Assessing nitrate groundwater hotspots in Europe reveals an inadequate designation of Nitrate Vulnerable Zones.

Monitoring networks show that the European Union Nitrates Directive (ND) has had mixed success in reducing nitrate concentrations in groundwater. By combining machine learning and monitored nitrate concentrations (1992-2019), we estimate the total area of nitrate hotspots in Europe to be 401,000 km2, with 47% occurring outside of Nitrate Vulnerable Zones (NVZs). We also found contrasting increasing or decreasing trends, varying per country and time periods. We estimate that only 5% of the 122,000 km2 of hotspots in 2019 will meet nitrate quality standards by 2040 and that these may be offset by the appearance of new hotspots. Our results reveal that the effectiveness of the ND is limited by both time-lags between the implementation of good practices and pollution reduction and an inadequate designation of NVZs. Substantial improvements in the designation and regulation of NVZs are necessary, as well as in the quality of monitoring stations in terms of spatial density and information available concerning sampling depth, if the objectives of EU legislation to protect groundwater are to be achieved.

Acilcarnitinas en plasma y riesgo de insuficiencia cardiaca y fibrilación auricular: el estudio Prevención con dieta mediterránea / Plasma acylcarnitines and risk of incident heart failure and atrial fibrillation: the Prevención con dieta mediterránea study

Introducción y objetivos La desregulación del metabolismo de los ácidos grasos en la mitocondria es un mecanismo involucrado en el desarrollo de insuficiencia cardiaca (IC) y fibrilación auricular (FA). Se evaluó la asociación entre la concentración plasmática de acilcarnitinas y la incidencia de IC o FA y si la dieta mediterránea (DietMed) puede atenuar la asociación entre las acilcarnitinas y el riesgo de IC o FA. Métodos Dos estudios de casos y controles anidados en el ensayo Prevención con dieta mediterránea (PREDIMED). Se incluyó a participantes con elevado riesgo cardiovascular en España: 326 casos incidentes de IC y 509 de FA se emparejaron individualmente con 1 a 3 controles. Las acilcarnitinas en plasma se midieron con espectrometría de masas en tándem con cromatografía líquida de alta resolución. Se ajustaron modelos de regresión logística condicional para estimar las OR multivariables y los IC95%. Se evaluaron interacciones multiplicativas y aditivas por el grupo de intervención, obesidad (índice de masa corporal ≥ 30) y diabetes mellitus tipo 2. Resultados Las altas concentraciones de acilcarnitinas de cadena mediana y larga se asociaron con un mayor riesgo de IC (respectivamente, ORporDE ajustada=1,28; IC95%, 1,09-1,51, y ORporDE ajustada=1,21; IC95%, 1,04-1,42). Se observó una asociación significativa entre las acilcarnitinas de cadena larga y el riesgo de FA: 1,20 (1,06-1,36). Se encontró una interacción aditiva entre las acilcarnitinas de cadena larga y la FA con la DietMed suplementada con aceite de oliva virgen extra (p de interacción=0,036) y con la obesidad (p=0,022) de forma inversa y directa respectivamente. Conclusiones En las personas con alto riesgo cardiovascular, las altas concentraciones de acilcarnitinas de cadena larga se asocian con mayor riesgo de IC y FA incidentes. Una intervención con DietMed+aceite de oliva virgen extra puede reducir el riesgo asociado con las acilcarnitinas de cadena larga (AU)

