[Causes of hospital admission and morbidity according to gender identity in the Autonomous Community of Madrid].

The objective was to identify differences in health between transgender (trans) and cisgender (cis) people using the hospital discharge survey from the Autonomous Community of Madrid. Their characteristics, causes of admission and morbidities were described, comparing them by prevalence ratio and confidence interval (95% CI). One hundred and twelve trans vs 1,043,621 cis discharges were studied. The main differences were that more frequently trans people had been attended in a single center (55.4 vs. 9.3%), were under 49 years old (75.9 vs. 37.1%) and had used private health services (2.7 vs. 0.4%). Admissions related to mental health problems (23.96; 95% CI: 17.41-32.78) and HIV morbidity (11.26 95% CI: 5.46-20.93) were more frequent among trans discharges. Information is limited beyond body modification, mental health, and HIV. It is necessary to improve the knowledge about trans population's health.

The benthic foraminiferal δ34S records flux and timing of paleo methane emissions.

In modern environments, pore water geochemistry and modelling simulations allow the study of methane (CH4) sources and sinks at any geographic location. However, reconstructing CH4 dynamics in geological records is challenging. Here, we show that the benthic foraminiferal δ34S can be used to reconstruct the flux (i.e., diffusive vs. advective) and timing of CH4 emissions in fossil records. We measured the δ34S of Cassidulina neoteretis specimens from selected samples collected at Vestnesa Ridge, a methane cold seep site in the Arctic Ocean. Our results show lower benthic foraminiferal δ34S values (∼20‰) in the sample characterized by seawater conditions, whereas higher values (∼25-27‰) were measured in deeper samples as a consequence of the presence of past sulphate-methane transition zones. The correlation between δ34S and the bulk benthic foraminiferal δ13C supports this interpretation, whereas the foraminiferal δ18O-δ34S correlation indicates CH4 advection at the studied site during the Early Holocene and the Younger-Dryas - post-Bølling. This study highlights the potential of the benthic foraminiferal δ34S as a novel tool to reconstruct the flux of CH4 emissions in geological records and to indirectly date fossil seeps.

Novel biomineralization strategy in calcareous foraminifera.

This work shows that calcareous benthic foraminifera are capable of agglutinating sedimentary particles also. In particular, we focus on Melonis barleeanus. Traditionally considered a calcareous species, our data revealed the presence of minute (~3 µm) sedimentary particles (silicate grains) inside the chamber walls of the examined shells. These particles were arranged in a definitive and systematic pattern, and the similar grain chemical characterization and size suggested a relatively high degree of selectivity in both modern and fossil specimens. Based on these results, we propose that M. barleeanus is capable of agglutinating sedimentary particles during the formation of a new chamber. The analysis of other calcareous foraminiferal species (e.g., Cassidulina neoteretis, Lobatula lobatula, Nonionella stella) did not reveal the presence of silicate grains in the shell of the specimens analyzed confirming this to be a characteristic of M. barleeanus. Considering that the isotopic and chemical composition of this species is widely used in paleoclimatic and paleoceanographic reconstructions, we used a mixing model to better constrain the influence of sedimentary particles on M. barleeanus δ18O data. Our model showed that the calcite δ18O would increase by ~0.9-2‰ if 10 wt% of feldspars (i.e., anorthite, albite, orthoclase) and quartz, respectively, were included in the analyzed shell. Based on these results, we emphasize that it is of paramount importance to consider M. barleeanus unusual biomineralization strategy during the interpretation of geological records and to investigate the presence of similar processes in other calcareous foraminiferal species.

Cryotherapy in the prevention of oral mucositis in patients receiving low-dose methotrexate following myeloablative allogeneic stem cell transplantation: a prospective randomized study of the Gruppo Italiano Trapianto di Midollo Osseo nurses group.

