Modelització hidrològica distribuida amb esquemes en volums finits

Les noves eines GIS i el actuals esquemes numèrics en volums finits obren noves portes per la modelització hidrològica distribuïda. Actualment Iber disposa d'un mòdul hidrològic, però convindria realitzar la seva validació amb dades de camp. L'IGME disposa d'una petita conca pilot, altament instrumentada amb pluviògrafs de darrera generació, radar meteorològic, limnímetres automàtics d'alta precisió, etc. que podrien ser utilitzats per realitzar aquest procés

Micronutrient Deficiencies in Patients with Decompensated Liver Cirrhosis

Cirrosi descompensada; Deficiència de micronutrients; DesnutricióCirrosis descompensada; Deficiencia de micronutrientes; DesnutriciónDecompensated cirrhosis; Micronutrient deficiency; MalnutritionPatients with cirrhosis often develop malnutrition and micronutrient deficiencies, leading to a worse prognosis and increased mortality. Our main goal was to assess the prevalence of micronutrient deficiencies in patients with decompensated cirrhosis. This was a prospective single-center study including 125 consecutive patients hospitalized for acute decompensation of cirrhosis (mostly of alcoholic etiology). A blood test including trace elements and vitamins was performed on admission. The main micronutrient deficiencies observed were vitamin D (in 94.5%), vitamin A (93.5%), vitamin B6 (60.8%) and zinc (85.6%). Patients in Child-Pugh class C had lower levels of vitamin A (p < 0.0001), vitamin E (p = 0.01) and zinc (p < 0.001), and higher levels of ferritin (p = 0.002) and vitamin B12 (p < 0.001) than those in Child-Pugh class A and B. Patients with a higher model of end-stage liver disease (MELD) score had lower levels of vitamin A (p < 0.0001), vitamin E (p < 0.001), magnesium (p = 0.01) and zinc (p = 0.001), and higher levels of ferritin (p = 0.002) and vitamin B12 (p < 0.0001). Severe hepatic insufficiency correlated with lower levels of zinc, vitamin E and vitamin A, and higher levels of vitamin B12 and ferritin

Morphological study of skin cancer lesions through a 3D scanner based on fringe projection and machine learning

Postprint (published version

Glyphosate treatments for weed control affect early stages of root colonization by Tuber melanosporum but not secondary colonization

The cultivation of the ectomycorrhizal fungus Tuber melanosporum has considerably spread in recent years throughout the world. During the first years of truffle cultivation, weed control is a key practice to improve the establishment of host trees and the proliferation of the fungus in the soil. Glyphosate is nowadays the most commonly used herbicide in Spanish truffle orchards. We explored the effect of glyphosate on the proliferation of T. melanosporum mycorrhizae, on extraradical mycelium and on the inoculum potential of T. melanosporum spores in greenhouse experiments using Quercus ilex seedlings as host plants. No detrimental effect on the secondary infection of T. melanosporum was found after three sequential glyphosate applications in young seedlings during one vegetative period. Instead, a change in the distribution of fine roots and T. melanosporum mycorrhizae along soil depth was observed. On the other hand, results indicate that high application rates of glyphosate hinder the infectivity of T. melanosporum spore inoculum, without apparent impact on the host performance. Our results suggest that glyphosate has the potential to jeopardise the role of the soil spore bank as inoculum source for the colonisation of new roots, also raising the question of whether glyphosate could hinder the presumed role of spores in sexual mating.info:eu-repo/semantics/acceptedVersio

Prognosis of quality sensors in the Barcelona drinking water network

One of the most important areas of the water utilities is the water quality management. This area is responsible of guaranteeing safety in the water supply to the citizens. The strategy to guarantee the safety is based on two principal elements: disinfection and monitoring. Disinfection techniques, such as chlorination, allow to prevent the growing of microorganisms present in the water. Moreover, in order to guarantee this safety in the whole water network and avoid any unexpected event, on-line sensors are required to monitor a set of quality parameters. The whole process is based on the assumption that the information retrieved from quality sensors is totally reliable. But due to the complexity of the calibration and maintenance of these chemical sensors, several factors affect the accuracy of the raw data collected. Consequently, any decision based on this raw data might be based on a non solid base. Therefore, this work presents a data analytics approach consisting in two modules: fault diagnosis and prognosis. The fault diagnosis module first discerns if a sensor is detecting a real change on water quality parameters or actually is providing inconsistent information due to some malfunction. The prognosis module aims to predict the fault instant due to a slow degradation, which is very common in chlorine sensors. This approach allows to apply a predictive maintenance strategy reducing corrective actions. The proposed methodology has been satisfactorily tested on the Barcelona Drinking Water Network.Peer ReviewedPostprint (author's final draft

Birth plan presentation to hospitals and its relation to obstetric outcomes and selected pain relief methods during childbirth

