Sperm whale long-range echolocation sounds revealed by ANTARES, a deep-sea neutrino telescope.

Despite dedicated research has been carried out to adequately map the distribution of the sperm whale in the Mediterranean Sea, unlike other regions of the world, the species population status is still presently uncertain. The analysis of two years of continuous acoustic data provided by the ANTARES neutrino telescope revealed the year-round presence of sperm whales in the Ligurian Sea, probably associated with the availability of cephalopods in the region. The presence of the Ligurian Sea sperm whales was demonstrated through the real-time analysis of audio data streamed from a cabled-to-shore deep-sea observatory that allowed the hourly tracking of their long-range echolocation behaviour on the Internet. Interestingly, the same acoustic analysis indicated that the occurrence of surface shipping noise would apparently not condition the foraging behaviour of the sperm whale in the area, since shipping noise was almost always present when sperm whales were acoustically detected. The continuous presence of the sperm whale in the region confirms the ecological value of the Ligurian sea and the importance of ANTARES to help monitoring its ecosystems.

Ganglio centinela en melanoma y cáncer de mama. Consideraciones actuales / Sentinel node in melanoma and breast cancer. Current considerations

Los principales objetivos de la biopsia del ganglio centinela (GC) es evitar linfadenectomías innecesarias e identificar el 20-25% de pacientes que presentan enfermedad ganglionar regional clínicamente oculta. Esta técnica minimiza la morbilidad asociada a la linfadenectomía y aumenta también la tasa de identificación de metástasis linfáticas ocultas al ofrecer al patólogo aquel o aquellos ganglios con mayor probabilidad de contener células tumorales procedentes del tumor primario. La linfogammagrafía prequirúrgica se considera como un «mapa de carreteras» para guiar al cirujano hacia los GC y para la localización de patrones de drenaje impredecibles. Las ventajas del SPECT/TC incluyen un índice global de detección del GC superior a las imágenes planares, la capacidad para detectar ganglios centinelas en estudios convencionales difíciles de interpretar, mejor definición de los mismos en localizaciones cercanas a la inyección y una mejor localización anatómica. Estas ventajas pueden provocar un cambio en el manejo clínico-quirúrgico del paciente tanto en melanoma como en cáncer de mama. La correcta evaluación anatomopatológica del GC supone una estratificación de la carga tumoral y su posterior implicación pronóstica. La utilización de la imagen intraoperatoria permite al cirujano adaptar las marcas previamente hechas a la incisión quirúrgica planeada y confirmar la localización exacta del GC. Diversos estudios han demostrado el valor añadido de la utilización de estos dispositivos, al permitir la resección de GC adicionales y monitorizar el proceso quirúrgico. Nuevas técnicas, utilizando trazadores híbridos o fluorescentes, se están desarrollando en la actualidad (AU)

The main objectives of sentinel node (SN) biopsy is to avoid unnecessary lymphadenectomies and to identify the 20-25% of patients with occult regional metastatic involvement. This technique reduces the associated morbidity from lymphadenectomy and increases the occult lymphatic metastases identification rate by offering the pathologist the or those lymph nodes with the highest probability of containing metastatic cells. Pre-surgical lymphoscintigraphy is considered a 'road map' to guide the surgeon towards the sentinel nodes and to localize unpredictable lymphatic drainage patterns. The SPECT/CT advantages include a better SN detection rate than planar images, the ability to detect SNs in difficult to interpret studies, better SN depiction, especially in sites closer to the injection site and better anatomic localization. These advantages may result in a change in the patient's clinical management both in melanoma and breast cancer. The correct SN evaluation by pathology implies a tumoral load stratification and further prognostic implication. The use of intraoperative imaging devices allows the surgeon a better surgical approach and precise SN localization. Several studies reports the added value of such devices for more sentinel nodes excision and a complete monitoring of the whole procedure. New techniques, by using fluorescent or hybrid tracers, are currently being developed (AU)

[Sentinel node in melanoma and breast cancer. Current considerations]. / Ganglio centinela en melanoma y cáncer de mama. Consideraciones actuales.

The main objectives of sentinel node (SN) biopsy is to avoid unnecessary lymphadenectomies and to identify the 20-25% of patients with occult regional metastatic involvement. This technique reduces the associated morbidity from lymphadenectomy and increases the occult lymphatic metastases identification rate by offering the pathologist the or those lymph nodes with the highest probability of containing metastatic cells. Pre-surgical lymphoscintigraphy is considered a "road map" to guide the surgeon towards the sentinel nodes and to localize unpredictable lymphatic drainage patterns. The SPECT/CT advantages include a better SN detection rate than planar images, the ability to detect SNs in difficult to interpret studies, better SN depiction, especially in sites closer to the injection site and better anatomic localization. These advantages may result in a change in the patient's clinical management both in melanoma and breast cancer. The correct SN evaluation by pathology implies a tumoral load stratification and further prognostic implication. The use of intraoperative imaging devices allows the surgeon a better surgical approach and precise SN localization. Several studies reports the added value of such devices for more sentinel nodes excision and a complete monitoring of the whole procedure. New techniques, by using fluorescent or hybrid tracers, are currently being developed.

[Quality control in the process of health care of infants]. / Control de calidad en el proceso de atención a la salud del lactante.

We are having an internal, retrospective audic of 302 medical care histories corresponding to all infants between 0 and 18 months registered at the health centre between 1st Nov. 1986 and 30th April 1988, with purpose of determining the degree of quality achieved by the professional staff in the completion of the medical records, systematic examinations of health and objectives proposed in the Centre's Program for Infants, similarly assessing the adeherance of patients to the same. We found a level of those registered globally, of 81 por 100 of all analysed data, which we assessed as improvable. The ratio obtained of securance, cover and maintainance of maternal lactancy, the correct iniciation of beikot and vaccination, although satisfactory, did not reach proposed standards except in the maternal lactancy objective initiated, which improved (67.66% vs 60.0%). The ratios relative to the adeherance to and acceptance of the program by the users are satisfactory: the infants who left it constituted only 3.3%. Atendance of those summored is 97.03% and 24% of failures to attend were due to changes of address. We are however proposing concrete corrective measures to make early contact with the gestative mother and the newborn in order to improve the process of health care.