Energy harvesting from vehicular traffic over speed bumps: A review

Energy used by vehicles to slow down in areas of limited speed is wasted. A traffic energy-harvesting device (TEHD) is capable of harvesting vehicle energy when passing over a speed bump. This paper presents a classification of the different technologies used in the existing TEHDs. Moreover, an estimation of the energy that could be harvested with the different technologies and their cost has been elaborated. The energy recovered with these devices could be used for marking and lighting of roads in urban areas, making transportation infrastructures more sustainable and environmentally friendly

Feeding programmes based on highly-digestible fibre weaning diets: effects on health, growth performance and carcass and meat quality in rabbits

The effect of three different dietary programmes on health, growth performance and carcass and meat quality in young rabbits weaned at 28 d was studied using a diet (F) rich in highly-digestible fibre, from 17 to 63 d of age (group FF); using diet F from 17 to 42 d followed by a diet poor in highly-digestible fibre and rich in starch and fat (S) until 63 d (group FS); and using a standard diet C with intermediate highly-digestible fibre and starch content, containing 100 ppm of zinc-bacitracin, from 17 to 63 d (group CC). A highly-digestible fibre diet could be useful to reduce the incidence of digestive disorders. However, it decreased slaughter weight (2294 g in FF vs. 2406 g in CC; P<0.05) and carcass and meat traits, e.g. dressing out percentage (55.4% in FF vs. 56.7% in CC; P<0.05), meat to bone ratio (5.73 in FF vs. 5.94 in CC; P<0.05) and hind leg fat content (3.81% in FF vs. 4.71% in CC; P<0.05) at 63 d of age. Switching to a high starch and fat diet at late fattening improved chilled carcass weight at 63 d of age (1339 g in FS vs. 1263 g in FF; P<0.05) mainly through the promotion of liver development (7.53% in group FS vs. 6.47% in group FF; P<0.05) and fat deposition (3.89% in FS vs. 2.63% in FF; P<0.05), and increased hind leg fat content (+1.2 points of fat percentage; P<0.05). However, this switch increased health risk (35.1% in FS vs. 17.6% in FF; P<0.05).This study was supported by the Interministerial Commission for Science and Technology (CICYT) from the Spanish Government Grant number AGL2011-30170-C02-01 is gratefully acknowledged. Funding from the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness for Madam Pascual's contract (PTA2011-5888-T) is also gratefully acknowledged.Pascual Amorós, MDLD.; Soler Sanchis, MD.; Cervera Fras, MC.; Pla Torres, M.; Pascual Amorós, JJ.; Blas Ferrer, E. (2014). Feeding programmes based on highly-digestible fibre weaning diets: effects on health, growth performance and carcass and meat quality in rabbits. Livestock Science. 169:88-95. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.livsci.2014.07.007S889516

Elevation and cholera: an epidemiological spatial analysis of the cholera epidemic in Harare, Zimbabwe, 2008-2009

BACKGROUND: In highly populated African urban areas where access to clean water is a challenge, water source contamination is one of the most cited risk factors in a cholera epidemic. During the rainy season, where there is either no sewage disposal or working sewer system, runoff of rains follows the slopes and gets into the lower parts of towns where shallow wells could easily become contaminated by excretes. In cholera endemic areas, spatial information about topographical elevation could help to guide preventive interventions. This study aims to analyze the association between topographic elevation and the distribution of cholera cases in Harare during the cholera epidemic in 2008 and 2009. METHODS: We developed an ecological study using secondary data. First, we described attack rates by suburb and then calculated rate ratios using whole Harare as reference. We illustrated the average elevation and cholera cases by suburbs using geographical information. Finally, we estimated a generalized linear mixed model (under the assumption of a Poisson distribution) with an Empirical Bayesian approach to model the relation between the risk of cholera and the elevation in meters in Harare. We used a random intercept to allow for spatial correlation of neighboring suburbs. RESULTS: This study identifies a spatial pattern of the distribution of cholera cases in the Harare epidemic, characterized by a lower cholera risk in the highest elevation suburbs of Harare. The generalized linear mixed model showed that for each 100 meters of increase in the topographical elevation, the cholera risk was 30% lower with a rate ratio of 0.70 (95% confidence interval=0.66-0.76). Sensitivity analysis confirmed the risk reduction with an overall estimate of the rate ratio between 20% and 40%. CONCLUSION: This study highlights the importance of considering topographical elevation as a geographical and environmental risk factor in order to plan cholera preventive activities linked with water and sanitation in endemic areas. Furthermore, elevation information, among other risk factors, could help to spatially orientate cholera control interventions during an epidemic

Epidemiologic and clinical impact of acinetobacter baumannii colonization and infection: A reappraisal

