Star-Branched Polyamides as the Matrix in Thermoplastic Composites.

The aim of this study is the preparation of star-shaped branched polyamides (sPA6) with low melt viscosity, but also with improved mechanical properties by reactive extrusion. This configuration has been obtained by grafting a tri-functional, three-armed molecule: 5-aminoisophthalic-acid, used as a linking agent (LA). The balance between the fluidity, polarity and mechanical properties of sPA6s is the reason why these materials have been investigated for the impregnation of fabrics in the manufacture of thermoplastic composites. For these impregnation processes, the low viscosity of the melt has allowed the processing parameters (temperature, pressure and time) to be reduced, and its new microstructure has allowed the mechanical properties of virgin thermoplastic resins to be maintained. A significant improvement in the ultrasonic welding processes of the composites was also found when an energy director based on these materials was applied at the interface. In this work, an exhaustive microstructural characterization of the obtained sPAs is presented and related to the final properties of the composites obtained by film stacking.

Rheological Method for Determining the Molecular Weight of Collagen Gels by Using a Machine Learning Technique.

This article presents, for the first time, the results of applying the rheological technique to measure the molecular weights (Mw) and their distributions (MwD) of highly hierarchical biomolecules, such as non-hydrolyzed collagen gels. Due to the high viscosity of the studied gels, the effect of the concentrations on the rheological tests was investigated. In addition, because these materials are highly sensitive to denaturation and degradation under mechanical stress and temperatures close to 40 °C, when frequency sweeps were applied, a mathematical adjustment of the data by machine learning techniques (artificial intelligence tools) was designed and implemented. Using the proposed method, collagen fibers of Mw close to 600 kDa were identified. To validate the proposed method, lower Mw species were obtained and characterized by both the proposed rheological method and traditional measurement techniques, such as chromatography and electrophoresis. The results of the tests confirmed the validity of the proposed method. It is a simple technique for obtaining more microstructural information on these biomolecules and, in turn, facilitating the design of new structural biomaterials with greater added value.

[Infection by the pandemic virus (H1N1) 2009 in Andalusia]. / Infección por virus pandémico (H1N1) 2009 en Andalucía.

In April 2009, in response to the WHO's alert due to the existence of human infection cases with a new AH1N1 influenza virus, known as swine flu, Andalusian Health Authorities trigger an specific action plan. The surveillance actions developped provided us with appropriate clinical, epidemiological and virological characteristics of the disease. During the first few days, contingency plans were set up based on epidemiological surveillance and outbreak control measures were adopted through early alert and rapid response systems. After phase 6 was declared, influenza sentinel and severe cases surveillance were used in order to plan healthcare services, to reduce transmission and to identify and protect the most vulnerable population groups. Behaviour of pandemic influenza in Andalusia was similar to that observed in the rest of the world. Atack rate was similar to a seasonal flu and the peak was reached at the 46th/2009 week. Most of them were mild cases and affected particularly to young people. The average age of hospitalised patients was 32. Prior pulmonary disease, smoking and morbid obesity (BMI > 40) were the most common pathologies and risk factors in severe cases. An impact scenario of pandemic wave in Andalusia, with an expected attack rate from 2 to 5%, was prepared considering watt observed in the southern hemisphere. Characteristics of the epidemic concerning its extent, severity and mortality rate were adjusted to this scenario.

[Trends in age-sex-specific mortality in Spain (1981-2016). Changes associated with the economic crisis]. / Tendencia de la mortalidad por edad y sexo en España (1981-2016). Cambios asociados a la crisis económica.

