Spatial aggregation patterns in four mistletoe species: ecological and environmental determinants.

Plant spatial distribution is an important topic in ecology as it determines species coexistence and biodiversity dynamics. Usually, plants show clustered distributions in nature. Mistletoes are a good example of aggregated distributions, as they form dense aggregations due to several factors (availability of competent hosts, seed dispersal vectors, microclimate conditions). We analysed four native mistletoe species with divergent life histories and host ranges: Desmaria mutabilis and Tristerix corymbosus from the temperate rainforests of southern Chile; and Tristerix aphyllus and Tristerix verticillatus from the northern semi-desert zone. While T. corymbosus and T. verticillatus have a wide host range, T. aphyllus and D. mutabilis are specialists that can parasitize only a few plant species. We hypothesized that specialized species would be more aggregated due to ecological and environmental restrictions. We used heterogeneous Poisson models to quantify spatial aggregation. Three of the four mistletoe species were spatially clustered at both environments, with aggregation being stronger in the temperate rainforest of southern Chile and particularly in the host-specialist species. Our results suggest that environmental constraints are more important than ecological constraints (host range) in shaping mistletoe spatial structure. Mistletoe aggregated spatial distribution depends primarily on the environment that they inhabit, which conditions host spatial availability, and arrangement.

Result of the implementation of telematic consultations in orthopaedic surgery and traumatology during COVID-19 laparoscopic surgery. / Resultado de la implantación de consultas telemáticas en cirugía ortopédica y traumatología durante la pandemia COVID-19.

The COVID pandemic has made telematic consultations a basic tool in daily practice. AIMS: The main objective of the study is to assess the results of the application of telematic consultations to limit the mobility of patients. The operational objectives are; to propose a consultation plan, to know how attendance limits consultations and to define which pathologies benefit the most from this plan. METHODS: A scheme is proposed with the creation of pre-scheduled clinic to assess suitability and the possibility of carrying them out in a single non face-to-face act. RESULTS: Phone call to 5,619 patients were made with a lack of response of 19%. The cases of 74% of the patients that answered were resolved virtually. There is a difference between units, obtaining a higher answering rate from patients appointed to specific clinic units, OR = 0.60, or to general trauma ones, OR = 0.67. The lowest answering rate was obtained from those derived from the emergency department. Twenty per cent of the consultations were not accompanied by complementary tests that would have favored the resolution in a single act. The general trauma consultations, OR = 0.34, postoperative control, OR = 0.49, and specific unit ones, OR = 0.40, were the ones that better met this requirement. Out of the remaining patients, the general trauma consultations, OR = 0.50, and those referred to units, OR = 0.54, were the ones that had a higher resolution rate without in- person consultation. CONCLUSIONS: The cases of 74% of the patients who answered the phone call were resolved virtually. Cases of 20% of the patients cannot be solved in a single act because they are derived without complementary tests. Osteosynthesis and postoperative arthroscopic follow-up consultations are the ones that need to be carried out in person the most.

Non-linear heart rate dynamics during and after three controlled exercise intensities in healthy men.

We aimed to analyse the complexity and fractal nature of heartbeat during constant exercise, at three different intensities, and recovery.Fourteen healthy men underwent 4 separate sessions. The first session was an incremental treadmill test to determine ventilatory thresholds (VT1 and VT2) and maximal aerobic speed (MAS). Each subject ran at VT1 and VT2 speeds and MAS (second, third and fourth day). The duration of VT1 and VT2 loads were selected in such a way that the product intensity-duration (training load) was the same. Sample Entropy (SampEn) and slope of Detrended Fluctuation Analysis (DFA α1) were measured during the whole session.DFA α1 declines with exercise, being less in the VT1 trial than in the other two.SampEn shows no significant change during exercise. The three tests induce the same decline in SampEn, but at the highest intensity (MAS) tends to decline during the exercise itself, whereas at lower intensities (VT1, VT2) the decline is delayed (10 min of recovery). Subsequently, SampEn at VT1 gradually recovers, whereas at VT2 and MAS it remains stable during recovery.In conclusion, exercise produces a loss of heartbeat complexity, but not fractal nature, during recovery and it depends on intensity.