Introduction and objectives Fatty acid metabolic dysregulation in mitochondria is a common mechanism involved in the development of heart failure (HF) and atrial fibrillation (AF). We evaluated the association between plasma acylcarnitine levels and the incidence of HF or AF, and whether the mediterranean diet (MedDiet) may attenuate the association between acylcarnitines and HF or AF risk. Methods Two case-control studies nested within the Prevención con dieta mediterránea (PREDIMED) trial. High cardiovascular risk participants were recruited in Spain: 326 incident HF and 509 AF cases individually matched to 1 to 3 controls. Plasma acylcarnitines were measured with high-throughput liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. Conditional logistic regression models were fitted to estimate multivariable OR and 95%CI. Additive and multiplicative interactions were assessed by intervention group, obesity (body mass index ≥ 30 kg/m2), and type 2 diabetes. Results Elevated levels of medium- and long-chain acylcarnitines were associated with increased HF risk (adjusted ORperDE, 1.28; 95%CI, 1.09-1.51 and adjusted ORperDE, 1.21; 95%CI, 1.04-1.42, respectively). A significant association was observed for AF risk with long-chain acylcarnitines: 1.20 (1.06-1.36). Additive interaction of the association between long-chain acylcarnitines and AF by the MediDiet supplemented with extra virgin olive oil (P for additive interaction=.036) and by obesity (P=.022) was observed in an inverse and direct manner, respectively. Conclusions Among individuals at high cardiovascular risk, elevated long-chain acylcarnitines were associated with a higher risk of incident HF and AF. An intervention with MedDiet+extra-virgin olive oil may reduce AF risk associated with long-chain acylcarnitines (AU)

Fuerza, velocidad de marcha y tiempo de reacción en adultos mayores activos / Muscle Strength, Gait Speed, and Reaction Time in Active Elderly People

El envejecimiento implica pérdida de funcionalidad, existiendo una asociación entre mayores niveles de fuerza, de velocidad de marcha y de tiempo de reacción con un buen estado de salud. El objetivo es analizar el nivel de capacidades físicas y perceptivas de los participantes en un programa de actividad física. Participaron 170 adultos mayores (93 mujeres), de 65±6,8 años. La fuerza se midió con el press de banca, test de la silla y la prensión manual. La velocidad de la marcha en 8 y 30 m se midió con células fotoeléctricas y el tiempo de reacción con sistema optogait. Los resultados muestran un buen nivel de condición física, siendo los más mayores más lentos y con peor reacción a un estímulo. La fuerza disminuye al avanzar la edad, pero puede mantenerse en óptimos niveles con la práctica regular de actividad física. (AU)

Aging implies loss of functionality, there is an association between higher levels of strength, walking speed and reaction time with a good state of health. The objective is to analyze the level of physical and perceptual abilities of the participants in the physical activity program. 170 older people (93 women), 65±6.8 years old, participated. Strength was measured with the bench press, chair test and manual grip. The walking speed at 8 and 30 m was measured with photoelectric cells and the reaction time with an optogait system. The results show a good level of physical condition, the oldest being slower and with a worse reaction to a stimulus. Strength decreases with advancing age, but can be maintained at optimal levels with regular physical activity. (AU)

Climate change and industrialization as the main drivers of Spanish agriculture water stress.

In recent decades, there has been growing concern regarding worsening global climate conditions for agricultural production, especially in Mediterranean climate and other semi-arid areas where the scarcity of water is a major problem. The objective of the study was to estimate the long-term evolution (in Spain, over 1922-2016) of the decoupling between crop's water requirements and the green water available, and to analyze the causes of the changes. The FA0-56 methodology was followed to estimate the green water, blue water and water stress of crops, via an explicit territorial distribution, using 0.5o grid cells. We propose a new indicator called Violet Water. This indicator groups together the water stress of the rainfed croplands and the blue water of the irrigated croplands, representing the components of this decoupling. Our results show that crops´ water requirements increased by 21% and violet water by 30% over the study period. The decomposition analysis used to study the drivers of these changes suggests that increasing reference evapotranspiration, caused by global warming, was the major driver triggering the growth of crop water requirements. Meanwhile, the changes in violet water values were mainly driven by the coupling of the cropland's spatiotemporal structure and climate change. The sensitivity analysis performed showed that the increasing trends in water stress, blue water and violet water were consistent for almost all the tested scenarios, but significant differences on the scale aroused depending on the climate data used (climate normal or each year climate) and specially on the geographical and historical Kc adjustment (crop-fixed Kc versus adjusted Kc). This highlights the importance of considering simultaneously the effect of the different factors, but also the need for refining this type of adjustment in future research.

