Discriminating organic carbon from endokarstic moonmilk-type deposits by LIBS. The case of a natural carbonated Martian analogue.

Moonmilk-type deposits exemplify carbonated Martian analogues existing in the subsurface of Earth, an endokarstic speleothem with a possible biochemical origin composed principally by carbonates, mainly huntite and dolomite. In this work, samples of moonmilk located in Nerja Cave (southern Spain) have been studied by LIBS with the aim of identifying carbon of biogenic origin by establishing a relationship between a molecular emission indicator, CN signal, and the organic carbon content. The characterization of this kind of carbonate deposit with a multiple mineralogical composition has been completed using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) and X-ray diffraction techniques for qualitative and semi-quantitative analysis. The information attained from LIBS regarding energy thresholds and time-resolved kinetics of CN emissions provides useful insight into the identification of different molecular emitters, namely organic and inorganic CN, depending on the laser irradiance and time settings conditions. These promising results are of application in the search and identification of biosignatures in upcoming planetary missions with astrobiological purposes.

Coronavirus pandemic: An opportunity to study the anthropogenic impact on micro-climate conditions and CaCO3 crystal morphology in the Nerja Cave (SE Spain).

Following the declaration of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Spanish Government restricted non-essential movements of all citizens and closed all public spaces, such as the Nerja Cave, until May 31, 2020. This particular condition of the closure of the cave provided a unique opportunity to study the micro-climate conditions and carbonate precipitation in this tourist cave without the presence of visitors. Our results show the significant effect of visitors on the air isotopic signature of the cave and on the genesis of the extensive dissolution features affecting the carbonate crystals formed in the tourist sector of the cave, alerting us to the possible corrosion of the speleothems located there. The movement of visitors within the cave also favours the mobilisation of aerial fungi and bacterial spores and their subsequent sedimentation simultaneously with the abiotic precipitation of carbonates from the drip water. The traces of these biotic elements could be the origin of the micro-perforations previously described in the carbonate crystals formed in the tourist galleries of the cave, but they are subsequently enlarged due to abiotic dissolution of the carbonates through these weaker zones.

Application of hydrochemical and multi-isotopic (87Sr/86Sr, δ13C-DIC, δ2H-H2O, δ18O-H2O) tools to determine contamination sources and processes in the Guadalhorce River Basin, southern Spain.

The integrated use of multi-isotopic (87Sr/86Sr, δ13C-DIC, δ2H-H2O, δ18O-H2O) and hydrochemical data was applied in the highly anthropized Guadalhorce river basin, southern Spain, to improve the knowledge about water contamination sources and processes and to achieve improved water resource management. The results obtained highlight the importance of the use of isotopes as tracers of pollutants. DIC, δ2H-H2O, δ18O-H2O and δ13C-DIC allowed differentiating two water recharge end members: direct rainwater, infiltrated into the upper and lower detritic aquifers of the sub-basins, and the Guadalhorce dam system, which act as a source in some groundwater and surface waters of the lower sub-basin. 87Sr/86Sr data supported the existing conclusions in relation to pollution sources in the study area. The Triassic basement (evaporites) of the carbonate and detritic aquifers of the basin generally controls the natural 87Sr/86Sr composition in waters of the upper sub-basin. Only one groundwater sample reflects the influence of a human organic source (sewage) in its composition. On the other hand, mixing of human inorganic (fertilizers and detergents) strontium sources is required to explain the 87Sr/86Sr contents of the lower sub-basin waters. Discriminating the use of domestic detergents as another anthropogenic source of strontium and sulphate in waters is a novel finding in this research. The conclusions reached can be extrapolated to other anthropized basins.

Coupling air temperature records and gravimetric data to interpret ventilation patterns in a Mediterranean karstic system (Nerja-Pintada caves, southern Spain).

Microclimate and geophysical studies are commonly applied to the characterization of karst systems although they are usually used separately. The main purpose of this manuscript is to show how the analysis of the data from both these research methods is a useful tool in the characterization of karst systems and we present the analysis of a specific case study: the Nerja- Pintada caves system. The joint analysis of the Nerja Cave and external air data (mainly temperatures) and the pre-existing gravimetric data of its surroundings (residual gravity anomaly map) have allowed us: 1) to postulate the existence of an unknown great cavity located near to the Nerja Cave and with direct influence in its ventilation and 2) to propose a new model of the Nerja-Pintada caves ventilation based on the changing connection between a "main cavity" system (Nerja Cave), with basically a transmissive function of airflows and an "annex cavities" sub-system, with different functioning as far as the airflow is concerned: transmissive in the case of Pintada Cave and capacitive in the case of the geophysically-located cave.

