Conformally invariant free-parafermionic quantum chains with multispin interactions.

We calculate the spectral properties of two related families of non-Hermitian free-particle quantum chains with N-multispin interactions (N=2,3,...). The first family have a Z(N) symmetry and are described by free parafermions. The second have a U(1) symmetry and are generalizations of XX quantum chains described by free fermions. The eigenspectra of both free-particle families are formed by the combination of the same pseudo-energies. The models have a multicritical point with dynamical critical exponent z=1. The finite-size behavior of their eigenspectra, as well as the entanglement properties of their ground-state wave function, indicate the models are conformally invariant. The models with open and periodic boundary conditions show quite distinct physics due to their non-Hermiticity. The models defined with open boundaries have a single conformal invariant phase, while the XX multispin models show multiple phases with distinct conformal central charges in the periodic case.

[Risk of sarcopenia and malnutrition related to COVID-19 in an institutionalized population of Castilla-La Mancha (Spain): determined by R-MAPP.] / Riesgo de sarcopenia y desnutrición relacionado con COVID-19 en una población institucionalizada de Castilla-La Mancha: determinado por R-MAPP.

OBJECTIVE: Knowing the risk status of malnutrition and sarcopenia in institutionalized patients is essential to understand the current context after the impact of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. METHODS: This research used a retrospective, observational study. The results of the Remote Malnutrition APP test (R-MAPP) are described: risk factors for malnutrition (including COVID-19), the Malnutrition Universal Screening Tool (MUST) and the SARC-F, in a selected sample of 402 residents of Castilla-La Mancha (Spain) during 2021. An inferential analysis was performed to determine which factors were related to the MUST (≥2 points) and SARC-F (≥4 points) response measures. With the factors that obtained statistical significance, a multivariate regression model was performed, adjusting for each one. of those factors. RESULTS: Mean age was 84.2 years, 70.1% women. Most frequent risk factor for malnutrition was aging (85.1%). The mean body mass index was 26.5 (SD 11.6). MUST≥2 points was obtained in 16.2%, and a SARC-F≥4 in 69.9%. COPD (Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease / OR 0.35; 95% CI 0.13-0.92; p 0.03) was a protective factor against the risk of malnutrition. The risk of sarcopenia was related to aging (OR 8.16; 95% CI 4.13-16.20; p 0.00), COVID-19 (OR 1.96; 95% CI 1.17-3.29; p 0.01) and COPD (OR 2.44; 95% CI 1.21-4.89; p 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: No relationship is found between COVID-19 and high risk of malnutrition. Aging, COVID-19 and COPD are risk factors for sarcopenia.

OBJETIVO: Conocer el estado de riesgo de desnutrición y sarcopenia de las personas institucionalizadas es clave para entender el contexto actual tras la repercusión que ha tenido la pandemia por coronavirus (COVID-19). METODOS: Se realizó un estudio observacional retrospectivo. Se describen los resultados de la prueba Remote Malnutrition APP (R-MAPP): factores de riesgo de desnutrición (incluyendo la COVID-19), Malnutrition Universal Screening Tool (MUST) y la SARC-F, en una muestra seleccionada de 402 residentes de Castilla-La Mancha (España) durante 2021. Se llevó a cabo un análisis inferencial para determinar qué factores tenían relación con las medidas de respuesta MUST (≥2 puntos) y SARC-F (≥4 puntos). Con los factores que obtuvieron significación estadística se realizó un modelo de regresión multivariante ajustando por cada uno de esos factores. RESULTADOS: La edad media fue de 84,2 años, con un 70,1% de mujeres. El factor de riesgo de desnutrición más frecuente fue el envejecimiento (85,1%). El Índice de Masa Corporal medio fue 26,5 (DE 11,6). Se obtuvo un MUST mayor o igual a 2 puntos en un 16,2%, y un SARC-F igual o mayor de 4 en el 69,9%. Se observó, como factor protector, la EPOC (enfermedad pulmonar obstructiva crónica / OR 0,35; IC 95% 0,13-0,92; p 0,03) contra el riesgo de desnutrición. El riesgo de sarcopenia se relacionó con envejecimiento (OR 8,16; IC 95% 4,13-16,20; p 0,00), COVID-19 (OR 1,96; IC 95% 1,17-3,29; p 0,01) y EPOC (OR 2,44; IC 95% 1,21- 4,89; p 0,01). CONCLUSIONES: No se halla relación entre COVID-19 y riesgo alto de desnutrición. Envejecimiento, COVID-19 y EPOC son factores de riesgo de sarcopenia.

Riesgo de sarcopenia y desnutrición relacionado con COVID-19 en una población institucionalizada de Castilla-La Mancha: determinado por R-MAPP / Risk of sarcopenia and malnutrition related to COVID-19 in an institutionalized population of Castilla-La Mancha (Spain): determined by R-MAPP