Identification of Peptides Potentially Responsible for In Vivo Hypolipidemic Activity of a Hydrolysate from Olive Seeds.

Previous studies demonstrated that peptides produced by the hydrolysis of olive seed proteins using Alcalase enzyme showed in vitro multifunctional lipid-lowering capability. This work presents a deeper insight into the hypolipidemic effect of olive seed peptides. The capability of olive seed peptides to inhibit endogenous cholesterol biosynthesis through the inhibition of HMG-CoA reductase enzyme was evaluated observing a 38 ± 7% of inhibition. Two in vivo assays using different peptides concentrations (200 and 400 mg/kg/day) were designed to evaluate the hypolipidemic effect of olive seed peptides in male and female mice. A low concentration of hydrolysate reduced total cholesterol in male mice in a 20% after 11 weeks compared to the mice feeding with hypercholesterolemic diet. A higher hydrolysate concentration showed a greater reduction in total cholesterol (25%). The analysis of the olive seed hydrolysate by reverse phase high-performance liquid chromatography mass spectrometry (RP-HPLC-MS) enabled the identification of peptides that could be responsible for this hypolipidemic effect.

Temporally Segmented Directionality in the Motor Cortex.

Developing models of the dynamic and complex patterns of information processing that take place during behavior is a major thrust of systems neuroscience. An underlying assumption of many models is that the same set of rules applies across different conditions. This has been the case for directional tuning during volitional movement; a single cosine function has been remarkably robust for describing the encoding of movement direction in different types of neurons, in many locations of the nervous system, and even across species. However, detailed examination of the tuning time course in motor cortex suggests that direction coding may be labile. Here, we show that there are discrete time epochs within single reaches, between which individual neurons change their tuning. Our findings suggest that motor cortical activity patterns may reflect consistent changes in the state of the control system during center-out reaching. These transitions are likely linked to different behavioral components, suggesting that the task defines changes in the operational structure of the control system.

Anthropogenic 236U and 129I in the Mediterranean Sea: First comprehensive distribution and constrain of their sources.

The first basin-wide distribution of 236U/238U atom ratios and 129I concentrations is presented for the Mediterranean Sea. During the GEOTRACES GA04S-MedSeA expedition in 2013 seawater was collected from 10 vertical profiles covering the principal sub-basins of the Mediterranean Sea. The main objective was to understand the distributions of 236U and 129I in relation to the water masses, and to constrain their sources in this region. The 236U/238U atom ratios and the 129I concentrations ranged from (710±40)×10-12 to (2220±60)×10-12 and from (4.0±0.1)×107 to (13.8±0.3)×107at·kg-1, respectively. The results show that radionuclide-poor Atlantic Water is entering at the surface through the Strait of Gibraltar whereas comparably radionuclide-enriched Levantine Intermediate Water is sinking in the Eastern Basin and flowing westward at intermediate depths. Low radionuclide levels were found in the oldest water masses at about 1000-2000m depth in the Eastern Basin. At greater depths, waters were relatively enriched in 236U and 129I due to dense water formation occurring in both, the Eastern and Western Basins. The inventories of 236U and 129I cannot be explained only by global fallout from atmospheric nuclear bomb testings carried out in the 1950s and 1960s. We estimate that the liquid input of 236U from the nuclear reprocessing facility of Marcoule (France), via the Rhône river, was of the same order of magnitude than the contribution from global fallout, whereas liquid and gaseous releases of 129I from Marcoule were up to two orders of magnitude higher than global fallout. For both radionuclides, the contribution from the Chernobyl accident is found to be minor.

Dose assessment to workers in a dicalcium phosphate production plant.

