The dynamics of boron when amending agricultural soil of the Mediterranean basin with biosolids: trials in leaching columns.

There is mainly a lack of boron (B) in soils with low amounts of organic matter and in acidic and sandy soils. This is especially true in irrigated land or humid regions, where leaching can occur. The results from studying the amount of available B will reveal the status of B in the soil of a specific plot of land. The experimentation was performed as a controlled study using leaching columns. A container was placed at the end of the columns to collect the infiltrated water. Three treatments were performed by applying different amounts of biosolids (T40: 40,000 kg ha-1, T80: 80,000 kg ha-1, T120: 120,000 kg ha-1), as well as a blank test or control treatment (T0). We conclude that the mobility of B in soil was generally low despite the addition of organic matter and humidity to the soil. This is an indication that there is no clear risk of aquifers being contaminated with B or plants being impacted by toxicity due to this micronutrient.

Bioavailability, mobility and leaching of phosphorus in a Mediterranean agricultural soil (ne Spain) amended with different doses of biosolids.

The precipitation of sparingly soluble calcium phosphate in calcareous soils decreases the bioavailability of macronutrients, which makes their addition by way of fertilisers necessary. Sludge resulting from treating urban wastewater does not only provide significant amounts of phosphorus, but also helps lower the pH, thus increasing its bioavailability. The loss of part of soil nutrients due to irrigation or rain can contaminate groundwater. In order to assess the movement of phosphorus, a experiment was conducted on percolation columns, to which different doses of wastes were applied. The pH decreased by as much as 0.89 units, as well as the assimilable and soluble P, in intervals of 20 cm of depth, obtaining maximum values of 254 mg P kg-1 and 1455 µg P kg-1 respectively, and the P present in the leached water collected, which did not surpass 95 µg PL-1. The intent was to learn which was the majoritarian inorganic formed crystalline phase that immobilised the movement of phosphorus through the percolation column. The results obtained by the diffraction of X-rays are not conclusive, although they point to the formation of octacalcium phosphate. The diffractograms of the studied samples have similar diffraction lines to those of apatites.

[Clinical implications of the genus Mycoplasma]. / Implicaciones clínicas de las especies del género Mycoplasma.

Within Mycoplasma genus, M. pneumoniae, M. genitalium, M. hominis or U. urealyticum are the main species that have been traditionally linked to infectious processes. However, there are many other species involved in these conditions and that are, frequently, unfamiliar to healthcare professionals. The aim of this review is to identify all Mycoplasma genus species that have been isolated in human beings and to determine their involvement in infectious pathology.

[Simulation of an outbreak of Acinetobacter baumannii in hospitals]. / Simulación de la propagación de un brote por Acinetobacter baumannii en entornos hospitalarios.

OBJECTIVE: Acinetobacter baumannii infections have increased over time becoming a significant issue. Consequently, those applications that allow to predict the evolution of an outbreak and the relevance of the different control methods, are very important. The design of mathematical models plays a central role in this topic. METHODS: Development of a deterministic mathematical model based on ordinary differential equations whose variables and parameters are defined upon the basis of knowledge of the epidemiology and characteristics of A. baumannii. This model is analyzed from a qualitative point of view and, also, its computational implementation is derived. RESULTS: Several simulations were obtained developed from different initial conditions. The qualitative analysis of these simulations provides formal evidence of most effective control measures. CONCLUSIONS: The implementation of the computational model is an extremely useful tool in terms of managing A. baumannii outbreaks. There is mathematical proof of the fact that the observance of efficient hygiene and screening rules reduces the number of infected patients.

The clinical microbiologist before the taxonomic changes in the genus Clostridium.

The various species included in the genus Clostridium are very heterogeneous, both from a phenotypic and a phylogenetic point of view. The advances in polyphasic taxonomy, particularly in phylogeny, are allowing to resolve this dysfunction reclassifying several species in other genres, although there is still work to be done. Changes in generic denominations are quite normal in taxonomy, but can turn into a problem when they affect species with strong clinical impact and that have been recognised for a long time, as in the case of some traditional Clostridium species. After knowing these changes clinical microbiologists, in whose work taxonomy is an essential tool, should evaluate what matters most, if the communication with other health professionals or the phylogeny, and think about the possibility of combining both things. This paper reviews some of the taxonomic changes that have took place in well-known Clostridium species that can be clinically interesting and evaluates, as far as possible, their significance in the scientific and medical communication.

