Marine transitional environments play an important role in human sustainability. Around these ecosystems, coastal lagoons are subject to high anthropogenic pressure from population growth. The ...increased demand for goods and services is associated with the elevated discharge of untreated and treated wastewater into lagoon systems. The absence of benthic organisms in lagoon environments has been linked to extreme natural conditions and severe anthropogenic impact at both spatial and temporal scales. However, the mechanisms that lead to the presence of azoic sediments in lagoon environments have yet to be studied. This study aimed to determine the vertical variability of textural groups, geochemistry, and benthic foraminiferal fauna to understand how natural and anthropogenic components generate a vertical sediment sequence with low or absent benthic foraminifera in a subtropical coastal lagoon in the southwestern end of the Gulf of California. A 41 cm-long sediment core was collected from La Paz Lagoon at a 1-m depth. The core was sectioned every centimeter, and sediment subsamples were dried and homogenized for grain size, calcium carbonate, elemental and isotopic carbon and nitrogen analyses, and benthic foraminifera quantification. Muds with fine sands towards the core's base characterized the sedimentary sequence. Organic carbon and total nitrogen increased from the base (1.4% and 0.06%, respectively) to the core-top (CT, 3.0% and 0.14%, respectively), significant from the 27 cm interval. Calcium carbonate content was very low (<0.8%). The relationship of δ13C vs. C:N ratio indicated that sedimentary organic carbon was derived from the marine and sewage source mixture. The δ15N of organic matter increased by 3.7‰, starting from the 27 cm interval towards the CT. The nitrogen sewage input source was relatively more significant than nitrogen fixation. The few individuals (<18 ind. in 10 g) and genera (Ammonia and Elphidium), as well as the absence of foraminifera in 19 of 41 intervals in the core, indicated that environmental conditions were unfavorable, even for colonization of environmentally stress-tolerant genera. The frequency of azoic sediments was higher from the 25 cm interval to the CT vs. from the base to the 25 cm interval. Moreover, the AEI revealed severe to moderate hypoxia in the study area. The limited presence of benthic foraminifera and calcium carbonate preservation corroborated that the quality of the lagoon's environment has deteriorated along with population growth, which requires strategic programs to sustain this transitional ecosystem.
•Muds with high organic carbon content and very low calcium carbonate.•Few individuals and only two genera: Ammonia and Elphidium in sediment core.•Absence of foraminifera in 19 of 41 intervals in the sediment core.•AEI revealed severe to moderate hypoxia in the lagoon.•Nitrogen sewage input source was more significant than nitrogen fixation.
The reduction behavior and metallization degree of magnetite concentrate with agave bagasse were investigated in an inert atmosphere. The effects of temperature, biomass content, and residence time ...on reduction experiments and metallization degree were investigated by X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy. Compared with other types of biomass, agave bagasse had lower contents of nitrogen, sulfur, and ash. X-ray diffraction analysis showed that the metallization degree improved with increasing temperature and biomass content. Complete metallization was achieved at 1100°C for 30 min with 65:35 and 50:50 ratios of the magnetite concentrate to the agave bagasse. These results demonstrate that agave bagasse promotes the efficient metallization of magnetite concentrate without the external addition of a reducing agent. Therefore, this biomass is a technical suitable alternative to replace fossil fuels in steelmaking.
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In the more than 2 years since its emergence, the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic has prompted important changes in healthcare systems and their organization. The aim of this study is to ...determine the implications in specialized thoracic surgery training as well as the repercussions on thoracic surgery residents. With this objective, the Spanish Society of Thoracic Surgery has conducted a survey among all its trainees and those who had finished their residency during the last 3 years. It consisted of 24 multiple-answer closed questions about the impact of the pandemic on their services, their training, and their personal experience. The response rate was 42% (52 out of a target population of 120). The effect of the pandemic on thoracic surgery services was high or extreme according to 78.8% of the participants. Academic activities were completely cancelled in 42.3% of the cases, and 57.7% of the respondents were required to treat hospitalized COVID patients (25% part-time, and 32.7% full-time). More than 80% of the survey participants believed that changes during the pandemic negatively affected their training, and 36.5% would prefer to extend their training period. In sum, we observe how the pandemic has had deep negative effects on specialized training in thoracic surgery in Spain.
Tras más de dos años desde su aparición, la pandemia por SARS-CoV-2 ha generado importantes cambios en la sanidad y su organización. El presente trabajo trata de dilucidar las implicaciones de estos en la formación especializada de la cirugía torácica y sus repercusiones en los profesionales en formación. Para ello, desde la Sociedad Española de Cirugía Torácica se distribuye una encuesta entre los residentes en activo y aquellos que han terminado su formación en los últimos 3 años. Esta consta de 24 preguntas cerradas de respuesta múltiple sobre el impacto de la pandemia en sus servicios, su formación y su vivencia. La tasa de respuesta de la encuesta fue del 42% (52 de una población objetivo de 120). El efecto de la pandemia en el funcionamiento de los servicios de cirugía torácica fue considerado alto o extremo según 78.8% de los participantes. Las actividades académicas fueron completamente suspendidas en 42.3% de los casos, mientras que el 57.7% de los participantes tuvieron que prestar atención asistencial a pacientes ingresados por COVID, de los cuales el 25% fue a tiempo parcial y 32,7% a tiempo completo. De los encuestados, el 80% consideró que los cambios sufridos durante la pandemia afectaron su formación como residente y 36.5% opinó que debería ofrecerse una prolongación del periodo de formación para quienes se hayan visto afectados. Así pues, observamos cómo la pandemia ha afectado profundamente de forma negativa la formación especializada en cirugía torácica en España.