The production of dicalcium phosphate (DCP) uses phosphate rock (PR) as a raw material. Sedimentary phosphate rocks are enriched with relevant concentrations of natural radionuclides from the 238U decay chain (around 103 Bq·kg-1), leading to the need of controlling potential exposures to radiation of workers and members of the public in accordance with IAEA safety standards. Indeed, phosphate industries are classified as Naturally Occurring Radioactive Material (NORM) industries. Thus, the aim of this work is to assess the radiological risk of the workers in a DCP production plant located in the Iberian Peninsula (South-West Europe), which digests PR with hydrochloric acid. In the present study 238U, 230Th, 222Rn, 210Pb and 210Po concentrations in aerosols (indoor and outdoor areas) are reported. Aerosols showed concentrations between 0.42-92 mBq·m-3 for 238U, 0.24-33 mBq·m-3 for 230Th, 0.67-147 mBq·m-3 for 210Pb and 0.09-34 mBq·m-3 for 210Po. Long-term exposure (four months) of passive 222Rn detectors provided concentrations that ranged from detection limit (< DL) to 121 Bq·m-3 in outdoor areas and from < DL to 211 Bq·m-3 in indoor areas, similar to concentrations obtained from short-term measurements with active detectors from < DL to 117 Bq·m-3 in outdoor areas and from < DL to 318 Bq·m-3 in indoor places. 226Ra accumulation in ebonite and pipe scales were the most important contributions to the ambient dose equivalent H*(10), resulting in 0.07 (background)-27 µSv·h-1 with a median value of 1.1 µSv·h-1. Average 222Rn air concentrations were lower than the 300 Bq·m-3 limit and therefore, according to European Directive 2013/59/EURATOM, 222Rn concentration is excluded from the worker operational annual effective dose. Thus, considering the inhalation of aerosols and the external dose sources, the total effective dose determined for plant operators was 0.37 mSv·y-1.

Influence of submarine groundwater discharge on (210)Po and (210)Pb bioaccumulation in fish tissues.

This study presents the results of the accumulation of (210)Po and (210)Pb in fish tissues and organs in a brackish-water marshland that is characterized by high concentrations of (222)Rn and (226)Ra supplied by submarine groundwater discharge (SGD). Tissues and organs from Cyprinus carpio, Chelon labrosus and Carassius auratus in the wetland were significantly enriched by both (210)Pb and (210)Po (up to 55 and 66 times, respectively) compared to blanks. The major input route of (210)Pb and (210)Po into the fish body seems to be through ingestion, due to the high levels of (210)Pb and (210)Po found in the gut content as well as in organs involved in digestion and metabolism (i.e. gut, kidney and hepatopancreas). Results showed that (210)Po was more accumulated in all fish tissues and organs except for the spine, which showed a higher affinity for (210)Pb, due to its capacity to replace Ca from apatite in bones. Over all the variables analyzed, fish tissues/organs and, secondarily, fish species were the most important factors explaining the concentration of radionuclides, whereas fish length and the sampling location played a minor role. The relationship of the two radionuclides varied markedly among tissues and their concentration levels were only correlated in gills, gut and, marginally, in spines. In general, the highest values of (210)Pb and (210)Po concentrations in tissues were found on C. labrosus tissues rather C. auratus and C. carpio. This study demonstrates that inputs of natural radionuclides supplied by SGD to coastal semi-enclosed areas (such as marshlands, lagoons or ponds) may significantly increase the contents of (210)Pb and (210)Po in fish tissues/organs. Thus, this study represents one of the first evidences of direct ecological effects derived from SGD.

Jump percentile: a proposal for evaluation of high level sportsmen.

