Changing Attitudes About a Pro-Environmental Proposal Concerning Solar Power: The Self-Validating Role of Ingroup Versus Outgroup Sources.

BACKGROUND: In this study, we examined whether a persuasive message in favor of a pro-environmental proposal could influence attitude change through a self-validation process when individuals were told that the source of the proposal belonged to their ingroup (vs. their outgroup). METHOD: Participants read a message that advocated for the use of solar power. Immediately following the message, participants were asked to list their thoughts regarding the persuasive proposal. A thought favorability index was created for each participant. Following the thought-listing task, participants received the experimental manipulation (i.e., ingroup vs. outgroup source) based on the minimal group paradigm, after which they reported their attitudes towards the proposal. RESULTS: A regression analysis showed the predicted interaction between thought favorability and type of source (i.e., ingroup vs. outgroup) on attitudes towards the solar power proposal. According to our expectations, thought favorability was a better predictor of attitudes for participants in the ingroup (vs. outgroup) source condition. CONCLUSIONS: Attitudes can be polarized as a function of ingroup versus outgroup differentiation through a self-validation process.

Changing Attitudes About a Pro-Environmental Proposal Concerning Solar Power: The Self-Validating Role of Ingroup Versus Outgroup / Cambio de Actitudes Hacia una Propuesta Pro-ambiental Sobre Energía Solar: el Rol de Auto-Validación de Emisores del Endogrupo Versus Exogrupo

Background: In this study, we examined whether a persuasive message in favor of a pro-environmental proposal could influence attitude change through a self-validation process when individuals were told that the source of the proposal belonged to their ingroup (vs. their outgroup). Method: Participants read a message that advocated for the use of solar power. Immediately following the message, participants were asked to list their thoughts regarding the persuasive proposal. A thought favorability index was created for each participant. Following the thought-listing task, participants received the experimental manipulation (i.e., ingroup vs. outgroup source) based on the minimal group paradigm, after which they reported their attitudes towards the proposal. Results: A regression analysis showed the predicted interaction between thought favorability and type of source (i.e., ingroup vs. outgroup) on attitudes towards the solar power proposal. According to our expectations, thought favorability was a better predictor of attitudes for participants in the ingroup (vs. outgroup) source condition. Conclusions: Attitudes can be polarized as a function of ingroup versus outgroup differentiation through a self-validation process.(AU)

Antecedentes: En la presente investigación, examinamos si un mensaje persuasivo a favor de una propuesta pro-ambiental puede influir en el cambio de actitudes a través de un proceso de auto-validación cuando a los participantes se les dice que el emisor de la propuesta pertenece a su endogrupo (vs. su exogrupo). Método: Los participantes leyeron un mensaje que abogaba por el uso de la energía solar. Inmediatamente después del mensaje, se pidió a los participantes que listaran sus pensamientos con respecto a la propuesta persuasiva. Se creó un índice de favorabilidad de los pensamientos para cada participante. Después de esta tarea, los participantes recibieron la manipulación experimental (i.e., emisor del endogrupo vs. exogrupo) basada en el paradigma del grupo mínimo. Finalmente, informaron de sus actitudes hacia la propuesta. Resultados: Un análisis de regresión mostró la interacción esperada entre la favorabilidad del pensamiento y el tipo de emisor (endogrupo vs. exogrupo) sobre las actitudes hacia el uso de energía solar. Como se hipotetizó, la favorabilidad del pensamiento fue un mejor predictor de las actitudes para los participantes en la condición de endogrupo (vs. exogrupo). Conclusiones: Las actitudes pueden polarizarse en función de la diferenciación entre endogrupo y exogrupo mediante un proceso de auto-validación.(AU)

Spanish Adaptation of the Need for Affect Questionnaire (NAQ and NAQ-S).