Is systemic inflammation a missing link between periodontitis and hypertension? Results from two large population-based surveys.

OBJECTIVE: The primary objective was to investigate the relationship between periodontitis and hypertension in two independent large surveys. The secondary objective was to ascertain whether systemic inflammation had a mediation effect in the association. METHODS: This cross-sectional study analysed representative samples of the US (n = 3460; NHANES 2009/10) and Korean (n = 4539; 2015 KNHANES VI-3) populations. The association between periodontitis (exposure), hypertension (outcome) and inflammatory markers [C-reactive protein (CRP) and white blood cell counts (WBC)] (mediators) was assessed using multivariate linear and logistic regression models and mediation analysis. RESULTS: Participants with periodontitis were more likely to have hypertension (NHANES: OR = 1.3, 95% CI: 1.0-1.6, P = 0.025; KNHANES: OR = 1.2, 95% CI: 1.0-1.4, P = 0.041) and actual systolic blood pressure ≥ 140 mmHg (NHANES: OR = 1.6, 95% CI: 1.1-2.3, P < 0.001; KNHANES: OR = 1.3, 95% CI :1.0-1.6, P < 0.031) than those without the disease. These associations were independent of age, gender, BMI, education level, smoking, alcohol consumption, creatinine, physical activity, presence of other comorbidities and confirmed in participants not taking antihypertensive medications. Diagnosis of periodontitis was directly associated with WBC (in both surveys: NHANES: ß ± SE = 0.3 ± 0.1, P < 0.004; KNHANES: ß ± SE = 0.3 ± 0.1, P < 0.001) and with CRP levels (in one survey: NHANES: ß ± SE = 0.1 ± 0.03, P < 0.007; KNHANES: ß ± SE = 0.1 ± 0.04, P > 0.213). Mediation analyses confirmed that CRP acted as a mediator in the association between periodontitis and hypertension in both populations (mediated effect: NHANES: ß ± SE = 0.010 ± 0.003, P < 0.001; KNHANES: ß ± SE = 0.003 ± 0.001, P = 0.015). WBC acted as a mediator in the KNHANES (mediated effect: ß ± SE = 0.004 ± 0.001, P = 0.004) whilst in the NHANES, its effect was dependent of CRP inclusion in the model (mediated effect WBC + CRP: ß ± SE = 0.002 ± 0.001, P = 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that periodontitis is closely linked to hypertension and systemic inflammation is, in part, a mediator of this association.

New Measurement of

Carbon and oxygen burning reactions, in particular, ^{12}C+^{12}C fusion, are important for the understanding and interpretation of the late phases of stellar evolution as well as the ignition and nucleosynthesis in cataclysmic binary systems such as type Ia supernovae and x-ray superbursts. A new measurement of this reaction has been performed at the University of Notre Dame using particle-γ coincidence techniques with SAND (a silicon detector array) at the high-intensity 5U Pelletron accelerator. New results for ^{12}C+^{12}C fusion at low energies relevant to nuclear astrophysics are reported. They show strong disagreement with a recent measurement using the indirect Trojan Horse method. The impact on the carbon burning process under astrophysical scenarios will be discussed.

Ocular trauma score como predictor de agudeza visual en pacientes con trauma ocular grave: predictor de pronóstico visual en urgencia oftalmológica / Ocular trauma score as a predictor of visual acuity in patients with severe ocular trauma: visual prognosis in ophthalmological urgency

