Semicontinuous and batch ozonation combined with peroxymonosulfate for inactivation of microalgae in ballast water.

The Ballast Water Management Convention (BWMC) establishes limits regarding the permissible number of viable organisms in discharged ballast water. Ozone as a ballast water treatment is interesting because it can be generated in-situ and has strong oxidant power. Additionally, some oxidants can be formed in reaction with seawater, especially brominated compounds, that assist in inactivating microorganisms. The objective of this study is to assess the efficacy of semicontinuous and batch ozonation as well as their combination with peroxymonosulfate salt (PMS) as methods to be used to ensure compliance with regulation D2 of the BWMC using Tetraselmis suecica as a standard microorganism. Growth modeling method was employed to determine the inactivation achieved by the treatments. The results show that ozone is an effective treatment for accomplishing the D2 of the BWMC. Batch ozonation is more efficient than semicontinuous ozonation probably because of the brominated compounds formed during the ozone saturation of the water. The oxidants that are developed during the ozonation of seawater prolong the residual effect of the treatment throughout the days of storage with practically no presence of them in the ballast tanks at 72 h. The addition of the PMS increases the inactivation in the semicontinuous ozonation, but a threshold concentration of ozone is needed to observe the synergistic effect of both oxidants. No increase is associated with the combination of O3 and PMS in the case of batch ozonation

In situ observation of the on-surface thermal dehydrogenation of n-octane on Pt(111)

The catalytic dehydrogenation of alkanes constitutes a key step for the industrial conversion of these inert sp3-bonded carbon chains into other valuable unsaturated chemicals. To this end, platinum-based materials are among the most widely used catalysts. In this work, we characterize the thermal dehydrogenation of n-octane (n-C8H18) on Pt(111) under ultra-high vacuum using synchrotron-radiation X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, temperature-programmed desorption and scanning tunneling microscopy, combined with ab initio calculations. At low activation temperatures, two different dehydrogenation stages are observed. At 330 K, n-C8H18 effectively undergoes a 100% regioselective single C-H bond cleavage at one methyl end. At 600 K, the chemisorbed molecules undergo a double dehydrogenation, yielding double bonds in their carbon skeletons. Diffusion of the dehydrogenated species leads to the formation of carbon molecular clusters, which represents the first step towards poisoning of the catalyst. Our results reveal the chemical mechanisms behind the first stages of alkane dehydrogenation on a platinum model surface at the atomic scale, paving the way for designing more efficient dehydrogenation catalystsThe authors acknowledge financial support from projects PID2021-12509OA-I00, PID2020-113142RB-C21, TED2021-129999B-C31, TED2021-129416A-I00, RYC2020-029800-I and EUR2021-122006 funded by MCIN/AEI/10.13039/501100011033. D. Arribas acknowledges the Spanish Ministry of Universities, FPU-2019 predoctoral grant (FPU19/04556

Evidence of autochthonous transmission of urinary schistosomiasis in Almeria (southeast Spain): An outbreak analysis

Background: Schistosomiasis is endemic in 78 countries belonging to tropical and subtropical areas. However, autochthonous transmission of urogenital schistosomiasis was reported in Corsica (France) in 2013. We present evidence of autochthonous transmission of urogenital schistosomiasis in Almería (Spain) in 2003. Methods: Description of the outbreak in farmers and subsequent epidemiological studies aimed at searching for Bulinus snails and their genotypic characteristics. Results: The outbreak affected 4 farmers out of a group of 5 people who repeatedly bathed that summer in an irrigation pool in the area. Two of them presented macroscopic hematuria with bilharziomas, showing the presence of Schistosoma eggs in bladder biopsies. Two others were asymptomatic but the serology for schisto somiasis was positive. In 2015, the presence of the vector Bulinus truncatus was demonstrated in Almería in water collections of appropriate characteristics. DNA sequencing proving that local B. truncatus species were base-to base identical to B. truncatus from Senegal. Conclusions: We present a new outbreak of autochthonous transmission of urogenital schistosomiasis in Europe. Although no new cases of autochthonous transmission have been reported, some other cases may have occurred at that time or later on and be unnoticed as many cases of schistosomiasis are asymptomatic or present mild and unspecific symptoms

Software matemático aplicado a la docencia

La publicación del presente manual forma parte de las actividades desarrolladas durante el curso 2009/10 por el grupo de innovación docente (GID) ʺSoftware Matemático Aplicado a la Docencia (SMAD)ʺ financiado en convocatoria competitiva por el Vicerrectorado de Calidad y Formación Continua de la Universidad de Extremadura y coordinado por D. Ignacio Ojeda Martínez de Castilla.El objetivo de este manual es presentar los tutoriales de los programas Octave/MATLAB (cálculo científico y visualización de datos), R (cálculo estadístico y generación de gráficos) y MAXIMA (cálculo simbólico y numérico) y prácticas, tanto en los ficheros pdf como en los ficheros originales TEX, y ponerlas a disposición de la comunidad universitaria, para que aquellos docentes universitarios que puedan necesitarlos tengan acceso a ellas y puedan adaptarlas a sus necesidades.The objective of this manual is to introduce you to the tutorials of the programs Octave/MATLAB (scientific computing and visualization of data), R (statistical calculus and generation of graphics) and MAXIMA (symbolic computation and numerical calculation) and practice in both pdf files as in the original TEX files, and make them available to the university community, so that those academics who may need it have access to them and can adapt it to their needs

500 años de la fundación del Primer Ayuntamiento Continental de las Américas

Entre el primer tercio y la mitad del año 2019, diversas dependencias y organismos públicos mexicanos celebraron el quincuagésimo aniversario de la fundación del ayuntamiento de la Villa Rica de la Vera Cruz. Con la afirmada trascendencia del suceso aludido, el Instituto Nacional de Administración Pública, fiel a su misión de difundir el conocimiento disciplinar, fue el primero en celebrar su quincuagésimo aniversario. El Seminario 500 años de la fundación del primer ayuntamiento continental de las Américas, realizado los días 9 y 10 de abril de 2019, propuso para los gobiernos municipales mexicanos una nueva visión para su organización y para su progreso. Se desarrolló en cinco mesas: 1) origen, 2) siglo XIX y Revolución Mexicana, 3) municipio urbano, 4) futuro del municipio 1, y 5) futuro del municipio 2. El primer capítulo de este libro reproduce las palabras del discurso inaugurar el seminario. Los restantes 18 capítulos corresponden a contribuciones escritas de aquellos participantes distinguidos del evento

Characteristics of patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus newly treated with GLP-1 receptor agonists (CHADIG Study): a cross-sectional multicentre study in Spain

Objective: Several glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonists (GLP-1Ra) have been made recently available in Spain for type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM2) treatment. There are no published data on the clinical and sociodemographic profile of patients initiating treatment with GLP-1Ra in Spain. Our objective was to understand these patients' characteristics in a real-world clinical practice setting. Design: Cross-sectional observational study. Setting: Spanish specialist outpatient clinics. Participants: 403 adults with DM2 initiating GLP-1Ra treatment were included. Primary and secondary outcome measures: Sociodemographic and DM2-related clinical data, including treatment at and after GLP-1Ra initiation and comorbidities, were collected. Results: Evaluable patients (n=403; 50.9% female) were included ( July 2013 to March 2014) at 24 centres by 53 specialists (47 endocrinology, 6 internal medicine), with the following profile (value±SD): age (58.3±10.4 years), diabetes duration (9.9±7 years), body mass index (BMI; 36.2±5.5) and glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c; 8.4±1.4%); 14% had HbA1c≤7%. Previous antidiabetic treatment: 53.8% only oral antidiabetic drugs (OADs), 5.2% insulin and 40% insulin and OAD; of those receiving OAD, 35% single drug, 38.2% 2 drugs and 24% 3 drugs. Concomitant to GLP-1Ra, 55.3% were only on OAD, 36.2% on insulin and OAD, and 7.2% only on insulin. Of those receiving OAD, the GLP-1Ra was mainly associated with 1 drug (65%) or 2 drugs (31.8%). GLP-1Ra are frequently added to existing antidiabetic drugs, with dipeptidyl peptidase-4 inhibitors being the OAD most frequently switched (45% receiving 1 before starting GLP-1Ra, only 2.7% receiving it concomitantly). Conclusions: In Spain, GLP-1Ra therapy is usually started in combination with OADs or OADs and insulin. These drugs are used in relatively young patients often not reaching therapeutic goals with other treatment combinations, roughly a decade after diagnosis and with a relatively high BMI. The latter could be explaine

Long-Term Real-World Effectiveness and Safety of Ustekinumab in Crohn’s Disease Patients: The SUSTAIN Study

Background Large real-world-evidence studies are required to confirm the durability of response, effectiveness, and safety of ustekinumab in Crohn’s disease (CD) patients in real-world clinical practice. Methods A retrospective, multicentre study was conducted in Spain in patients with active CD who had received ≥1 intravenous dose of ustekinumab for ≥6 months. Primary outcome was ustekinumab retention rate; secondary outcomes were to identify predictive factors for drug retention, short-term remission (week 16), loss of response and predictive factors for short-term efficacy and loss of response, and ustekinumab safety. Results A total of 463 patients were included. Mean baseline Harvey-Bradshaw Index was 8.4. A total of 447 (96.5%) patients had received prior biologic therapy, 141 (30.5%) of whom had received ≥3 agents. In addition, 35.2% received concomitant immunosuppressants, and 47.1% had ≥1 abdominal surgery. At week 16, 56% had remission, 70% had response, and 26.1% required dose escalation or intensification; of these, 24.8% did not subsequently reduce dose. After a median follow-up of 15 months, 356 (77%) patients continued treatment. The incidence rate of ustekinumab discontinuation was 18% per patient-year of follow-up. Previous intestinal surgery and concomitant steroid treatment were associated with higher risk of ustekinumab discontinuation, while a maintenance schedule every 12 weeks had a lower risk; neither concomitant immunosuppressants nor the number of previous biologics were associated with ustekinumab discontinuation risk. Fifty adverse events were reported in 39 (8.4%) patients; 4 of them were severe (2 infections, 1 malignancy, and 1 fever). Conclusions Ustekinumab is effective and safe as short- and long-term treatment in a refractory cohort of CD patients in real-world clinical practice

Using Interpretable Machine Learning to Identify Baseline Predictive Factors of Remission and Drug Durability in Crohn’s Disease Patients on Ustekinumab

Ustekinumab has shown efficacy in Crohn's Disease (CD) patients. To identify patient profiles of those who benefit the most from this treatment would help to position this drug in the therapeutic paradigm of CD and generate hypotheses for future trials. The objective of this analysis was to determine whether baseline patient characteristics are predictive of remission and the drug durability of ustekinumab, and whether its positioning with respect to prior use of biologics has a significant effect after correcting for disease severity and phenotype at baseline using interpretable machine learning. Patients' data from SUSTAIN, a retrospective multicenter single-arm cohort study, were used. Disease phenotype, baseline laboratory data, and prior treatment characteristics were documented. Clinical remission was defined as the Harvey Bradshaw Index <= 4 and was tracked longitudinally. Drug durability was defined as the time until a patient discontinued treatment. A total of 439 participants from 60 centers were included and a total of 20 baseline covariates considered. Less exposure to previous biologics had a positive effect on remission, even after controlling for baseline disease severity using a non-linear, additive, multivariable model. Additionally, age, body mass index, and fecal calprotectin at baseline were found to be statistically significant as independent negative risk factors for both remission and drug survival, with further risk factors identified for remission

Mountain strongholds for woody angiosperms during the Late Pleistocene in SE Iberia

Mediterranean mountains played an essential role during glacial periods as vegetation refugia. The SE Iberia Late Pleistocene woody angiosperm fossil and floristic evidences are reviewed in the context of phylogeographical studies aiming to identify (i) spatial patterns related to woody angiosperms glacial survival, (ii) structural and functional characteristics of montane refugia, and (iii) gaps in knowledge on the woody angiosperm patterns of survival in Mediterranean mountains. The distribution of palaeobotanical data for SE Iberia refugia has been found to be taphonomically biased due to the scarcity of available and/or studied high-altitude Late Pleistocene sites. However, Siles Lake data together with floristic inference provide evidences for woody angiosperms’ survival in a high-altitude Mediterranean area. The main features boosting survival at montane contexts are physiographic complexity and water availability. Phylogeography studies have mainly been conducted at a continental scale. Although they cohere with palaeobotanical data to a broad scale, a general lack of sampling of SE Iberian range-edge populations, as well as misconceptions about the origin of the populations sampled, impede to infer the proper location of woody angiosperms’ mountain refugia and their importance in the post-glacial European colonisation. We conclude that floristic, geobotanical, palaeobotanical, ethnographical and genetic evidence should be merged to gain a deeper understanding on the role played by Mediterranean mountains as glacial refugia in order to explain the current distribution of many plants and the large biodiversity levels encountered in Mediterranean mountain areas. This is hallmark for effective and efficient conservation and management

Connected Insulin Pens and Caps : An Expert's Recommendation from the Area of Diabetes of the Spanish Endocrinology and Nutrition Society (SEEN)

Undoubtedly, technological advances have revolutionised diabetes management in recent years. The development of advanced closed hybrid loop insulin pumps or continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) systems, among others, have increased the quality of life and improved glycaemic control of people with diabetes. However, only some patients have access to such technology, and only some want to use it. CGM has become much more widespread, but in terms of insulin delivery, most people with type 1 diabetes (T1D) and almost all people with type 2 diabetes (T2D) on insulin therapy are treated with multiple-dose insulin injections (MDI) rather than an insulin pump. For these patients, using connected insulin pens or caps has shown benefits in reducing missed insulin injections and promoting correct administration over time. In addition, using these devices improves the quality of life and user satisfaction. The integration of insulin injection and CGM data facilitates both users and the healthcare team to analyse glucose control and implement appropriate therapeutic changes, reducing therapeutic inertia. This expert's recommendation reviews the characteristics of the devices marketed or in the process of being marketed and their available scientific evidence. Finally, it suggests the profile of users and professionals who would benefit most, the barriers to its generalisation and the changes in the care model that implementing these devices can bring with it