AIM: The goal of this study was to determine reference values of explosive strength for Spanish professional athletes using a force platform. Reference values are displayed as a sports-independent percentile distribution. METHODS: A total of 323 elite male athletes (age: 20.38 ± 4.65 years, body mass: 75.04 ± 14.30 kg, height: 178.62 ± 14.18 cm) from different disciplines performed the following test: squat jump (SJ), countermovement jump (CMJ), Abalakov test (AB), drop jump (DJ) and repeated jumps (RJ). We calculated: relative peak power, relative peak force, maximal height, symmetry index, explosive index of strength, relative effective impulse, duration of jump, elastic capacity, eccentric time, action of arm, jump number, average height, intensity and fatigue index of force. RESULTS: Significant differences were found among sports disciplines (P<0.05) in relative peak power, maximal height and relative effective impulse during the SJ, CMJ and AB tests. No significant differences were found among disciplines in DJ variables. In RJ, the main variable characterizing the disciplines analyzed was average height, which showed a significant negative association with athletics, soccer, volleyball and gymnastics. CONCLUSION: The results obtained suggest that a percentile table may be useful in assessing explosive strength in athletes, regardless of there being any reference values available for their sports discipline.

Hemichannels: new pathways for gliotransmitter release.

Growing evidence suggests that glial cells express virtually all known types of neurotransmitter receptors, enabling them to sense neuronal activity and microenvironment changes by responding locally via the Ca(2+)-dependent release of bioactive molecules, known as "gliotransmitters". Several mechanisms of gliotransmitter release have been documented. One of these mechanisms involves the opening of plasma membrane channels, known as hemichannels. These channels are composed of six protein subunits consisting of connexins or pannexins, two highly conserved protein families encoded by 21 or 3 genes, respectively, in humans. Most data indicate that under physiological conditions, glial cell hemichannels have low activity, but this activity is sufficient to ensure the release of relevant quantities of gliotransmitters to the extracellular milieu, including ATP, glutamate, adenosine and glutathione. Nevertheless, it has been suggested that dysregulations of hemichannel properties could be critical in the beginning and during the maintenance of homeostatic imbalances observed in several brain diseases. In this study, we review the current knowledge on the hemichannel-dependent release of gliotransmitters in the physiology and pathophysiology of the CNS.

IgE sérica e IgA salival, total y específica para Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus y subpoblaciones leucocitarias en niños atópicos y no atópicos con asma y/o rinitis / Total and Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus specific IgE and salivary IgA and leukocyte populations in atopic and nonatopic children with asthma and/or rhinitis

Objetivo. Investigar inmunológicamente niños con problemas respiratorios de asma y/o rinitis (atópicos o no atópicos) en la búsqueda de evidencias que permitan una mejor comprensión del desbalance que padecen estos niños en su sistema inmune. Materiales y métodos. Se estudiaron 47 niños de ambos sexos, con edades comprendidas entre los 6 y 15 años, que concurrieron a la consulta por afecciones respiratorias compatibles con asma y/o rinitis a la División de Alergia e Inmunología del Hospital de Niños de la Santísima Trinidad de la Ciudad de Córdoba. Según la información obtenida en la anamnesis, examen físico y prick tests, fueron divididos en dos grupos: atópicos (n=25) y no atópicos (n=22). Luego que los padres firmaron el consentimiento informado y los niños mayores a 7 años dieron su asentimiento para participar del trabajo de investigación, se tomaron muestras de sangre y saliva, para determinar concentración y actividad específica en inmunoglobulinas (Igs) así como estudiar poblaciones leucocitarias y subpoblaciones linfocitarias. Resultados. Como era previsible, los niveles de IgE sérica total y los porcentajes relativos de eosinófilos sanguíneos se mostraron significativamente elevados en el grupo de los niños atópicos (A) con respecto a los no atópicos (NA). El estudio de IgE sérica específica para Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus solo arrojó resultados positivos en los pacientes A y se observó una correlación significativa entre los niveles de IgE total y específica para dicho alérgeno, y entre los niveles de prick y RAST. Los niveles séricos de IgG e IgA no demostraron diferencias de significación entre ambos grupos. El estudio de la IgA salival (IgAs) total permitió observar en el grupo de los niños NA concentraciones significativamente mayores que las correspondientes al grupo de pacientes A. Sin embargo, al estudiar la IgAs específica para el D. pteronyssinus, se observó lo inverso: los pacientes A tienen casi el doble de IgAs específica para el alérgeno respecto del grupo NA. En el estudio de subpoblaciones de células T (CD3, CD4 y CD8), no se observaron diferencias significativas entre ambos grupos. Las subpoblaciones de linfocitos B CD27-y linfocitos B CD27+ tuvieron valores similares en ambos grupos (aproximadamente 80% y 20%, respectivamente). En ambos grupos, alrededor de un 50% de los linfocitos B CD27+ expresaron IgD y el 50% restante fueron IgD­. Sin embargo, el grupo de niños A tuvo dos veces menos de linfocitos B que expresan alta densidad de la molécula CD27 (CD27+++) con respecto a los niños NA (p=0,044). Conclusión. Entre los parámetros inmunológicos investigados encontramos diferencias significativas entre niños A y NA en las concentraciones totales y específicas para el D. pteronyssinus en los isotipos de IgE e IgAs, y en una subpoblación de linfocitos B CD27+++. Dichos hallazgos son analizados en la discusión del manuscrito. (AU)