BACKGROUND: Need for affect (NA) refers to individual differences in the motivation to approach or avoid emotion-inducing situations and activities. Prior research has demonstrated that NA is a relevant construct for understanding psychological processes related to affect. The present study aimed to adapt and validate the English version of the Need for Affect Questionnaire (NAQ), as well as the short version (i.e., the NAQ-S), to Spanish. We examined evidence of validity and reliability in the NAQ and NAQ-S scores. METHOD: Study 1 ( N = 416) analyzed the psychometric properties of scores from the Spanish adaptation of the NAQ, as well as the relationships with measures of other relevant psychological constructs. Study 2 ( N = 118) tested the validity and reliability of scores from the Spanish adaptation of the NAQ-S. RESULTS: We found two main factors (i.e., Emotion Approach and Emotion Avoidance), and the internal consistency of both the NAQ and the NAQ-S scores, as well as their test-retest reliability, were adequate. Relationships with other measures were in line with prior research, providing positive evidence of concurrent validity. CONCLUSIONS: Scores from both instruments showed validity and reliability, so should be considered in future research related to NA.

Spanish Adaptation of the Need for Affect Questionnaire (NAQ and NAQ-S) / Adaptación Española del Cuestionario de Necesidad de Afecto (NAQ y NAQ-S)

Background: Need for affect (NA) refers to individual differences in the motivation to approach or avoid emotion-inducing situations and activities. Prior research has demonstrated that NA is a relevant construct for understanding psychological processes related to affect. The present study aimed to adapt and validate the English version of the Need for Affect Questionnaire (NAQ), as well as the short version (i.e., the NAQ-S), to Spanish. We examined evidence of validity and reliability in the NAQ and NAQ-S scores. Method: Study 1 (N = 416) analyzed the psychometric properties of scores from the Spanish adaptation of the NAQ, as well as the relationships with measures of other relevant psychological constructs. Study 2 (N = 118) tested the validity and reliability of scores from the Spanish adaptation of the NAQ-S. Results: We found two main factors (i.e., Emotion Approach and Emotion Avoidance), and the internal consistency of both the NAQ and the NAQ-S scores, as well as their test-retest reliability, were adequate. Relationships with other measures were in line with prior research, providing positive evidence of concurrent validity. Conclusions: Scores from both instruments showed validity and reliability, so should be considered in future research related to NA.(AU)

Antecedentes: La necesidad de afecto (NA) se refiere a las diferencias individuales en la motivación para buscar o evitar situaciones y actividades que inducen emoción. La investigación previa ha demostrado que la NA es un constructo relevante para entender procesos psicológicos relacionados con el afecto. La presente investigación adaptó al castellano el cuestionario de necesidad de afecto (NAQ), así como su versión breve (NAQ-S). Por tanto, examinamos las evidencias de validez y fiabilidad de las puntuaciones en ambos cuestionarios. Método: En el Estudio 1 (N = 416), exploramos las propiedades psicométricas de las puntuaciones en la adaptación del NAQ, así como las relaciones con medidas de otros constructos psicológicos relevantes. En el Estudio 2 (N = 118), analizamos la fiabilidad y la validez de las puntuaciones en la adaptación del NAQ-S. Resultados: Se encontraron dos factores (i.e., Aproximación a la Emoción y Evitación de la Emoción) y la consistencia interna, así como la fiabilidad test-retest, de las puntuaciones en ambos cuestionarios fueron adecuadas. Las relaciones con otras medidas proporcionaron evidencia positiva de la validez concurrente. Conclusiones: Las puntuaciones obtenidas en ambos cuestionarios mostraron validez y fiabilidad, por lo que deberían ser considerados en la investigación futura relacionada con la NA.(AU)

The meta-cognitive role of thought morality in attitude change and behavioural intentions related to doping.

