A contribution to the karyological knowledge of the genus Centaurea L. (Asteraceae) in the Iberian Peninsula. Sect. Seridia (Juss.) DC.

Se da a conocer el número cromosómico de 10 taxones del género Centaurea pertenecientes a la sección Seridia (Juss.) DC. presentes en la Península Ibérica. En el caso de Centaurea lusitanica var. crassifolia P. Silva, C. aspera subsp. stenophylla (Dufour) Nyman y C. barrasii Pau se trata, al parecer, del primer recuento. El número diploide 2n = 22 es el más frecuente en el grupo estudiado, mientras que el nivel tetraploide 2n = 44 sólo se ha detectado en C. seridis L. y C. sphaerocephala L.A karyological study of taxa of genus Centaurea L. sect. Seridia (Juss.) DC. in the Iberian Peninsula is reported. We have studied 10 taxa and the reports for 3 of them are given for the first time: Centaurea lusitanica var. crassifolia P. Silva, C. aspera subsp. stenophylla (Dufour) Nyman and C. barrasii Pau. Diploid number 2n = 22 is the most frequent whereas tetraploid level 2n = 44 has been found only in C. seridis L. and C. sphaerocephala L

Centaurea sect. Calcitrapa (Heister ex Fabr.) DC. in the Iberian Peninsula

Se ha efectuado la revisión taxonómica de Centaurea sect. Calcitrapa (Heister ex Fabr.) DC. en la Península Ibérica. Se reconocen 3 taxones, uno de los cuales es descrito como nuevo: C. bofilliana Sennen ex Devesa & E. López. Se aporta una clave para la identificación de los taxones, así como su descripción morfológica e información sobre la distribución geográfica, apetencias ecológicas, fenología y número cromosómicoA taxonomic review of Centaurea sect. Calcitrapa (Heister ex Fabr.) DC. in the Iberian Peninsula was carried out. Three taxa are recognized and one of them is described as a new species: C. bofilliana Sennen ex Devesa & E. López. A key for the identification of taxa is made and their morphological description, geographical distribution, ecology, phenology and chromosome numbers are give

Heavy metals transport in typical portuguese loamy sand soils

Illegal discharges are of great concern among industry activities, since they occur under uncontrolled conditions. In most cases, effluents are acidic and the concentrations of heavy metals are very high. With this in mind, the main goal of this study was to evaluate the sorption of two of the most toxic heavy metals, Cr(VI) and Pb(II), in those conditions. A loamy sand soil was collected in Oporto, Portugal. Batch equilibrium and kinetic sorption experiments were performed using both metals solutions, with concentrations among 50 mg L-1 and 200 mg L-1, at pH 2 and 5, between 2 h and 288 h. To evaluate the sorption equilibrium, eight isotherm models were fitted. Better adjustments were observed for the Redlich-Peterson and Khan models for the adsorption of chromium (R2 = 0.99), and of lead (R2 = 0.99), respectively. The sorption kinetics was evaluated using three models – Elovich, Pseudo first order and an empirical power function. The retention of lead was almost instantaneous and the empirical power function described better the sorption kinetics of chromium (0.89 < R2 < 0.99). In addition, flow experiments were performed with effluents of both metals (50 mg L-1) at pH 2 and 5, for about 90 h. Results revealed a high retention of chromium, and a weak retention of lead, for low pH values. FTIR analyses to the columns samples revealed that clay minerals have an important role in the retention of both metals

Levels of evidence in plastic surgery – Trends and comparison with five other surgical specialties

Background: Categorising research by level of evidence (LOE) is an important evidence-based medicine initiative. Our objective was to assess the change in LOEs in plastic surgery from 2003 to 2013 and compared this with five other surgical specialties. Methods: A search for all research articles published in the top three general plastic surgery journals (ranked by impact factor) was conducted for 2003 and 2013. Articles were then labelled as LOE 1–5 and compared to other specialties. Results: Mean LOE for plastic surgery improved by 4.1 % from 3.86 (95 % confidence interval 3.81–3.91) to 3.70 (95 % confidence interval 3.64–3.74) from 2003 to 2013 respectively. All six surgical specialties improved their mean LOE (range 3.7 to 10.9 %). By mean LOE, plastic surgery continues to rank five out of six. Conclusions: Plastic surgery is tending towards higher levels of evidence at a slow pace. The specialty must continue to drive towards higher levels of evidence. Level of Evidence: Not ratable

Accuracy of a method based on atomic absorption spectrometry to determine inorganic arsenic in food : Outcome of the collaborative trial IMEP-41

Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Yoga respiratory training improves respiratory function and cardiac sympathovagal balance in elderly subjects: a randomised controlled trial