Purpose. To perform an immunologically investigation in children with respiratory problems of asthma and/or rhinitis (atopic or non atopic) in order to get a better understanding of the immune system imbalance in these patients. Materials and methods. 47 children of both sexes, aged between 6 and 15 years, who were attended for respiratory diseases at the Division of Allergy and Immunology at Children's Hospital de la Santísima Trinidad from Córdoba city were studied. According to information obtained on clinical history, physical examination and prick tests they were divided into two groups: Atopics (n=25) and non-atopic (n=22). After parents signed informed consent and children over 7 years assent to participate in the research work, samples of blood and saliva were taken to determine immune globulins concentrations and specific activities as well as to study leukocyte populations and lymphocytes subpopulations. Results. As expected, levels of total serum IgE and the relative percentages of blood eosinophils were significantly higher in the group of atopic (A) children with regard to non¬atopic (NA) children. The study of specific serum IgE for Dermatophagoides pteronissynus only showed positive results in the A group, and positive correlations between the levels of total and specific IgE, as well as prick and RAST values. Serum IgG and IgA levels showed no significant differences between both groups. Total salivary IgA concentrations were significantly higher in the group of NA children than in the group of A patients. Surprisingly, when specific salivary IgA for D. pteronyssinus was studied, the opposite was observed: Atopic patients have nearly twice specific salivary IgA for this allergen than the NA children. In the study of T cells subpopulations (CD3, CD4 and CD8), no significant differences between groups were observed. The subpopulations of CD27-B cells and CD27+ B cells were similar in both groups (roughly 80% and 20%, respectively). In both groups, approximately 50% of CD27+ B cells expressed IgD and the remaining 50% were IgD­. However, atopic children had less than half B cells expressing high density of CD27 molecule (CD27+++) with respect to the NA children (p=0.044). Conclusion: Among the immunological parameters investigated, we found significant differences between A and NA children in the concentrations of total and specific IgE and salivary IgA to the allergen, and in a subpopulation of CD27+++ B cells. These findings are debated in the discussion of the manuscript(AU)

[Persistent backache in a 62 year-old male: mechanical pain?]. / Dorsalgia persistente en varón de 62 años: ¿dolor mecánico?

The case is presented of a 62 year old man with a history of pulmonary tuberculosis, repeatedly consulting his primary care physician for treatment of analgesic / anti-inflammatory resistant back pain, and usually coincided with physical activity. It was initially diagnosed as mechanical pain, but in the absence of response to rest and treatment a magnetic resonance of the spine was requested, which reported bone metastases. The patient was then referred to Internal Medicine for further tests in hospital. The histopathology ruled out the presence of neoplastic cells, and imaging tests showed radiographic abnormalities in vertebral bodies (osteomyelitis-discitis) associated with epidural abscess, compatible with Pott's disease, a kind of tuberculous arthritis of the intervertebral joints.