FUNDAMENTOS: Conocer el estado de riesgo de desnutrición y sarcopenia de las personas institucionalizadas es clave para entender el contexto actual tras la repercusión que ha tenido la pandemia por coronavirus (COVID-19). MÉTODOS: Se realizó un estudio observacional retrospectivo. Se describen los resultados de la prueba Remote Malnutrition APP (R-MAPP): factores de riesgo de desnutrición (incluyendo la COVID-19), Malnutrition Universal Screening Tool (MUST) y la SARC-F, en una muestra seleccionada de 402 residentes de Castilla-La Mancha (España) durante 2021. Se llevó a cabo un análisis inferencial para determinar qué factores tenían relación con las medidas de respuesta MUST (≥2 puntos) y SARC-F (≥4 puntos). Con los factores que obtuvieron significación estadística se realizó un modelo de regresión multivariante ajustando por cada uno de esos factores. RESULTADOS: La edad media fue de 84,2 años, con un 70,1% de mujeres. El factor de riesgo de desnutrición más frecuente fue el envejecimiento (85,1%). El Índice de Masa Corporal medio fue 26,5 (DE 11,6). Se obtuvo un MUST mayor o igual a 2 puntos en un 16,2%, y un SARC-F igual o mayor de 4 en el 69,9%. Se observó, como factor protector, la EPOC (enfermedad pulmonar obstructiva crónica / OR 0,35; IC 95% 0,13-0,92; p 0,03) contra el riesgo de desnutrición. El riesgo de sarcopenia se relacionó con envejecimiento (OR 8,16; IC 95% 4,13-16,20; p 0,00), COVID-19 (OR 1,96; IC 95% 1,17-3,29; p 0,01) y EPOC (OR 2,44; IC 95% 1,21- 4,89; p 0,01). CONCLUSIONES: No se halla relación entre COVID-19 y riesgo alto de desnutrición. Envejecimiento, COVID-19 y EPOC son factores de riesgo de sarcopenia.(AU)

BACKGROUND: Knowing the risk status of malnutrition and sarcopenia in institutionalized patients is essential to understand the current context after the impact of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. METHODS: This research used a retrospective, observational study. The results of the Remote Malnutrition APP test (R-MAPP) are described: risk factors for malnutrition (including COVID-19), the Malnutrition Universal Screening Tool (MUST) and the SARC-F, in a selected sample of 402 residents of Castilla-La Mancha (Spain) during 2021. An inferential analysis was performed to determine which factors were related to the MUST (≥2 points) and SARC-F (≥4 points) response measures. With the factors that obtained statistical significance, a multivariate regression model was performed, adjusting for each one. of those factors. RESULTS: Mean age was 84.2 years, 70.1% women. Most frequent risk factor for malnutrition was aging (85.1%). The mean body mass index was 26.5 (SD 11.6). MUST≥2 points was obtained in 16.2%, and a SARC-F≥4 in 69.9%. COPD (Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease / OR 0.35; 95% CI 0.13-0.92; p 0.03) was a protective factor against the risk of maln utrition. The risk of sarcopenia was related to aging (OR 8.16; 95% CI 4.13-16.20; p 0.00), COVID-19 (OR 1.96; 95% CI 1.17-3.29; p 0.01) and COPD (OR 2.44; 95% CI 1.21-4.89; p 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: No relationship is found between COVID-19 and high risk of malnutrition. Aging, COVID-19 and COPD are risk factors for sarcopenia.(AU)

Efficiency of Diagnostic Test for SARS-CoV-2 in a Nursing Home.

BACKGROUND: there is no consensus on how to optimally use diagnostic tests in each stage of COVID-19 pandemic. The objective of this research is to determine the efficiency of sorting positive antibody test quarterly. METHODS: this research uses a retrospective, observational study. COVID-19 diagnostic tests performed and avoided refer to a Spanish nursing home. POPULATION: 261 employees and 107 residents. A quarterly antibody test was performed on subjects who had tested positive during the first wave of coronavirus, and a antibody rapid test on the remaining subjects. RESULTS: during the first wave, 24.0% of the employees and 51.4% of the residents had a positive antibody test. Seronegativization was observed in 7.6% of employees and 1.6% of residents. An employee was infected with COVID-19 in September 2020, followed by a nursing home outbreak in October: 118 Polymerase Chain Reactions tests were avoided in residents and 18 in employees, which in turn prevented 15 workers from going on sick leave and the quarantine of 59 residents. This represents savings of about $15,000. CONCLUSIONS: our study supports the need to know and apply the strategies for early detection, surveillance and control of COVID-19 for future outbreaks. We conclude that surveillance for positive COVID-19 serology among long-term care staff and residents may be a cost-effective strategy during a pandemic.

Ethnoveterinary Medicine and Ethnopharmacology in the Main Transhumance Areas of Castilla-La Mancha (Spain).

In this study, we document the practices of ethnoveterinary medicine and ethnopharmacology in the context of traditional transhumance routes that cross Castilla La Mancha from north to south. Transhumance is a type of grazing system that allows advantage to be taken of winter pastures (wintering places) and summer pastures by seasonal movement, twice a year, of cattle and their shepherds. Our study is based on over 200 interviews (from 1994 to 2021) conducted in 86 localities along eight major transhumance routes "cañadas reales" and 25 other minor transhumance routes, and involved 210 informants, 89 single and 121 groups, and 562 individuals, of which the majority were men. Sixty-three recorded pathologies and their treatments are discussed. Two hundred and two species and substances, belonging to 92 different families, have been recorded from the interviews, of which most are plants. Amid the toxic plant species, the most cited in the interviews are Erophaca baetica (L.) Boiss., Lupinus angustifolius L., and Oenanthe crocata L. Some of the species reported as toxic were reservoirs of pathogens or markers for dangerous areas. One of the fields most widely covered in our study is that of prevention, protection, and control of endo- and ectoparasites. This control is carried out mainly by means of aromatic plants. As a polyvalent species, Daphne gnidium L. is outstanding, and it contributes one-tenth of the records of our study. Among the species of fundamentally therapeutic use, Cistus ladanifer L. stands out by far. Principal Coordinate Analysis (PCoA) based on the repertories of ingredients, separates the routes whose most important sections run through siliceous terrain with its characteristic flora, especially in the provinces of Ciudad Real and Toledo, from the routes that run through the limestone terrain of Albacete and Cuenca, and link the Eastern Mancha and the "Serranía de Cuenca" with Andalusia and the Spanish Levant.

