Potential of ATR-FTIR spectroscopy for the classification of natural resins

This study reports evidence on the feasibility of a classification of natural resins by ATR-FTIR spectroscopy based on specific absorbance band positions. A set of twelve selected resins were used to assess band position variability and this vibrational data was put in relationship with the chemical composition of the resins. As a result, a classification of resins into the following four main families is proposed: 1) those correlated with communic acids (sandarac, black copal, pine pitch and amber); 2) those associated with abietic acid (rosin and mastic); 3) those with ketone groups (white copal, tragacanth and frankincense); and 4) those with ester groups (myrrh, shellac and propolis). This classification system may find application not only in facile quality control of natural products, but also for rapid characterization of cultural heritage material

Tendencias en la mortalidad por accidente cerebrovascular en el Departamento del Atlántico: 1985 a 2014

Resumen: El accidente cerebrovascular (ACV) es una patología de alto interés en la salud pública por la alta incidencia y mortalidad, cuyo comportamiento amerita ser estudiado. En el departamento de Atlántico hay pocos estudios que aborden el tema por lo que es importante la realización del estudio y sentar las bases para una posible mejora en el abordaje de los pacientes con esta patología. Metodología: Estudio descriptivo, se estudiaron todos los fallecimientos por ACV ocurridos en el departamento del Atlántico, durante 1985 a 2014, ingresados a las bases de datos de mortalidad del DANE. Se tomaron los códigos: 430-436 (CIE9) y I60-I63 (CIE10). Se calcularon tasas crudas y ajustadas para cada quinquenio, por edad, utilizando el método directo. Resultados: Las mujeres mostraron mayor proporción que los hombres durante todo el periodo de tiempo estudiado con una diferencia máxima de 9%, en la edad se obtuvo mayor proporción de más de un 10% a partir de los 70 años de edad, el lugar de residencia la cabecera municipal obtuvo un porcentaje de más del 90% en los periodos de los que se tiene información. Inicialmente, se observa que el grupo cuyo nivel educativo se desconoce tuvo una mayor incidencia con un pico máximo de 68,8% y a partir del 2000 hasta al 2014 la mayor proporción se da en aquellos con un nivel educativo de primaria. A partir de 1995, año desde el cual se comienza a tener información sobre el régimen de salud de los pacientes, inicialmente hay una mayor incidencia en aquellos con régimen particular y posteriormente, la incidencia se inclina en aquellos con régimen subsidiado. La tasa cruda más alta fue obtenida en el quinquenio de los años 2005 al 2009 fue de 8,1 x 100000 con una proporción de 9.4% en las muertes totales y una TEE de 38,7 x 100000; la tasa cruda más baja obtenida fue de 30,7 x 100000 en el quinquenio de los años del 2010 al 2014 con una proporción de 7,7% en las muertes y una TEE de 28,4 x 100000, siendo esta la más baja encontrada. Conclusión: Se observó una notable reducción en las tasas de mortalidad por ACV en el departamento del Atlántico, este comportamiento podría explicarse por la mayor cobertura del sistema de salud y/o el crecimiento poblacional, por lo que se recomienda realizar estudios más específicos y compararlo con estudios similares a nivel nacional o departamental.PregradoMedic

Healthcare risk stratification model for emergency departments based on drugs, income and comorbidities: the DICER-score