Highlighting the importance of transitional ventilation regimes in the management of Mediterranean show caves (Nerja-Pintada system, southern Spain).

This study shows the utilization of the air CO2 exhaled by a very high number of visitors in the Nerja Cave as both a tracer and an additional tool to precisely evaluate the air circulation through the entire karst system, which includes non-touristic passages, originally free of anthropogenic CO2. The analysis of the temporal - spatial evolution of the CO2 content and other monitoring data measured from January 2015 to December 2016 in the Nerja-Pintada system, including air microbiological controls, has allowed us to define a new general ventilation model, of great interest for the conservation of the subterranean environment. During the annual cycle four different ventilation regimes and two ventilation modes (UAF-mode and DAF-mode) exist which determine the significance of the anthropogenic impact within the caves. During the winter regime, the strong ventilation regime and the airflow directions from the lowest to the highest entrance (UAF-mode) contribute to the rapid elimination of anthropogenic CO2, and this affects the whole karstic system. During the summer regime the DAF-mode ventilation (with airflows from the highest to the lowest entrances) is activated. Although the number of visitors is maximum and the natural ventilation of the karstic system is the lowest of the annual cycle, the anthropogenic impact only affects the Tourist Galleries. The transitional ventilation regimes -spring and autumn- are the most complex of the annual cycle, with changing air-flow directions (from UAF-mode to DAF-mode and vice versa) at diurnal and poly diurnal scale, which conditions the range of the anthropogenic impact in each sector of the karst system. The activation of the DAF-mode has been observed when the temperature difference between the external and air cave is higher than 5°C.

Actinomicosis del sistema nervioso central: presentación de caso / Actinomycosis of the Central Nervous System: Case Report

La actinomicosis es una infección bacteriana indolente, producida por bacilos Gram positivos y que puede afectar cualquier parte del organismo. El compromiso del sistema nervioso central es raro, de baja sospecha clínica y fácilmente confundible con una neoplasia. Los hallazgos clínicos y radiológicos son inespecíficos, por lo cual la confirmación histológica es necesaria. Se deben descartar focos de diseminación distantes o por contigüidad al neuroeje. El tratamiento debe ser antibioticoterapia por largo plazo y drenaje quirúrgico.

Actinomycosis is a bacterial infection caused by Gram-positive bacilli which can affect any part of the body. It is uncommon that the central nervous system is compromised, it has low clinical suspicion and could easily be mistaken for neoplasm. The clinical and radiologic findings are nonspecific. For this reason, histopathologic confirmation for diagnosis is necessary. It is important to rule out contiguous and distant dissemination to the neuroaxis. The treatment for this disease must consist of a prolonged antibiotics regimen and surgical drainage.

Hematocolpos secundario a himen imperforado en una adolescente en el contexto de un dolor abdominal agudo / Hematocolpos due to imperforate hymen in an adolescent with acute abdominal pain

El himen imperforado aislado es una rara malformación congénita del aparato genital femenino. El diagnóstico suele realizarse con frecuencia en la adolescencia, en el contexto de una amenorrea primaria acompañada de dolor abdominal o lumbar. La ecografía es fundamental para su diagnóstico. Presentamos el caso de una adolescente de 13 años de edad que consulta en el servicio de urgencias por un dolor hipogástrico y la presencia de una masa abdominal (AU)

Isolated imperforate hymen is a rare congenital malformation of the female genital tract. Diagnosis is usually done during adolescence in the context of a primary amenorrhea accompanied with lower abdominal or back pain. Echography is the key for the diagnosis. We report a case of a 13-year-old female referred to the emergency department with lower abdominal pain and an abdominal mass (AU)

Apoptosis, shape change and reactive oxygen species generation in human neutrophils exposed to olanzapine, an a typical antipsychotic drug