Background: The information on birth plan (BP) usage in Spanish hospitals is scant. Aim: To identify the percentage of pregnant women presenting a BP at five hospitals in Spain, the reasons why some women failed to do so and how BP presentation relates to obstetric outcomes and selected pain relief methods. Methods: In this descriptive, multi-centre study, data were retrospectively collected. During the postpartum visits at primary healthcare centres in various health districts in Barcelona (Catalonia, Spain), a data collection sheet about obstetric outcomes and analgesia was administered to 432 mothers who had completed a BP during their pregnancies. The main outcome was the rate of BP presentation to the hospital. The sociodemographic and obstetric characteristics and pain relief measures were compared to identify any differences between mothers who presented a BP and those who did not. Results: A total of 422 (99.7%) women were studied; 51.2% of women (95% confidence interval (CI): 46.4-55.9) had presented a BP. The main reason for not presenting a BP was because the hospital midwives did not request them (61.2%). No differences were observed in BP presentation according to age, the country of origin, education, employment or hospital. Mothers who presented a BP were more likely to start breastfeeding in the birthing room (82.4% vs. 73.3%; p = 0.024). Epidural analgesia was the most common method used for pain relief (88.9%), and women who presented a BP attempted to use concomitant non-pharmacological methods more often (50.5% vs. 38.8%; p = 0.012). Conclusion: Almost half of the mothers failed to present a BP, usually because midwives did not request it

Cerebellar astrocyte transduction as gene therapy for megalencephalic leukoencephalopathy

Megalencephalic leukoencephalopathy with subcortical cysts (MLC) is a rare genetic disorder belonging to the group of vacuolating leukodystrophies. It is characterized by megalencephaly, loss of motor functions, epilepsy, and mild mental decline. In brain biopsies of MLC patients, vacuoles were observed in myelin and in astrocytes surrounding blood vessels. There is no therapy for MLC patients, only supportive treatment. We show here a preclinical gene therapy approach for MLC using the Mlc1 knock-out mouse. An adeno-associated virus coding for human MLC1 under the control of the glial fibrillary acidic protein promoter was injected in the cerebellar subarachnoid space of Mlc1 knock-out and wild-type animals at 2 months of age, before the onset of the disease, as a preventive approach. We also tested a therapeutic strategy by injecting the animals at 5 months, once the histopathological abnormalities are starting, or at 15 months, when they have progressed to a more severe pathology. MLC1 expression in the cerebellum restored the adhesion molecule GlialCAM and the chloride channel ClC-2 localization in Bergmann glia, which both are mislocalized in Mlc1 knock-out model. More importantly, myelin vacuolation was extremely reduced in treated mice at all ages and correlated with the amount of expressed MLC1 in Bergmann glia, indicating not only the preventive potential of this strategy but also its therapeutic capacity. In summary, here we provide the first therapeutic approach for patients affected with MLC. This work may have also implications to treat other diseases affecting motor function such as ataxias

Development and psychometric testing of a scale for assessing the associative stigma of mental illness in nursing

Aims and objectives: To develop a new scale for assessing the associative stigma of mental illness in nursing based on Peplau's model of psychodynamic nursing and to examine its psychometric properties. Background: The stigma of mental illness continues to cause problems today for patients, families and mental health professionals. For individuals with a mental disorder, stigma can result in restricted opportunities, social exclusion and the denial of rights. Associative stigma in mental health professionals is becoming a major problem and is related to increased depersonalisation, higher levels of emotional exhaustion and diminished job satisfaction among mental health professionals. Nursing may play a key role in reducing the stigma associated with mental illness, but there are no specific scales for the measurement of associative stigma in nursing. Design: Development of an instrument. A STROBE checklist was completed. Methods: This study involved two stages: (a) item generation and content validation; (b) examining the reliability and convergent/discriminant validity of the scale. A developmental and methodological design was used. Data were collected between November 2016–December 2017 from a sample of 737 nursing undergraduates. Results: The results indicated good internal consistency for the final 20‐item scale for assessing the associative stigma of mental illness in nursing, which is considered in terms of three dimensions: Violence/Dangerousness, Disability, and Irresponsibility/Lack of Competence. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses supported a three‐factor structure consistent with the theoretical model. Conclusions: The 20‐item EVEPEM (from its Spanish acronym) derived from Peplau's theory was shown to be a valid and reliable tool for assessing the stigma of mental illness in the nursing setting. Relevance to clinical practice: Reliable instruments are needed to measure the effectiveness of anti‐stigma interventions for mental health professionals. The results indicate that the tool developed is a valid and reliable instrument for use in the nursing setting.The present study received financial assistance via the XV Premio de investigación Beca de la AEESME Asociación Española de Enfermería de Salud Mental

Sequential application of inoculation methods for the mycorrhization of Quercus ilex seedlings with Tuber melanosporum

The use of mycorrhized seedlings has been critical in the success of modern truffle cultivation, which nowadays supplies most black truffles to markets. Ascospore inoculation has been traditionally used to produce these seedlings, but little scientific information is publicly available on the inoculation methods applied or on the possibility of combining them. We evaluated the potential of sequential inoculation for the controlled colonization of holm oak fine roots with black truffle, with two nursery assays and a full factorial design. Three inoculation methods were sequentially applied: radicle inoculation, inoculation of the substrate in seedling trays and inoculation of the substrate in the final pot. The sequential application appeared as an effective and realistic alternative for commercial inoculation of holm oak seedlings with black truffle. The increase in the amount of inoculum applied with each inoculation method improved the mycorrhizal colonization of seedlings, although separately none of the inoculation methods appeared clearly superior to the other ones. The depth distribution of mycorrhizae levels pointed to the inoculation in the final pot substrate as being more effective than other methods in lower parts of the root system, whereas the early inoculation appeared more effective to reduce the occurrence of the opportunist ectomycorrhizal fungus Sphaerosporella brunnea . However, the difference of results between both assays suggests that cultivation conditions and/or the timing of the nursery operations may influence the relative effectiveness of these inoculation methods.UnpublishedThis is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal