De las sierras conquenses a Zacatena. Molinos, molienda y molineros en La Mancha pre-industrial (siglos XVI-XVIII)

During the Early Modern Times, water was one of the most important natural resources, especially in arid or semi-arid regions such as La Mancha. In this territory, liquid element was barely used in agriculture, because watering farming was a residual activity. More important was its use in the processing industry, transforming the cereals grown in its fields into flour. This paper analyses the conditions of water exploitation in the Guadiana River basin during the pre-industrial period and focuses on the water mills that lined its riverbanks. It also examines other uses not linked to the milling and attempts to explain its geographical location and its technical evolution.En el transcurso de la Edad Moderna, el agua tuvo una especial significación, especialmente en regiones áridas o semiáridas, como La Mancha. Allí, la importancia de dicho elemento trascendió al sector agrícola, pues el regadío tuvo un papel residual. Más importante fue su empleo en la industria de transformación, que aprovechó dicho recurso para convertir en harina el cereal cultivado en sus campos. Este trabajo analiza en qué condiciones se produjo la explotación hídrica en los cauces de la cuenca del Guadiana durante la etapa pre-industrial y centra su atención en el conjunto de molinos hidráulicos que jalonaron su ribera. También se examinan otros usos no ligados a la molienda de grano y se intenta dar una explicación a la ubicación geográfica de dichos ingenios y a su evolución técnica

Estudio de viabilidad económica de la implantación de bioceldas en una planta de tratamiento de aguas residuales

Las aguas residuales generadas en la industria de los zumos se caracterizan entre otras cosas por presentar altas concentraciones de materia orgánica, la cual es muy costosa de eliminar con los tratamientos que existen actualmente.En los últimos años están surgiendo numerosos estudios en torno al uso de celdas de combustible microbiológicas o bioceldas como método de tratamiento de aguas residuales. En este artículo se ha realizado un estudio de viabilidad económica de la implantación de 10 bioceldas para tratar las aguas residuales generadas en una industria de este tipo. Para ello, se analizaron tres posibles escenarios que podrían darse utilizando estos sistemas y se compararon los resultados obtenidos con el uso de un reactor convencional de fangos activos. Los resultados obtenidos para el VAN mostraron que la utilizaciónde bioceldas podría proporcionar un ahorro comprendido entre un 10 y 20 % aproximadamente dependiendo de si es un escenario pesimista u optimista, respectivamente, teniendo en cuenta un tiempo de vida de la planta de 15 años. El área de electrodo por celda considerada en este estudio fue de 0,36 m2, la cual dio lugar a densidades de potencia algo más altas que las encontradas en la bibliografía. Por ello, se decidió realizar un análisis de sensibilidad considerando áreas de electrodo de 0,5 m2 y 0,8 m2 en las bioceldas. Se encontró que aún utilizandoáreas de 0,5 m2 el VAN seguiría siendo positivo en todos los escenarios considerados y para el valor de 0,8 m2 se obtuvieron también resultados favorables en el escenario optimista. Estos resultados muestran que siempre que se cumplan los criterios establecidos en este estudio, la depuración mediante bioceldas en una industria de este tipo podría ser una alternativa más rentable que la depuración convencional mediante fangos activos

Biofilm oxygen profiling using an array of microelectrodes on a microfabricated needle

A novel microelectrode array (DO-MEA) sensor was designed and fabricated using microelectromechanical systems technology on a needle for real time measurement of dissolved oxygen (DO). The sensor consisted of eleven gold disk microelectrodes and a rectangular auxiliary electrode along them. The sensor can also be operated with an integrated reference system. Three different sensor designs were fabricated, and their responses were fully characterized and evaluated. The DO-MEA sensor presented a linear response in the 0-8 mg DO·L-1 concentration range in water, displaying high sensitivity and repeatability. Knowledge of bacterial activity inside biofilms is key to the optimization of applied biotechnologies. The developed sensor was validated against a commercial Clark-type microelectrode overcoming its drawbacks, by profiling a heterotrophic biofilm cultivated in a flat-plate bioreactor. The DO-MEA sensor provided a multipoint, simultaneous dissolved oxygen snapshot profile inside a biofilm with high spatial resolution due to its micrometric dimensions, thus becoming a powerful tool for the research of many similar biological-based processes and applications.Peer ReviewedPostprint (author’s final draft

Polarización y riesgo de automatización del empleo en el mercado laboral español

The current document examines the transformations of the Spanish labour market -as a consequence of the employment polarisation process- . It also analyses how the occupational structure based on the risk of automation of each group can evolve. The results show that the polarisation of the Spanish labour market correlates, on the one hand, positively with the automation of routine content tasks and, on the other, negatively with educational and salary levels.El presente artículo analiza las transformaciones que ha sufrido el mercado laboral español como consecuencia del proceso de polarización del empleo, estudiando, además, cómo puede evolucionar la estructura ocupacional según el riesgo de automatización de cada grupo. Los resultados muestran que la polarización del mercado laboral español se correlaciona, por un lado, de manera positiva con la automatización de tareas de contenido rutinario y, por otro, de forma negativa con los niveles educativo y salarial

Perceptions and attitudes of clinicians in Spain toward clinical practice guidelines and grading systems : A protocol for a qualitative study and a national survey