Population growth around water bodies is deteriorating environmental quality. The benthic foraminiferal and trace element concentration in a pair of short sediment cores were used to establish the ...quality of the sedimentary environment in a tropical coastal lagoon in the southwestern Gulf of California. From 25 cm depth towards the surface of the sediment core, Ammonia beccarii was dominant over nontolerant species and the concentrations of V, Ni, Co, Zn, Cu, Hg and Pb in the sediments increased compared with the lower depth intervals. This finding suggests a deterioration in the environmental quality of the lagoon since 1980, associated with an increase in the sizes of the population and vehicle fleet in the city of La Paz, Baja California Sur, and with the operation of three fossil fuel-based thermoelectric plants since 1985.
•Ammonia beccarii was dominant over nontolerant species in sediment core.•V, Ni, Co, Zn and Cu concentrations increased between 6% and 19% in sediment core.•Deterioration in the environmental quality of the lagoon since 1980.•FSI suggest poor to extremely poor environment in the interior of the lagoon.
After eradication treatment for Helicobacter pylori, infection could recur due to recrudescence or re-infection. The objective of this study was to determine the recurrence of Helicobacter pylori ...infection and identify virulent Helicobacter pylori strains one year after eradication with standard triple therapy.
A quasi-experimental study was performed that included a patient population with digestive diseases associated with Helicobacter pylori who had received standard triple therapy. Cultures and Polymerase Chain Reaction was performed on gastric biopsies for strain identification in all patients prior to eradication treatment and those with a positive carbon 14 breath test one year after eradication treatment. Statistical analysis was performed using the student T test and Fisher's exact test, statistical significance was set at 0.05.
128 patients were studied, 51 (39.8%) were male and 77 (60.2%) were female with an average age of 54.8 years (DE 13.8). There was an annual recurrence of Helicobacter pylori infection in 12 (9.3%) patients. An annual re-infection and recrudescence occurred in 9 (7 %) and 3 (2.3%) patients respectively. The recrudescence rate for cagA was 1/30 (3.3%) patients and 2/112 (1.8%) patients for vacA. The re-infection rate for cagA was 3/30 (10%) patients and 6/112 (5.3%) patients for vacA.
The recurrence of infection in this study was higher than that recorded in developed countries with a low prevalence of H. pylori and lower than that recorded in developing countries with a higher prevalence of H. pylori. The cagA or vacA s2/m2 strains were isolated after re-infection and recrudescence.
There has been very limited investigation regarding the genetic diversity of
(MTb) strains isolated from human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected patients in Mexico. In this study, we isolated 93 ...MTb strains from pulmonary and extrapulmonary samples of HIV-infected patients treated in a public hospital in Mexico City to evaluate the genetic diversity using spoligotyping and mycobacterial interspersed repetitive unit-variable-number tandem-repeat (MIRU-VNTR) typing (based on 24 loci). The cohort comprised 80 male and 13 female individuals. There was a positive correlation between a high HIV viral load (>100,000 copies) and extrapulmonary tuberculosis (TB) (
= 0.306,
= 0.008). Lineage 4 was the most frequent lineage (79 strains). In this lineage, we found the H clade (
= 24), including the Haarlem, H3, and H1 families; the T clade (
= 22), including T1 and T2; the X clade (
= 15), including X1 and X3; the LAM clade (
= 14), including LAM1, LAM2, LAM3, LAM6, and LAM9; the S clade (
= 2); Uganda (
= 1); and Ghana (
= 1). We also found 12 strains in the EAI clade belonging to lineage 1, including the EAI2-Manila and EAI5 families. Interestingly, we identified one strain belonging to the Beijing family, which is part of lineage 2. One strain could not be identified. This study reports high genetic diversity among MTb strains, highlighting the need for a molecular epidemiological surveillance system that can help to monitor the spread of these strains, leading to more appropriate measures for TB control in HIV-infected patients.
Esbozando el carácter limitado del pensamiento objetivo nos preguntamos, al hilo del pensamiento de Polo, si cabe una alternativa y hacia dónde nos lleva dicha alternativa. Fiel al método del ...abandono de la presencia, atisbamos la luz que proporciona la antropología trascendental de Polo para esclarecer el acto de ser personal que somos cada uno.
El viejo adagio medieval 'el obrar sigue al ser' posee una verdad muy profunda que a veces puede pasarnos desapercibida. Queremos ahondar en este refrán de la sabiduría popular desde la luz del ...pensamiento poliano, y rescatar del olvido la distinción real entre el acto de ser personal humano y la esencia del hombre. Palabras claves: Persona, voluntad, Leonardo Polo, libertad
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