Profile of physical activity and sports professionals working on disability / Perfil de los profesionales de actividad física y deporte que trabajan en discapacidad

The study analyzes the training and job profiles of physical activity and sports professionals who work with people with disabilities in Spain. Using a descriptive, quantitative methodology, standardized questionnaire-based interviews were conducted with 214 people working in this sector. The results indicate that the professionals do not receive quality initial training and when offered various training activities, they prefer to attend courses. An analysis of the employment status shows that most professionals work in companies, many without a formal employment contract or as temporary staff. Adequate initial training and varied continuing education can fulfill the need for professionalization of physical activity and sport for people with disabilities in Spain. (AU)

El estudio analiza el perfil formativo y laboral de las personas que desempeñan funciones laborales de actividad física y deporte con personas con discapacidad en España. La metodología es cuantitativa de corte descriptivo, utilizando la entrevista estandarizada por medio de cuestionario para entrevistar personalmente a 214 personas que trabajaban en este sector. Los resultados muestran que este ámbito de desempeño profesional sigue estando ocupado por personas sin la titulación adecuada en su formación inicial y que, dentro de las actividades de formación permanente, asisten preferentemente a cursos. El análisis de la situación laboral muestra que la mayor parte de las personas trabajan en empresas y un porcentaje significativo de ellas no tiene contrato o es temporal. El estudio muestra la necesidad de profesionalizar la actividad física y el deporte con personas con discapacidad en España partiendo de una adecuada formación inicial y complementada con una sólida y variada formación permanente. (AU)

[Extrathoracic sarcoidosis with giant splenomegaly and cranial osteolysis]. / Sarcoidosis extratorácica con esplenomegalia gigante y osteolisis craneal.

Isolated extrathoracic sarcoidosis is a rare entity. We present a 25-year old woman with recurrent episodes of fever of unknown origin in the 10 years previously, with a new episode of fever with hepatosplenomegaly, abdominal adenopathies and cranial osteolysis without pulmonary or mediastinal affectation. With the suspicion of linfoproliferative disease we have resected the spleen with a weight of 1500 g. and multiple non caseous granulomata also in the liver and adenopathies. The clinical presentation is compatible with an atypical sarcoidosis without thoracic affectation and with two rare associated clinical manifestation namely giant splenomegaly and sarcoidosis of the skull.

Anaerobic degradation of halogenated benzoic acids coupled to denitrification observed in a variety of sediment and soil samples.

Denitrifying enrichment cultures utilizing monochlorinated benzoic acids as a carbon source were established using sediments and soils from a variety of sources as inocula. Enrichment cultures from most of the sites readily degraded 3- and 4-chlorobenzoate within 2-4 weeks. Upon refeeding, 3- and 4-chlorobenzoate were rapidly depleted, and stable denitrifying cultures were obtained by repeated dilution and refeeding of the substrates. 2-Chlorobenzoate, however, was only slowly metabolized and this activity was only observed in a few sites. Denitrifying consortia were maintained on either 3- or 4-chlorobenzoate as the sole source of carbon and energy and chlorobenzoate utilization was dependent on denitrification. These cultures were also capable of utilizing the corresponding brominated and iodinated benzoic acids, but the activity was specific to the position of the halogen substituent. Removal of halogen was stoichiometric, indicating that dehalogenation occurred at some step in metabolism.

Influence of alternative electron acceptors on the anaerobic biodegradability of chlorinated phenols and benzoic acids.

Nitrate, sulfate, and carbonate were used as electron acceptors to examine the anaerobic biodegradability of chlorinated aromatic compounds in estuarine and freshwater sediments. The respective denitrifying, sulfidogenic, and methanogenic enrichment cultures were established on each of the monochlorinated phenol and monochlorinated benzoic acid isomers, using sediment from the upper (freshwater) and lower (estuarine) Hudson River and the East River (estuarine) as source materials. Utilization of each chlorophenol and chlorobenzoate isomer was observed under at least one reducing condition; however, no single reducing condition permitted the metabolism of all six compounds tested. The anaerobic biodegradation of the chlorophenols and chlorobenzoates depended on the electron acceptor available and on the position of the chlorine substituent. In general, similar activities were observed under the different reducing conditions in both the freshwater and estuarine sediments. Under denitrifying conditions, degradation of 3- and 4-chlorobenzoate was accompanied by nitrate loss corresponding reasonably to the stoichiometric values expected for complete oxidation of the chlorobenzoate to CO2. Under sulfidogenic conditions, 3- and 4-chlorobenzoate, but not 2-chlorobenzoate, and all three monochlorophenol isomers were utilized, while under methanogenic conditions all compounds except 4-chlorobenzoate were metabolized. Given that the pattern of activity appears different for these chlorinated compounds under each reducing condition, their biodegradability appears to be more a function of the presence of competent microbial populations than one of inherent molecular structure.

Anaerobic biodegradation ofPara-cresol under three reducing conditions.

The anaerobic degradation ofp-cresol was studied with one sediment source under three reducing conditions-denitrifying, sulfidogenic, and methanogenic. Loss ofp-cresol (1 mM) in all the anaerobic systems took initially 3 to 4 weeks. In acclimated culturesp-cresol was degraded in less than a week.p-Cresol was completely metabolized under denitrifying, sulfidogenic, and methanogenic conditions, with formation of nitrogen gas, loss of sulfate, and formation of methane and carbon dioxide, respectively.p-Cresol metabolism proceeded throughp-hydroxybenzal-dehyde andp-hydroxybenzoate under denitrifying and methanogenic conditions. These compounds were rapidly degraded in cultures acclimated top-cresol under all three reducing conditions. These results suggest that the initial pathway ofp-cresol degradation is the same under denitryfying, sulfidogenic, and methanogenic conditions and proceeds via oxidation of the methyl substituent top-hydroxybenzaldehyde andp-hydroxybenzoate. The initial rate ofp-hydroxybenzaldehyde degradation was high in both the unacclimated cultures and in the cultures acclimated top-cresol, suggesting that this step is nonspecific. Benzoate was additionally detected as a metabolite followingp-hydroxybenzoate in the methanogenic cultures, but not in the denitrifying or sulfidogenic cultures. The degradation pathway therefore may diverge afterp-hydroxybenzoate formation depending on which electron acceptor is available.

Influence of alternate electron acceptors on the metabolic fate of hydroxybenzoate isomers in anoxic aquifer slurries.

The biodegradation of hydroxybenzoate isomers was investigated with samples obtained from two sites within a shallow anoxic aquifer. The metabolic fates of the substrates were compared in denitrifying, sulfate-reducing, and methanogenic incubations. Under the latter two conditions, phenol was detected as a major intermediate of p-hydroxybenzoate, but no metabolites were initially found with m- or o-hydroxybenzoate. However, benzoate accumulation was noted when metabolic inhibitors were used with these samples. About 9 to 17 days was required for >95% removal of the parent isomers under these conditions. When aquifer slurries were amended with nitrate, the equivalent removal of the hydroxybenzoates occurred within 4 days. In the denitrifying incubations, phenol was formed from all three hydroxybenzoates and accounted for about 30% of the initial substrate amendment. No benzoate was measured in these samples. All metabolites were identified by chromatographic mobility, mass spectral profiles, or both. Autoclaved controls were uniformly incapable of transforming the parent substrates. These results suggest that the anaerobic fate of hydroxybenzoate isomers depends on the relative substitution pattern and the prevailing ecological conditions. Furthermore, since these compounds are central metabolites formed during the breakdown of many aromatic chemicals, our findings may help provide guidelines for the reliable extrapolation of metabolic fate information from diverse anaerobic environments.