Nursing Student Satisfaction with the Teaching Methodology Followed during the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Background: Halfway through the 2019−2020 academic year, the entire university system was affected by an exceptional situation caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Online learning was globally implemented for all degrees to finish the course and to meet academic objectives. This unforeseen change in teaching and subsequent evaluations meant teachers and students had to invest significant effort. Student satisfaction is used to measure the evaluation of teaching/learning processes in higher education. Our objective was to know and compare the satisfaction of nursing students taught at a Spanish public university after making changes to the teaching methodology. Methods: A descriptive observational study that measures student satisfaction. Study population: 240 students registered in academic years 2019−2020 and 2020−2021 answered the survey. The survey contained 30 items answered on a Likert-type scale. The main variables: the learning methodology (online or blended) was the independent variable; student satisfaction was the dependent variable. Descriptive and bivariate analyses were performed. Results: A response rate between 37.4% and 41.2%. Overall satisfaction was 2.75 points (SD 0.56) and 2.94 points (SD 0.49) with online learning and bimodal learning, respectively (maximum score 4 points) (p < 0.004). Conclusions: Student satisfaction was moderate−high for both learning methodologies. Students found that the b-learning methodology was the most valued.

Free-parafermionic Z(N) and free-fermionic XY quantum chains.

The relationship between the eigenspectrum of Ising and XY quantum chains is well known. Although the Ising model has a Z(2) symmetry and the XY model a U(1) symmetry, both models are described in terms of free-fermionic quasiparticles. The fermionic quasienergies are obtained by means of a Jordan-Wigner transformation. On the other hand, there exists in the literature a huge family of Z(N) quantum chains whose eigenspectra, for N>2, are given in terms of free parafermions, and they are not derived from the standard Jordan-Wigner transformation. The first members of this family are the Z(N) free-parafermionic Baxter quantum chains. In this paper, we introduce a family of XY models that, beyond two-body, also have N-multispin interactions. Similar to the standard XY model, they have a U(1) symmetry and are also solved by the Jordan-Wigner transformation. We show that with appropriate choices of the N-multispin couplings, the eigenspectra of these XY models are given in terms of combinations of Z(N) free-parafermionic quasienergies. In particular, all the eigenenergies of the Z(N) free-parafermionic models are also present in the related free-fermionic XY models. The correspondence is established via the identification of the characteristic polynomial, which fixes the eigenspectrum. In the Z(N) free-parafermionic models, the quasienergies obey an exclusion circle principle that is not present in the related N-multispin XY models.

A Comparison Study on Traditional Mixtures of Herbal Teas Used in Eastern Mediterranean Area.

Multipurpose herbal teas with numerous ingredients, in which flowers are the main component, are common in the traditional medicine and pharmacy of Greece and the Eastern Mediterranean countries. In this study, we combine ethnobotany and ethnopharmacology field work techniques and botany and pharmacognosy laboratory methods for the study of traditional herbal mixtures with flowers, we identify their botanical ingredients and record the local medicinal uses of these mixtures, in Greece, Lebanon, Syria, Iran and Turkey. These, and their industrial versions, are analyzed, using morphological and multivariate analysis techniques in order to determine marker species, relevant patterns of combination and local styles. The medicinal properties attributed to the different flowers are discussed in relation with their role in the mixtures. These blends are consumed for their relaxing, digestive, and anti-infective properties. These mixtures are not consumed as a treatment when one is sick but rather to avoid getting sick, as a preventive measure. The formulations can reach forty ingredients (sarantha in Greek, arbain in Arabic language of Palestine), usually entire or coarsely chopped in the more traditional formulations, leading to extreme variability of individual doses. We ask what biological signification this randomness can have. To give an answer requires new and more comprehensive pharmacological approaches. The flowers of Rosaceae, Asteraceae, Lamiaceae, Malvaceae and Fabaceae species characterize these mixtures in which other materials (roots, leaves, and fruits) and other species are present as well. Flowers of some species, particularly of Fabaceae, are exclusively used in mixtures, and their use in monospecific herbal teas is not yet recorded. We draw attention on the urgent need in exhaustively recording in Greece and the Near East, the formulation and use of traditional herbal mixtures and their numerous local variants. To consider these mixtures and the contribution of flowers (most mixtures receive the general name of tea of flowers) merits further extensive study.

Ethnopharmacology in the Upper Guadiana River area (Castile-La Mancha, Spain).