Complex dynamics of a fiber laser in non-stationary pulsed operation.

Conventional mode locking is characterized by the generation of a stable train of optical pulses. Even in the noise-like pulsing regime of fiber lasers, sometimes described as partial mode locking, a periodic train of waveforms is still generated. In this work we study the dynamics of a figure-eight fiber laser away from the stable noise-like pulsing regime. By analyzing sequences of time-domain measurements performed with ns resolution, we reveal a wide range of puzzling dynamics, in which sub-structures emerge and drift away from the main bunch, decay or grow in a step-like manner, before vanishing abruptly. In some cases, sub-packets also concentrate in the central part of the period, forming one or multiple wide clouds that merge or split over time scales of seconds or minutes. Spontaneous transitions between these multiple states occur in a non-periodic manner, so that no quasi-stationary behavior is found over long time scales. These results provide a dramatic illustration of the extremely rich dynamics taking place in fiber lasers at the frontier of mode locking.

[Changes in the epidemiology of Clostridium difficile infection during 2005-2014 in Salamanca, Spain]. / Cambios en la epidemiología de la infección por Clostridium difficile durante 2005-2014 en Salamanca, España.

OBJECTIVE: To know the most relevant epidemiological features of Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) between 2005- 2014 in the province of Salamanca (Spain). METHODS: Descriptive cross-sectional study carried out through review of the clinical microbiologic records at Complejo Asistencial Universitario de Salamanca. Detection was performed according to standard methodology. RESULTS: 2.6% of stool samples analyzed for detection of C. difficile toxins (9,103) were positive. The average prevalence was 6.8 cases per 100,000 people per year. The mean age was 65 ± 21.4 years and the median 70 years. 59% of cases occurred in patients over 64 years, with an average prevalence of 16.5 (4 times higher than the 15-64 group). Most cases (86.4%) occurred in hospitalized patients, and the group of over 64 had the highest percentage of hospital CDI, with 55%. CONCLUSIONS: A significant increase in the number of requests and in the prevalence of CDI over the decade studied is observed, and prevalence rates were significantly lower than those of other studies. The percentage of CDI increased significantly in both inpatient and community. Age and hospitaliza-tion were risk factors for developing CDI. After the introduc-ion of a molecular detection technique in 2014, the prevalence increased, being 2.5 times higher than 2013.

Efectividad del entrenamiento de la musculatura del suelo pélvico en el tratamiento de la incontinencia urinaria en la mujer: una revisión actual / Effectiveness of pelvic floor muscle training in treating urinary incontinence in women: A current review

Objetivo: Analizar el contenido de los diferentes estudios publicados relacionados con el ejercicio físico y sus efectos sobre la incontinencia urinaria, así como determinar la efectividad de los programas de entrenamiento de suelo pélvico. Método: Se realizó búsqueda en las bases de datos de Pubmed, CINAHL, Biblioteca Cochrane Plus y The Cochrane Library, WOS, SPORTDiscus y una búsqueda manual en el metabuscador Google Scholar de acuerdo a los descriptores de búsqueda de documentos publicados en los últimos 10 años en español o en inglés, con resumen o a texto completo, tanto del tratamiento de la incontinencia urinaria en la mujer deportista como en la mujer en general. Resultados: Se seleccionan 3 artículos a texto completo sobre el tratamiento de la incontinencia urinaria en la mujer deportista, y 6 artículos a texto completo y un resumen sobre el tratamiento de la incontinencia urinaria en la mujer en general. Los 9 estudios incluidos en la revisión obtuvieron resultados positivos, es decir, en todos ellos hubo una mejora de la enfermedad. Conclusiones: El ejercicio físico, concretamente los programas de entrenamiento de la musculatura del suelo pélvico, tienen efectos positivos sobre la incontinencia urinaria. Este tipo de entrenamiento se muestra como un programa efectivo para el tratamiento de la incontinencia urinaria, especialmente la incontinencia urinaria de esfuerzo

