The "Instituto de Salud Carlos III" and the public health in Spain. Origin of laboratory medicine and of the central laboratories and research in public health

The "Instituto de Salud Carlos III" is the Central Public Health Laboratory in Spain with an important component of scientific research in health related areas, such as cancer, cardiovascular diseases, infectious diseases and environmental health. The article describes the development of the Public Health Institutes. arising from the introduction and development of scientific and laboratory based medicine and the introduction of vaccination and sanitation with the control of water and food. At about the same time, the discoveries in microbiology and immunology were produced, being the research activities incardinated with the practical advances in the control of products. To cope with the practical needs, Institutions were created with the responsibility of providing smallpox vaccine but incorporating very soon production of sera and other vaccines and water and sanitation control and foods control. At the same time. colonization of countries specially in Africa, South East Asia and explorations in Central America confront the Europeans with new diseases and the need of laboratories where to study them. These circumstances gave rise to the birth of the Central Public Health Laboratories and the National institutes of Health at the beginning of the XX century in many countries. In Spain, the Spanish Civil War was a breaking point in the development of such an institution that finally was reinvented with the creation of the Instituto de Salud Carlos III, in 1986, incorporating research and epidemiological surveillance and control of diseases and also the responsibilities of the Food and Drug Control, lately separated from it. El Instituto de Salud Carlos III es la sede de los Institutos Nacionales de Sanidad en España, con un componente muy importante de investigación científica en áreas relacionadas con la salud, tales como las enfermedades infecciosas, el cáncer, las enfermedades cardiovasculares y la sanidad ambiental, así como de vigilancia e investigación epidemiológica. Este artículo describe el desarrollo de los Institutos de Salud Pública, que se originan con la introducción y afianzamiento de la Medicina de Laboratorio y Científica, basada en la incorporación a la práctica sanitaria, de la vacunación antivariólica, el saneamiento y el control del agua y de los alimentos. Aproximadamente en la misma época, se producen los grandes descubrimientos de la microbiología y de la inmunología que se funden con los avances prácticos en el control de productos. Para hacer frente a las necesidades de orden práctico, se crearon instituciones con responsabilidad para el mantenimiento y provisión de la vacuna antivariólica, pero que incorporaron pronto la producción de sueros y otras vacunas, así como el control de aguas, del saneamiento y de los alimentos, a medida que los avances científicos lo permitían. Al mismo tiempo, la colonización de África, la exploración de muchas zonas de América Central y el Caribe, enfrentaron a los científicos de los países avanzados con nuevas enfermedades y la necesidad de laboratorios donde estudiarlas. Estas circunstancias dieron origen, a comienzos del siglo XX al nacimiento de los Institutos Nacionales de Sanidad en numerosos países, que en España llega hasta hoy con el Carlos III

ANISOTROPÍA DE SUELOS COHESIVOS Y NO COHESIVOS DEL VALLE DE LA CIUDAD DE GUATEMALA, GUATEMALA

El propósito de la investigación fue estimar la anisotropía de los suelos mediante sus propiedades físicas y mecánicas en las zonas 5, 15, 16 y 18 de la Ciudad de Guatemala, determinando valores de cohesión y ángulo de fricción interna. En la parte noreste de la ciudad de Guatemala se observa un aumento en la construcción residencial y comercial durante el desarrollo de la investigación, esto permite obtener muestras de suelo y aportar a la industria de la construcción. Los suelos anisotrópicos difieren en sus propiedades dependiendo de la orientación de la aplicación de esfuerzos, los resultados se aplican para el desarrollo de proyectos tales como cimentaciones o estabilidades de laderas. La investigación estudió el comportamiento de los suelos cohesivos y no cohesivos en la Ciudad de Guatemala, centrando la investigación en la relación del valor de cohesión y ángulo de fricción interna, estimando la variación de estos en su dirección según la aplicación de esfuerzos en las muestras de suelo. Los resultados que se obtuvieron muestran un comportamiento anisotrópico en las propiedades de cohesión en los suelos del valle de la ciudad de Guatemala, mientras, en la relación del ángulo de fricción interna su relación es isotrópico

