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•Magnetic parameters as proxies for element pollution in water reservoirs.•Element contamination is mainly associated with historical mining activities.•Iron oxides and iron sulfides ...are detected and characterized in water reservoir sediments.•Multivariate analysis for magnetic and enrichment variables shows differences between reservoir and basin sediments.
We assess the element pollution level of water reservoir sediments using environmental magnetism techniques as a novel approach. Although “La Purísima” Water Reservoir is an important source for multiple activities (e.g. recreational, fishing and agricultural) in Guanajuato state, it has been receiving for the last centuries a high load of pollutants by mining extraction, urbanization and land-use change from the Guanajuato Hydrological Basin. The analyses of environmental magnetism, geochemistry, X-ray energy dispersive spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy and multivariate methods were applied to study sediments from the reservoir and basin. Accordingly, they indicate the presence of iron oxides (magnetite and hematite) and iron sulfides (pyrite and greigite), which evidences relevant differences in particle size and concentration within the water reservoir (median mass-specific magnetic susceptibility χ = 23.2 × 10−8 m3/kg), as well as with respect to the river basin sediments (median χ = 88.8 × 10−8 m3/kg). The highest enrichment factor EF values (median values of EF = 2–10 for As, Co, Ba, Cu, Cd, Ni and EF > 20 for S) are mainly associated with historical mining activities that have led to an enrichment of potentially toxic elements on these water reservoir sediments. We propose the use of concentration and grain size dependent magnetic parameters, i.e. χ, remanent magnetizations and anhysteretic ratios ARM/SIRM and χARM/χ, as proxies for Ba, Co, Cr, Ni, P and Pb pollution in these river and water reservoir sediments. Such parameters allow to evaluate this sedimentary environment, and similar ones, through useful and convenient proxies.
Background
The purpose of the study was to evaluate the clinical patterns of atrophy of the filiform papillae (FP) of the tongue and their relationship with the serum levels of iron and vitamin B12 ...among patients with systemic diseases, in a tertiary care center.
Methods
A cross‐sectional, analytical, research study was designed. A systematic tongue examination was performed to evaluate the presence and clinical patterns of FP atrophy. We collected epidemiologic, clinical, and laboratory data. Statistical analysis included χ2 test, Fisher's exact test, Kruskal–Wallis test, and a logistic regression analysis.
Results
A total of 87 patients (83.9% females) were included median age = 55 (range 20–89) years. Endocrinopathy (60.9%) was the most frequent comorbidity. We found atrophy of the FP in 90.8% of the patients; the atrophy was mild in 83.5% of the cases, and severe in 16.5%. The most common atrophic patterns were as follows: focalized in 64 (73.6%) cases, “U”‐shaped pattern in 60 (69%), and generalized in 30 (34.5%). Geographic tongue and median rhomboid glossitis were observed in 12 (13.8%) and 11 (12.6%) subjects, respectively. Lower titers of serum iron were detected in cases with focal (median = 71 vs. 110 mcg/dl) and generalized (median = 55 vs. 78 mcg/dl) FP atrophy (P = 0.03 and P = 0.009, respectively), than their counterparts. The presence of symptomatology was related to the focal pattern of atrophy (P = 0.038).
Conclusions
A high frequency of filiform papillary atrophy of the tongue was observed in patients with comorbidities. Some atrophic patterns of the tongue were significantly associated with certain medical conditions.
This article examines how parties organize legislative speech. Electoral incentives and legislative institutions affect speech participation. When electoral systems create personal vote-seeking ...incentives, parties are less concerned with screening speeches and more supportive of members seeking to gamer name recognition. But in many countries, legislative rules and norms constrain opportunities for individual position taking during the lawmaking debates. We argue that parties resolve this dilemma by organizing speech participation into nonlegislative speeches and lawmaking debates. In each instance, different types of legislators are more likely to speak. We examine the case of Chile and test the implications of our theory with data on congressional speeches.