Objective: To analyse the content of various published studies related to physical exercise and its effects on urinary incontinence and to determine the effectiveness of pelvic floor training programmes. Method: We conducted a search in the databases of PubMed, CINAHL, the Cochrane Plus Library, The Cochrane Library, WOS and SPORTDiscus and a manual search in the Google Scholar metasearcher using the search descriptors for documents published in the last 10 years in Spanish or English. The documents needed to have an abstract or complete text on the treatment of urinary incontinence in female athletes and in women in general. Results: We selected 3 full-text articles on treating urinary incontinence in female athletes and 6 full-text articles and 1 abstract on treating urinary incontinence in women in general. The 9 studies included in the review achieved positive results, i.e., there was improvement in the disease in all of the studies. Conclusions: Physical exercise, specifically pelvic floor muscle training programmes, has positive effects on urinary incontinence. This type of training has been shown to be an effective programme for treating urinary incontinence, especially stress urinary incontinence

Síndrome de Haglund con espolón calcáneo posterosuperior asociado: a propósito de un caso / Haglund's syndrome with associated posterior-superior heel spur: a propros of a case

La deformidad de Haglund, el espolón calcáneo posterosuperior y el espolón plantar son las exostosis más frecuentes a nivel del talón, siendo importante estar familiarizado con ellas porque, en ocasiones, pueden asociarse a tendinopatía aquílea o a fascitis plantar, siendo estas las principales causas de dolor en el retropié. No obstante, estas exostosis pueden estar presentes en pacientes asintomáticos y, en ocasiones, coexistir simultáneamente, tendiendo que tener muy claros todos estos conceptos cuando nos encontremos con un paciente con dolor en el talón. Presentamos el caso de una mujer de 58 años con dolor en el retropié izquierdo de 3 meses de evolución, sin antecedentes de traumatismo previo, que presentaba una tumoración palpable a nivel del talón izquierdo y que fue diagnosticada de síndrome de Haglund con espolón calcáneo posterosuperior asociado (AU)

Haglund's deformity, posterior-superior heel spur and plantar spur are the most common exostosis in the rearfoot. It is very important to be familiar with these entities, because they can sometimes be associated with Achilles tendinopathy or plantar fasciitis, which are the main causes of heel pain. Nevertheless, these exostoses may be present in asymptomatic patients and can sometimes coexist simultaneously. All these concepts need to be taken into consideration in patients with heel pain. We report the case of a 58-year-old woman with a 3 month history of left rearfoot pain, with no history of previous trauma, who presented with a palpable tumor in the left heel and was finally diagnosed with Haglund's syndrome associated with posterior-superior heel spur (AU)

Effectiveness of pelvic floor muscle training in treating urinary incontinence in women: A current review. / Efectividad del entrenamiento de la musculatura del suelo pélvico en el tratamiento de la incontinencia urinaria en la mujer: una revisión actual.

OBJECTIVE: To analyse the content of various published studies related to physical exercise and its effects on urinary incontinence and to determine the effectiveness of pelvic floor training programmes. METHOD: We conducted a search in the databases of PubMed, CINAHL, the Cochrane Plus Library, The Cochrane Library, WOS and SPORTDiscus and a manual search in the Google Scholar metasearcher using the search descriptors for documents published in the last 10 years in Spanish or English. The documents needed to have an abstract or complete text on the treatment of urinary incontinence in female athletes and in women in general. RESULTS: We selected 3 full-text articles on treating urinary incontinence in female athletes and 6 full-text articles and 1 abstract on treating urinary incontinence in women in general. The 9 studies included in the review achieved positive results, i.e., there was improvement in the disease in all of the studies. CONCLUSIONS: Physical exercise, specifically pelvic floor muscle training programmes, has positive effects on urinary incontinence. This type of training has been shown to be an effective programme for treating urinary incontinence, especially stress urinary incontinence.

Note: A method for minimizing oxide formation during elevated temperature nanoindentation.