Severe oral mucositis is a major cause of morbidity following allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (AHSCT). Cryotherapy, that is, the application of ice chips on the mucosa of the oral cavity during the administration of antineoplastic agents, may reduce the incidence and severity of chemotherapy-related oral mucositis. In this multicenter randomized study, we addressed whether cryotherapy during MTX administration is effective in the prevention of severe oral mucositis in patients undergoing myeloablative AHSCT. One hundred and thirty patients undergoing myeloablative AHSCT and MTX-containing GVHD prophylaxis were enrolled and randomized to receive or not receive cryotherapy during MTX administration. The incidence of severe (grade 3-4) oral mucositis, the primary end point of the study, was comparable in patients receiving or not cryotherapy. Moreover, no difference was observed in the incidence of oral mucositis grade 2-4 and the duration of oral mucositis grade 3-4 or 2-4, or in the kinetics of mucositis over time. In univariate and multivariate analysis, severe oral mucositis correlated with TBI in the conditioning regimen and lack of folinic acid rescue following MTX administration. Thus, cryotherapy during MTX administration does not reduce severe oral mucositis in patients undergoing myeloablative allogeneic HSCT. Future studies will assess cryotherapy before allogeneic HSCT.

Composite membranes modified with recognition-able nanobeads as potential adsorbers for purification of biological fluids.

Therapeutic approaches in the clinical field require advanced properties for delivery or recognition of clinical species. The molecular imprinting method allows selective cavities to be inserted into a polymeric material built ""around"" a stamp molecule (template) through polymerization or phase inversion. This study focuses on the application of both methods in the realization of polymeric membranes with selective recognition and adsorption properties. Imprinted polymethacrylic acid (PMAA) particles, exhibiting specific binding sites for cholesterol molecule (template), were realized via precipitation polymerization in the shape of nanobeads and loaded in the bulk or on the surface of methylmethacrylate-acrylic acid P(MMA-co-AA) membranes obtained by the non-solvent induced phase separation (NIPS) technique. In this way, specific cavities were introduced into the membrane network to enhance and specialize uptake performances of the porous membranes taking advantage of the particle characteristics. Rebinding performances towards cholesterol in a physiological environment were tested showing very interesting results: the adsorption of cholesterol molecules from physiological solution was increased by using composite membrane-nanobead systems instead of control membranes (a quantitative increase of 14 mg of cholesterol per g of polymer matrix in respect of blank membrane was detected). The results obtained showed an improved performance of composite membranes, but also an unmodified behavior of loaded nanobeads (with respect to free ones) concerning the recognition capability in aqueous medium, which is the most difficult obstacle to overcome in molecular imprinting. The absolute rebinding capacity and the imprinting efficiency of membranes were in the range (and in some case higher) of other efficient systems, but the real improvement was that molecularly imprinted embranes showed an excellent recognition capacity in physiological medium instead of organic solvents.

Conducta con las lesiones intestinales y epiploicas en las grandes hernias y eventraciones. Uso preventivo del procedimiento de Noble. / Conduct in cases of intestinal and epiploic lesions concurrent with, large herniations and eventrations. Preventive use of Noble's procedure

Hay necesidad de actuar con criterio preventivo de una posible oclusion futura frente a lesiones del intestino delgado, que derivan de su alojamiento, sufrimiento y adherencia dentro de las grandes hernias y eventraciones y del traumatismo quirurgico que demanda su liberacion. Asimismo, es conveniente adoptar una norma racional para tratar las lesiones epiploicas acompanantes. Son enfatizados los riesgos que presuponen la falta de una evaluacion correcta de esta situacion y de su abandono a la suerte de la incierta evolucion espontanea. Subrayamos el valor del procedimiento de plegamiento intestinal ideado por Noble para prevenir complicaciones de ese origen y referimos los principios tecnicos fundamentales para su correcta ejecucion. Somos partidarios de una conducta conservadora con el epiplon sano en todos los casos. Tres observaciones clinico-operatorias y evolutivas sirven de referencia practica al problema planteado