The effects of olanzapine (OLZ) on the viability and functioning of human polymorphonuclearcells (PMNs) are clearly opposite to those previously reported forclozapine (CLZ). In fact, after 4- or 24-h-treatment with 20-50 μM OLZ, a significant inhibition of the respiratory burst in PMNs activated with opsonized zimosanor phorbol myristate acetate (PMA) was observed, whereas the burst provoked byformyl-methionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine (fMLP) was only inhibited at 50 μM OLZ.Under the same conditions, spontaneous apoptosis was accelerated at 20-50 μMOLZ, while the exogenous addition of H2O2 resulted in the PMN apoptosis beingdose-dependently inhibited by OLZ in the entire range of concentrations. However,when H2O2 was intracellularly generated by treatment with PMA, the induced apoptosis was only decreased at 2 μM OLZ. Absorbance scans revealed that OLZis able to react with equimolar quantities of either H2O2 or HOCl. These results suggest that OLZ inhibits both ROS-induced PMN apoptosis and respiratory burst due to extracellular scavenging of released ROS.

Los efectos de olanzapine (olz) sobre la viabilidad y el funcionamiento de células humanas polimorfonucleares (pmn, por sus siglas en inglés) claramente son opuestosa los señalados para la clozapine (clz). En efecto, después de 4-24 h de tratamiento con 20-50 μM olz, se observó una inhibición significativa del estallido respiratorio en pmn activados con zimosan o con forbol acetato miristato, mientras que la inhibición provocada por el formil-metionil-leucil-fenilalanina fue sólo inhibida a 50μM de olz. En las mismas condiciones, la apoptosis espontánea se aceleró con 20-50μM olz, mientras que la adición exógena de H2O2 dio lugar a la apoptosis de pmn en dosis dependiente inhibida por olz en el rango entero de concentraciones. Sin embargo, cuando se generó H2O2 intracelular por tratamiento con pma, la apoptosis inducida se disminuyó solamente con 2 μM olz. Las exploraciones de los espectros de absorbancia revelaron que olz puede reaccionar con cantidades equimolares de H2O2 o de HOCL. Estos resultados sugieren que olz inhibe ambos tipos de apoptosis de pmn (la inducida por especies reactivas oxigenadas y por estallido respiratorio debido a atrapadores extracelulares de estas especies reactivas oxigenadas).

Clozapine prevents apoptosis and enhances receptor-dependent respiratory burst in human neutrophils.

The present study was undertaken to determine if the antipsychotic drug clozapine (CLZ) in the concentration range 2-50 microM can rescue polymorphonuclear cells (PMNs) from undergoing apoptosis. Our results indicate that 20 microM CLZ can rescue PMNs both from UVB-accelerated (28.0% vs. 45.9% for control without CLZ; P < 0.05) and from spontaneous (35.8% vs. 57.6%; P < 0.05) apoptosis whereas 50 microM CLZ could rescue PMNs from spontaneous (34.3% vs. 57.6%; P < 0.05) apoptosis only. Furthermore, since apoptosis has been reported to involve the impairment of PMN function, we evaluated the effects of CLZ on respiratory burst in UVB-irradiated and in unirradiated PMNs. When 20 or 50 microM CLZ-pretreated PMNs were aged in a culture during 4 h, the luminol-dependent chemiluminescence (CL) response was 3-fold (P < 0.01) and 2.5-fold (P < 0.05) increased, respectively, by subsequent exposure to serum opsonized zymosan (OZ). When 50 microM-pretreated PMNs were either UVB-irradiated or unirradiated, the CL response was 2.6-fold (P < 0.05) and 3.3-fold (P < 0.05) increased, respectively, after subsequent exposure to formyl-methionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine (fMLP). In contrast, the degree of enhancement was negligible upon subsequent exposure to ionomycin or phorbol myristate acetate (PMA). When incubation times were extended up to 22 h, the CL response induced by OZ in 20 microM CLZ-treated PMNs had a 4.9-fold increase (P < 0.001). This priming effect could be reverted when 20 microM CLZ-treated PMNs (aged 4 h in culture) were coincubated for 5 min with the protein tyrosine kinase inhibitor genistein as well as with the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3-K) inhibitor wortmannin. These findings suggest that CLZ primes respiratory burst and prevents PMN apoptosis as a consequence of tyrosine phosphorylation- and PI3-K activation-dependent signal transduction pathways.

