Is there a role for aromatic plants in blue tit (Cyanistes caeruleus) nests? Results from a correlational and an experimental study

Open access funding provided by FCT|FCCN (b-on). The research was financed by Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia through the strategic program of MARE (MARE-UID/MAR/04292/2020), the project LA/P/0069/2020 granted to the Associate Laboratory ARNET, and the transitory norm contract DL57/2016/CP1370/CT89 to ACN. JG-B was supported by an AUIP Mobility Grant, by a FPU Pre-doctoral contract (FPU18/03034) from the Spanish Ministry of Education and by a research project of the National Plan of the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (CGL2017-84938-P). SIA was supported by ‘Programa de financiamiento parcial para estadías en el exterior para becarios postdoctorales’ from Argentinian National Scientific and Technical Research Council and ‘Becas de movilidad con perspectiva de género’ from Production, Science and Technology Ministry of Santa Fe Province, Argentina.The utility of fresh green material in avian nests is still not fully understood. Potential explanations include the effects of plants' volatile compounds on parasite reduction (nest protection hypothesis) or direct beneficial effects on nestling condition (drug hypothesis). We used correlative data collected during 2020 and 2021 in a Mediterranean population of blue tits (Cyanistes caeruleus) as well as experimental data (aromatic nest content manipulation) to assess the effects of aromatic plant use on nestling physiological condition and survival, nest-dwelling ectoparasitic pressure and its relationship with breeding parameters. We found that aromatic plants were disproportionally used in relation to their abundance in the environment and that their use was positively related to egg mass (but only in 2020). Blowflies and facultative parasitic mites were more frequent in nests with aromatics compared to nests without aromatics, but obligatory parasitic mites were less abundant in nests with aromatics. However, no effects of aromatic plants were observed on nestling haemoglobin levels nor erythrocyte sedimentation rate or other physiological health metrics, but the heterophil to lymphocyte ratio was higher in nests with the highest quantity of aromatics. The artificial addition of mint reduced the flea abundance, but 7-day old nestlings showed significantly lower colour saturation and brightness in the mouth flange. Nestling survival to fledging was not related to aromatic plant use. Therefore, our results partially support a beneficial effect of aromatic plants in blue tit nests because some ectoparasite groups were reduced. Immediate effects on nestling physiology or survival could not be established. Significance statement: Some avian species place fresh aromatic plant material in their nests, and several non-mutually exclusive hypotheses have been proposed to explain its potential functions. In this study, we use both correlational and experimental data from a blue tit population to test two hypotheses, namely the 'nest protection hypothesis' and the 'drug hypothesis'. The first one proposes that aromatic plants have direct repellent effects against ectoparasites, while the latter poses that these plant components benefit nestling condition through the stimulation of some components of the immune system. Our results suggest that some ectoparasites, such as fleas and obligatory parasitic mites, were less abundant in nests where aromatic plants were artificially or naturally added, respectively, but no relationships were detected with nestling physiology or survival, which could be partially explained by our small sample size. Our study partially supports a beneficial effect of aromatic plants in avian nests.FCT|FCCN (b-on)Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (MARE-UID/MAR/04292/2020)Associate Laboratory ARNET LA/P/0069/2020AUIP Mobility Grant DL57/2016/CP1370/CT89Spanish Ministry of Education (FPU18/03034)National Plan of the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (CGL2017-84938-P)Argentinian National Scientific and Technical Research CouncilProduction, Science and Technology Ministry of Santa Fe Province, Argentin

Begging calls and mouth colouration as predictors of breeding success in blue tits

Nestlings normally exhibit a mix of traits that attract parental care, such as postural and vocal begging and carotenoid-based mouth colouration. These signals are hypothesised to be signs of nestling needs (vocal begging) and quality (mouth colouration). Therefore, we hypothesised that broods, where nestlings beg for less time and display more saturated carotenoid-based mouth colouration, would have lower nestling mortality. We tested these predictions in two wild blue tit (Cyanistes caeruleus) populations. The breeding success (here defined as the proportion of eggs that produced fledglings) was related to nestling mouth flanges’ carotenoid-based colour saturation. This means that blue tits that raised nestlings with more coloured flanges had a higher within-population breeding success. Time spent in vocal begging, by contrast, was not associated with breeding success. Hence, our findings reveal that some communication signals displayed by nestlings (carotenoid-based colouration) predict breeding success, in our study mostly reflecting the proportion of eggs that hatched, while begging intensity does not, probably because the former reflects a better maternal pre-laying condition and nestling physiological status in the mid-term.Project of the Consejería de Universidad, Investigación e Innovación de la Junta de Andalucía (A-RNM-48-UGR20), "una manera de hacer Europa", and a project from the National Plan of the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competition (CGL2017-84938-P), both cofinanced with FEDER funds from the European Union (EU), the Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT) through the strategic MARE program (MARE-UID/MAR/04292/2020)Project granted to the Associate Laboratory ARNET (LA/P/0069/2020)AUIP mobility grant and a FPU Pre-doctoral contract (FPU18/03034) from the Spanish Ministry of EducationThe transitory norm contract DL57/2016/CP1370/CT89Funding for open access charge by Universidad de Granda/CBUA

SALMANTICOR study. Rationale and design of a population-based study to identify structural heart disease abnormalities: a spatial and machine learning analysis

[EN]Introduction: This study aims to obtain data on the prevalence and incidence of structural heart disease in a population setting and, to analyse and present those data on the application of spatial and machine learning methods that, although known to geography and statistics, need to become used for healthcare research and for political commitment to obtain resources and support effective public health programme implementation. Methods and analysis: We will perform a cross-sectional survey of randomly selected residents of Salamanca (Spain). 2400 individuals stratified by age and sex and by place of residence (rural and urban) will be studied. The variables to analyse will be obtained from the clinical history, different surveys including social status, Mediterranean diet, functional capacity, ECG, echocardiogram, VASERA and biochemical as well as genetic analysis. Ethics and dissemination: The study has been approved by the ethical committee of the healthcare community. All study participants will sign an informed consent for participation in the study. The results of this study will allow the understanding of the relationship between the different influencing factors and their relative importance weights in the development of structural heart disease

Reducing the environmental impact of surgery on a global scale: systematic review and co-prioritization with healthcare workers in 132 countries

Abstract Background Healthcare cannot achieve net-zero carbon without addressing operating theatres. The aim of this study was to prioritize feasible interventions to reduce the environmental impact of operating theatres. Methods This study adopted a four-phase Delphi consensus co-prioritization methodology. In phase 1, a systematic review of published interventions and global consultation of perioperative healthcare professionals were used to longlist interventions. In phase 2, iterative thematic analysis consolidated comparable interventions into a shortlist. In phase 3, the shortlist was co-prioritized based on patient and clinician views on acceptability, feasibility, and safety. In phase 4, ranked lists of interventions were presented by their relevance to high-income countries and low–middle-income countries. Results In phase 1, 43 interventions were identified, which had low uptake in practice according to 3042 professionals globally. In phase 2, a shortlist of 15 intervention domains was generated. In phase 3, interventions were deemed acceptable for more than 90 per cent of patients except for reducing general anaesthesia (84 per cent) and re-sterilization of ‘single-use’ consumables (86 per cent). In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for high-income countries were: introducing recycling; reducing use of anaesthetic gases; and appropriate clinical waste processing. In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for low–middle-income countries were: introducing reusable surgical devices; reducing use of consumables; and reducing the use of general anaesthesia. Conclusion This is a step toward environmentally sustainable operating environments with actionable interventions applicable to both high– and low–middle–income countries

ODD 17. ApS les histoires de vie comme technique d’apprentissage social et éducatif

El proyecto ODS17 ApS "Historia de Vica como técnica de aprendizaje social y educativo" busca analizar la introducción de una metodología pedagógica, la técnica de “historias de vida”, en el aprendizaje del estudiantado de Trabajo Social, su transformación y repercusiones, así como dar a conocer los ODS en relación a la temática y las competencias transversales Esta técnica es el sello identificador de una forma de empirismo, que insiste en una aproximación humanista a la realidad social (Pujada, 2002). La técnica de la historia de vida se toma como punto de referencia o hilo conductor desde el que trabajar los contenidos de la asignatura “Intermediación, Inserción y Prospección Laboral”. Ello supone una opción para descubrir una nueva e interesante forma de fijar el conocimiento asociando teoría y práctica, comprometiéndose a la reflexión y teorización, Se trabajan temáticas de análisis social, económico, político o cultural, profundizando en la historia, el género, las migraciones, la sanidad o laboral. Se trata de una forma diferente de construir y reflexionar el conocimiento a partir del conjunto de experiencias de los relatos de las personas mayores, familiares y profesionales, de modo que los/as estudiantes se sientan partícipes de su propio proceso de aprendizaje, siendo una forma de adquirir competencias propias de la asignatura. Desde el curso académico 2023-2024, la temática central de la historia de vida se centra en vida laboral de los abuelos y abuelas del estudiantado, principalmente. En la actualidad, a través de la metodología Aprendizaje Servicio, la propuesta busca salir del aula universitaria, ampliándose y enriqueciéndose.. Así se ha conformado un equipo motor coordinado desde la citada asignatura del Departamento de Trabajo Social y Servicios Sociales de la Facultad de Trabajo Social, Universidad Complutense de Madrid, en el que participan miembros de diversos Institutos de Educación Secundaria: IES Cañada Real de Valmojado (Toledo), Escuela Comarcal Arzobispo Morcillo de Valdemoro ( Madrid), IES La Fortuna de Leganés ( Madrid), IES Gerardo Diego, IES San Juan de la Cruz e IES Camilo José Cela de estos tres últimos pertenecientes a Pozuelo de Alarcón ( Madrid), el departamento de Derecho y Trabajo Social de la Facultad de Ciencias Sociales de la Universidad de Salamanca, En este curso se han sumado Eel IES San Isidro de Azuqueca de Heraneres ( Guadalajara), la asociación Jose Luis en Memoria de Constantina ( Sevilla) así como la Oficina de Atención al Estudiante de la Universidad de Extremadura. Por último, se ha constituido el grupo de trabajo de investigación de Historias de Vida como técnica de aprendizaje social y educativo.Universidad Complutense de MadridDepto. de Trabajo Social y Servicios SocialesFac. de Trabajo SocialTRUEsubmitte

Jornadas Nacionales de Robótica y Bioingeniería 2023: Libro de actas

Las Jornadas de Robótica y Bioingeniería de 2023 tienen lugar en la Escuela Técnica Superior de Ingeniería Industrial de la Universidad Politécnica de IVIadrid, entre los días 14 y 16 de junio de 2023. En este evento propiciado por el Comité Español de Automática (CEA) tiene lugar la celebración conjunta de las XII Jornadas Nacionales de Robótica y el XIV Simposio CEA de Bioingeniería. Las Jornadas Nacionales de Robótica es un evento promovido por el Grupo Temático de Robótica (GTRob) de CEA para dar visibilidad y mostrar las actividades desarrolladas en el ámbito de la investigación y transferencia tecnológica en robótica. Asimismo, el propósito de Simposio de Bioingeniería, que cumple ahora su decimocuarta dicción, es el de proporcionar un espacio de encuentro entre investigadores, desabolladores, personal clínico, alumnos, industriales, profesionales en general e incluso usuarios que realicen su actividad en el ámbito de la bioingeniería. Estos eventos se han celebrado de forma conjunta en la anualidad 2023. Esto ha permitido aunar y congregar un elevado número de participantes tanto de la temática robótica como de bioingeniería (investigadores, profesores, desabolladores y profesionales en general), que ha posibilitado establecer puntos de encuentro, sinergias y colaboraciones entre ambos. El programa de las jornadas aúna comunicaciones científicas de los últimos resultados de investigación obtenidos, por los grupos a nivel español más representativos dentro de la temática de robótica y bioingeniería, así como mesas redondas y conferencias en las que se debatirán los temas de mayor interés en la actualidad. En relación con las comunicaciones científicas presentadas al evento, se ha recibido un total de 46 ponencias, lo que sin duda alguna refleja el alto interés de la comunidad científica en las Jornadas de Robótica y Bioingeniería. Estos trabajos serán expuestos y presentados a lo largo de un total de 10 sesiones, distribuidas durante los diferentes días de las Jornadas. Las temáticas de los trabajos cubren los principales retos científicos relacionados con la robótica y la bioingeniería: robótica aérea, submarina, terrestre, percepción del entorno, manipulación, robótica social, robótica médica, teleoperación, procesamiento de señales biológicos, neurorehabilitación etc. Confiamos, y estamos seguros de ello, que el desarrollo de las jornadas sea completamente productivo no solo para los participantes en las Jornadas que podrán establecer nuevos lazos y relaciones fructíferas entre los diferentes grupos, sino también aquellos investigadores que no hayan podido asistir. Este documento que integra y recoge todas las comunicaciones científicas permitirá un análisis más detallado de cada una de las mismas