Prior research has examined the relationships between morality, attitudes, and intentions related to doping predominantly via correlational studies based on the theoretical frameworks provided by extensions to the theory of planned behaviour, and the social cognitive theory of moral thought and action. In contrast, the present study experimentally analysed a psychological process (i.e., self-validation) through which thought morality can influence attitudes and intentions. Two hundred and forty-two participants (122 males and 120 females) were randomly assigned to read a message either against or in favour of legalising several doping behaviours in sports, then listed their thoughts regarding that proposal. Next, they were randomly assigned to perceive their thoughts as either moral or immoral, then indicated the extent to which they considered their thoughts as valid. Finally, participants reported their attitudes and intentions regarding the legalisation proposal. As hypothesised, the anti-legalisation (vs. pro-legalisation) message produced more unfavourable thoughts and attitudes, as well as lower intentions to support the legalisation proposal and engage in banned behaviours if legalised in sport. Most importantly, the effects of message direction on attitudes and intentions were greater for participants in the moral (vs. immoral) thought condition. Furthermore, changes in attitudes were consistent with a self-validation process.

Embedded bleeding detector into a PMMA applicator for electron intraoperative radiotherapy.

PURPOSE: The aim of this work is to present a ready to industrialize low-cost and easy-to-install bleeding detector for use in intraoperative electron radiation therapy (IOERT). The detector works in stand-alone mode and is embedded into a translucent polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) applicator avoiding any contact with the patient, which represent a novelty compared to previous designs. The use of this detector will prevent dose misadministration during irradiation in the event of accumulation of fluids in the applicator. METHODS: The detector is based on capacitive sensor and wireless power-supply electronics. Both sensor and electronics have been embedded in the applicator, so that any contact with the patient would be avoided. Since access to the tumor can be done through different trajectories, the detector has been calibrated for different tilting angles. RESULTS: The result of the calibration provides us with a fit curve that allows the interpolation of the results at any angle. Comparison of estimated fluid height vs real height gives an error of 1 mm for tilting angles less than 10° and 2 mm for tilting angles greater than 15°. This accuracy is better than the one required by clinic. CONCLUSIONS: The performance of the bleeding detector was evaluated in situ. No interference was observed between the detector and the beam. In addition, a user-friendly mobile application has been developed to help the surgical team making decisions before and during irradiation. The measurement provided by the mobile application was stable during the irradiation process.

Improving bleeding detector features for electron intraoperative radiotherapy.

PURPOSE: The aim of this work is to improve the potential bleeding detection during intraoperative radiotherapy with linac polymethyl methacrylate applicators (PMMA), based on one previously developed. The improvements carried out have been focused on: i) minimizing the impact of the detector on the visual through the plastic applicators and ii) avoiding the asymmetry in the detection capability when the applicator is tilted. METHODS: Simulations have been made to select the geometry that provides a reduced visual impact on the applicator as well as allowing an independent response with the tilting angle of the applicator. A low-noise circuit for signal conditioning has been developed. Measurements have been made on three setups: 10 cm, 7 cm and 4 cm applicator diameters, 0° and 45° tilted. RESULTS: The detector has a visibility through the applicator greater than 50%. Due to the geometry, optimal detection is ensured regardless of its orientation when the applicator is tilted. It is possible to detect the presence of fluid well below the typical perturbing fluid depth established by the clinic (1-1.5 cm). CONCLUSIONS: The detector can distinguish the presence of around 0.5 cm of fluid depth while showing a high visual field through the PMMA applicators and providing a measure that does not depend on the detector orientation when the applicator is tilted. The prototype is ready for its industrialization by embedding it into the applicator for clinical use. The detector would have a significant impact on both the quality assurance and the outcome of the treatment.

Detector for monitoring potential bleeding during electron intraoperative radiotherapy.