Role of connexins and pannexins in ischemic stroke.

Synaptic plasticity requires careful synchronization and coordination of neurons and glial cells via various mechanisms of intercellular communication. Among them, are those mediated by i) connexin gap junction channels (GJCs), ii) connexin hemichannels and iii) pannexin channels. Whereas GJCs directly communicate the cytoplasm of contacting cells and coordinate electric and metabolic activities, connexin hemichannels and pannexin channels serve as diffusional pathways for ions and small molecules between the intra- and extracellular compartments. A growing body of evidence has revealed that intercellular communication could be critical in the spread of protective and/or deleterious signals during stroke. Here, we review current findings on the regulation of connexin- and pannexin-based channels in ischemic stroke and how they contribute to cell damage observed in pathology. Depending on intensity of the ischemic event, brain region and connexin subtype expressed, GJCs may provide proper diffusion of energy metabolites and dissipation of toxic substances, whereas, in other circumstances, they could increase damage by spreading toxic molecules. Alternatively, connexin hemichannel and pannexin channel opening may favor the release of neurotoxic substances (e.g., glutamate), but in other cases, they may confer neuroprotection against an ischemic episode by the phenomenon of ischemic preconditioning. Development of new drug modulators using in silico devices for connexin and pannexin-based channels will be crucial for future therapies against stroke.

Heart rate variability and phantom pain in male amputees: application of linear and nonlinear methods.

Phantom-limb pain (PLP) is a phenomenon that may appear among people with amputation. Some studies reveal that 70% of people with amputation experience PLP years postamputation. There is a lack of scientific evidence about the cause of PLP. It has been hypothesized that the autonomic nervous system (ANS) could be involved in the mechanism that triggers PLP, but this hypothesis remains unclear. The aim of this study was to correlate ANS function, through heart rate variability (HRV) analysis, with PLP in adult males with amputation. The study population comprised 35 subjects, with 27 reporting PLP often or always. The rest of the subjects did not report any PLP. In order to calculate linear and nonlinear parameters of HRV, all subjects underwent 10 min of resting heart rate monitoring. The study did not find correlations between HRV parameters and PLP. Most of the subjects showed decreased values in linear parameters of HRV while nonlinear values were normal. HRV is not implicated in PLP. Linear and nonlinear methods for HRV analysis might reflect different physiological phenomena; while linear values place people with amputation at cardiovascular risk, nonlinear values indicate normality.

Pannexin1 hemichannels are critical for HIV infection of human primary CD4+ T lymphocytes.

HIV is a major public health issue, and infection of CD4(+) T lymphocytes is one of its key features. Whereas several cellular proteins have been identified that facilitate viral infection and replication, the role of hemichannels in these processes has not been fully characterized. We now show that the HIV isolates, R5 and X4, induced a transient-early (5-30 min) and a later, persistent (48-120 h) opening of Panx1 hemichannels, which was dependent on the binding of HIV to CD4 and CCR5/CXCR4 receptors. Blocking Panx1 hemichannels by reducing their opening or protein expression inhibited HIV replication in CD4(+) T lymphocytes. Thus, our findings demonstrate that Panx1 hemichannels play an essential role in HIV infection.

Determination of U and Th α-emitters in NORM samples through extraction chromatography by using new and recycled UTEVA resins.

This manuscript describes a protocol for the determination of U and Th isotopes via alpha spectrometry in NORM samples containing high concentrations of these radionuclides, up to kBq kg(-1). This technique is based on extraction chromatography with UTEVA (Triskem Int.) resins and it has been tested using both NORM samples from a phosphate industry and reference materials. The results proved that this method is highly optimized in terms of accuracy and precision when dealing with NORM samples. Recycling of UTEVA columns was also checked using NORM samples and successful results were obtained for both U and Th isotopes, thus proving the feasibility of re-using these type of columns.