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Determining traditional remedies for human pathologies is relevant, when compared with the standard materia medica of the pharmacopoeias and dietary supplement databases, because we can assess the species and uses that have been previously studied and target understudied species for further pharmacological investigation. BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to systematically record and analyze medicinal uses of natural resources (Plantae, Animalia, Fungi and minerals), mostly local, in the territories adjoining the upper Guadiana River and its tributaries. We were particularly interested in recording resources and pathologies linked to wetland areas, especially in the National Parks Las Tablas de Daimiel and Cabañeros. Wetlands are interesting because they present a double face in relation with human health: Wetlands furnish hydration, safe water, nutrition, and medicinal resources; are places from which people derive their livelihood. However wetlands are also sites of exposure to pollution or toxicants, and infectious diseases; and sites of physical hazards. We wanted to identify procedures for preparation of medicinal formulae and routes of administration. We also intended to detect whether a geographical pattern exists or not in our records in relation to the use of local resources. METHODS: We used semi-structured interviews with one-to-one informants or groups, from 1998 to 2018. Raw data were introduced in a Firebird database and analyzed. To identify ingredients and pathologies we consulted local floras and epidemiological literature. Finally, we compared documented pathologies, remedies and ingredients in the historical context of medicinal uses of natural resources in Castile-La Mancha and especially in Ciudad Real. RESULTS: 126 pathologies and 220 species furnishing ingredients have been recorded from the interviews. In total, 188 are plants and 20 animals. The most commonly used species include Malva sylvestris, Phlomis lychnitis, Genista tridentata and Thymus mastichina. Most records refer to flowers, or fruits, of locally available plant species, classified as Mediterranean, European or widespread that belong to the Lamiaceae, Compositae or Leguminosae. Ingredients which are collected in open shrublands, known as "garrigue", and dry grasslands furnish a relevant proportion of records while the imported ingredients remain marginal. The contribution of wetlands, riverine habitats and irrigated fields and gardens as a source of medicinal resources is 36% of the records. It is relatively high considering its limited presence in terms of total extension within the study area. The most frequently reported diseases are respiratory, gastrointestinal, dermatological and infectious or parasitic. CONCLUSIONS: Along the Guadiana River in the Ciudad Real province exists a wide and deep knowledge of traditional remedies for the treatment of common pathologies, based fundamentally on the use of local flora, fauna and mineral resources. The uses and ingredients documented are useful for further pharmacological investigation to improve health care for a wide range of pathologies.

Ethnopharmacological study of Sephardic remedies in the 19th century: The "Livro de Milizinas".

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: The Sephardic or Judeo-Spanish communities kept a cultural heritage extremely relevant which is recognizable through the peculiar form of their language and practices. Medicine was one of the main professional activities among Jews of Spain before their expulsion in 1492. We expected to find ingredients and recipes in the Sephardic traditional medicine related to classical medicine and to modern ethnopharmacology of Spain, but also influenced by the host countries. Recipes for specific diseases could be compared with modern ethnopharmacology. Although the basic language of the recipes is Judeo-Spanish, it presents local variants and names which are not only dialectal Spanish, but also Turkish, Hebrew or Bosnian. METHODS: The main source of information for Sephardic folk medicine are the specimens of the "Livro de Milizinas" printed in Thessaloniki and Smyrna (Izmir) during the 19th century. Others are some documents on pharmacy conserved in Bosnia associated to the Papo family of Sephardic Aktars or Attars (Ottoman herbalists) and the oral tradition in the Sephardic communities of Asia, Europe and the Americas. In order to analyze these formularies, we have studied the recipes in eleven different sources systematized in an Excel® 2010 book. We focused on formulas that are not merely rituals instead contain specific ingredients and pathologies. Specific dictionaries were generated in Excel® 2010, to standardize names of ingredients and pathologies. RESULTS: In the 502 complete recipes and variants studied, 107 pathologies and 154 different ingredients appear. Among ingredients, 93 are plants, 38 animals and 23 mineral substances. The most common pathologies in the recipes correspond to infectious diseases, headache, epistaxis, parasites and the "espanto". These ingredients received 397 different vernacular names, being prevalent those in Spanish (303) followed by those in Turkish. Preparations recorded are simple, easily made at home, not requiring special tools or hardware. In studies dated 1845 in Bulgaria the forms of preparation and administration are similar. Topic preparations externally applied are prevalent in numbers doubling the oral administration on the contrary of modern ethnopharmacology studies in Thessaloniki where dominate internal uses over external ones. The books of medicines of Smyrna and Thessaloniki are very similar, if not almost identical. The "Livro de Milizinas" constitute a peculiar Sephardic text within the Ottoman style of medicine. The proximity in the analyses with Ottoman sources (Ottoman pharmacopoeias, Turkish Aktar shops and Medieval Cairo Jewish pharmacopoeia) is due to the high proportion of ingredients in common. After excluding animal and mineral ingredients of the analyses, modern ethnobotanical records from Greece and Turkey appear closer to the Sephardic main sources. The rest of Sephardic sources with notably smaller lists of ingredients represent fragments of mostly oral transmitted tradition and treat pathologies such as evil eye or "espanto". The recipes of the Sephardic of Bosnia comprise pathologies such as plague, cholera, typhus or gastroenteritis. Ingredients, largely of plant origin, to 93, are still in use in phytotherapy and/or local medical-pharmaceutical ethnobotany in Turkey or Greece. CONCLUSIONS: The Sephardic materia medica presented in the "Livro de Milizinas" is eclectic, adapted to an urban environment and to the prevalent pathologies of the second half of the 19th century, within the main cultural framework of the Ottoman Empire but with peculiarities characteristic of Sephardic Culture. These can be traced back to the period immediately after the expulsion of Sephardic from Spain. Their relationships with other modern sources are scarce, even in terms of pathologies.