PURPOSE: The aim of this work is to develop a bleeding detector integrated into the acrylic circular applicators for specific mobile linacs. Thus, a bleeding detector has been developed based on a capacitive sensor to be used with plastic applicators, as in the case of LIAC HWL from Sordina IORT Technologies SpA. According to the clinical impact, we have selected 0.5 cm as the minimum depth of fluid that should be detected. METHODS: An experiment was developed using water-simulating blood. Two setups were considered: non-beveled applicators with 7 cm and 10 cm diameter. Measurements were done for applicators 0° and 45° tilted, both with respect to the horizontal surface, in order to mimic the worst clinical scenario according to the irradiation gantry and applicator bevel angle. The behavior of the detector under irradiation was analyzed and the impact of the stray radiation on the detector was also evaluated. RESULTS: The detector was able to distinguish the presence of liquid at a minimum height of 0.5 cm. A linear behavior was obtained for both setups. We have also verified that the LIAC HWL radiation does not affect the measurements nor does the detector interfere with the stray radiation. The bleeding detector is a quasi-digital capacitive sensor with low-cost, high linearity, and easy to install. CONCLUSIONS: With this detector it is possible to perform a continuous monitoring of the liquid measurements even during the irradiation phase. Thus, it can operate not only as a pre-treatment detector but also as a continuous one.

Clinical outcomes in elective vitrification of embryos / Resultados clínicos en el programa de vitrificación electiva de embriones

Objective: To compare the clinical outcomes of an elective vitrification program with those of a fresh embryo transfer program including vitrification of the remaining embryos. Material and methods: Retrospective study of 99 cycles from the elective vitrification program (Group A) and 150 cycles from the nonelective vitrification program (Group B) carried out from January 2014 to December 2015 in Instituto Bernabeu, Alicante, Spain. In both groups, the embryos were from the patient’s own oocytes. The variables evaluated in group A were clinical indication, endometrial preparation protocols for frozen embryo transfer, percentage of embryo survival after thawing, and day of embryo vitrification. The main clinical indication (54.5% of cases) in Group A was to avoid ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome. Outcomes: The percentage of embryo implantation (35.2% vs. 27%), the percentage of positive pregnancies with beta-hCG (58.5% vs. 42.9%), and the percentage of clinical pregnancy (41.5% vs. 32.5%) were superior in Group A when we transferred embryos of types A and/or B according to the ASEBIR classification, although no statistically significant differences were found (p = 0.230, p = 0.082, and p = 0.360, respectively). Conclusions: A "freeze-all" strategy is the procedure of choice for avoiding ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome or possible embryo-endometrium asynchrony at the time of the transfer. It also provides clinical results that are at least comparable to those obtained with fresh embryo transfer

Objetivo: Comprobar los resultados clínicos del programa de vitrificación electiva de embriones frente al de transferencia en fresco y congelación de los embriones restantes. Material y métodos: Se han estudiado de forma retrospectiva 99 ciclos de vitrificación electiva (Grupo A) y 150 ciclos de vitrificación no electiva (Grupo B) realizados entre enero de 2014 y diciembre de 2015 en el Instituto Bernabeu de Alicante. En ambos grupos los embriones obtenidos provenían de ovocito propio. En el grupo A se valoraron las indicaciones clínicas, los protocolos de preparación endometrial para la criotransferencia (CT), el porcentaje de supervivencia embrionaria a la descongelación y el día de vitrificación embrionaria. La indicación clínica mayoritaria (54.5% de los casos) en el grupo A fue evitar el Síndrome de Hiperestimulación Ovárica (SHO). Resultados: El porcentaje de implantación embrionaria (35,2% vs. 27%), el de embarazo positivo con beta (58.5% vs. 42,9%) y el de embarazo clínico (41,5% vs. 32,5%) fue superior en el grupo A cuando se transfirieron embriones de categoría A y/o B según los criterios de la Asociación Española para el Estudio de la Biología de la Reproducción (ASEBIR), aunque no se alcanzaron diferencias estadísticamente significativas (p = 0,230, p = 0,082 y p = 0,360, respectivamente). Conclusiones: La vitrificación electiva de embriones nos ha permitido por un lado evitar complicaciones como el SHO y por otro, obtener resultados clínicos cuanto menos comparables a los ofrecidos con transferencia embrionaria en fresco

Inflammatory bowel disease in patients over the age of 70 y. Does the disease duration influence its behavior?