FADQThis project has been funded by the Instituto de Salud Carlos III, co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund (PI08 90647). The publication of this document has been funded within the framework of collaboration designed for the Quality Plan of the Spanish National Health System, under the agreement signed by the Carlos III Health Institute and the Aragon Health Science Institute as GuiaSalud secretariat. Pablo Alonso-Coello is funded by a Miguel Servet contract by the Instituto de Salud Carlos III (CP09/00137).Background: Clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) have become a very popular tool for decision making in healthcare. While there is some evidence that CPGs improve outcomes, there are numerous factors that influence their acceptability and use by healthcare providers. While evidence of clinicians' knowledge, perceptions and attitudes toward CPGs is extensive, results are still disperse and not conclusive. Our study will evaluate these issues in a large and representative sample of clinicians in Spain. Methods/Design. A mixed-method design combining qualitative and quantitative research techniques will evaluate general practitioners (GPs) and hospital-based specialists in Spain with the objective of exploring attitudes and perceptions about CPGs and evidence grading systems. The project will consist of two phases: during the first phase, group discussions will be carried out to gain insight into perceptions and attitudes of the participants, and during the second phase, this information will be completed by means of a survey, reaching a greater number of clinicians. We will explore these issues in GPs and hospital-based practitioners, with or without previous experience in guideline development. Discussion. Our study will identify and gain insight into the perceived problems and barriers of Spanish practitioners in relation to guideline knowledge and use. The study will also explore beliefs and attitudes of clinicians towards CPGs and evidence grading systems used to rate the quality of the evidence and the strength of recommendations. Our results will provide guidance to healthcare researchers and healthcare decision makers to improve the use of guidelines in Spain and elsewhere. © 2010 Kotzeva et al; licensee BioMed Central Lt

Perceptions and attitudes of clinicians in Spain toward clinical practice guidelines and grading systems: a protocol for a qualitative study and a national survey

BACKGROUND: Clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) have become a very popular tool for decision making in healthcare. While there is some evidence that CPGs improve outcomes, there are numerous factors that influence their acceptability and use by healthcare providers. While evidence of clinicians' knowledge, perceptions and attitudes toward CPGs is extensive, results are still disperse and not conclusive. Our study will evaluate these issues in a large and representative sample of clinicians in Spain. METHODS/DESIGN: A mixed-method design combining qualitative and quantitative research techniques will evaluate general practitioners (GPs) and hospital-based specialists in Spain with the objective of exploring attitudes and perceptions about CPGs and evidence grading systems. The project will consist of two phases: during the first phase, group discussions will be carried out to gain insight into perceptions and attitudes of the participants, and during the second phase, this information will be completed by means of a survey, reaching a greater number of clinicians. We will explore these issues in GPs and hospital-based practitioners, with or without previous experience in guideline development. DISCUSSION: Our study will identify and gain insight into the perceived problems and barriers of Spanish practitioners in relation to guideline knowledge and use. The study will also explore beliefs and attitudes of clinicians towards CPGs and evidence grading systems used to rate the quality of the evidence and the strength of recommendations. Our results will provide guidance to healthcare researchers and healthcare decision makers to improve the use of guidelines in Spain and elsewhere

Associated factors to serious infections in a large cohort of juvenile-onset systemic lupus erythematosus from Lupus Registry (RELESSER).

Objective: To assess the incidence of serious infection (SI) and associated factors in a large juvenile-onset systemic lupus erythematosus (jSLE) retrospective cohort. Methods: All patients in the Spanish Rheumatology Society Lupus Registry (RELESSER) who meet =4 ACR-97 SLE criteria and disease onset <18 years old (jSLE), were retrospectively investigated for SI (defined as either the need for hospitalization with antibacterial therapy for a potentially fatal infection or death caused by the infection). Standardized SI rate was calculated per 100 patient years. Patients with and without SI were compared. Bivariate and multivariate logistic and Cox regression models were built to calculate associated factors to SI and relative risks. Results: A total of 353 jSLE patients were included: 88.7% female, 14.3 years (± 2.9) of age at diagnosis, 16.0 years (± 9.3) of disease duration and 31.5 years (±10.5) at end of follow-up. A total of 104 (29.5%) patients suffered 205 SI (1, 55.8%; 2-5, 38.4%; and =6, 5.8%). Incidence rate was 3.7 (95%CI: 3.2–4.2) SI per 100 patient years. Respiratory location and bacterial infections were the most frequent. Higher number of SLE classification criteria, SLICC/ACR DI score and immunosuppressants use were associated to the presence of SI. Associated factors to shorter time to first infection were higher number of SLE criteria, splenectomy and immunosuppressants use. Conclusions: The risk of SI in jSLE patients is significant and higher than aSLE. It is associated to higher number of SLE criteria, damage accrual, some immunosuppressants and splenectomy

Attitudes and perceptions about clinical guidelines: a qualitative study with Spanish physicians

Estudio cuyo objetivo es la evaluación de las actitudes y percepciones los médicos españoles con relación las Guías de práctica clínica. Spanish physicians towards CGs

X chromosome inactivation does not necessarily determine the severity of the phenotype in Rett syndrome patients

Rett syndrome (RTT) is a severe neurological disorder usually caused by mutations in the MECP2 gene. Since the MECP2 gene is located on the X chromosome, X chromosome inactivation (XCI) could play a role in the wide range of phenotypic variation of RTT patients; however, classical methylation-based protocols to evaluate XCI could not determine whether the preferentially inactivated X chromosome carried the mutant or the wild-type allele. Therefore, we developed an allele-specific methylation-based assay to evaluate methylation at the loci of several recurrent MECP2 mutations. We analyzed the XCI patterns in the blood of 174 RTT patients, but we did not find a clear correlation between XCI and the clinical presentation. We also compared XCI in blood and brain cortex samples of two patients and found differences between XCI patterns in these tissues. However, RTT mainly being a neurological disease complicates the establishment of a correlation between the XCI in blood and the clinical presentation of the patients. Furthermore, we analyzed MECP2 transcript levels and found differences from the expected levels according to XCI. Many factors other than XCI could affect the RTT phenotype, which in combination could influence the clinical presentation of RTT patients to a greater extent than slight variations in the XCI pattern