Abstract: Acinetobacter baumannii is one of the most important antibiotic-resistant nosocomial bacteria. We investigated changes in the clinical and molecular epidemiology of A. baumannii over a 10-year period. We compared the data from 2 prospective multicenter cohort studies in Spain, one performed in 2000 (183 patients) and one in 2010 (246 patients), which included consecutive patients infected or colonized by A. baumannii. Molecular typing was performed by repetitive extragenic palindromic polymerase chain reaction (REP-PCR), pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE), and multilocus sequence typing (MLST). The incidence density of A. baumannii colonization or infection increased significantly from 0.14 in 2000 to 0.52 in 2010 in medical services (p<0.001). The number of non-nosocomial health careassociated cases increased from 1.2% to 14.2%, respectively (p<0.001). Previous exposure to carbapenems increased in 2010(16.9% in 2000 vs 27.3% in 2010, p¼0.03). The drugs most frequently used for definitive treatment of patients with infections were carbapenems in 2000 (45%) and colistin in 2010 (50.3%). There was molecular-typing evidence of an increase in the frequency of A. baumannii acquisition in non-intensive care unit wards in 2010 (7.6% in 2000 vs 19.2% in 2010, p¼0.01). By MSLT, the ST2 clonal group predominated and increased in 2010. This epidemic clonal group was more frequently resistant to imipenem and was associated with an increased risk of sepsis, although not with severe sepsis or mortality. Some significant changes were noted in the epidemiology of A. baumannii, which is increasingly affecting patients admitted to conventional wards and is also the cause of non-nosocomial health care-associated infections. Epidemic clones seem to combine antimicrobial resistance and the ability to spread, while maintaining their clinical virulence.ACKNOWLEDGMENTS: The authors thank the Platform for Genotyping of Pathogens and Public Health (Institut Pasteur, Paris, France) for coding MLST alleles and profiles as available at www. pasteur.fr/mlst. The authors are grateful for the support of the Spanish Group for Nosocomial Infections (GEIH) and the Spanish Group for Antimicrobial Mechanisms of Action and Resistance (GEMARA) from the Spanish Society of Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology (SEIMC) for their support in the development of the project

Salivary cotinine concentrations in daily smokers in Barcelona, Spain: a cross-sectional study

Background: Characterizing and comparing the determinant of cotinine concentrations in different populations should facilitate a better understanding of smoking patterns and addiction. This study describes and characterizes determinants of salivary cotinine concentration in a sample of Spanish adult daily smoker men and women. Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out between March 2004 and December 2005 in a representative sample of 1245 people from the general population of Barcelona, Spain. A standard questionnaire was used to gather information on active tobacco smoking and passive exposure, and a saliva specimen was obtained to determine salivary cotinine concentration. Two hundred and eleven adult smokers (>16 years old) with complete data were included in the analysis. Determinants of cotinine concentrations were assessed using linear regression models. Results: Salivary cotinine concentration was associated with the reported number of cigarettes smoked in the previous 24 hours (R2 = 0.339; p < 0.05). The inclusion of a quadratic component for number of cigarettes smoked in the regression analyses resulted in an improvement of the fit (R2 = 0.386; p < 0.05). Cotinine concentration differed significantly by sex, with men having higher levels. Conclusion: This study shows that salivary cotinine concentration is significantly associated with the number of cigarettes smoked and sex, but not with other smoking-related variables

Family physician and endocrinologist coordination as the basis for diabetes care in clinical practice

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>To estimate the proportion of diabetic patients (DPts) with peripheral vascular disease treated at a primary health care site after an endocrinologist-based intervention, who meet ATP III and Steno targets of metabolic control, as well as to compare the outcome with the results of the patients treated by endocrinologists.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>A controlled, prospective over 30-months period study was conducted in area 7 of Madrid. One hundred twenty six eligible diabetic patients diagnosed as having peripheral vascular disease between January 2003 and June 2004 were included in the study. After a treatment period of three months by the Diabetes team at St Carlos Hospital, 63 patients were randomly assigned to continue their follow up by diabetes team (Group A) and other 63 to be treated by the family physicians (FP) at primary care level with continuous diabetes team coordination (Group B). 57 DPts from Group A and 59 from Group B, completed the 30 months follow-up period. At baseline both groups were similar in age, weight, time from diagnosis and metabolic control. The main outcomes of this study were the proportion of patients meeting ATP III and Steno goals for HbA1c (%), Cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, triglycerides, blood pressure, albumine-to-creatinine excretion ratio (ACR), body mass index (BMI), waist circumference (WC), anti-aggregation treatment and smoking status.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>At the end of the follow up, no differences were found between the groups. More than 37% of diabetic patients assigned to be treated by FP achieved a HbA1c < 6.5%, more than 50% a ACR < 30 mg/g, and more than 80% reached low risk values for cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, triglycerides, diastolic blood pressure and were anti-aggregated, and 12% remained smokers. In contrast, less than 45% achieved a systolic blood pressure < 130 mm Hg, less than 12% had a BMI < 25 Kg.m-2 (versus 23% in group A; p < 0.05) and 49%/30% (men/women) had a waist circumference of low risk.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Improvements in metabolic control among diabetic patients with peripheral vascular disease treated at a primary health care setting is possible, reaching similar results to the patients treated at a specialized level. Despite such an improvement, body weight control remains more than poor in both levels, mainly at primary care level. General practitioner and endocrinologist coordination care may be important to enhance diabetes management in primary care settings.</p> <p>Trial registration</p> <p>Clinical Trial number ISRCTN75037597</p