Anomalous bulk behavior in the free parafermion Z(N) spin chain.

We demonstrate using direct numerical diagonalization and extrapolation methods that boundary conditions have a profound effect on the bulk properties of a simple Z(N) model for N≥3 for which the model Hamiltonian is non-Hermitian. For N=2 the model reduces to the well-known quantum Ising model in a transverse field. For open boundary conditions, the Z(N) model is known to be solved exactly in terms of free parafermions. Once the ends of the open chain are connected by considering the model on a ring, the bulk properties, including the ground-state energy per site, are seen to differ dramatically with increasing N. Other properties, such as the leading finite-size corrections to the ground-state energy, the mass gap exponent, and the specific-heat exponent, are also seen to be dependent on the boundary conditions. We speculate that this anomalous bulk behavior is a topological effect.

Is there nothing new under the sun? The influence of herbals and pharmacopoeias on ethnobotanical traditions in Albacete (Spain).

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: This paper has two overarching aims: (1) presenting the results of studying the Albacete tariff of medicines of 1526 and (2) broadly analyzing the origin and influences of medicinal traditional knowledge in the region of Albacete, Spain. We use historical and modern literature that may have influenced this knowledge. Our primary goal was to determine the ingredients used in the pharmacy in the 16th century CE in Albacete through the analysis of the tariff, and our secondary goal was to investigate until when ingredients and uses present in pharmacy and herbals persisted in later periods. METHODS: The identity of medicines and ingredients was determined by analyzing contemporary pharmacopoeias and classical pharmaceutical references. We analyzed further 21 sources (manuscripts, herbals, and books of medicines, pharmacopoeias, pharmacy inventories, and modern ethnobotanical records) for the presence/absence of ingredients and complex formulations of the tariff. Using factorial and cluster analysis and Bayesian inference applied to evolution models (reversible-jump Markov chain Monte Carlo), we compared textual sources. Finally, we analyzed the medicinal uses of the top 10 species in terms of frequency of citation to assess the dependence of modern ethnobotanical records on Renaissance pharmacy and herbals, and, ultimately, on Dioscorides. RESULTS: In Albacete 1526, we determined 101 medicines (29 simple drugs and 72 compound medicines) comprising 187 ingredients (85% botanical, 7.5% mineral, and 7.5% zoological substances). All composed medicines appear standardized in the pharmacopoeias, notably in the pharmacopoeia of Florence from 1498. However, most were no longer in use by 1750 in the pharmacy, and were completely absent in popular herbal medicine in Albacete 1995 as well as in Alta Valle del Reno (Italy) in 2014. Among the ingredients present in different formulation are the flowers of Rosa gallica, honey (Apis mellifera), the roots of Nardostachys jatamansi, and Convolvulus scammonia, pistils of Crocus sativus, grapes and raisins (Vitis vinifera), rhizomes of Zingiber officinale, bark of Cinnamomum verum, leaves and fruits of Olea europaea, mastic generally of Pistacia lentiscus, and wood of Santalum album. The statistical analysis of sources produces four well-separated clusters (Renaissance Herbals and Pharmacopoeias, Ethnobotany and Folk Medicine, Old phytotherapy, and Modern phytotherapy including Naturopathy) confirming our a priori classification. The clade of Renaissance Herbals and Pharmacopoeias appears separated from the rest in 97% of bootstrapped trees. Bayesian inference produces a tree determined by an initial set of two well-distinct core groups of ingredients: 64, locally used in Mediterranean Europe during centuries; and 45, imported, used in pharmacy during centuries. Complexity reached its maximum in Albacete 1526 and contemporary pharmacopoeias, gradually decreasing over time. The analysis of medicinal uses of the top 10 ingredients showed low coincidence between Dioscorides and different Renaissance herbals or medical treatises and of all of them with ethnobotany in Albacete. CONCLUSIONS: Regarding our question: is there something new under the sun? In some aspects, the answer is "No". The contrast between expensive drugs, highly valued medicines, and unappreciated local wild medicinal plants persists since the Salerno's school of medicine. Old medicine in Mediterranean Europe, as reflected by Albacete 1526 tariff of medicines, involved strict formulations and preferences for certain ingredients despite other ingredients locally available but underappreciated. This confirms the fact that any system of medicine does not get to use all available resources. Ethnobiological records of materia medica, in rural areas of Albacete, describe systems with a high degree of stability and resilience, where the use of local resources, largely wild but also cultivated, is predominant in contrast with the weight of imported exotic products in pharmacy.

Rehabilitación pulmonar en la enfermedad pulmonar obstructiva crónica / Pulmonary rehabilitation in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (Review)

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Spirits and liqueurs in European traditional medicine: Their history and ethnobotany in Tuscany and Bologna (Italy).