Chronological reconstruction of metal contamination in the Port of Maó (Minorca, Spain).

In this work we discuss the historical record of metals as derived from a sediment core from the Port of Maó (Minorca, Spain), the second natural largest harbour in Europe. The sedimentation rate derived from radionuclide profiles increased by a factor of five since the 1960s due to the urbanisation of the town waterfront. Metal concentrations showed two different trends: (i) Pb and Sn inputs started during the second half of the 19th century and remained relatively high until mid-20th century; and (ii) Ag, Cd, Ni, Zn, Cu and Cr accumulation began in the 1940s, peaking in the late 1970s. The commissioning of a submarine outfall in 1978 reduced metal concentrations in subsequently deposited sediments since, thereafter, urban and industrial wastes have been dumped out of the estuary. This study also shows that evaluating the quality of sediments on the basis of surface concentrations may be misleading.

Fluxes of 238U decay series radionuclides in a dicalcium phosphate industrial plant.

The production of dicalcium phosphate (DCP) is part of the phosphate industry, which has been recently included in the positive list of the NORM industries defined in the revised version of the EU-BSS (Euratom 29/96). The objective of the present work is to study specific concentrations and fluxes of (238,234)U, (230)Th, (226)Ra, (210)Pb and (210)Po at the different stages of the DCP production. Results showed highest activities of (238)U and (210)Pb were found in DCP (1500-2000 Bq kg(-1)); (230)Th and (210)Po were released together with the sludges (1600-2000 Bq kg(-1)) and (226)Ra presented particularly high activities in water (48 × 10(3) Bq m(-3)) and in the reactor scales (115 × 10(3) Bq kg(-1)). Fluxes of radionuclides showed that (238)U outflows were equally distributed between sludges (16 × 10(3) kBq h(-1)) and dicalcium phosphate (20 × 10(3) kBq h(-1)); (230)Th and (210)Po were almost entirely released in the sludges (30 × 10(3)kBq h(-1)) and the greatest (210)Pb outflow was the DCP current (25 × 10(3) kBq h(-1)). (226)Ra was mainly discharged through the water effluent (12 × 10(3) kBq h(-1)). This work highlights the importance of studying the industrial processes involving NORM, as minor changes in the production steps lead to different radionuclide distribution in the process.

ß-2 agonists in sport: are the anti-doping rules meeting the needs of asthmatic athletes?

OBJECTIVES: (a) To review the methacholine tests performed in our laboratory up until 2008; (b) to compare them with previously reported data in 2006 and (c) to examine if the anti-doping rules are meeting the needs of asthmatic athletes who really need bronchodilator treatment. METHODS: Between April 2004 and September 2008, 89 high-level athletes were examined in our laboratory in order to obtain an abbreviated therapeutic use exemption for ß-2 agonists. Of these, 50 men (23.31 (7.05) years) and 23 women (20.68 (5.94) years) performed a methacholine inhalation test with increasing concentrations of methacholine (0.025, 0.25, 2.5, 5, 10 and 25 mg/ml) until a fall of 20% in forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV(1)) was achieved. RESULTS: 31 candidates (42.5%) had a provocative concentration causing a 20% fall in FEV(1) (PC(20)) <2 mg/ml; 12 (16.4%) were between 2 and 4 mg/ml; 8 (11%) between 4.1 and 8 mg/ml and 22 candidates (30.1%) had a PC(20) >8 mg/ml. Seven of the 73 candidates had an obstructive pattern in the spirometry at rest, demonstrated by a FEV(1)% <70% but with a FEV(1) >70% of the reference value. CONCLUSIONS: The anti-doping regulations with respect to ß-2 agonists need to be reviewed, and measures should be adopted to include a fall of 70% in FEV(1)% as an obstruction criterion to indicate a bronchodilation test and to extend the criterion for a positive methacholine test to a PC(20) of 8 mg/ml.