Evaluación de la aplicación de selladores en el marco asistencial de un programa público de salud bucodental / Sealant applicaton's evaluation in the assisant setting of a dental health public program

En el presente trabajo se evalúa la actividad " aplicación de selladores" llevada a cabo en el marco asistencial del Programa de Salud Bucodental infantil del SESCAM en dos Zonas Básicas de salud. Se analizan aspectos tales como eficacia, mantenimiento y grado de retención de los mismos, comparando nuestros resultados con los obtenidos por otros autores. Se concluye afirmando la idoneidad de la técnica en Atención Primaria así como la mayor posibilidad de pérdida del sellador a los 3 años de su aplicación y si el escolar reside en medio urbano, no encontrando, en nuestro estudio, relación entre pérdida de sellador y molar sellado (AU)

Although, adhesive systems have improve, objectives of new adhesives continue being the same that Buonocore described. Adhesion must be long-Iasting and get a c10sed interface with perfect sealing. We analyse four main principies that describe adhesion: Substrate conditioning, the development of new adhesive systems and techniques, union mechanisms (hybrid layer and resin tags), resin and it's polymerisation, taking special attention to resin shrinkage (AU)

Metástasis a músculo esquelético como primera manifestación de sarcoma primario del pulmón: informe de un caso / Metastasis of the skeletal muscle as first manifestation of pulmonary primary sarcoma: report of a case

El carcinosarcoma de pulmón es una neoplasia poco frecuente, que representa menos del 0.3/100 de los tumores malignos del pulmón. El músculo esquelético es un sitio poco común de localización de metástasis de origen hematógeno, siendo su incidencia de aproximadamente un 1/100. El tumor primario se localiza en: el colon, el páncreas, el riñón, el estómago, el ovario, el cérvix, la próstata y el pulmón. Los grupos musculares más frecuentemente comprometidos son el diafragma y el iliopsoas. Presentamos el caso de un paciente con carcinosarcoma pulmonar y enfermedad metastásica muscular. No encontramos en la literatura casos similares.

Antioxidant properties of dipyridamole as assessed by chemiluminescence.

The ability of dipyridamole (DIP) to scavenge oxygen metabolites generated by either activated human neutrophils (PMNs) or cell-free systems using luminol(s)- and lucigenin-enhanced chemiluminescence was investigated. In the presence of DIP (15-50 microM) a dose-dependent inhibition period was seen in phorbol myristate acetate (PMA)-stimulated PMNs as assayed by isoluminol-enhanced chemiluminescence (ILCL) with horseradish peroxidase (HRP). Although such a lag period was not observed in the absence of HRP, 50 microM DIP inhibited extracellular ILCL by more than 50%. Intracellular luminol-enhanced chemiluminescence (LCL) as assayed in either PMA- or in ionomycin-activated PMNs was not affected by dipyridamole (15-50 microM). In cell-free systems, DIP produced concentration-dependent inhibition in H2O2-(45% at 50 microM), OH- (40%, at 0.1 microM) and HOCl-(20% at 10 microM). Both absorbance and fluorescence scans revealed that DIP is able to react with equimolar quantities of either H202 or HOCl. These results suggest that DIP scavenges reactive oxygen species (ROS) presumably secreted by activated human PMNs in the following decreasing order: *OH > HOCl > H2O2 >> O2-.

Evolución de la caries en los escolares incluidos en la población diana de un programa público de salud bucodental en dos zonas básicas de salud de Castilla-La Mancha / Evolution of the caries in the scholars included in the target population of a buccodental health public program in two basic areas of the region Castilla-La Mancha

En el presente trabajo se describen las actuaciones preventivas que desde el ámbito de actuación de la Atención Primaria, se desarrollan en el marco asistencial de la sanidad pública en las Zonas Básicas de Salud de Castilla La Mancha. La población diana que se beneficia de las acciones preventivas que contempla el Programa de Salud Bucodental (PSB) de esta Comunidad Autónoma, la constituyeron en este trabajo 2749 escolares, que desde el año 1994 hasta el curso académico 1999-2000 pertenecieron a cuarto curso de primaria. Hemos podido concluir tras el estudio, que los escolares que participaron más fielmente en las actividades del PSB presentaban ya, antes de su inclusión en dicho programa, una mejor salud bucodental que aquellos que no acudieron al mismo. También constatamos en este estudio el relevante descenso del índice CAOD a lo largo de los años del mismo y el irrelevante índice de restauración (I.R) hallado. Por último analizamos la relación existente entre el nivel de implantación social del PSB, a lo largo del tiempo con el incremento en la captación y fidelización de los escolares participantes en él (AU)

Malignant carotid body tumors: report of three cases.