Background During the last decade, the progressive increase in age and associated chronic comorbidities and polypharmacy. However, assessments of the risk of emergency department (ED) revisiting published to date often neglect patients' pharmacotherapy plans, thus overseeing the Drug-related problems (DRP) risks associated with the therapy burden. The aim of this study is to develop a predictive model for ED revisit, hospital admission, and mortality based on patient's characteristics and pharmacotherapy.MethodsRetrospective cohort study including adult patients visited in the ED (triage 1, 2, or 3) of multiple hospitals in Catalonia (Spain) during 2019. The primary endpoint was a composite of ED visits, hospital admission, or mortality 30 days after ED discharge. The study population was randomly split into a model development (60%) and validation (40%) datasets. The model included age, sex, income level, comorbidity burden, measured with the Adjusted Morbidity Groups (GMA), and number of medications. Forty-four medication groups, associated with medication-related health problems, were assessed using ATC codes. To assess the performance of the different variables, logistic regression was used to build multivariate models for ED revisits. The models were created using a stepwise-forward approach based on the Bayesian Information Criterion (BIC). Area under the curve of the receiving operating characteristics (AUCROC) curve for the primary endpoint was calculated.Results851.649 patients were included; 134.560 (15.8%) revisited the ED within 30 days from discharge, 15.2% were hospitalized and 9.1% died within 30 days from discharge. Four factors (sex, age, GMA, and income level) and 30 ATC groups were identified as risk factors and combined into a final score. The model showed an AUCROC values of 0.720 (95%CI:0.718-0.721) in the development cohort and 0.719 (95%CI.0.717-0.721) in the validation cohort. Three risk categories were generated, with the following scores and estimated risks: low risk: 18.3%; intermediate risk: 40.0%; and high risk: 62.6%.ConclusionThe DICER score allows identifying patients at high risk for ED revisit within 30 days based on sociodemographic, clinical, and pharmacotherapeutic characteristics, being a valuable tool to prioritize interventions on discharge. Risk scores are often used to predict the clinical outcomes of patients in many healthcare settings.To the date, no prediction model of emergency department (ED) visits based on patients' pharmacotherapy, income level, and comorbidities have been developed.We have designed an ED risk score combined four risk factors (sex, age, comorbidity score and income level) and 30 drug categories to identify those patients at high risk of health-care visit

Root canal microbiota as an augmented reservoir of antimicrobial resistance genes in type 2 diabetes mellitus patients

Antimicrobial resistance is a global public health problem. Root canal microbiota associated with apical periodontitis represents a well-known reservoir of antimicrobial resistance genes (ARGs). However, the effect of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in this reservoir is unknown. This study aimed to establish if root canal microbiota associated with apical periodontitis in T2DM patients is an augmented reservoir by identifying the prevalence of nine common ARGs and comparing it with the prevalence in nondiabetic patients. Methodology: This cross-sectional study included two groups: A T2DM group conformed of 20 patients with at least ten years of living with T2DM and a control group of 30 nondiabetic participants. Premolar or molar teeth with pulp necrosis and apical periodontitis were included. A sample was collected from each root canal before endodontic treatment. DNA was extracted, and ARGs were identified by polymerase chain reaction. Results: tetW and tetM genes were the most frequent (93.3 and 91.6%, respectively), while ermA was the least frequent (8.3%) in the total population. The distribution of the ARGs was similar in both groups, but a significant difference (p<0.005) was present in ermB, ermC, cfxA, and tetQ genes, being more frequent in the T2DM group. A total of eighty percent of the T2DM patients presented a minimum of four ARGs, while 76.6% of the control group presented a maximum of three. Conclusions: Root canal microbiota associated with apical periodontitis in T2DM patients carries more ARGs. Therefore, this pathological niche could be considered an augmented reservoir

Effect of chemical and thermochemical treatments on the surface properties of commercially pure titanium

Chemical and physical methods have been generally used for modifying the surface of titanium implants with the aim of achieving better osseointegration. In this work, an evaluation of the effect of different chemicals and thermochemical treatments on the surface modification of titanium was carried out. Plates of commercially pure titanium were polished and treated with four different methods. Scanning electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction and drop shape analysis were used to characterize the modified titanium surface. Our results showed that the AEPTTT surface exhibited the highest Ra values followed by AEAT, AEPT, polished Ti and AE samples. In addition, the AEAT and AEPTTT treatments developed the largest surface area, while the AE treatment produced the lowest surface area. Furthermore, the AEAT treatment created the most hydrophilic surface, which is known to positively affect the osseointegration rate of dental implants.Keywords: Titanium, surface modification, hydrogen peroxide treatment, alkali treatment, thermochemical treatment.

