Malófagos encontrados sobre pollos de Garza imperial Ardea purpurea y Garceta común Egretta garzetta en la Albufera de Mallorca

Mallophaga found on chicks of purple heron Ardea purpurea and little egret Egretta garzetta at S’Albufera de Mallorca. We describe the species of chewing lice found on ten purple heron Ardea purpurea) chicks and seven little egret Egretta garzetta chicks inspected in S’Albufera de Mallorca Natural Park (Balearic Islands, Spain) in 2008. Ardeicola leucoproctus was found on the head of one of the herons, whereas Ciconiphilus decimphastiatus was detected on the wings of two other herons and in five egrets. This is the first observation of A. leucoproctus in Europe, though it is known to parasitize the purple heron in other locations. Ciconiphilus decimphastiatus has been described parasitizing Ardeid species in the Iberian peninsula but not in the Balearic Islands. The transmission of these parasites probably follows a vertical route. The low prevalence observed, together with the detection of species typical of Ardeidae, may indicate that the birds inspected were in a condition of good health

Lice and ticks parasitizing Audouin's Gull Larus audouinii Payraudeau, 7826 (Aves, Laridae) in the Chafarinas Islands (W Mediterranean)

Data on lice and ticks parasitizing gulls are scarce. Here data on 58 adult and 10 young Audouin's gulls from the Chafarinas lslands are provided. Three species of chewing lice Austromenopon transversum (prevalencelmean intensity: 20%-2), Koeniginirmus punctatus (100%-15.5). and Saemundssonia lari (10%-3.2) and one tick Ornithodoros maritimus (100%-18) were found. A. transversum, S. lari, and 0. maritimus are recorded for the first time for L. audouinii Key words: Chewing lice, Ticks, Larus audouinii.Data on lice and ticks parasitizing gulls are scarce. Here data on 58 adult and 10 young Audouin's gulls from the Chafarinas lslands are provided. Three species of chewing lice Austromenopon transversum (prevalencelmean intensity: 20%-2), Koeniginirmus punctatus (100%-15.5). and Saemundssonia lari (10%-3.2) and one tick Ornithodoros maritimus (100%-18) were found. A. transversum, S. lari, and 0. maritimus are recorded for the first time for L. audouinii Key words: Chewing lice, Ticks, Larus audouinii.Data on lice and ticks parasitizing gulls are scarce. Here data on 58 adult and 10 young Audouin's gulls from the Chafarinas lslands are provided. Three species of chewing lice Austromenopon transversum (prevalencelmean intensity: 20%-2), Koeniginirmus punctatus (100%-15.5). and Saemundssonia lari (10%-3.2) and one tick Ornithodoros maritimus (100%-18) were found. A. transversum, S. lari, and 0. maritimus are recorded for the first time for L. audouinii Key words: Chewing lice, Ticks, Larus audouinii

Specific bioelectrical impedance vector analysis (BIVA) is more accurate than classic BIVA to detect changes in body composition and in nutritional status in institutionalised elderly with dementia

A new analytical variation of bioelectrical impedance vector analysis (BIVA), called specific BIVA, has shown to be more accurate in detecting changes in fat mass than classic BIVA.To compare classic and specific BIVA in order to identify which is more strongly associated with psycho-functional and nutritional indicators in a group of institutionalised elderly patients with dementia.Cross-sectional study. Fifty-four patients (34 women, 20 men) with dementia in moderately severe to very severe stages and aged 60–95years underwent geriatric nutritional assessment, including body mass index calculations, the Mini Nutritional Assessment, the Geriatric Nutritional Risk Index, and whole body composition analysis.With specific BIVA (unlike with classic BIVA), significant differences were found between women with moderately severe and very severe dementia. In the BIVA conducted for body mass index, the confidence ellipses produced with the classic BIVA approach were highly overlapping; but with specific BIVA, significant differences were observed between the women in different nutritional categories (malnutrition, risk of malnutrition, normal weight and obesity). On the other hand, both approaches distinguished malnourished women from those who were at risk of malnutrition, according to the Mini Nutritional Assessment; and men with a moderate-high risk of malnutrition from men with no risk, on the basis of the Geriatric Nutritional Risk Index.Overall, the findings of the present study suggest that specific BIVA is more effective than classic BIVA in identifying bioelectrical changes associated with psycho-functional and nutritional indicators in institutionalised elderly with dementia

Bioimpedance vector analysis and conventional bioimpedance to assess body composition in older adults with dementia