OBJECTIVE: To analyze trends in age-sex-specific mortality in Spain, and to identify if there have been changes following the onset of economic crisis. METHOD: A study of trends in mortality rates by sex and quinquennial groups of age was carried out, from 1981 to 2016. Time trends were established by joint-point regression models. The results of the last two periods identified in the regressions are presented in detail, identifying changes after the onset of the economic crisis. When slowdown or stagnation of the mortality trends were identified in several successive age groups, an analysis of trends by causes was carried out. RESULTS: Mortality was significantly reduced between 1981 and 2016. After the beginning of the economic crisis, the trend in total age-standardized mortality did not change for men, but it stagnated for women from 2013 to 2016. In the analysis by quinquennial age groups, the downward trend in mortality suffered a stagnation in men in all the groups between 15 and 39 years, which started between 2011 and 2014, and lasted until 2016. In both women and men, in the four groups between 60 and 79 years, the previous decline in mortality suffered a slowdown or stagnation, which began between 2009 and 2014, and continued until 2016. Negative changes in mortality trends were mainly influenced by external causes (in 15-39 years men) and diseases of the circulatory and respiratory systems (in 60-79 years men and women). CONCLUSIONS: The downward trend of mortality suffered stagnation or deceleration after the onset of the economic crisis in young men and 60-79 years old men and women.

Mitochondrial haplogroups and polymorphisms reveal no association with sporadic prostate cancer in a southern European population.

BACKGROUND: It is known that mitochondria play an important role in certain cancers (prostate, renal, breast, or colorectal) and coronary disease. These organelles play an essential role in apoptosis and the production of reactive oxygen species; in addition, mtDNA also reveals the history of populations and ancient human migration. All these events and variations in the mitochondrial genome are thought to cause some cancers, including prostate cancer, and also help us to group individuals into common origin groups. The aim of the present study is to analyze the different haplogroups and variations in the sequence in the mitochondrial genome of a southern European population consisting of subjects affected (n = 239) and non-affected (n = 150) by sporadic prostate cancer. METHODOLOGY AND PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Using primer extension analysis and DNA sequencing, we identified the nine major European haplogroups and CR polymorphisms. The frequencies of the haplogroups did not differ between patients and control cohorts, whereas the CR polymorphism T16356C was significantly higher in patients with PC compared to the controls (p = 0.029). PSA, staging, and Gleason score were associated with none of the nine major European haplogroups. The CR polymorphisms G16129A (p = 0.007) and T16224C (p = 0.022) were significantly associated with Gleason score, whereas T16311C (p = 0.046) was linked with T-stage. CONCLUSIONS AND SIGNIFICANCE: Our results do not suggest that mtDNA haplogroups could be involved in sporadic prostate cancer etiology and pathogenesis as previous studies performed in middle Europe population. Although some significant associations have been obtained in studying CR polymorphisms, further studies should be performed to validate these results.

[Contributions to the development of a public health information system. SESPAS Report 2010]. / Aportaciones al desarrollo de un sistema de información en salud pública. Informe SESPAS 2010.

New public health laws are a conceptual and methodological adaptation of public health to current social needs, their common link being the incorporation of health in all policies. This represents a new strategic approach that will require different information systems, which should incorporate the rapid advances made in the field of information technology and communication. The aim of this article was to identify the most important aspects to be taken into account in information systems in public health from a technological perspective, both in their development and in the elements that compose them. To overcome the fragmentation of information systems in public health, these systems must be successfully integrated among themselves and with other health and non-health systems. To achieve this task, technical, semantic and organizational interoperability must be ensured. Emerging technologies should be considered to support these new strategies, especially Web 2.0 tools. This new strategic development will pose additional challenges because of its size and the diversity of the departments involved. It is proposed that information systems will include the elements of Web 2.0 and support systems for decision-making technologies in addition to the traditional operational systems.

Clinical relevance associated to the analysis of circulating tumour cells in patients with solid tumours.

The distant growth of tumour cells escaping from primary tumours, a process termed metastasis, represents the leading cause of death among patients affected by malignant neoplasias from breast and colon. During the metastasis process, cancer cells liberated from primary tumour tissue, also termed circulating tumour cells (CTCs), travel through the circulatory and/or lymphatic systems to reach distant organs. The early detection and the genotypic and phenotypic characterisation of such CTCs could represent a powerful diagnostic tool of the disease, and could also be considered an important predictive and prognostic marker of disease progression and treatment response. In this article we discuss the potential relevance in the clinic of monitoring CTCs from patients suffering from solid epithelial tumours, with emphasis on the impact of such analyses as a predictive marker for treatment response.