A standardized method to protect metallic samples and minimize oxide formation during elevated-temperature nanoindentation was adapted to a commercial instrument. Nanoindentation was performed on Al (100), Cu (100), and W (100) single crystals submerged in vacuum oil at 200 °C, while the surface morphology and oxidation was carefully monitored using atomic force microscopy (AFM) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The results were compared to room temperature and 200 °C nanoindentation tests performed without oil, in order to evaluate the feasibility of using the oil as a protective medium. Extensive surface characterization demonstrated that this methodology is effective for nanoscale testing.

Quality control of leather by terahertz time-domain spectroscopy.

We use terahertz time-domain spectroscopy, combined with effective-medium theory, to measure the moisture content and thickness of leather simultaneously. These results demonstrate that this method could become a standard quality control test for the industrial tanning process.

[Matematical modeling of antibiotic resistance: perspectives from a meta-analysys]. / Modelos matemáticos en el estudio de la resistencia a los antimicrobianos. Perspectivas a partir de un metaanálisis.

The antibiotic resistance is one of the greatest challenges of the international health community. The study of antibiotic resistance must be a multidisciplinary task and, in this sense, the main goal of this work is to analyze the role that Mathematical Modeling can play in this scenario. A qualitative and cuantitative analysis of the works published in the scientific literature is done by means of a search in the most important databases: MEDLINE, SCOPUS and ISI Web of Science. Consequently, there are few papers related to our topic but the existing works have been published in high-quality and impact international journals. Moreover, we can state that mathematical models are a very important and useful tool to analyze and study both the treatments protocols for resistance prevention and the assesment of control strategies in hospital environtment, or the prediction of the evolution of diseases due to resistant strains.

Antiviral, antifungal and antiprotozoal agents in the cinema.

Among the antimicrobial agents, antibacterials are the most frequently mentioned in cinematographic plots. Nevertheless, it is not uncommon to come across other antiviral agents, especially antiretrovirals and antiprotozoals. We analyzed the presence of antiviral and antifungal agents in different commercial films, both when they were merely mentioned in passing and when they played a major role in the film. This review essentially aims to address the historical portrayal of these agents in film and to list their appearances. The fictional treatments that appear in some films are not addressed.

Antiviral, antifungal and antiprotozoal agents in the cinema

De todos los fármacos antimicrobianos, los antibacterianos son los que con más frecuencia se encuentran en los argumentos cinematográficos. A pesar de todo, no es raro encontrar otros fármacos antivirales, sobre todo antirretrovirales, y fármacos antiprotozoarios. Aquí analizamos la aparición de éstos y otros antifúngicos en distintas películas comerciales, tanto cuando sólo se mencionan como cuando desempeñan un papel fundamental en la película. El objetivo de esta revisión básicamente es valorar aspectos históricos y de enumeración. No se tratan aquellos tratamientos de ficción que aparecen en algunas películas

Among the antimicrobial agents, antibacterials are the most frequently mentioned in cinematographic plots. Nevertheless, it is not uncommon to come across other antiviral agents, especially antiretrovirals and antiprotozoals. We analyzed the presence of antiviral and antifungal agents in different commercial films, both when they were merely mentioned in passing and when they played a major role in the film. This review essentially aims to address the historical portrayal of these agents in film and to list their appearances. The fictional treatments that appear in some films are not addressed

Study of the efficacy of Coated VICRYL Plus Antibacterial suture (coated Polyglactin 910 suture with Triclosan) in two animal models of general surgery.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the efficacy in vitro and in vivo of a new antibacterial suture (PGAB) compared with a traditional braided suture (PG). Our primary goals were to study microbiological effectiveness and impact on wound healing of PGAB vs PG. Secondary goal was to analyze influence on inflammatory response. METHODS: In vitro study: clinical samples of Staphylococcus epidermidis, Staphylococcus aureus, S. hominis, Staphylococcus haemolyticus, Staphylococcus auricularis, Enterococcus faecalis, Corynebacterium spp. and Escherichia coli were studied. We also implanted a flat mesh in 10 minipigs, four incisions each (two PG and two PGAB) two contaminated with S. epidermidis and two not contaminated. Finally, we performed four colic anastomosis in each of 10 minipigs, two contaminated with E. coli and two not contaminated (two PG and two PGAB). We studied the inflammatory and wound healing processes in both models. RESULTS: We observed a bactericidal efficacy of PGAB against grampositive, and bacteriostatic effect against E. coli. Mesh study: recovered CFU were lower in the group PGAB vs PG. In the group PGAB, inflammatory mediators' concentrations were lower. In the group PGAB, concentrations of wound healing mediators were normal. Colic anastomosis: recovered CFU were lower in the group PGAB vs the group PG. In the group PGAB we observed a reduction of inflammatory mediators. In the group PGAB we observed normalized concentrations of wound healing mediators. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates microbiological efficacy of PGAB, that normalizes wound healing process, and an anti-inflammatory effect.