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE AND BACKGROUND: Fermented drinks, often alcoholic, are relevant in many nutritional, medicinal, social, ritual and religious aspects of numerous traditional societies. The use of alcoholic drinks of herbal extracts is documented in classical pharmacy since the 1st century CE and it is often recorded in ethnobotanical studies in Europe, particularly in Italy, where are used for a wide range of medicinal purposes. Formulations and uses represent a singular tradition which responds to a wide range of environmental and cultural factors. AIMS: This research has two overarching aims To determine how long ancient uses, recipes and formulas for medicinal liqueurs from the pharmacopoeias and herbals of the 18th century persisted in later periods and their role in present ethnobotanical knowledge in areas of Tuscany and Emilia-Romagna (Italy). To trace other possible relationships among ancient and recent recipes of alcoholic beverages, from both popular and 'classic' (learned) sources in N-C Italy and neighboring areas. METHODS: The review of herbals and classical pharmacopoeias, and ethnobotanical field work in Alta Valle del Reno (Tuscany and Emilia Romagna, Italy) were followed of a systematic study of ingredients and medicinal uses with multivariate analysis techniques. RESULTS: The multivariate analysis clearly shows six different styles of preparing medicinal alcoholic beverages: 1. The medicinal wine formulae by Dioscorides (1st century CE). 2. The pharmacopoeias of Florence and Bologna in the 18th century CE. 3. The formularies of Santa Maria Novella and Castiglione (19th and early 20th centuries CE). 4. The ethnobotanical data from Appennino Tosco-Emiliano; home-made formulations based almost exclusively on the use of local resources. 5. Traditional recipes from NE Italy and Austria. 6. Traditional recipes from NW Italy, Emilia, and Provence (France). A total of 54 ingredients (29 fruits) from 48 species are used in different combinations and proportions in Alta Valle del Reno (Italy) to produce fermented beverages, liqueurs, distilled spirits and aromatized wines. Among these, 37 ingredients (33 species) are used as medicinal remedies. 15 ingredients (14 species) are also used to prepare specific medicinal liqueurs. Most are addressed to the treatment of diseases of the digestive system, dyspepsia in particular, followed by diseases of the respiratory system symptoms, not elsewhere classified and diseases of the skin and subcutaneous tissue, fundamentally of allergic origin. CONCLUSIONS: Although medicinal wines, liqueurs and spirits are recorded in numerous classical herbals and pharmacopoeias in Italy and other countries of Europe these show in terms of formulations and ingredients little influence in the ethnobotanical formulations recorded in Alta Valle del Reno (Italy), they apparently play no role in present ethnobotanical knowledge in Appennino Tosco-Emiliano and similarly in other areas of Italy, France and Austria. No (or very poor) persistence was found of ancient uses, recipes and formulas for medicinal liqueurs from pharmacopoeias and herbals of the 16th century CE in later periods in the formulas in use in the pharmacies of Tuscany. Popular recipes are strongly dependent on the availability of local wild and cultivated plants. Overall, Alta Valle del Reno ethnobotanical formulations of medicinal wines and spirits are extremely simple involving from one single ingredient to a few, which are locally produced or collected and selected among relevant medicinal resources used for a wide range of diseases in form of non-alcoholic aqueous extracts. Fruits gathered in the forests are the main ingredients which in this aspect show similarities with those from Tyrol (Austria). Medicinal liqueurs and wines are in analyzed ethnobotanical data mainly employed as digestives.

Utilización de recursos sociosanitarios y características del cuidado informal de los pacientes inmovilizados en atención domiciliaria / The use of social healthcare resources and informal care characteristics care of immobilised homecare patients

OBJETIVO: Describir la utilización de recursos sociosanitarios por parte de los pacientes inmovilizados, así como las características del cuidado informal y el grado de satisfacción con los servicios de atención domiciliaria. MÉTODO: Estudio observacional descriptivo realizado en atención primaria. La población diana fueron pacientes inmovilizados de atención domiciliaria del área de salud de Albacete, seleccionándose aleatoriamente 368 pacientes. Las variables incluyeron: datos sociodemográficos del paciente y cuidador, utilización de recursos sociosanitarios, apoyo social percibido (cuestionario DUKE-UNK), función familiar (cuestionario APGAR), atención de enfermería y satisfacción con los servicios de atención domiciliaria (SATISFAD 10). RESULTADOS: El 66,9% son grandes dependientes y presentan úlceras por presión el 18,6%. La mayoría de los cuidadores informales son mujeres (83,1%), con una edad media de 57,7 años (DE: 15,1). La intensidad promedio del cuidado es de 15,7 horas/día (DE: 8,5) y la mediana en la duración del cuidado 5 años. El número medio de visitas/mes por enfermería es 2,1 (DE: 2,1), superior en pacientes con úlceras o pluripatología. Los recursos sociosanitarios más utilizados son teleasistencia (34,2%) y ayuda a domicilio (20,3%), recibiendo prestación económica por dependencia el 65,6%. En general es elevada la satisfacción con la atención domiciliaria. CONCLUSIONES: Las enfermedades del aparato locomotor constituyen los principales motivos de inmovilización en pacientes domiciliarios. La mayoría de los cuidadores informales son mujeres de edad avanzada. La duración e intensidad del cuidado son elevadas y los principales apoyos provienen de los profesionales sanitarios. Los pacientes hacen un uso reducido de recursos sociosanitarios