El objetivo de este trabajo fue determinar la relación entre el pronóstico visual según el Ocular Trauma Score (OTS) y la agudeza visual (AV) a los 6 meses de ocurrido el trauma ocular, en pacientes atendidos en la Unidad de Trauma Ocular del Hospital del Salvador, Santiago de Chile. Se hizo uso de un estudio descriptivo, longitudinal, retrospectivo. Se accedió a los registros clínicos de pacientes atendidos por trauma ocular grave entre el 1 de enero de 2014 al 15 de marzo 2015. 145 pacientes conformaron una muestra de 153 ojos. Se estableció la relación entre OTS obtenido y la AV a 6 meses del trauma mediante el coeficiente de correlación de Spearman. De los ojos estudiados, el grupo mayor N=68 (44,4%) calificó para OTS 3 y el menor N=16 (10,5%) para OTS 1. Se presentaron cinco categorías de visión, en un tiempo inicial la mayoría de los casos presentaron AV de luz, mala proyección-cuenta dedos (n=89). Tras seis meses dicha distribución se desplazó hacia la categoría 20/40 - 20/20 (n=68). Se encontró una fuerte asociación (r=0,711 p=0,000) entre el OTS calculado y la AV luego de seis meses de seguimiento. El OTS demostró poseer un gran valor predictivo y es una herramienta aplicable en nuestro medio, los datos obtenidos indican que existe un mejor pronóstico visual que los obtenidos en otro estudio. Cabe destacar que es la primera instancia en que se evalúa la aplicación del OTS en Chile.

This work aimed to determine the relationship between the visual prognosis according to the Ocular Trauma Score (OTS) and visual acuity (AV) 6 months after the ocular trauma in patients treated at the Eye Trauma Unit from the Hospital del Salvador, in Santiago, Chile. A descriptive, longitudinal and retrospective study was performed. We accessed registers of clinical patients attended for severe eye trauma from 1 January 2014 to 15 March 2015. 145 patients constitute a sample of 153 eyes. A connection was established between the OTS obtained and the AV 6 months after the trauma via the Spearman correlation coefficient. From the eyes studied, the greatest group N=68 (44.4%) qualified for OTS 3 and the smallest N=16 (10.5%) for OTS 1. Five eye categories were presented, in the beginning, most of the cases presented visual acuity with bad projection ­ hand motion (n=89). After six months of distribution, it moved to the category 20/40 ­ 20/20 (n=68). A strong relation (r=0,711 p=0,000) was found between the estimated OTS and the AV after six months of tracking. The OTS proved to have great predictive valor and is an applicable tool in our area, the data obtained showed that there is a better visual prognosis than the obtained in other studies. It is worth noting that this is the first stage where the application of OTS is assessed in Chile.

Osteotomía calcánea con cuña de sustracción dorsal como tratamiento quirúrgico en la tendinopatía insercional de Aquiles / Dorsal wedge calcaneal osteotomy as surgical treatment for insertional Achilles tendinopathy

OBJETIVO: La osteotomía calcánea con cuña de sustracción dorsal tiene como objetivo reducir la longitud del calcáneo, elevando la inserción del tendón de Aquiles, reduciendo así la tensión en su inserción por la verticalización del calcáneo. El objetivo del estudio es evaluar los resultados clínicos de esta osteotomía en pacientes con tendinopatía insercional de Aquiles y un ángulo de inclinación del calcáneo elevado. MATERIAL Y MÉTODOS: Estudio retrospectivo de 18 pacientes con diagnóstico de tendinopatía insercional del tendón de Aquiles. Realizamos una doble osteotomía calcánea en forma de cuña dorsal, exéresis de esta y síntesis con 2 tornillos canulados. Se evaluaron los resultados clínicos-funcionales mediante las escalas EVA, AOFAS, VISA-A y satisfacción del paciente pre- y posquirúrgicas. Los parámetros radiológicos analizados fueron el ángulo de inclinación del calcáneo, la longitud del calcáneo y ángulo de Fowler-Philips. Se realizó un análisis estadístico mediante Stata 15. La media de seguimiento fueron 18,3 meses (rango 14-36). RESULTADOS: Todos los pacientes presentaron mejoría objetiva de los síntomas y de las escalas EVA (de 8,25 a 2,16 puntos) y AOFAS (de 41,5 a 86,5 puntos) con significación estadística (p < 0,05). La persistencia de calcificaciones intratendinosas en las radiografías postoperatorias no influyó en la mejoría sintomática. CONCLUSIONES: Con los resultados obtenidos consideramos que la osteotomía calcánea con cuña de sustracción dorsal es una técnica alternativa válida en el tratamiento de la tendinopatía insercional de Aquiles, sobre todo en los casos con un ángulo de inclinación del calcáneo elevado