INTRODUCTION: The fastest growing segment of our population is that of people above 70 years of age. Elderly patients with IBD exhibit several specific problems. Our objective was to evaluate the clinical course, the side effects of the treatments and the need for surgery of elderly patients, regardless of the age of onset. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This was a cross-sectional study wherein retrospective data were collected from multiple centers from seven hospitals within the Valencia metropolitan area. Data were collected on patients older than 70 y with inflammatory bowel disease. RESULTS: We identified a total of 331 patients older than 70 years of age (5.3% of patients monitored at our centers). The mean age at the time of the study was 77.34 y (±5.39). Mesalamine were the most frequently used medications. Corticosteroids were used in 66% of the patients. However, the use of corticosteroids and biologics was less probable in older patients (OR 0.96, p = .06). The longer the disease progressed, the more immunosuppressive medications were used (OR 1.3, p = .052). Neoplasms appeared in 41 patients (13%). Of the 36 patients with tumors that appeared after the onset of the disease, 20 patients had not been treated with immunomodulators or biologics. CONCLUSIONS: Mesalamine was the most frequently used medication. There is no increased risk of tumors regarding the medications used. The use of immunosuppressive medications is more prevalent with longer disease progression times, although with a high rate of adverse events.

Healthy and wellbeing activities' promotion using a Big Data approach.

The aging population and economic crisis specially in developed countries have as a consequence the reduction in funds dedicated to health care; it is then desirable to optimize the costs of public and private healthcare systems, reducing the affluence of chronic and dependent people to care centers; promoting healthy lifestyle and activities can allow people to avoid chronic diseases as for example hypertension. In this article, we describe a system for promoting an active and healthy lifestyle for people and to recommend with guidelines and valuable information about their habits. The proposed system is being developed around the Big Data paradigm using bio-signal sensors and machine-learning algorithms for recommendations.

A Five-miRNA Panel Identified From a Multicentric Case-control Study Serves as a Novel Diagnostic Tool for Ethnically Diverse Non-small-cell Lung Cancer Patients.

Circulating microRNAs (miRNAs) are promising biomarkers for cancer detection. However, multiethnic and multicentric studies of non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) are lacking. We recruited 221 NSCLC patients, 161 controls and 56 benign nodules from both China and America. Initial miRNA screening was performed using the TaqMan Low Density Array followed by confirming individually by RT-qPCR in Chinese cohorts. Finally, we performed a blind trial from an American cohort to validate our findings. RT-qPCR confirmed that miR-483-5p, miR-193a-3p, miR-25, miR-214 and miR-7 were significantly elevated in patients compared to controls. The areas under the curve (AUCs) of the ROC curve of this five-serum miRNA panel were 0.976 (95% CI, 0.939-1.0; P < 0.0001) and 0.823 (95% CI, 0.75-0.896; P < 0.0001) for the two confirmation sets, respectively. In the blind trial, the panel correctly classified 95% NSCLC cases and 84% controls from the American cohort. Most importantly, the panel was capable of distinguishing NSCLC from benign nodules with an AUC of 0.979 (95% CI, 0.959-1.0) in the American cohort and allowed correct prediction of 86% and 95% stage I-II tumors in the Chinese and American cohorts, respectively. This serum miRNA panel holds the potential for diagnosing ethnically diverse NSCLC patients.

Repercusión clínica en la seguridad del paciente de la comunicación de valores críticos de laboratorio / Clinical impact of laboratory critical values notification as a tool for patient safety

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Spanish multicenter tafluprost tolerability study.