Producción CientíficaAlthough dementia and nutritional status have been shown to be strongly associated, differences in body composition (BC) among older people with dementia have not yet been firmly established. The aim of this study was to assess BC through conventional and vector bioimpedance analysis (BIA and BIVA, respectively) in a sample of institutionalized older men with and without dementia, in order to detect dementia-related BC changes.Forty-one institutionalized men ages ≥65 y (23 without dementia [CG] and 18 with dementia [DG]) were measured with BIA and interpreted with BIVA and predictive equations.Age (74.4 and 75.7 y) and body mass index (22.5 and 23.6 kg/m 2 ) were similar for DG and CG, respectively. Resistance and ratio of resistance to height did not differ significantly between the two groups. Reactance and ratio of reactance to height were 21.2% and 20.4% lower in DG than in CG. Phase angle was significantly lower in DG (mean = 4.0; 95% confidence interval [CI], 3.6°–4.3°) than in CG (mean = 4.7; 95% CI, 4.3°–5.1°). Mean fat mass index (6 and 7 kg/m 2 ), and mean fat-free mass index (16.4 and 16.6 kg/m 2 ) were similar in both groups. BIVA showed a significant downward migration of the ellipse in DG with respect to CG (T 2 = 15.1; P < 0.01).Conventional BIA showed no significant differences in BC between DG and CG, although reactance and ratio of reactance to height were about 21% lower in DG. Nevertheless, a body cell mass depletion and an increase in the ratio of extracellular to intracellular water were identified in DG using BIVA. BIVA reflects dementia-related changes in BC better than BI

Presencia de malnutrición y riesgo de malnutrición en ancianos institucionalizados con demencia en función del tipo y estadío evolutivo

Producción CientíficaDeterminar si existen diferencias en el estado nutricional de los pacientes con demencia en función del tipo y la severidad de la misma. Método: Mediante un estudio transversal se realizó una valoración del estado nutricional (valoración antropométrica, Mini Nutricional Assessment, protocolo de Chang) en 83 ancianos institucionalizados con diagnóstico de demencia en estadíos evolutivos 5, 6 y 7 de las escalas GDS (Global Deterioration Scale) y FAST (Functional Assessment Stating). Los resultados se analizaron mediante los tests Chi-cuadrado, ANOVA o Kruskal-Wallis, contrastes a posteriori de Scheffé y test de tendencia lineal. La significación se alcanzó con p < 0,05. Resultados: La edad media de los residentes fue de 81,22 años. El IMC reveló que el 21% de la muestra presentaba riesgo de malnutrición y el 14,5% malnutrición por defecto. En cambio, el MNA clasificó al 56,6% de los residentes en situación de riesgo de malnutrición y al 41% con malnutrición. Según el método de Chang el porcentaje de pacientes malnutridos ascendió al 75,9%. Ninguna de estas variables mostró asociación con el tipo de demencia. Se observó una asociación significativa entre el estadío evolutivo de la demencia y el IMC (p = 0,004), MNA (p = 0,002 y p = 0,006 para la puntuación y la categoría, respectivamente), circunferencia muscular del brazo (p = 0,043) y circunferencia de la pantorrilla (p = 0,043); aunque no para el porcentaje de masa grasa ni para el diagnóstico nutricional establecido por el método de Chang (grado y tipo de MN). El test de tendencia lineal confirmó que tanto las puntuaciones del MNA y del IMC, como los valores de la circunferencia muscular del brazo y de la circunferencia de la pantorrilla fueron menores en los estadíos de demencia más severos. Conclusión: Independientemente del tipo de demencia, la presencia de malnutrición en ancianos institucionalizados aumenta conforme lo hace el estadío evolutivo de la misma

Cambios en la composición corporal en función del grado de demencia en un grupo de ancianos institucionalizados

Producción CientíficaValorar el estado nutricional de un grupo de ancianos institucionalizados con demencia, analizando los cambios en la composición corporal en función de su estadío evolutivo. Método: Se ha realizado un estudio transversal en el que se valoró el estado nutricional y la composición corporal (antropometría, MNA, y bioimpedancia) en 63 ancianos institucionalizados con diagnóstico de demencia en estadíos evolutivos 5, 6 y 7 de las escalas GDS (Global Deterioration Scale) y FAST (Functional Assessment Stating). Se calcularon los índices de masa grasa (IMG) y de masa libre de grasa (IMLG). Los resultados se analizaron mediante el ANOVA de un factor y ANOVA factorial o Kruskal-Wallis, y contrastes a posteriori de Scheffé. La significación se alcanzó con p < 0,05. Resultados: La media de edad fue 80,6 (IC 95%: 78,3-83,0; Rango: 51-95) años. Según el MNA, el 38,1% de la muestra presentaba malnutrición, el 60,3% riesgo de malnutrición, y el 1,6% normalidad nutricional. La media del índice de masa corporal fue 23,06 (22,01-24,10) kg/m2, sin diferencias significativas en función del estadío evolutivo, salvo en los paliativos (media: 19,85; IC 95%: 78,3-83,0 kg/m2). Los pacientes en estadíos GDS/FAST 5, 6 y 7 no paliativos presentan una Z-Score del IMG próxima a 0 DS, y una Z-Score del IMLG de aproximadamente -1 DS, resultados compatibles con una situación de sarcopenia. En los paliativos (GDS/FAST >= 7c) ambos índices son significativamente inferiore