El abrigo de Benzú (Ceuta). Aportaciones al conocimiento de las sociedades con tecnología de Modo III en la región histórica del Estrecho de Gibraltar

El abrigo de Benzú se encuentra situado próximo a la ciudad de Ceuta, en el (norte) de África. Trabajamos en estos momentos en una fase final de la memoria científica de las actividades realizadas los últimos años. Por ello damos un balance, que todavía no es definitivo, de los datos geológicos, estratigráficos, cronológicos, ecológicos y de los recursos utilizados por las sociedades prehistóricas. Incidimos en datos tecnológicos de los productos arqueológicos y en los modos de vida. Las bases geológicas y paleoecológicas de la región histórica del Estrecho de Gibraltar ofrecen grandes semejanzas entre la orilla norteafricana y la europea. abrigo de Benzú cuenta con una secuencia de 7 estratos con tecnología muy definida en el concepto de Modo III. Las similitudes con los conjuntos del sur de la Península Ibérica son manifiestas. Destacamos también la explotación de recursos marinos por sociedades cazadoras-recolectoras desde el inicio de la secuencia en el Pleistoceno Medio. Con estas bases arqueológicas y el contexto de estudios recientes en la región norteafricana valoramos las posibles relaciones y contactos entre las sociedades de las dos orillas de la región histórica del Estrecho de Gibraltar

Forest Fires, Land Use Changes and Their Impact on Hydrological Balance in Temperate Forests of Central Mexico

Temperate forests play a fundamental role in the provision, regulation, and support of hydrological environmental services, but they are subject to constant changes in land use (clearing, overgrazing, deforestation, and forest fires) that upset the hydrological balance. Through scenarios simulated with the Water Evaluation and Planning (WEAP) hydrological model, the present study analyzes the effects of forest fires and land use changes on the hydrological balance in the microwatersheds of central Mexico. The land use changes that took place between 1995 and 2021 were estimated, and projections based on the current scenario were made. Two trend scenarios were proposed for 2047: one with a positive trend (forest permanence) and the other with a negative trend (loss of cover from forest fires). The results show that with permanence or an increase in forest area, the surface runoff would decrease by 48.2%, increasing the base flow by 37% and the soil moisture by 2.3%. If forest is lost, surface runoff would increase up to 454%, and soil moisture would decrease by 27%. If the current forest decline trends continue, then there will be negative alterations in hydrological processes: a reduction in the interception of precipitation by the canopy and an increase in the velocity and flow of surface runoff, among others. The final result will be a lower amount of water being infiltrated into the soil and stored in the subsoil. The provision of hydrological environmental services depends on the maintenance of forest cover

Short-term prognosis of polypharmacy in elderly patients treated in emergency departments: results from the EDEN project

Background: Polypharmacy is a growing phenomenon among elderly individuals. However, there is little information about the frequency of polypharmacy among the elderly population treated in emergency departments (EDs) and its prognostic effect. This study aims to determine the prevalence and short-term prognostic effect of polypharmacy in elderly patients treated in EDs. Methods: A retrospective analysis of the Emergency Department Elderly in Needs (EDEN) project's cohort was performed. This registry included all elderly patients who attended 52 Spanish EDs for any condition. Mild and severe polypharmacy was defined as the use of 5-9 drugs and >10 drugs, respectively. The assessed outcomes were ED revisits, hospital readmissions, and mortality 30 days after discharge. Crude and adjusted logistic regression analyses, including the patient's comorbidities, were performed. Results: A total of 25,557 patients were evaluated [mean age: 78 (IQR: 71-84) years]; 10,534 (41.2%) and 5678 (22.2%) patients presented with mild and severe polypharmacy, respectively. In the adjusted analysis, mild polypharmacy and severe polypharmacy were associated with an increase in ED revisits [odds ratio (OR) 1.13 (95% confidence interval (CI): 1.04-1.23) and 1.38 (95% CI: 1.24-1.51)] and hospital readmissions [OR 1.18 (95% CI: 1.04-1.35) and 1.36 (95% CI: 1.16-1.60)], respectively, compared to non-polypharmacy. Mild and severe polypharmacy were not associated with increased 30-day mortality [OR 1.05 (95% CI: 0.89-2.26) and OR 0.89 (95% CI: 0.72-1.12)], respectively. Conclusion: Polypharmacy was common among the elderly treated in EDs and associated with increased risks of ED revisits and hospital readmissions 10 drugs. In these patients comorbidities were associated with an increase in the number of drugs. In the patients with severe polypharmacy (>10 drugs), diuretics were the most frequently drugs prescribed, followed by antihypertensives and statins. The results obtained indicate that polypharmacy is a frequent phenomenon among the elderly population treated in Emergency departments, being antihypertensives the most frequently used drugs in this population. Those patients who takes >10 drugs have a higher risk of new visits to the emergency room and hospital readmissions in short term period