San Diego and Tijuana configure two big cities that have faced each other across the international boundary between United States and Mexico for over 180 years. Within this context, the relationship ...emerging at the border can be characterized under different categories of individual, social, economic, and political situations connecting each side. Additionally, in recent years, the literature on cross-border conflicts has extensively focused on volunteers as informal agents helping children and other groups of population, but relatively little research has addressed the practical and managerial work and implications of the volunteers themselves. As actors of cross-border communities, volunteers play a relevant role in effective short-term migrants' settlement, but it is also observed that the profile of volunteers in religious organizations differs from those belonging to non-profit institutions. Grounded on the theories of Planned Behavior and Reasoned Action suggesting that intentions to cooperate with non-government institutions are influenced directly by attitudinal values and indirectly by their beliefs related to social conflicts, this paper analyzes the nature of volunteer commitment in religious and non-profit organizations (NPOs) providing information about managerial practices for newly arrived migrants. The main purpose of this study is to investigate the relevance of volunteer commitment as an instrument for managing cross-border conflicts in the particular context of San Diego and Tijuana Area. Based on research using interview data collected from beneficiaries by volunteers, institutional representatives, and documentary references, this manuscript highlights a psychological and individual-centric perspective of volunteer commitment, but it also explores a collective communicative action expanding the range of relevant voices in decisions about volunteering. Moreover, this study provides new insights into how organizational and relational elements impact sustainable volunteer management and points out the role played by attitudes toward non-government institutions such as religious and NPOs demonstrating the relevance of volunteer commitment, transforming part of the positive attitude toward social problems into a significant intention to cooperation. Understanding the importance of the organization's images in order to attract volunteers, these results show that commitment may become a key determinant of the volunteers' identity linked to strategies devoted to organizational activities.
Clinical trials have shown very modest short-term improvements in glycemic control among participants with diabetes after periodontitis treatment. Few longitudinal studies suggest that periodontitis ...may be related to prediabetes/diabetes risk.
We evaluated 1206 diabetes free participants in the San Juan Overweight Adults Longitudinal Study (SOALS) and 941 with complete 3-year follow-up data were included. The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) methods were used to assess periodontitis. Diabetes and prediabetes were classified using American Diabetes Association cutoffs for fasting and 2-hour post-load glucose and HbA1c. We used Poisson regression adjusting for baseline age, gender, smoking, education, family history of diabetes, physical activity, waist circumference, and alcohol intake.
Over the 3-year follow-up, 69 (7.3%) of the 941 individuals developed type 2 diabetes, and 142 (34.9%) of the 407 with normal glycemia at baseline developed prediabetes. In multivariable models, greater mean pocket depth and mean attachment loss at baseline were associated with lower risk of developing prediabetes/diabetes over the follow-up (IRR = 0.81; 95% CI: 0.67–0.99, and IRR = 0.86; 95% CI: 0.74–0.99, respectively). Increase in periodontal attachment loss from baseline to follow-up was associated with higher prediabetes/diabetes risk (multivariate IRR = 1.25; 95% CI: 1.09–1.42), and increase in pocket depth was associated with >20% fasting glucose increase (multivariate IRR = 1.43; 95% CI: 1.14–1.79). The inverse associations persisted after additionally adjusting for baseline income, sugar-sweetened beverages, number of teeth, oral hygiene, glycemia, or previous periodontal therapy.
There is no association between periodontitis and risk of prediabetes/diabetes in this longitudinal study.
To understand the effects of frailty, geriatric syndromes, and comorbidity on quality of life and mortality in older adults with HIV (OAWH).
Cross-sectional study of the FUNCFRAIL multicenter cohort. ...The setting was outpatient HIV-Clinic. OAWH, 50 year or over were included. We recorded sociodemographic data, HIV infection-related data, comorbidity, frailty, geriatric syndromes (depression, cognitive impairment, falls and malnutrition), quality of life (QOL) and the estimated risk of all-cause 5-year mortality by VACS Index. Association of frailty with geriatric syndromes and comorbidity was evaluated using the Cochran-Mantel-Haenszel test.
Seven hundred ninety six patients were included. 24.7% were women, mean age was 58.2 (6.3). 14.7% were 65 or over. 517 (65%) patients had ≥3 comorbidities, ≥ 1 geriatric syndrome and/or frailty. There were significant differences in the estimated risk of mortality (frailty 10.8%) vs. (≥ 3 comorbidities 8.2%) vs. (≥ 1 geriatric syndrome 8.2%) vs. (nothing 6.2%); p = 0.01 and in the prevalence of fair or poor QOL (frailty 71.7%) vs. (≥ 3 comorbidities 52%) vs. (≥ 1 geriatric syndrome 58.4%) vs. (nothing 51%); p = 0.01. Cognitive impairment was significantly associated to mortality (8.7% vs. 6.2%; p = 0.02) and depression to poor QOL 76.5% vs. 50%; p = 0.01.