Efecto de la realimentación en la composición corporal de mujeres con anorexia nerviosa restrictiva; antropometría frente a impedancia bioeléctrica

Objetivo: Evaluar la composición corporal en un grupo de pacientes desnutridas con anorexia nerviosa, respecto de controles sanas, antes y después del soporte nutricional, mediante antropometría y bioimpedancia. Métodos: Estudio observacional prospectivo. Se realizó una antropometría completa y un análisis de bioimpedancia a 12 mujeres con anorexia nerviosa restrictiva (24,5 años) al ingreso hospitalario y semanalmente durante la realimentación. El grupo control estuvo formado por 24 mujeres sanas (21 años). Se aplicaron los test t-Student, U-Mann-Whitney, t-Student para medidas repetidas o Wilcoxon. La concordancia entre antropometría y BIA se analizó mediante el coeficiente de correlación intraclase y Bland-Altman. Resultados: Las pacientes mejoraron significativamente todos los índices de composición corporal a lo largo de la estancia hospitalaria, aunque sus valores al alta siguieron siendo menores que los de las controles. La media de peso ganado fue 5,22 kg (DE: 1,42), de los que el 51,4% fueron masa grasa, con distribución central preferentemente. En las controles la ecuación de BIA que mejor concuerda con antropometría es la de Sun (CCI = 0,896); en las pacientes la concordancia fue más débil, al ingreso y al alta. Conclusiones: La realimentación produce una ganancia ponderal, fundamentalmente a expensas de masa grasa, con distribución central; no se consigue restablecer el estado nutricional. La concordancia entre antropometría y bioimpedancia para el estudio de la composición corporal es aceptable, especialmente en sujetos sanos. Se recomienda emplear antropometría, si no se dispone de BIA vectorial o algún método gold estandard para el análisis de la composición corporal, en casos de alteraciones importantes en la composición corporal y/o el balance hídrico

Comparative Study of Infliximab Versus Adalimumab in Refractory Uveitis Due to Behçet's Disease: National Multicenter Study of 177 Cases

Objective: To compare the efficacy of infliximab (IFX) versus adalimumab (ADA) as a first-line biologic drug over 1 year of treatment in a large series of patients with refractory uveitis due to Behçet's disease (BD). Methods: We conducted an open-label multicenter study of IFX versus ADA for BD-related uveitis refractory to conventional nonbiologic treatment. IFX or ADA was chosen as the first-line biologic agent based on physician and patient agreement. Patients received 3-5 mg/kg intravenous IFX at 0, 2, and 6 weeks and every 4-8 weeks thereafter, or 40 mg subcutaneous ADA every other week without a loading dose. Ocular parameters were compared between the 2 groups. Results: The study included 177 patients (316 affected eyes), of whom 103 received IFX and 74 received ADA. There were no significant baseline differences between treatment groups in main demographic features, previous therapy, or ocular sign severity. After 1 year of therapy, we observed an improvement in all ocular parameters in both groups. However, patients receiving ADA had significantly better outcomes in some parameters, including improvement in anterior chamber inflammation (92.31% versus 78.18% for IFX; P = 0.06), improvement in vitritis (93.33% versus 78.95% for IFX; P = 0.04), and best-corrected visual acuity (mean ± SD 0.81 ± 0.26 versus 0.67 ± 0.34 for IFX; P = 0.001). A nonsignificant difference was seen for macular thickness (mean ± SD 250.62 ± 36.85 for ADA versus 264.89 ± 59.74 for IFX; P = 0.15), and improvement in retinal vasculitis was similar between the 2 groups (95% for ADA versus 97% for IFX; P = 0.28). The drug retention rate was higher in the ADA group (95.24% versus 84.95% for IFX; P = 0.042). Conclusion: Although both IFX and ADA are efficacious in refractory BD-related uveitis, ADA appears to be associated with better outcomes than IFX after 1 year of follow-up

Role of the IL33 and IL1RL1 pathway in the pathogenesis of Immunoglobulin A vasculitis

