Stomatal control and hydraulic conductivity in 'Manzanilla' olive trees under different water regimes

Ministry of Education and Science (España) No.AGL2006-04666/AGREU, research project ref. STREP 02312

Influence of the soil water content and distribution on both the hydraulic and transpiration performance of 'Manzanilla' olive trees

VI International Symposium on Irrigation of Horticultural Crops, celebrado del 2-6 de noviembre de 2006 en Viña del Mar, Chile ISBN-978-90-66057-13-5This work was made with mature 'Manzanilla' olive trees in an orchard of a semi-arid area in southern Spain. Three water treatments were considered: Rainfed, in which the trees had rainfall as the only source of water supply; FAO, in which the trees were under localized irrigation to replace the crop water demand, with some roots left in drying soil; Pond, in which the whole rootzones of the trees were maintained under non-limiting soil water conditions for the whole dry season. Our aim was to obtain information on the mechanisms behind the reduction of transpiration (Ep) in the FAO trees, as compared to the Pond trees. Our results show a near-isohydric behaviour of the FAO trees, i.e. those trees under localized irrigation in which some roots are left in drying showed lower stomatal conductance than the Pond trees in which all roots were in wetted soil. This helped the FAO trees to maintain similar leaf water potentials than the Pond trees. In addition, the FAO trees maintained a constant difference between the water potential of the canopy and that in the soil. This has been described as an isohydrodynamic behaviour, and it is thought to be an improvement over a typically anisohydric behaviour. These mechanisms were behind the similar values of tree hydraulic conductance (K p) found in the FAO and Pond treatments. The Rainfed trees showed lower Kp values because of the low Ep values of those trees, due to the low soil water availability in that treatment. Our results show, however, that the Rainfed trees were able to maintain similar values of Kp all throughout the dry season, which shows that the hydraulic efficiency of the xylem of those trees was little affected by embolism, despite of the high demanding conditions in the area.Ministry of Education and Science (Spain) AGL2006-04666/AGRUnión Europea STREP 327 02312

Evaluación de las necesidades hídricas de tres variedades de fresas y de su respuesta frente a un recorte hídrico moderado

Instituto Nacional de Investigaciones RTA2012-00001-00-00FEDER CC10-009-C02-0

Using a process-based stomatal model in olive and its potential application to deficit irrigation studies

Over the last years modeling plant transpiration has been pointed out as a powerful tool to optimize the management of irrigation in fruit trees. In this study we tested the hydromechanical model of stomata functioning proposed by Buckley et al. (2003), a model with a strong physiological basis. The great contribution of this model is that its parameters have direct physiological meaning. Firstly, the model was simplified to make its parameters estimation friendly and easy. Secondly, the model was fitted to data obtained in a hedgerow olive orchard under regulated deficit irrigation. The hydromechanical model fitted our data satisfactorily and allowed us to analyze the physiological parameters obtained.Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación español AGL2009-11310/AGRJunta de Andalucí

Four chamber right ventricular longitudinal strain versus right free wall longitudinal strain. Prognostic value in patients with left heart disease

Background: There is no consensus on which right ventricle (RV) strain parameter should be used in the clinical practice: four chamber RV longitudinal strain (4CH RV-LS) or free wall longitudinal strain (FWLS). The aim of this study was to analyze which RV strain parameter better predicts prognosis in patients with left heart disease. Methods: One hundred and three outpatients with several degrees of functional tricuspid regurgitation severity secondary to left heart disease were prospectively included. 4CH RV-LS and FWLS were assessed using speckle tracking. Left ventricular (LV) systolic function was determined using LV ejection fraction and RV systolic function using tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion (TAPSE). Patients were followed up for 23.1 ± 12.4 months for an endpoint of cardiac hospitalization due to heart failure. Results: The cutoff value related to RV dysfunction (TAPSE < 17 mm) was lower, in absolute value, for 4CH RV-LS (4CH RV-LS = –17.3%; FWLS = –19.5%). There were 33 adverse events during the follow-up. Patients with 4CH RV-LS > –17.3% (log rank [LR] = 22.033; p < 0.001); FWLS > –19.5% (LR = 12.2; p < 0.001), TAPSE < 17 mm (LR = 17.4; p < 0.001) and LV systolic dysfunction (LR = 13.3; p < 0.001) had lower event-free survival (Kaplan Meier). In Cox multivariate analysis, 4CH RV-LS > –17.3% (hazard ratio [HR] = 3.593; p < 0.002), TAPSE < 17 (HR = 2.093; p < 0.055) and LV systolic dysfunction (HR = 2.087; p < 0,054) had prognostic value, whereas FWLS did not reach significance. Conclusions: Although both 4CH RV-LS and FWLS have prognostic value, 4CH RV-LS is a better predictor of episodes of heart failure in patients with left heart disease, providing additional information to that obtained by TAPSE.