AIM: To evaluate the ocular surface symptoms and signs associated with preservative-free 0.0015% tafluprost in patients with glaucoma or ocular hypertension (OHT). METHODS: Prospective non-interventional, multicentre, observational study on 134 patients, naive or on previous treatment with another prostaglandin analogue. In each visit (V1 baseline visit, V2 at 1 month and V3 at 3 months), patients evaluated five ocular surface symptoms as: absent, mild, moderate and severe. Parallelly, the ophthalmologist assessed the tear break-up time, keratitis, conjunctival hyperaemia, blepharitis, Schirmer test and tear meniscus. RESULTS: Patients with OHT (n=71, 53%) experienced a statistically significant improvement of all symptoms: stinging/burning/irritation, itching, foreign body sensation, tearing and dryness sensation at V3, while glaucoma patients improved all symptoms at both V2 and V3. In patients with OHT, all signs except Schirmer test improved and the decrease in hyperaemia was statistically significant. Eyes with glaucoma ameliorated the keratitis, hyperaemia and tear meniscus at V2 and V3 and the break-up time and blepharitis at V3. In the subset of patients with previous treatment (n=79, 58.9%), patients with OHT presented significant improvement of hyperaemia, yet the rest of signs did not decrease significantly or remained unchanged, while in patients with glaucoma all signs improved significantly at both visits. The intraocular pressure (IOP) drop in naive eyes was 22.2% (24.7-19.7 mm Hg) in OHT and 29.5% (33.7-25.3 mm Hg) in glaucoma eyes. In previously treated eyes, no statistically significant change in IOP was found. CONCLUSION: Preservative-free tafluprost is a well tolerated hypotensive agent that can be used in eyes with surface problems and in naive eyes.

Implantación y evaluación de un procedimiento de comunicación de valores críticos / Evaluation of a critical value reporting procedure

Objetivo. Evaluar la puesta en marcha de un procedimiento de comunicación de pruebas y valores críticos en el Hospital de Montilla (Empresa Pública Hospital Alto Guadalquivir), Montilla, Córdoba. Material y métodos. Se consensuó un catálogo de «pruebas y valores críticos» estableciendo como óptimo un tiempo de comunicación inferior a 30 minutos. Para identificarlos se crearon en el Sistema Informático de Laboratorio (Omega 3000, Roche Diagnostics) reglas automáticas que generan una prueba de aviso. El valor crítico se comprueba analíticamente conforme al procedimiento. Se establecen las responsabilidades en la comunicación y la relación de personas a avisar en cada supuesto. Para el registro se genera otra prueba que incluye quién comunica, a qué hora, el receptor y la recepción de la notificación («Read-back»). Como indicadores se establecieron: número de comunicaciones, tiempo de demora y efectos adversos por retraso. Resultados. Desde enero a septiembre de 2010 se han realizado 73 avisos por pruebas críticas y 354 por valores críticos (0,64% del total de peticiones) de los que 77 (22%) han correspondido a análisis de rutina y 277 (78%) a análisis de urgencias y consulta única. El aviso más frecuente fue por hiperpotasemia (15,8%). Conclusiones. La puesta en marcha del procedimiento ha generado un ligero aumento de la carga de trabajo en el laboratorio, pero ha supuesto una mayor diligencia clínica a la hora de generar acciones médicas inmediatas. Estas iniciativas generan cultura de seguridad para el paciente y los profesionales, creando sinergias beneficiosas en toda la organización (AU)

Objective. Analysis of running a critical value and a critical test reporting procedure in Montilla Hospital (Empresa Pública Hospital Alto Guadalquivir), Montilla, Córdoba (Spain). Material and method. The concept of critical tests and critical values were defined in a list approved by the physicians and based on the literature. The time of the notification was established as less than 30minutes. To identify critical values, some automatic rules were created to generate a notification test in the Laboratory Informatics System (Omega 3000, Roche Diagnostics). A critical value is checked under the appropriate specific procedure, which also establishes the responsibilities for communication and the priority of persons to be notified in each case. Another test is created to register the notification and must include: who notified, at what time and who received the notification («Read-back»). To control the quality of the process we considered: the number of notifications, the time delay in notifying a critical value and if there had been some adverse effects due to any delay. Results. From January to September in 2010 we have notified 73 critical tests and 354 critical values (0.64% of the analysis applications). We reported 77 (22%) critical values from outpatients and 277 (78%) from inpatients. The most frequent notification was due to hyperkalaemia (15.8%). Conclusions. The procedure has involved a slight increase in laboratory workload, but it has assumed more clinical diligence to make critical decisions. These initiatives generate a safety culture for the patient, the staff and good relationships in the organization (AU)