The aim of the current report was to describe 3 cases of malignant carotid body tumor (CBT) and to review the literature. My clinical records of 87 CBTs in 81 patients (6 bilateral) were reviewed, 79 of which were operated on. Three malignant cases were found. The first was in a 40-year-old man who presented with pulmonary metastases 6 years after resection of a CBT. He was treated with chemotherapy and interferon, but died with disseminated disease 2 years later. The second case was in a 56-year-old woman who had a 5-cm, fixed, hard mass in the upper aspect of the neck and a paralysis of the left vocal cord. This lesion was completely resected, and a shunt and reconstruction with a saphenous vein graft were performed. Pathology revealed a malignant chemodectoma with invasion to 2 of the 5 lymph nodes removed. Radiotherapy (50 Gy) was given after the operation. She is well and free of disease 68 months after the resection. The third case was in a 61-year-old woman who presented with an 8-cm nontender, hard, immobile mass in the left upper neck that displaced the left wall of the oropharynx toward the midline. A carotid arteriogram showed a CBT. On computed tomography, the tumor extended to the infratemporal fossa with no bone involvement. The lesion was embolized with a 40% reduction in vascularity. At surgical exploration, the tumor involved the sternocleidomastoid muscle and the lymph nodes at levels II and III, and the internal carotid artery could not be dissected free at the skull base, so only a partial resection was performed. This patient was lost to follow-up. These 3 cases are in agreement with the literature. Locoregional control is usually obtained with complete primary tumor resection and lymphadenectomy and eventual radiotherapy. Surgery with radiotherapy seems to be effective for isolated metastases. Current multidisciplinary treatments have been unsuccessful in controlling disseminated disease.

Anaplastic thyroid carcinoma in ecuador: analysis of prognostic factors.

The highest incidence of anaplastic thyroid carcinoma (ATC) has been reported in countries with endemic goiter, such as in Ecuador. In this country, ATC is the third most common histologic type of thyroid cancer, following papillary and follicular carcinoma. The aim of this study was to review the clinical presentation and the results of treatment of a large consecutive series of ATC patients treated at the oncological department of a general hospital in Quito, Ecuador. This is a retrospective study of 30 patients diagnosed with ATC at the Social Security Hospital, from 1982 to 1998. Symptomatic rapidly growing neck masses were generally present. All the patients had histological diagnosis of ATC. Two patients with pulmonary metastases and pleural effusion died before treatment could be instituted. Twenty-eight patients received at least one type of treatment: surgery, radiation therapy (RT), or chemotherapy (CT). The two most frequently employed therapeutic modalities were surgery followed by RT and/or CT in 14 patients and surgery alone in 9 patients. Surgery was performed in 23 patients but a complete resection was possible in only 14 patients. RT, postoperatively or alone, was given to 17 patients. Only 5 patients received doses ranging from 4,000 to 5,000 cGy and 4 patients more than 5,000 cGy. CT was administered to 17 patients. Doxorubicin alone was given to 10 patients and different combinations to the remaining patients. Local control was obtained in 8 of 14 complete resections. The prognostic value of the following parameters was studied by univariate analysis: duration of symptoms, size of the tumor, extent of glandular involvement, type of treatment, and surgical margins. A statistically longer survival was found in cases of differentiated carcinoma with areas of ATC or tumor limited to one lobe, those patients who received a complete treatment of chemotherapy, and those patients with tumors smaller than 10 cm and with duration of symptoms longer than 4 months. Longer mean survivals were seen in patients with longer duration of symptoms and smaller lesions. Five patients with focal anaplastic lesions within a differentiated thyroid carcinoma or a lesion limited to one lobe had a significant better survival (a mean of 20 months).

Plasma concentrations of beta-endorphin in smokers who consume different numbers of cigarettes per day.

The harmful effects of smoking on health have been widely documented, although it is as yet unclear whether tobacco dependence is only psychological in nature, or both psychological and physical. We studied plasma concentrations of beta-endorphin, cortisol, and adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) in healthy persons who consumed different numbers of cigarettes per day, and compared the findings with those in a control group of nonsmokers. Beta-endorphin levels were significantly higher than in controls only in persons who smoked fewer than 10 cigarettes per day. Cortisol levels were significantly higher in smokers who consumed more than 20 cigarettes per day. There were no significant differences between any of the groups in plasma ACTH concentrations.