO 103 and RNM-179, and the University of Granada (Unidad Científica de Excelencia UCE-PP2016-05). Additional funds were provided by the Molecular Foundry (Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, LBNL, University of California, Berkeley, CA) for a research stay of M.S. (project #1451; User Agreement No. NPUSR009206)

Age, Successive Waves, Immunization, and Mortality in Elderly COVID-19 Haematological Patients: EPICOVIDEHA Findings

Introduction: elderly patients with haematologic malignancies face the highest risk of severe COVID-19 outcomes. The infection impact in different age groups remains unstudied in detail. Methods: We analysed elderly patients (age groups: 65-70, 71-75, 76-80 and >80 years old) with hematologic malignancies included in the EPICOVIDEHA registry between January 2020 and July 2022. Univariable and multivariable Cox regression models were conducted to identify factors influencing death in COVID-19 patients with haematological malignancy. results: the study included data from 3,603 elderly patients (aged 65 or older) with haematological malignancy, with a majority being male (58.1%) and a significant proportion having comorbidities. The patients were divided into four age groups, and the analysis assessed COVID-19 outcomes, vaccination status, and other variables in relation to age and pandemic waves.tThe 90-day survival rate for patients with COVID-19 was 71.2%, with significant differences between groups. The pandemic waves had varying impacts, with the first wave affecting patients over 80 years old, the second being more severe in 65-70, and the third being the least severe in all age groups. factors contributing to 90-day mortality included age, comorbidities, lymphopenia, active malignancy, acute leukaemia, less than three vaccine doses, severe COVID-19, and using only corticosteroids as treatment. Conclusions: These data underscore the heterogeneity of elderly haematological patients, highlight the different impact of COVID waves and the pivotal importance of vaccination, and may help in planning future healthcare efforts

Role of age and comorbidities in mortality of patients with infective endocarditis

Purpose: The aim of this study was to analyse the characteristics of patients with IE in three groups of age and to assess the ability of age and the Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI) to predict mortality. Methods: Prospective cohort study of all patients with IE included in the GAMES Spanish database between 2008 and 2015. Patients were stratified into three age groups:<65 years, 65 to 80 years, and = 80 years.The area under the receiver-operating characteristic (AUROC) curve was calculated to quantify the diagnostic accuracy of the CCI to predict mortality risk. Results: A total of 3120 patients with IE (1327 < 65 years;1291 65-80 years;502 = 80 years) were enrolled.Fever and heart failure were the most common presentations of IE, with no differences among age groups.Patients =80 years who underwent surgery were significantly lower compared with other age groups (14.3%, 65 years; 20.5%, 65-79 years; 31.3%, =80 years). In-hospital mortality was lower in the <65-year group (20.3%, <65 years;30.1%, 65-79 years;34.7%, =80 years;p < 0.001) as well as 1-year mortality (3.2%, <65 years; 5.5%, 65-80 years;7.6%, =80 years; p = 0.003).Independent predictors of mortality were age = 80 years (hazard ratio [HR]:2.78;95% confidence interval [CI]:2.32–3.34), CCI = 3 (HR:1.62; 95% CI:1.39–1.88), and non-performed surgery (HR:1.64;95% CI:11.16–1.58).When the three age groups were compared, the AUROC curve for CCI was significantly larger for patients aged <65 years(p < 0.001) for both in-hospital and 1-year mortality. Conclusion: There were no differences in the clinical presentation of IE between the groups. Age = 80 years, high comorbidity (measured by CCI), and non-performance of surgery were independent predictors of mortality in patients with IE.CCI could help to identify those patients with IE and surgical indication who present a lower risk of in-hospital and 1-year mortality after surgery, especially in the <65-year group

Real-Life Use of Ceftolozane/Tazobactam for the Treatment of Bloodstream Infection Due to Pseudomonas aeruginosa in Neutropenic Hematologic Patients: a Matched Control Study (ZENITH Study)

We sought to assess the characteristics and outcomes of neutropenic hematologic patients with Pseudomonas aeruginosa (PA) bloodstream infection (BSI) treated with ceftolozane-tazobactam (C/T). We conducted a multicenter, international, matched-cohort study of PA BSI episodes in neutropenic hematologic patients who received C/T. Controls were patients with PA BSI treated with other antibiotics. Risk factors for overall 7-day and 30-day case fatality rates were analyzed. We compared 44 cases with 88 controls. Overall, 91% of episodes were caused by multidrug-resistant (MDR) strains. An endogenous source was the most frequent BSI origin (35.6%), followed by pneumonia (25.8%). There were no significant differences in patient characteristics between groups. C/T was given empirically in 11 patients and as definitive therapy in 41 patients. Treatment with C/T was associated with less need for mechanical ventilation (13.6% versus 33.3%; P = 0.021) and reduced 7-day (6.8% versus 34.1%; P = 0.001) and 30-day (22.7% versus 48.9%; P = 0.005) mortality. In the multivariate analysis, pneumonia, profound neutropenia, and persistent BSI were independent risk factors for 30-day mortality, whereas lower mortality was found among patients treated with C/T (adjusted OR [aOR] of 0.19; confidence interval [CI] 95% of 0.07 to 0.55; P = 0.002). Therapy with C/T was associated with less need for mechanical ventilation and reduced 7-day and 30-day case fatality rates compared to alternative agents in neutropenic hematologic patients with PA BSI. IMPORTANCE Ceftolozane-tazobactam (C/T) has been shown to be a safe and effective alternative for the treatment of difficult to treat infections due to Pseudomonas aeruginosa (PA) in the general nonimmunocompromised population. However, the experience of this agent in immunosuppressed neutropenic patients is very limited. Our study is unique because it is focused on extremely immunosuppressed hematological patients with neutropenia and bloodstream infection (BSI) due to PA (mainly multidrug resistant [MDR]), a scenario which is often associated with very high mortality rates. In our study, we found that the use of C/T for the treatment of MDR PA BSI in hematological neutropenic patients was significantly associated with improved outcomes, and, in addition, it was found to be an independent risk factor associated with increased survival. To date, this is the largest series involving neutropenic hematologic patients with PA BSI treated with C/T

Management of multidrug resistant Gram-negative bacilli infections in solid organ transplant recipients: SET/GESITRA-SEIMC/REIPI recommendations

Solid organ transplant (SOT) recipients are especially at risk of developing infections by multidrug resistant (MDR) Gram-negative bacilli (GNB), as they are frequently exposed to antibiotics and the healthcare setting, and are regulary subject to invasive procedures. Nevertheless, no recommendations concerning prevention and treatment are available. A panel of experts revised the available evidence; this document summarizes their recommendations: (1) it is important to characterize the isolate´s phenotypic and genotypic resistance profile; (2) overall, donor colonization should not constitute a contraindication to transplantation, although active infected kidney and lung grafts should be avoided; (3) recipient colonization is associated with an increased risk of infection, but is not a contraindication to transplantation; (4) different surgical prophylaxis regimens are not recommended for patients colonized with carbapenem-resistant GNB; (5) timely detection of carriers, contact isolation precautions, hand hygiene compliance and antibiotic control policies are important preventive measures; (6) there is not sufficient data to recommend intestinal decolonization; (7) colonized lung transplant recipients could benefit from prophylactic inhaled antibiotics, specially for Pseudomonas aeruginosa; (8) colonized SOT recipients should receive an empirical treatment which includes active antibiotics, and directed therapy should be adjusted according to susceptibility study results and the severity of the infection.J.T.S. holds a research contract from the Fundación para la Formación e Investigación de los Profesionales de la Salud de Extremadura (FundeSalud), Instituto de Salud Carlos III. M.F.R. holds a clinical research contract “Juan Rodés” (JR14/00036) from the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness, Instituto de Salud Carlos III

Guidelines for the use and interpretation of assays for monitoring autophagy (4th edition)1.

In 2008, we published the first set of guidelines for standardizing research in autophagy. Since then, this topic has received increasing attention, and many scientists have entered the field. Our knowledge base and relevant new technologies have also been expanding. Thus, it is important to formulate on a regular basis updated guidelines for monitoring autophagy in different organisms. Despite numerous reviews, there continues to be confusion regarding acceptable methods to evaluate autophagy, especially in multicellular eukaryotes. Here, we present a set of guidelines for investigators to select and interpret methods to examine autophagy and related processes, and for reviewers to provide realistic and reasonable critiques of reports that are focused on these processes. These guidelines are not meant to be a dogmatic set of rules, because the appropriateness of any assay largely depends on the question being asked and the system being used. Moreover, no individual assay is perfect for every situation, calling for the use of multiple techniques to properly monitor autophagy in each experimental setting. Finally, several core components of the autophagy machinery have been implicated in distinct autophagic processes (canonical and noncanonical autophagy), implying that genetic approaches to block autophagy should rely on targeting two or more autophagy-related genes that ideally participate in distinct steps of the pathway. Along similar lines, because multiple proteins involved in autophagy also regulate other cellular pathways including apoptosis, not all of them can be used as a specific marker for bona fide autophagic responses. Here, we critically discuss current methods of assessing autophagy and the information they can, or cannot, provide. Our ultimate goal is to encourage intellectual and technical innovation in the field