An altered peptide ligand corresponding to a novel epitope from heat-shock protein 60 induces regulatory T cells and suppresses pathogenic response in an animal model of adjuvant-induced arthritis.

Induction of immune tolerance as therapeutic approach for autoimmune diseases constitutes a current research focal point. In this sense, we aimed to evaluate an altered peptide ligand (APL) for induction of peripheral tolerance in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA). A novel T-cell epitope from human heat-shock protein 60 (Hsp60), an autoantigen involved in the pathogenesis of RA, was identified by bioinformatics tools and an APL was design starting from this epitope. We investigated the ability of this APL for inducing regulatory T cells (Treg cells) in mice and evaluated the therapeutic effect of this peptide in an adjuvant-induced arthritis (AA) rat model. Clinical score, TNFα levels and histopathology were monitored, as well as the capacity of this APL for inducing Treg cells. Finally, the potentialities of the APL for inducing Treg cells were evaluated in ex vivo assays using mononuclear cells isolated from peripheral blood (PBMC). The APL induced an increase of the proportions of Treg cells in the draining lymph nodes of the injected site in mice. The APL efficiently inhibited the course of AA, with significant reduction of the clinical and histopathology score. This effect was associated with an increase of the proportions of Treg cells and a decrease of TNFα levels in spleen. Finally, stimulation of PBMCs from RA patients by the APL increases the proportions of the CD4(+)CD25(high)FoxP3(+) Treg cells. These results indicate a therapeutic potentiality of APL and support further investigation of this candidate drug for treatment of RA.

Cirugía valvular y coronaria

Libro informativo que pretende que el paciente intervenido quirúrgicamente de corazón, ya sea por un problema valvular o por un problema coronario, pueda despejar todas las incógnitas o dudas que se le puedan plantear y llegue a comprender mejorsu enfermedad.

Alimentación y enfermedades del corazón

Contiene: las enfermedades cardiovasculares y los factores de riesgo, influencia de la alimentación en el desarrollo de las enfermedades cardiovasculares, hábitos alimentarios saludables, composición de los alimentos, dieta mediterránea, comentarios específicos sobre alimentos concretos y platos elaborados y recomendados.

[Burden of hospitalizations attributable to malaria in Spain during 1999-2002]. / Hospitalización por paludismo en España durante el período 1999-2002.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: To calculate the incidence rates and direct costs, and to describe hospital admissions for malaria in Spain between 1999 and 2002. MATERIAL AND METHOD: Retrospective study of hospital admissions whose fundamental discharge diagnosis was malaria (codes CIE-9 from 084.0 to 084.9), using the national surveillance system for hospital data (CMBD) between 1999 and 2002. RESULTS: 2,044 hospitalizations for malaria were recorded in Spain (incidence rate 1.3 cases per 100,000 inhabitants/year). 20.6% were children under the age of 15. We found an increasing linear trend in the incidence rate of malaria in the 0-4 age group (p < 0.001). 57.3% of malaria cases were due to Plasmodium falciparum, 11.5% to P. vivax, 2.4% to P. malariae and 3.3% to P. ovale. On the other hand, 64% of admissions occurred between summer and autumn, a seasonal pattern attributable to P. falciparum. The annual cost of the hospitalizations was euro 1.2 million. CONCLUSIONS: There is an increasing number of hospitalizations in Spain due to malaria, which might be higher in coming years. This fact mainly owes to the population movements we are currently experiencing.