OBJECTIVE: The dorsal wedge calcaneal osteotomy aims to reduce the length of the calcaneus and elevate the insertion of the Achilles tendon, leading to a reduction of Achilles tension in its insertion. The purpose of this study is to assess the clinical and functional results of this osteotomy in patients with insertional Achilles tendinopathy and a high calcaneal inclination angle. MATERIAL AND METHODS: This is a retrospective study with 18 patients diagnosed with insertional Achilles tendinopathy, who were treated by dorsal wedge calcaneal osteotomy, excision of the wedge and fixation with 2 cannulated screws. The VAS, AOFAS ankle-hindfoot, VISA-A and patient satisfaction scales were performed preoperatively and postoperatively. The radiological parameters analysed were the calcaneal inclination angle, the calcaneal length and the Fowler-Philips angle. A statistical analysis was performed. The mean follow-up was 18.3 months (range 14-36). RESULTS: All patients reported relief from symptoms. The VAS scale improved from 8.25 to 2.16 points; and the AOFAS score rose from 41.5 to 86.5 points (P<.05). The presence of tendon spurs on postoperative x-rays was not related to the clinical improvement. CONCLUSIONS: Based on the results that we present, the dorsal wedge calcaneal osteotomy can be considered an alternative procedure for insertional Achilles tendinopathy in patients with a high calcaneal inclination angle. The symptomatic relief of all the patients might be secondary to the reduction of the tendon tension in its insertion

Dorsal wedge calcaneal osteotomy as surgical treatment for insertional Achilles tendinopathy. / Osteotomía calcánea con cuña de sustracción dorsal como tratamiento quirúrgico en la tendinopatía insercional de Aquiles.

OBJECTIVE: The dorsal wedge calcaneal osteotomy aims to reduce the length of the calcaneus and elevate the insertion of the Achilles tendon, leading to a reduction of Achilles tension in its insertion. The purpose of this study is to assess the clinical and functional results of this osteotomy in patients with insertional Achilles tendinopathy and a high calcaneal inclination angle. MATERIAL AND METHODS: This is a retrospective study with 18 patients diagnosed with insertional Achilles tendinopathy, who were treated by dorsal wedge calcaneal osteotomy, excision of the wedge and fixation with 2 cannulated screws. The VAS, AOFAS ankle-hindfoot, VISA-A and patient satisfaction scales were performed preoperatively and postoperatively. The radiological parameters analysed were the calcaneal inclination angle, the calcaneal length and the Fowler-Philips angle. A statistical analysis was performed. The mean follow-up was 18.3 months (range 14-36). RESULTS: All patients reported relief from symptoms. The VAS scale improved from 8.25 to 2.16 points; and the AOFAS score rose from 41.5 to 86.5 points (P<.05). The presence of tendon spurs on postoperative x-rays was not related to the clinical improvement. CONCLUSIONS: Based on the results that we present, the dorsal wedge calcaneal osteotomy can be considered an alternative procedure for insertional Achilles tendinopathy in patients with a high calcaneal inclination angle. The symptomatic relief of all the patients might be secondary to the reduction of the tendon tension in its insertion.

Non-targeted metabolomic biomarkers and metabotypes of type 2 diabetes: A cross-sectional study of PREDIMED trial participants.