OBJECTIVES: Since ageing is associated with a decline in pulmonary function, heart rate variability and spontaneous baroreflex, and recent studies suggest that yoga respiratory exercises may improve respiratory and cardiovascular function, we hypothesised that yoga respiratory training may improve respiratory function and cardiac autonomic modulation in healthy elderly subjects. DESIGN: 76 healthy elderly subjects were enrolled in a randomised control trial in Brazil and 29 completed the study (age 68 \ub1 6 years, 34% males, body mass index 25 \ub1 3 kg/m\ub2). Subjects were randomised into a 4-month training program (2 classes/week plus home exercises) of either stretching (control, n=14) or respiratory exercises (yoga, n=15). Yoga respiratory exercises (Bhastrika) consisted of rapid forced expirations followed by inspiration through the right nostril, inspiratory apnoea with generation of intrathoracic negative pressure, and expiration through the left nostril. Pulmonary function, maximum expiratory and inspiratory pressures (PE(max) and PI(max), respectively), heart rate variability and blood pressure variability for spontaneous baroreflex determination were determined at baseline and after 4 months. RESULTS: Subjects in both groups had similar demographic parameters. Physiological variables did not change after 4 months in the control group. However, in the yoga group, there were significant increases in PE(max) (34%, p<0.0001) and PI(max) (26%, p<0.0001) and a significant decrease in the low frequency component (a marker of cardiac sympathetic modulation) and low frequency/high frequency ratio (marker of sympathovagal balance) of heart rate variability (40%, p<0.001). Spontaneous baroreflex did not change, and quality of life only marginally increased in the yoga group. CONCLUSION: Respiratory yoga training may be beneficial for the elderly healthy population by improving respiratory function and sympathovagal balance. Trial Registration CinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT00969345; trial registry name: Effects of respiratory yoga training (Bhastrika) on heart rate variability and baroreflex, and quality of life of healthy elderly subjects

Acute Intoxications in an Intensive Care Department: Years 2002 to 2014

info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Microflora associated with healthy and diseased turbot (Scophthalmus maximus) from three farms in northwest Spain

14 páginas, 4 tablas, 3 figurasA comparative analysis of the microbiological quality of three turbot (Scophthabnus maximus) farms (A, B, and C) located in Galicia (northwest Spain) is given. The microbial load and types of bacteria in the internal organs (liver and kidney) of apparently healthy fish was monitored over a year, and all the disease problems occurring during this survey were analyzed. The percentage of healthy turbot in which positive bacterial growth was obtained was relatively high in the three ongrowing facilities. Farm A exhibited the poorest conditions of fish health with an average of 42% fish infected, while farm B showed the best microbiological quality with 27% of turbot harbouring bacteria in the internal organs. In all three farms, a wide range of bacteria was found in healthy turbot with Vibrio ( V. splendidus-V pelagius, Vjisheri-V harveyi and Vibrio spp.) and Pseudomonas spp. being the predominant groups comprising at least 80% of the total bacterial isolates in each farm. The highest number of pathological problems (22 ) with the most diverse bacterial flora occurred in farm A. Vibrio spp. and Pseudomonas spp. were the most prevalent bacteria recovered from diseased turbot. Haemorrhages in palate and jaws, tail and fins, and ulcerative lesions were the most frequent external clinical signs of diseased fish recorded in the three farms. However, it was not possible to associate a particular bacterial species with a specific pathology. Routine use in farm A of oxolinic acid and nitrofurantoin may have led to the development in the Vibrio strains of resistances to both chemotherapeutants (up to 25%).This study was supported by Grants MAR 9 l- 1133~CO2-0 1 and MAR 89- 0270 from the Comision Interministerial de Ciencia y Tecnologia (CICYT), XUGA 8030389 from Xunta de Galicia (Spain), and EUREKA project No. EU-347, between Spain and Norway.Peer reviewe

Breast cancer trends among black and white women in the United States

A B S T R A C T Purpose Overall US breast cancer mortality rates are higher among black women than white women, and the disparity is widening. To investigate this disparity, we examined incidence data and changes in mortality trends according to age, year of death (calendar period), and date of birth (birth cohort). Calendar period mortality trends reflect the effects of new medical interventions, whereas birth cohort mortality trends reflect alterations in risk factors. Patients and Methods Incidence data were obtained from the Connecticut and National Cancer Institute Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results registries and mortality data were obtained from the National Center for Health Statistics. Changes in age, period, and cohort mortality trends were analyzed with Poisson regression. Results For both races, breast cancer incidence rates for localized and regional disease diverged in the late 1970s. Almost concurrently, overall mortality rates diverged among blacks and whites. For both races, mortality increases with age, but blacks have higher mortality at age younger than 57. The calendar period curves revealed declining mortality for whites over the entire study period. For blacks, calendar period mortality declined until the late 1970s, and then sharply increased. After 1994, calendar period mortality declined for both. For women born between 1872 and 1950, trends in mortality were similar for blacks and whites. For women born after 1950, mortality decreased more rapidly for blacks. Conclusion The widening racial disparity in breast cancer mortality seems attributable to calendar period rather than birth cohort effects. Thus, differences in response or access to newer medical interventions may largely account for these trends