Psychometric characteristics of the Spanish version of instruments to measure neck pain disability

Background: The NDI, COM and NPQ are evaluation instruments for disability due to NP. There was no Spanish version of NDI or COM for which psychometric characteristics were known. The objectives of this study were to translate and culturally adapt the Spanish version of the Neck Disability Index Questionnaire (NDI), and the Core Outcome Measure (COM), to validate its use in Spanish speaking patients with non-specific neck pain (NP), and to compare their psychometric characteristics with those of the Spanish version of the Northwick Pain Questionnaire (NPQ). Methods: Translation/re-translation of the English versions of the NDI and the COM was done blindly and independently by a multidisciplinary team. The study was done in 9 primary care Centers and 12 specialty services from 9 regions in Spain, with 221 acute, subacute and chronic patients who visited their physician for NP: 54 in the pilot phase and 167 in the validation phase. Neck pain (VAS), referred pain (VAS), disability (NDI, COM and NPQ), catastrophizing (CSQ) and quality of life (SF-12) were measured on their first visit and 14 days later. Patients' self-assessment was used as the external criterion for pain and disability. In the pilot phase, patients' understanding of each item in the NDI and COM was assessed, and on day 1 test-retest reliability was estimated by giving a second NDI and COM in which the name of the questionnaires and the order of the items had been changed. Results: Comprehensibility of NDI and COM were good. Minutes needed to fill out the questionnaires [median, (P25, P75)]: NDI. 4 (2.2, 10.0), COM: 2.1 (1.0, 4.9). Reliability: [ICC, (95%CI)]: NDI: 0.88 (0.80, 0.93). COM: 0.85 (0.75,0.91). Sensitivity to change: Effect size for patients having worsened, not changed and improved between days 1 and 15, according to the external criterion for disability: NDI: -0.24, 0.15, 0.66; NPQ: -0.14, 0.06, 0.67; COM: 0.05, 0.19, 0.92. Validity: Results of NDI, NPQ and COM were consistent with the external criterion for disability, whereas only those from NDI were consistent with the one for pain. Correlations with VAS, CSQ and SF-12 were similar for NDI and NPQ (absolute values between 0.36 and 0.50 on day 1, between 0.38 and 0.70 on day 15), and slightly lower for COM (between 0.36 and 0.48 on day 1, and between 0.33 and 0.61 on day 15). Correlation between NDI and NPQ: r = 0.84 on day 1, r = 0.91 on day 15. Correlation between COM and NPQ: r = 0.63 on day 1, r = 0.71 on day 15. Conclusion: Although most psychometric characteristics of NDI, NPQ and COM are similar, those from the latter one are worse and its use may lead to patients' evolution seeming more positive than it actually is. NDI seems to be the best instrument for measuring NP-related disability, since its results are the most consistent with patient's assessment of their own clinical status and evolution. It takes two more minutes to answer the NDI than to answer the COM, but it can be reliably filled out by the patient without assistance

Association Between Preexisting Versus Newly Identified Atrial Fibrillation and Outcomes of Patients With Acute Pulmonary Embolism

Background Atrial fibrillation (AF) may exist before or occur early in the course of pulmonary embolism (PE). We determined the PE outcomes based on the presence and timing of AF. Methods and Results Using the data from a multicenter PE registry, we identified 3 groups: (1) those with preexisting AF, (2) patients with new AF within 2 days from acute PE (incident AF), and (3) patients without AF. We assessed the 90-day and 1-year risk of mortality and stroke in patients with AF, compared with those without AF (reference group). Among 16 497 patients with PE, 792 had preexisting AF. These patients had increased odds of 90-day all-cause (odds ratio [OR], 2.81; 95% CI, 2.33-3.38) and PE-related mortality (OR, 2.38; 95% CI, 1.37-4.14) and increased 1-year hazard for ischemic stroke (hazard ratio, 5.48; 95% CI, 3.10-9.69) compared with those without AF. After multivariable adjustment, preexisting AF was associated with significantly increased odds of all-cause mortality (OR, 1.91; 95% CI, 1.57-2.32) but not PE-related mortality (OR, 1.50; 95% CI, 0.85-2.66). Among 16 497 patients with PE, 445 developed new incident AF within 2 days of acute PE. Incident AF was associated with increased odds of 90-day all-cause (OR, 2.28; 95% CI, 1.75-2.97) and PE-related (OR, 3.64; 95% CI, 2.01-6.59) mortality but not stroke. Findings were similar in multivariable analyses. Conclusions In patients with acute symptomatic PE, both preexisting AF and incident AF predict adverse clinical outcomes. The type of adverse outcomes may differ depending on the timing of AF onset.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

EuReCa ONE—27 Nations, ONE Europe, ONE Registry A prospective one month analysis of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest outcomes in 27 countries in Europe

AbstractIntroductionThe aim of the EuReCa ONE study was to determine the incidence, process, and outcome for out of hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) throughout Europe.MethodsThis was an international, prospective, multi-centre one-month study. Patients who suffered an OHCA during October 2014 who were attended and/or treated by an Emergency Medical Service (EMS) were eligible for inclusion in the study. Data were extracted from national, regional or local registries.ResultsData on 10,682 confirmed OHCAs from 248 regions in 27 countries, covering an estimated population of 174 million. In 7146 (66%) cases, CPR was started by a bystander or by the EMS. The incidence of CPR attempts ranged from 19.0 to 104.0 per 100,000 population per year. 1735 had ROSC on arrival at hospital (25.2%), Overall, 662/6414 (10.3%) in all cases with CPR attempted survived for at least 30 days or to hospital discharge.ConclusionThe results of EuReCa ONE highlight that OHCA is still a major public health problem accounting for a substantial number of deaths in Europe.EuReCa ONE very clearly demonstrates marked differences in the processes for data collection and reported outcomes following OHCA all over Europe. Using these data and analyses, different countries, regions, systems, and concepts can benchmark themselves and may learn from each other to further improve survival following one of our major health care events