Air quality modeling in the Oviedo urban area (NW Spain) by using multivariate adaptive regression splines.

The aim of this research work is to build a regression model of air quality by using the multivariate adaptive regression splines (MARS) technique in the Oviedo urban area (northern Spain) at a local scale. To accomplish the objective of this study, the experimental data set made up of nitrogen oxides (NO x ), carbon monoxide (CO), sulfur dioxide (SO2), ozone (O3), and dust (PM10) was collected over 3 years (2006-2008). The US National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) establishes the limit values of the main pollutants in the atmosphere in order to ensure the health of healthy people. Firstly, this MARS regression model captures the main perception of statistical learning theory in order to obtain a good prediction of the dependence among the main pollutants in the Oviedo urban area. Secondly, the main advantages of MARS are its capacity to produce simple, easy-to-interpret models, its ability to estimate the contributions of the input variables, and its computational efficiency. Finally, on the basis of these numerical calculations, using the MARS technique, conclusions of this research work are exposed.

[X chromosome-linked mental retardation with fragile X chromosome and macro-orchidism]. / X-chromosomaler Schwachsinn mit brüchigem X-Chromosom und Makroorchidismus.

Description of the first Swiss family with the new syndrome of X-linked mental retardation. The three brothers described are the first of all males traced back for four generations to be affected. In two of the brothers macroorchidism and the fragile X-chromosome were demonstrated, while the third brother died before diagnosis. As expected, the fragile X was not demonstrable in the 75-year-old mother of the three brothers.

[Legionnaires' disease in the Lake Zurich area. Report on 6 sporadic cases]. / Die Legionärskrankheit am Zürichsee. Bericht über 6 sporadische Fälle.

Six sporadic cases of Legionnaires' disease seen over 13 months in the region of Lake Zurich (Switzerland) are reported. The disease was severe in all cases; 2 patients died while on artificial respiration; 5 patients were heavy smokers; 3 had probably acquired the infection in France. These 6 patients showed the following typical symptoms and signs: fever above 39 degrees C (6 patients), nonproductive cough (4), gastrointestinal symptoms (4), encephalopathy (4), renal insufficiency (5), hepatic involvement (4), bilateral pneumonia (4), and pO2 below 60 mm Hg (4). The disease was diagnosed serologically in all cases and by staining and culturing Legionella pneumophila from lung tissue in one case. The authors propose to treat unusual cases of pneumonia with erythromycin from the outset.