AIM: To characterize the urinary metabolomic fingerprint and multi-metabolite signature associated with type 2 diabetes (T2D), and to classify the population into metabotypes related to T2D. METHODS: A metabolomics analysis using the 1H-NMR-based, non-targeted metabolomic approach was conducted to determine the urinary metabolomic fingerprint of T2D compared with non-T2D participants in the PREDIMED trial. The discriminant metabolite fingerprint was subjected to logistic regression analysis and ROC analyses to establish and to assess the multi-metabolite signature of T2D prevalence, respectively. Metabotypes associated with T2D were identified using the k-means algorithm. RESULTS: A total of 33 metabolites were significantly different (P<0.05) between T2D and non-T2D participants. The multi-metabolite signature of T2D comprised high levels of methylsuccinate, alanine, dimethylglycine and guanidoacetate, and reduced levels of glutamine, methylguanidine, 3-hydroxymandelate and hippurate, and had a 96.4% AUC, which was higher than the metabolites on their own and glucose. Amino-acid and carbohydrate metabolism were the main metabolic alterations in T2D, and various metabotypes were identified in the studied population. Among T2D participants, those with a metabotype of higher levels of phenylalanine, phenylacetylglutamine, p-cresol and acetoacetate had significantly higher levels of plasma glucose. CONCLUSION: The multi-metabolite signature of T2D highlights the altered metabolic fingerprint associated mainly with amino-acid, carbohydrate and microbiota metabolism. Metabotypes identified in this patient population could be related to higher risk of long-term cardiovascular events and therefore require further studies. Metabolomics is a useful tool for elucidating the metabolic complexity and interindividual variation in T2D towards the development of stratified precision nutrition and medicine. Trial registration at www.controlled-trials.com: ISRCTN35739639.

[Neuroimaging in fibromyalgia]. / Neuroimagen en fibromialgia.

INTRODUCTION: Most current research suggests that fibromyalgia is a disease produced by an alteration in the processing of pain signals in the central nervous system. In recent years, advances in non- or minimally-invasive brain imaging techniques have made it possible to discover how different areas of the nervous system are involved in the aetiopathogenesis of diseases that up until now have been considered as having a functional profile. AIM: To describe the objectified functional and the structural changes that take place in the brains of patients with fibro-myalgia by means of the currently available neuroimaging techniques. DEVELOPMENT: This work reviews the clinical studies, both anatomical and molecular, that have been conducted to date in the field of fibromyalgia using different brain imaging techniques. CONCLUSIONS: Different, but related, areas of the central nervous system have been described as altering not only the functional but also the structural form, in patients with fibromyalgia. These involved areas extend beyond the pain circuits, which would explain the variety of symptoms in patients, in addition to the characteristic pain reported by them.

TITLE: Neuroimagen en fibromialgia.Introduccion. La mayoria de las investigaciones actuales sugiere que la fibromialgia es una enfermedad producida por una alteracion en el procesamiento de la señal dolorosa en el sistema nervioso central. En los ultimos años, gracias al avance de las tecnicas de imagen cerebral no invasivas o minimamente invasivas, se ha podido averiguar como participan las diferentes areas del sistema nervioso en la etiopatogenia de enfermedades consideradas hasta ahora como de perfil funcional. Objetivo. Describir los cambios objetivados, tanto funcionales como estructurales, que ocurren en el cerebro de pacientes con fibromialgia a traves de las tecnicas de neuroimagen disponibles en la actualidad. Desarrollo. Se revisan los estudios clinicos, tanto anatomicos como moleculares, que se han realizado hasta ahora, con las diferentes tecnicas de imagen cerebral, en el campo de la fibromialgia. Conclusiones. Se han descrito diferentes areas del sistema nervioso central, relacionadas entre si, que se alteran no solo de forma funcional, sino tambien estructural, en los pacientes con fibromialgia. Estas areas involucradas se extienden mas alla de los circuitos de dolor, lo que explicaria la variada sintomatologia de los pacientes y el dolor caracteristico referido por ellos.

In-vitro analysis of a novel 'add-on' silicone cuff to improve sealing properties of tracheal tubes.