OBJECTIVE: To describe the use of social healthcare resources by immobilised patients and informal care characteristics and the level/degree of satisfaction with home care services. Method: Descriptive observational study carried out in primary care. The target group were 369 randomly selected immobilised home care patients in the area of Albacete, Spain. The variables included were: socio-demographic data of the patient and carer; the use of social healthcare resources; perceived social support (DUKE-UNK questionnaire); family function (APGAR questionnaire); nursing care and home care services satisfaction (SATISFAD 10 questionnaire). RESULTS: 66.9% of immobilised homecare patients have high dependency and 18.6% have bedsores. The majority of informal carers are women (83.1%) with an average of 57.7 years of age (DE 15.1). The average intensity of care is 15.7 hours per day (DE 8.5) and the average length of care is 5 years. The average number of visits from nurses per month is 2.1 (DE 2.1), although this measurement is higher in patients with bedsores or multiple diseases. The most widely used social health care resources are telephone care (34.2%) and home care (20.3%), for which 65.6% of immobilised homecare patients receive dependency benefits. Overall satisfaction with home care is of a high degree. CONCLUSIONS: Musculoskeletal disorders is the main reason for immobilisation in home care PATIENTS: Most informal carers are older women. The length and intensity of care is high and the main support comes from healthcare professionals. Patients make limited use of social healthcare resource

Uso del correo electrónico en la consulta de Enfermería pediátrica en Atención Primaria / The use of e-mail in the Paediatric Nurse Office for Primary Care

OBJETIVO: conocer el grado de implementación del correo electrónico(e-mail) en la consulta de Enfermería en Atención Primaria. Como objetivos específicos: conocer el grado de satisfacción de los usuarios, la frecuencia de uso del correo electrónico entre los pacientes de la consulta de Enfermería pediátrica, los principales motivos de consulta que plantean los usuarios, el grado de accesibilidad percibido por parte de estos, si existe preocupación por parte de los usuarios en cuanto a la confidencialidad de sus datos y el grado de resolución a las demandas del correo electrónico. MÉTODO: estudio observacional, descriptivo y transversal en ámbito comunitario (consulta de Enfermería) durante los años 2012a 2014. Población y muestra: usuarios del e-mail con la enfermera. Muestreo no probabilístico: 128 sujetos. Cuestionario heteroadministrado por teléfono y contenido de los correos enviados. RESULTADOS: tasa de respuesta: 91,4% (117 sujetos). Media de edad: 36,1 años (DE: 5,0). El 88% eran mujeres, con estudios universitarios(61,5%) y trabajadores (74,3%), estando desempleados el 11,1%. Se registraron 428 correos, 3,6 correos por usuario;476 consultas, cuatro consultas por usuario/año. La principal consulta fue: administrativos (65%). Estaban muy satisfechos el97,4%, aunque al 59% le preocupaba la confidencialidad. Las mujeres consultan más sobre vacunas (p< 0,05), los jóvenes consultan más sobre alimentación (p= 0,002). El número de consultas se asocia a dudas sobre alimentación, vacunas, citas, diarrea y diagnósticos (p< 0,05).CONCLUSIONES: el perfil de usuario fue mujer joven, con estudios medios o superiores y trabajadora, que consulta por cuestiones administrativas y que el correo electrónico facilita la accesibilidad con la enfermera, con elevada satisfacción, útil, resolutivo, pero poco seguro

OBJECTIVE: to understand the level of implementation of e-mailin the Primary Care Nurse Office. The specific objectives were: To assess the level of user satisfaction, the frequency of use of e-mail among patients from the Paediatric Nurse Office, the main reasons for consultation by users, the level of accessibility as perceived by users, whether there is concern by users regarding data confidentiality, and the extent to which e-mail users' demands were met. METHOD: descriptive and transversal observational study in the outpatient setting (Nurse Office) during the period between 2012and 2014. Population and sample: users of e-mail with the nurse. Non-probabilistic sampling. 128 subjects. Hetero-administered questionnaire by phone, and contents of e-mails sent. RESULTS: response rate: 91.4% (117 subjects). Mean age: 36,1years (DE: 5.0). An 88.0% were female, with university studies(61.5%) and working (74.3%), while 11.1% were unemployed. In total, 428 e-mails were registered, with 3.6 e-mails per user, 476consultations, four consultations per user/year. The main consultation reason was: administrative matters (65.0%). A97.4% reported they were very satisfied, though 59.0% were concerned about confidentiality. Most consultations from women were about vaccines (p< 0.05), while young patients asked mostly about diet (p= 0.002). The number of consultations was associated with questions about diet, vaccines, appointments, diarrhoea, and diagnosis (p< 0.05).CONCLUSIONS: the profile of the user was: a young female, with intermediate or high studies, and working, asking about administrative matters. E-mail facilitates access to nurses, with a high degree of satisfaction; it is useful and provides solutions, but not very safe

Production of an anthocyanin-rich food colourant from Thymus moroderi and its application in foods.