Antibacterial agents in the cinema

En muchas películas aparecen numerosos procedimientos utilizados como tratamiento antibacteriano, desde la aparición de distintos fármacos hasta procedimientos quirúrgicos y medidas de soporte. Las películas también exploran la utilización correcta y el abuso de agentes antimicrobianos, y en algunas de ellas aparecen reflejados también sus efectos adversos y otros aspectos relativos al tratamiento antibacteriano. Este artículo hace referencia a la presencia de agentes antibacterianos en distintas películas famosas. En algunas de estas películas, los agentes antibacterianos forman parte del argumento central de la historia, mientras que en otras son una parte importante, aunque no central, y en otras su presencia es sólo anecdótica

Numerous procedures used as antibacterial therapy are present in many films and include strategies ranging from different antimicrobial drugs to surgery and supporting measures. Films also explore the correct use and misuse of antimicrobial agents. Side effects and other aspects related to antibacterial therapy have also been reflected in some films. This article refers to the presence of antibacterial agents in different popular movies. There are movies in which antibacterial agents form part of the central plot, while in others it is merely an important part of the plot. In still others, its presence is isolated, and in these it plays an ambient or anecdotal role

Antibacterial agents in the cinema.

Numerous procedures used as antibacterial therapy are present in many films and include strategies ranging from different antimicrobial drugs to surgery and supporting measures. Films also explore the correct use and misuse of antimicrobial agents. Side effects and other aspects related to antibacterial therapy have also been reflected in some films. This article refers to the presence of antibacterial agents in different popular movies. There are movies in which antibacterial agents form part of the central plot, while in others it is merely an important part of the plot. In still others, its presence is isolated, and in these it plays an ambient or anecdotal role.

Herniación diafragmática en un recién nacido con sepsis por estreptococo «agalactiae» y distrés respiratorio / Postnatal diaphragmatic hernia in a newborn with group B streptococcal sepsis and respiratory distress

La hernia diafragmática congénita constituye una importante causa de morbimortalidad neonatal, no tanto por su incidencia (1 de cada 2.500-5.000 recién nacidos vivos), sino por su elevada mortalidad, próxima al 40-50%, según series, y pese a su correcto diagnóstico prenatal y manejo posnatal. Si bien la entidad clásica constituye un defecto diafragmático con presencia intratorácica de vísceras abdominales y un grado variable de hipoplasia pulmonar, en general, mediante el diagnóstico prenatal se han establecido otras posibilidades en su presentación, como formas más leves de diagnóstico tardío o, como en el caso que se presenta, la herniación posnatal en un recién nacido afectado por distrés respiratorio persistente y sepsis por estreptococo agalactiae. Se remarca la importancia de un alto grado de sospecha diagnóstica ante la asociación neonatal de clínica respiratoria persistente y de infección por estreptococo agalactiae

Congenital diaphragmatic hernia represents an important cause of neonatal morbidity and mortality; not for its frequency (1 in 2,500 to 5,000 live births) as much as the high mortality, nearly 40% to 50% according to different authors, despite correct prenatal diagnosis and postnatal management. The classical presentation is that of a diaphragmatic defect with herniation of abdominal organs into the thoracic cavity and varying degrees of pulmonary hypoplasia. It is usually diagnosed prenatally and symptoms generally are detected early. Nevertheless, there are milder forms with delayed diagnosis, but better prognosis. We present the case of a newborn with postnatal diaphragmatic hernia in association with persistent respiratory distress and group B streptococcal infection. We stress the importance of a high index of suspicion in a newborn with persistent respiratory symptoms and group B streptococcal sepsis