Leakage of colonised oropharyngeal secretions across the tracheal tube cuff may cause iatrogenic pulmonary infection. We studied a novel 'add-on' cuff, which can be inserted over an existing tracheal tube and advanced into the subglottic region. The physical properties of the novel silicone cuff (BronchoGuard, Ciel Medical, USA) were evaluated in comparison with the Hi-Lo® tracheal tube. In a bench study, we identified saline inflation volumes required to transmit pressures between 15 and 30 cmH2 O against artificial tracheas of 18, 20 and 22 mm internal diameter. We computed cuff compliance, and minimal inflation volume to achieve air sealing during mechanical ventilation. Finally, we compared the leakage flow rate of artificial saliva across the novel cuff. On average, the mean (SD) inflation volumes necessary to transmit tracheal pressures of 15, 20, 25 and 30 cmH2 O were 4.1 (2.2), 4.4 (2.3), 4.6 (2.4) and 4.8 (2.4) ml for the novel cuff and 7.7 (2.5), 8.0 (2.6), 8.4 (2.6) and 8.7 (2.7) ml for the Hi-Lo tube, respectively (p < 0.001). The minimal inflation volumes to achieve air sealing were 3.8 (0.9) and 10.5 (2.1) ml (p < 0.001), which resulted in transmitted tracheal pressures of 8.3 (9.8) and 27.6 (34.8) cmH2 O (p < 0.001). Compliance was 0.026 (0.004) and 0.616 (0.324) ml.cmH2 0-1 , respectively (p < 0.001). Although massive leak was found when the novel cuff transmitted pressures ≤ 20 cmH2 O against the trachea, leakage was avoided with pressures ≥ 25 cmH2 O, owing to optimal contact between the cuff and the tracheal wall. In contrast, the standard cuff consistently leaked irrespective of the pressure. We conclude that the novel cuff has advantageous properties that warrant clinical corroboration.

Influence of clinical and psychological variables upon the oral health-related quality of life in patients with temporomandibular disorders.

BACKGROUND: To analyze the association between the OHIP-14 and the different subtypes making up the clinical and psychological axis obtained using the RDC/TMD. MATERIAL AND METHODS: 407 patients treated at the TMD unit of the Andalusian Healthcare Service were administered the Spanish version of the Research Diagnostic Criteria for Temporomandibular Disorders questionnaire (RDC/TMD), together with the Oral Health Impact Profile questionnaire (OHIP-14). The degree of association between the patients' score in the OHIP-14 and the clinical and biopsychosocial variables was analyzed through bivariate and multivariate analyses, specifically through linear regression. RESULTS: 89.4% of the treated patients were women, while 10.6% were men, with an average age of 42.08 ± 14.9 years. The mean score and standard deviation for the OHIP-14 was 20.57 ± 10.73. A significant association (p < 0.05) was observed with the following variables: Axis I, jaw disability checklist, depression, somatization, perceived pain duration, and pain interference with activities of daily living. CONCLUSIONS: The analysis of the relation between self-perceived health in patients with TMD, as measured by the OHIP-14, showed a R2 of 0.3979, with a higher Beta value for the association between the OHIP and patients with both myofascial pain and arthopathy, jaw disability, depression, a higher pain duration and a higher pain interference with activities of daily living.

Relationship between self-reported sleep bruxism and pain in patients with temporomandibular disorders.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the association between self-reported sleep bruxism and the age, gender, clinical subtypes of temporomandibular disorders (TMD), pain intensity and grade of chronic pain in patients previously diagnosed with TMD. Thousand two-hundred and twenty patients of the Andalusian Health Service were examined using the Research Diagnostic Criteria for Temporomandibular Disorders (RDC/TMD) questionnaire. The inclusion and exclusion criteria were those included in the RDC/TMD criteria. The bruxism diagnosis was drawn from the question, 'Have you been told, or do you notice that you grind your teeth or clench your jaw while sleeping at night?' in the anamnestic portion of the questionnaire. A bivariate analysis was conducted, comparing the presence of perceived parafunctional activity with age (over age 60 and under age 60), gender, different subtypes of TMD, pain intensity, grade of chronic pain and presence of self-perceived locked joints. The overall prevalence of self-reported sleep bruxism (SB) was 54.51%. A statistically significant association was found between the presence of SB and patients under age 60, women, greater pain intensity, greater pain interference with activities of daily living, and the axis-I groups affected by both muscular and articular pathology. There is a statistically significant association between self-reported sleep bruxism and women under age 60 who have painful symptoms of TMD. There is also a positive association between this parafunctional habit and the presence of chronic pain. However, more studies that cover larger samples and differentiate between sleep bruxism and awake bruxism are needed.