Contemporary use of cefazolin for MSSA infective endocarditis: analysis of a national prospective cohort

Objectives: This study aimed to assess the real use of cefazolin for methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA) infective endocarditis (IE) in the Spanish National Endocarditis Database (GAMES) and to compare it with antistaphylococcal penicillin (ASP). Methods: Prospective cohort study with retrospective analysis of a cohort of MSSA IE treated with cloxacillin and/or cefazolin. Outcomes assessed were relapse; intra-hospital, overall, and endocarditis-related mortality; and adverse events. Risk of renal toxicity with each treatment was evaluated separately. Results: We included 631 IE episodes caused by MSSA treated with cloxacillin and/or cefazolin. Antibiotic treatment was cloxacillin, cefazolin, or both in 537 (85%), 57 (9%), and 37 (6%) episodes, respectively. Patients treated with cefazolin had significantly higher rates of comorbidities (median Charlson Index 7, P <0.01) and previous renal failure (57.9%, P <0.01). Patients treated with cloxacillin presented higher rates of septic shock (25%, P = 0.033) and new-onset or worsening renal failure (47.3%, P = 0.024) with significantly higher rates of in-hospital mortality (38.5%, P = 0.017). One-year IE-related mortality and rate of relapses were similar between treatment groups. None of the treatments were identified as risk or protective factors. Conclusion: Our results suggest that cefazolin is a valuable option for the treatment of MSSA IE, without differences in 1-year mortality or relapses compared with cloxacillin, and might be considered equally effective

Evaluation of a quality improvement intervention to reduce anastomotic leak following right colectomy (EAGLE): pragmatic, batched stepped-wedge, cluster-randomized trial in 64 countries

Background Anastomotic leak affects 8 per cent of patients after right colectomy with a 10-fold increased risk of postoperative death. The EAGLE study aimed to develop and test whether an international, standardized quality improvement intervention could reduce anastomotic leaks. Methods The internationally intended protocol, iteratively co-developed by a multistage Delphi process, comprised an online educational module introducing risk stratification, an intraoperative checklist, and harmonized surgical techniques. Clusters (hospital teams) were randomized to one of three arms with varied sequences of intervention/data collection by a derived stepped-wedge batch design (at least 18 hospital teams per batch). Patients were blinded to the study allocation. Low- and middle-income country enrolment was encouraged. The primary outcome (assessed by intention to treat) was anastomotic leak rate, and subgroup analyses by module completion (at least 80 per cent of surgeons, high engagement; less than 50 per cent, low engagement) were preplanned. Results A total 355 hospital teams registered, with 332 from 64 countries (39.2 per cent low and middle income) included in the final analysis. The online modules were completed by half of the surgeons (2143 of 4411). The primary analysis included 3039 of the 3268 patients recruited (206 patients had no anastomosis and 23 were lost to follow-up), with anastomotic leaks arising before and after the intervention in 10.1 and 9.6 per cent respectively (adjusted OR 0.87, 95 per cent c.i. 0.59 to 1.30; P = 0.498). The proportion of surgeons completing the educational modules was an influence: the leak rate decreased from 12.2 per cent (61 of 500) before intervention to 5.1 per cent (24 of 473) after intervention in high-engagement centres (adjusted OR 0.36, 0.20 to 0.64; P &lt; 0.001), but this was not observed in low-engagement hospitals (8.3 per cent (59 of 714) and 13.8 per cent (61 of 443) respectively; adjusted OR 2.09, 1.31 to 3.31). Conclusion Completion of globally available digital training by engaged teams can alter anastomotic leak rates. Registration number: NCT04270721 (http://www.clinicaltrials.gov)