BACKGROUND: Anthocyanins and other polyphenols from flowers and bracts of Thymus sp. are studied. An anthocyanin-rich food colourant with interesting high antioxidant activity from Thymus moroderi has been obtained, and applied to colour foods. RESULTS: Anthocyanins and other polyphenols from T. moroderi and another five Thymus sp. were extracted in methanol/hydrochloric acid 0.1 mol L(-1) (50/50, v/v) 2 h stirring at 50 °C. They were identified and quantified by HPLC-PDA-MS and UHPLC-PDA-fluorescence, as total individual polyphenols. Total polyphenols were also determined. Flowers had higher anthocyanins and other polyphenols concentrations than bracts; for example, total polyphenols content of T. moroderi were 131.58 and 61.98 g GAE kg(-1) vegetal tissue, respectively. A liquid concentrated colourant was obtained from T. moroderi using water/citric acid as solvent. It was characterised and compared with other two commercial anthocyanin-rich food colourants from red grape skin and red carrot (colour strength of 1.7 and 3.6 AU, respectively). T. moroderi colourant had 1.2 AU colour strength, and high storage stability (>97.1% remaining colour after 110 days at 4 °C). It showed a higher polyphenols content than commercial colourants. Its antioxidant activity was 0.707 mmol Trolox eq. g(-1) plant dry weight, 69.5 times higher than red carrot. The three colourants were applied to colour yogurts, giving pinky tonalities. The colour did not change evidently (ΔE*(ab) < 3) when stored under refrigeration during 1 month. CONCLUSIONS: T. moroderi can be a source of anthocyanin-rich food colourant (E-163) with both high polyphenols content and high antioxidant activity. This colourant gives a stable colour to a yogurt during 1 month. These results expand the use of natural colourants.

[The use of social healthcare resources and informal care characteristics care of immobilised homecare patients]. / Utilización de recursos sociosanitarios y características del cuidado informal de los pacientes inmovilizados en atención domiciliaria.

OBJECTIVE: To describe the use of social healthcare resources by immobilised patients and informal care characteristics and the level/degree of satisfaction with home care services. METHOD: Descriptive observational study carried out in primary care. The target group were 369 randomly selected immobilised home care patients in the area of Albacete, Spain. The variables included were: socio-demographic data of the patient and carer; the use of social healthcare resources; perceived social support (DUKE-UNK questionnaire); family function (APGAR questionnaire); nursing care and home care services satisfaction (SATISFAD 10 questionnaire). RESULTS: 66.9% of immobilised homecare patients have high dependency and 18.6% have bedsores. The majority of informal carers are women (83.1%) with an average of 57.7 years of age (DE 15.1). The average intensity of care is 15.7 hours per day (DE 8.5) and the average length of care is 5 years. The average number of visits from nurses per month is 2.1 (DE 2.1), although this measurement is higher in patients with bedsores or multiple diseases. The most widely used social health care resources are telephone care (34.2%) and home care (20.3%), for which 65.6% of immobilised homecare patients receive dependency benefits. Overall satisfaction with home care is of a high degree. CONCLUSION: Musculoskeletal disorders is the main reason for immobilisation in home care patients. Most informal carers are older women. The length and intensity of care is high and the main support comes from healthcare professionals. Patients make limited use of social healthcare resources.

Eficacia de los ácidos grasos esenciales frente a los ácidosgrasos hiperoxigenados en la prevención de aparición de úlceras por presión en pacientes institucionalizados / The efficacy of essential fatty acids vs. hyperoxygenated fatty acids for the prevention of pressure ulcers in patients with long-term hospitalization

OBJETIVO: determinar la eficacia de ácidos grasos esenciales(AGE) versus ácidos grasos hiperoxigenados (AGHO) en la prevención de úlceras por presión (UPP) grado I en población geriátrica institucionalizada pacientes con riesgo de aparición de UPP. MÉTODO: ensayo clínico aleatorizado realizado en población institucionalizada. Se efectuó asignación aleatoria a grupos experimental(33 residentes a los que se les aplicó AGE) y control (32residentes a los que se aplicó AGHO). Ambos productos se aplicaron tópicamente cada 12 horas. Se midió la incidencia de UPP degrado I a los 7, 14, 21 y 28 días. La fuente de información fue la historia clínica del paciente. El riesgo de desarrollar UPP se valoró con la escala de Norton. Se constataron las medidas de prevención realizadas. Para el análisis bivariante se utilizaron pruebas de comparación de medias (prueba t de Student para muestras independientes)y proporciones (Ji cuadrada).RESULTADOS: de los 65 pacientes incluidos en el estudio: 32 en el grupo de AGHO y 33 en el grupo de AGE. La incidencia máxima de UPP I por semana fue de 12,9% en el grupo de AGHO y 12,5%en el grupo de AGE. No se han encontrado diferencias significativas entre los dos grupos de tratamiento. CONCLUSIONES: la aplicación de AGE y AGHO representan una medida igual de efectiva en la prevención de aparición de UPP

OBJECTIVE: to determine the efficacy of essential fatty acids(EFAs)) vs. hyper oxygenated fatty acids (HOFAs) for the prevention of Grade 1 pressure ulcers (PUs) in the hospitalized geriatric population of patients with risk of developing PUs. METHOD: a randomized clinical trial conducted on a population with long-term hospitalization. Patients were randomly assigned to the experimental arm (33 patients who received EFAs), and the control arm (32 patients who received HOFA). Both products were applied topically every 12 hours. The incidence of Grade 1PUs was measured at 7, 14, 21 and 28 days. The source of information was patients' clinical records. The risk of developing Pus was assessed through the Norton Scale. Prevention measures conducted were validated. For bivariate analysis, comparison tests of mean values were conducted (Student's t test for independent samples), as well as of percentages (Square Ji).RESULTS: out of the 65 patients included in the study, 32 were in the HOFA arm and 33 in the EFA arm. The maximum incidence of Grade 1 PUs per week was 12.9% in the HOFA arm and 12.5%in the EFA arm. No significant differences were found between both treatment arms. CONCLUSIONS: the administration of EFA and HOFA represents equally effective measures for preventing the development of PUs