Application of an oral health-related quality of life questionnaire in primary care patients with orofacial pain and temporomandibular disorders.

OBJECTIVES: To examine whether patients who report orofacial pain (OP) and temporomandibular disorders (TMD) have a poorer perception of their oral health-related quality of life and, if so, to what extent, and to analyze the association between oral health perception, sociodemographic variables and reported pain duration. STUDY DESIGN: 407 patients treated at the OP and TMD units in the Healthcare District of Cordoba, Spain, diagnosed following the standard criteria accepted by the scientific community - the Research Diagnostic Criteria for Temporomandibular Disorders (RDC/TMD) - were administered the Spanish version of the Oral Health Impact Profile questionnaire (OHIP-14). Bivariate and logistic regression analyses were performed to determine the degree of association between the patients' OHIP-14 score and pain duration, pain intensity, and various sociodemographic variables. RESULTS: The observed distribution was 89.4% women and 10.6% men. The mean OHIP-14 score was 20.57 ± 10.73 (mean ± standard deviation). A significant association (p<0.05) was found for gender, age, marital status, chronic pain grade, self-perceived oral health status and pain duration. CONCLUSIONS: The analysis of self-perceived oral health status in patients with OP and TMD, as measured by the OHIP-14, showed that oral health is perceived more negatively by women. Moreover, a one-point increase in the Chronic Pain Grade indicator increases the OHIP-14 indicator by 4.6 points, while chronic pain, defined as pain suffered by patients for one year or more, increases the OHIP-14 indicator by 3.2 points.

Learning curves of basic laparoscopic psychomotor skills in SINERGIA VR simulator.

PURPOSE: Surgical simulators are currently essential within any laparoscopic training program because they provide a low-stakes, reproducible and reliable environment to acquire basic skills. The purpose of this study is to determine the training learning curve based on different metrics corresponding to five tasks included in SINERGIA laparoscopic virtual reality simulator. METHODS: Thirty medical students without surgical experience participated in the study. Five tasks of SINERGIA were included: Coordination, Navigation, Navigation and touch, Accurate grasping and Coordinated pulling. Each participant was trained in SINERGIA. This training consisted of eight sessions (R1-R8) of the five mentioned tasks and was carried out in two consecutive days with four sessions per day. A statistical analysis was made, and the results of R1, R4 and R8 were pair-wise compared with Wilcoxon signed-rank test. Significance is considered at P value <0.005. RESULTS: In total, 84.38% of the metrics provided by SINERGIA and included in this study show significant differences when comparing R1 and R8. Metrics are mostly improved in the first session of training (75.00% when R1 and R4 are compared vs. 37.50% when R4 and R8 are compared). In tasks Coordination and Navigation and touch, all metrics are improved. On the other hand, Navigation just improves 60% of the analyzed metrics. Most learning curves show an improvement with better results in the fulfillment of the different tasks. CONCLUSIONS: Learning curves of metrics that assess the basic psychomotor laparoscopic skills acquired in SINERGIA virtual reality simulator show a faster learning rate during the first part of the training. Nevertheless, eight repetitions of the tasks are not enough to acquire all psychomotor skills that can be trained in SINERGIA. Therefore, and based on these results together with previous works, SINERGIA could be used as training tool with a properly designed training program.

Near-barrier fusion of the 8B + 58Ni proton-halo system.

Fusion cross sections were measured for the exotic proton-halo nucleus 8B incident on a 58Ni target at several energies near the Coulomb barrier. This is the first experiment to report on the fusion of a proton-halo nucleus. The resulting excitation function shows a striking enhancement with respect to expectations for normal projectiles. Evidence is presented that the sum of the fusion and breakup yields saturates the total reaction cross section.