Albumin excretion in olders with and without MetS in exercise

INTRODUCTION: Exercising modifies renal function such as decreased kidney circulation and glomerular filtration in healthy conditions. In young and adults microalbuminuria could be induced by strenuous exercise however the effects of maximal and submaximal exercise on microalbuminuria in elderly (≥65 years) are not well known. We evaluated the effect of different intensities of acute exercise on microalbuminuria in elderly. PURPOSE: We evaluated the effect of different intensities of acute exercise on microalbuminuria in elderly. METHODS: The study involved 20 subjects, 13 men and 7 women (70 ± 5 years-old); they performed 3 bicycle exercise test a week apart of each other: maximal physical exercise (Maxcap-B), and two submaximal tests (Submax-B 80% and Submax-B 60%). In the first session after a 10 h fast, a blood sample was taken to determine serum glucose, creatinine, uric acid, cholesterol and triglycerides and clinical record and basal electrocardiogram and BMI (kg/m2) were also obtained. Urine samples were collected before, immediately after, one hour and 24 hours after exercise to determine microalbuminuria (cutoff, 20-200 mg/l). RESULTS: Healthy old adults were 4 male, the rest of the sample bear metabolic syndrome (MetS). Transient microalbuminuria was observed immediately after all three exercise tests, and 1 hour post-exercise in all individuals; however, it was higher in those with MetS. After 24 hours of exercise, no microalbuminuria was detected. CONCLUSION: Conclusion: The maximal and submaximal exercise (Submax-B 80% and Submax-B 60%) transiently affected renal function in old adults, more importantly in those with metabolic syndrome

Global associations of key populations with HIV-1 recombinants: a systematic review, global survey, and individual participant data meta-analysis

Introduction: Global HIV infections due to HIV-1 recombinants are increasing and impede prevention and treatment efforts. Key populations suffer most new HIV infections, but their role in the spread of HIV-1 recombinants is unknown. We conducted a global analysis of the associations between key populations and HIV-1 recombinants. Methods: We searched PubMed, EMBASE, CINAHL, and Global Health for HIV-1 subtyping studies published from 1/1/1990 to 31/12/2015. Unpublished data was collected through a global survey. We included studies with HIV-1 subtyping data of key populations collected during 1990-2015. Key populations assessed were heterosexual people (HET), men who have sex with men (MSM), people who inject drugs (PWID), vertical transmissions (VERT), commercial sex workers (CSW), and transfusion-associated infections (BLOOD). Logistic regression was used to determine associations of key populations with HIV-1 recombinants. Subgroup analyses were performed for circulating recombinant forms (CRFs), unique recombinant forms (URFs), regions, and time periods. Results: Eight hundred and eighty five datasets including 77,284 participants from 83 countries were included. Globally, PWID were associated with the greatest odds of recombinants and CRFs (OR 2.6 [95% CI 2.46-2.74] and 2.99 [2.83-3.16]), compared to HET. CSW were associated with increased odds of recombinants and URFs (1.59 [1.44-1.75] and 3.61 [3.15-4.13]). VERT and BLOOD were associated with decreased odds of recombinants (0.58 [0.54-0.63] and 0.43 [0.33-0.56]). MSM were associated with increased odds of recombinants in 2010-2015 (1.43 [1.35-1.51]). Subgroup analyses supported our main findings. Discussion: As PWID, CSW, and MSM are associated with HIV-1 recombinants, increased preventative measures and HIV-1 molecular surveillance are crucial within these key populations. Systematic review registration: PROSPERO [CRD42017067164].S

Termite sensitivity to temperature affects global wood decay rates.

Deadwood is a large global carbon store with its store size partially determined by biotic decay. Microbial wood decay rates are known to respond to changing temperature and precipitation. Termites are also important decomposers in the tropics but are less well studied. An understanding of their climate sensitivities is needed to estimate climate change effects on wood carbon pools. Using data from 133 sites spanning six continents, we found that termite wood discovery and consumption were highly sensitive to temperature (with decay increasing >6.8 times per 10°C increase in temperature)-even more so than microbes. Termite decay effects were greatest in tropical seasonal forests, tropical savannas, and subtropical deserts. With tropicalization (i.e., warming shifts to tropical climates), termite wood decay will likely increase as termites access more of Earth's surface

Epidemiology, The English Spanish. The mystery of the word, from Angelerio to Tucke

Critica y debateS

Las epidemias hasta hoy

Artículo de divulgación publicado en The Conversation España el día 19/05/2021.Esperemos que la actual pandemia haga reaccionar a la sociedad, cambiando el modelo productivo y la estructura económica para conseguir los derechos básicos de alimentación, vivienda, educación y asistencia sanitaria para todos, blindándolos por leyes que aseguren su permanencia en el tiempo.N