Frailty, geriatric syndromes, and comorbidity had negative effects on mortality and QOL, but frailty had the greatest negative effect out of the three factors. Our results should be a wake-up call to standardize the screening for frailty and geriatric syndromes in OAWH in the clinical practice.
NCT03558438.
People in their fifties with HIV are considered older adults, but they appear not to be a homogeneous group.
To evaluate the differences among older adults with HIV according to their chronological ...age and the year of HIV diagnosis.
Cross-sectional study of the FUNCFRAIL cohort. Patients 50 or over with HIV were included and were stratified by both chronological age and the year of HIV diagnosis: before 1996 (long-term HIV survivors LTHS) and after 1996. We recorded sociodemographic data, HIV-related factors, comorbidities, frailty, physical function, other geriatric syndromes, and quality of life (QOL).
We evaluated 801 patients. Of these, 24.7% were women, 47.0% were LTHS, and 14.7% were 65 or over. Of the 65 or over patients, 73% were diagnosed after 1996. Higher rates of comorbidities among LTHS were found, being the more prevalent: COPD, history of cancer, osteoarthritis, depression, and other psychiatric disorders while the more prevalent among the 65 or over patients were: hypertension, diabetes, dyslipidemia, cancer, and osteoarthritis. LTHS showed a significantly worse QOL. There were no differences by the year of HIV diagnosis regarding frailty and functional impairment (SPPB <10) but they were more than twice as prevalent in the 65 or over patients compared to the other chronological age groups.
A LTHS and a 65 or over person are both "older adults with HIV," but their characteristics and requirements differ markedly. It is mandatory to design specific approaches focused on the real needs of the different profiles.
Shorter duration of symptoms before remdesivir has been associated with better outcomes. Our goal was to evaluate variables associated with the need of ICU admission in a cohort of hospitalized ...patients for COVID-19 under remdesivir including the period from symptoms onset to remdesivir.
We conducted a retrospective multicentric study analysing all patients admitted with COVID-19 in 9 Spanish hospitals who received treatment with remdesivir in October 2020. The main outcome was the need of ICU admission after 24 h of the first dose of remdesivir.
In our cohort of 497 patients, the median of days from symptom onset to remdesivir was 5 days, and 70 of them (14.1%) were later admitted into ICU. The clinical outcomes associated with ICU admission were days from symptoms onset (5 vs. 6; p = 0.023), clinical signs of severe disease (respiratory rate, neutrophil count, ferritin levels and very-high mortality rate in SEIMC-Score) and the use of corticosteroids and anti-inflammatory drugs before ICU. The only variable significatively associated with risk reduction in the Cox-regression analyses was ≤ 5 days from symptoms onset to RDV (HR: 0.54, CI95%: 0.31-0.92; p = 0.024).
For patients admitted to the hospital with COVID-19, the prescription of remdesivir within 5 days from symptoms onset diminishes the need of ICU admission.
The objective was evaluate the carotenogenic activity of Dunaliella salina isolated from the artificial salt flats of municipality of Manaure (Department of La Guajira, Colombia). Two experimental ...testings were designed, in triplicate, to induce the reversibility of the cell tonality depending on the culture conditions. In the first test (A), to induce the reversibility from green to red tonality in D. salina cells, these were cultured in J/1 medium at a concentration of 4.0 M NaCl, 390 µmol m−2 s−1, 0.50 mM KNO3. In the second test (B), to induce the reversibility from red to green cell tonality, the cultures were maintained in J/1 medium 1 M NaCl, 190 µmol m−2 s−1, 5.0 mM KNO3 and pH 8.2. The population growth was evaluated by cell count and the pigment content was performed by spectrophotometric techniques. It was found that in both tests the culture conditions influenced the population growth and the pigments production of D. salina. There was a significant difference between the mean values of total carotenoids in the test A with 9.67 ± 0.19 μg/ml and second test with 1.54 ± 0.08 μg/ml at a significance level of p < 0.05. It was demonstrated that the culture conditions of test A induce the production of lipophilic antioxidants, among these carotenoids. The knowledge of the stressful conditions for the production of carotenoids from D. salina isolated from artificial saline of Manaure opens a field in implementation of this biotic resource for biotechnological purposes, production of new antibiotics, nutraceuticals and/or biofuels production.
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