Cytokines signalling pathway genes are crucial factors of the genetic network underlying the pathogenesis of Immunoglobulin-A vasculitis (IgAV), an inflammatory vascular condition. An influence of the interleukin (IL)33- IL1 receptor like (IL1RL)1 signalling pathway on the increased risk of several immune-mediated diseases has been described. Accordingly, we assessed whether the IL33-IL1RL1 pathway represents a novel genetic risk factor for IgAV. Three tag polymorphisms within IL33 (rs3939286, rs7025417 and rs7044343) and three within IL1RL1 (rs2310173, rs13015714 and rs2058660), that also were previously associated with several inflammatory diseases, were genotyped in 380 Caucasian IgAV patients and 845 matched healthy controls. No genotypes or alleles differences were observed between IgAV patients and controls when IL33 and IL1RL1 variants were analysed independently. Likewise, no statistically significant differences were found in IL33 or IL1RL1 genotype and allele frequencies when IgAV patients were stratified according to the age at disease onset or to the presence/absence of gastrointestinal (GI) or renal manifestations. Similar results were disclosed when IL33 and IL1RL1 haplotypes were compared between IgAV patients and controls and between IgAV patients stratified according to the clinical characteristics mentioned above. Our results suggest that the IL33-IL1RL1 signalling pathway does not contribute to the genetic network underlying IgAV.Acknowledgements: We are indebted to the patients and healthy controls for their essential collaboration to this study. We also thank the National DNA Bank Repository (Salamanca) for supplying part of the control samples. This study was supported by European Union FEDER funds and `Fondo de Investigaciones Sanitarias´ (Grant PI18/00042) from ‘Instituto de Salud Carlos III’ (ISCIII, Health Ministry, Spain). DP-P is a recipient of a Río Hortega programme fellowship from the ISCIII, co-funded by the European Social Fund (ESF, `Investing in your future´) (Grant Number CM20/00006). SR-M is supported by funds of the RETICS Program (RD16/0012/0009) (ISCIII, cofunded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF)). VP-C is supported by a pre-doctoral grant from IDIVAL (PREVAL 18/01). BA-M is a recipient of a `López Albo´ Post-Residency Programme funded by Servicio Cántabro de Salud. LL-G is supported by funds from IDIVAL (INNVAL20/06). OG is staff personnel of Xunta de Galicia (Servizo Galego de Saude (SERGAS)) through a research-staff stabilization contract (ISCIII/SERGAS) and his work is funded by ISCIII and the European Union FEDER fund (Grant Numbers RD16/0012/0014 (RIER) and PI17/00409). He is beneficiary of project funds from the Research Executive Agency (REA) of the European Union in the framework of MSCA-RISE Action of the H2020 Programme, project 734899—Olive-Net. RL-M is a recipient of a Miguel Servet type I programme fellowship from the ISCIII, co-funded by ESF (`Investing in your future´) (Grant Number CP16/00033)

The new multi-frequency instrument (MFI2) for the QUIJOTE facility in Tenerife

The QUIJOTE (Q-U-I joint Tenerife) experiment combines the operation of two radio-telescopes and three instruments working in the microwave bands 10?20 GHz, 26-36 GHz and 35-47 GHz at the Teide Observatory, Tenerife, and has already been presented in previous SPIE meetings (Hoyland, R. J. et al, 2012; Rubiño-Martín et al., 2012). The Cosmology group at the IAC have designed a new upgrade to the MFI instrument in the band 10-20 GHz. The aim of the QUIJOTE telescopes is to characterise the polarised emission of the cosmic microwave background (CMB), as well as galactic and extra-galactic sources, at medium and large angular scales. This MFI2 will continue the survey at even higher sensitivity levels. The MFI2 project led by the Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias (IAC) consists of five polarimeters, three of them operating in the sub-band 10?15 GHz, and two in the sub-band 15-20 GHz. The MFI2 instrument is expected to be a full two-three times more sensitive than the former MFI. The microwave complex correlator design has been replaced by a simple correlator design with a digital back-end based on the latest Xilinx FPGAs (ZCU111). During the first half of 2019 the manufacture of the new cryostat was completed and since then the opto-mechanical components have been designed and manufactured. It is expected that the cryogenic front-end will be completed by the end of 2022 along with the FPGA acquisition and observing system. This digital system has been employed to be more robust against stray ground-based and satellite interference, having a frequency resolution of 1 MHz.The MFI2 instrument is being developed by the Instituto de Astrofisica de Canarias (IAC), with an instrumental participation from the Universidad Politecnica de Cartagena (UPCT). Partial financial support is provided by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (MICINN), under the projects AYA2017-84185-P, IACA15-BE-3707, EQC2018-004918-P and the FEDER Agreement INSIDE-OOCC (ICTS-2019-03-IAC-12). We also acknowledge financial support of the Severo Ochoa Programs SEV-2015-0548 and CEX2019-000920-S