Robotic surgery across Latin America: a bibliometric analysis of research trends from 2009 to 2022.

The rise of robotic surgery throughout the world, particularly in Latin America, justifies an objective evaluation of research in this field. This study aimed to use bibliometric techniques to identify the research trends and patterns of robotic surgery in Latin America. The research strategy used the terms "Robotic," "Surgery," and the name of all the Latin American countries, in all fields and collections of Web of Science database. Only original articles published between 2009 and 2022 were included. The software Rayyan, Bibliometric in the R Studio, and VOSViewer were used to develop the analyses. After screening, 96 articles were included from 60 different journals. There was a 22.51% annual increase in the scientific production of robotic surgery in the period studied. The more frequent topics by specialty were: Urology (35.4%), General Surgery (34.4%), and Obstetrics and Gynecology (12%). International cooperation was observed in 65.62% of the studies. The Latin American institution with the highest production of manuscripts was the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile. Mexico, Chile, and Brazil were, in descending order, the nations with the highest number of corresponding authors and total citations. When considering the total number of articles, Brazil ranked ahead of Chile. Scientific production regarding robotic surgery in Latin America has experienced accelerated growth since its beginning, supported by the high degree of collaboration with leading countries in the field.

Roman water management impacted the hydrological functioning of wetlands during drought periods.

During the Roman domain of the Iberian Peninsula (from 201 BCE to 460 CE) water management infrastructures were built to satisfy high water demand. However, whether the Roman activities affected the hydrological balance of Iberian wetlands remains unclear. Here, we investigate the paleo-hydrology of Lake Zóñar (southern Iberia) by using the stable isotopes (16O, 17O, 18O, 1H and 2H) of its gypsum (CaSO4·2H2O) sediments and reconstruct the isotopic composition of the lake water during Roman times. A period of recurrent lake low stand occurred between 2120 and 1890 cal. yr BP (ca. 170 BCE to 60 CE), coinciding with a relatively dry climate stage recorded by most regional paleoclimate archives. The stable isotopes and hydrochemistry of the lake water during gypsum precipitation are consistent with a shallow saline lake that evaporated under relative humidity ~ 10% lower than the present annual mean and at least 20% less rainfall amount. Our analytical and archeological findings support lake level lowering during the Roman period was probably caused by combined arid climate conditions and diversion of the inlets feeding the lake. Spring capturing was likely necessary to satisfy the high water demand of nearby Roman settlements, in the framework of a period of persistent droughts.

Diagnostic implications of neuroimaging in epilepsy and other seizure disorders.

Epilepsy is the most common neurological disorder that affects ~1-2% of the global population, leading to presentation in the emergency room. The neuroimaging modalities have an important application in diagnosing new onset unprovoked seizures and epilepsy. This article discusses the various neuroimaging modalities for diagnosing seizures and epilepsy and addresses that the MRI is the investigation of choice, and urgent imaging is more commonly done by computed tomography in patients with new-onset seizures. The goal of the article was to diagnose seizures and epilepsy for early intervention to prevent complications or damage to the brain. MRI detects even small cortical epileptogenic lesions, whereas computed tomography is used in screening, diagnosis, evaluation, and monitoring of the prognosis of seizures in children. Magnetic resonance spectroscopy provides biochemical measurements of reduced N-acetyl aspartate and increased creatinine and choline in dysfunctioning epileptic zones. Volumetric MRI is very sensitive and specific in determining seizures originating in extratemporal and extrahippocampal sites. Even though diffusion tensor magnetic resonance imaging has a limited role, it is used in specific pediatric patient groups with temporal lobe epilepsy. Functional radionuclide imaging modalities (positron emission tomography and single-photon emission computerized tomography) are increasingly significant for the identification of the epileptic region. Furthermore, the authors recommend the use of artificial intelligence and further research on imaging modalities for early diagnosis of seizures and epilepsy.

Unraveling the Hydrological Behavior of a Coastal Pond in Doñana National Park (Southwest Spain).

Time series analysis methods have been used to detect behavioral patterns in a set of nine time series. These series contained information in a 3-h time step about meteorological, hydrological and tidal data of a sand dune pond area located in Doñana National Park in the southwest of Spain. The methods used, such as wavelet analysis and additive seasonal decomposition, had never been applied before in the types of ecosystems studied. These approaches have improved the current knowledge of the conceptual model of the Santa Olalla pond system, the only system with a permanent hydroperiod located in this protected area. In addition, complex surface water-groundwater interactions, not visible through descriptive methods, have been distinguished to have a strong seasonal component. Finally, we evaluated the effect of pumping activity in a nearby coastal resort on the water supply of the Santa Olalla pond system. Although direct damage to this sand dune pond has not yet been identified, special attention must be paid in order to maintain groundwater inputs that are integral to maintaining its current status.

Ratosa playa lake in southern Spain. Karst pan or compound sink?

In Andalusia (Spain), there are more than 45 semiarid playa lakes protected as natural reserves and related to karstic outcrops. Some of them are located over regional karstic aquifers and have internal drainage networks with sporadic surface outlets, such as sinkholes (compound sinks), but the majority of such playas have no internal drainage systems, so the only water output is evaporation (karst pans). Karst pans are perched and disconnected from the groundwater system. The fact that the Ratosa playa lake is partially located over a karstic Sierra, as well as other hydromorphological observations, it is suggested that the system could be of a compound type, but a detailed hydrogeological analysis showed that the playa is disconnected from the aquifer, so it is in fact a karst pan. Once the hydrological functioning had been established, a monthly water balance for a 10-year period (1998-2008), enabled us to reproduce the evolution of the water level of the playa lake. Estimations of runoff were carried out by a soil water estimate for a water holding capacity in the soil of 191 mm. Results show a good correlation (>90%) after calibration with the time series of water level in the lake for the same period confirming geological observations. Our results highlight that this water body is extremely vulnerable to hydrological alterations of its watershed caused by human activities, particularly those related to land-use change for agriculture. For this reason, we propose a new protection zone, based on hydrological knowledge, instead of the present Peripheral Area of Protection.

Water regime of Playa Lakes from southern Spain: conditioning factors and hydrological modeling.

Andalusia's lowland countryside has a network of small geographically isolated playa lakes scattered across an area of 9000 km2 whose watersheds are mostly occupied by clayey rocks. The hydrological model proposed by the authors seeks to find equilibrium among usefulness, simplicity, and applicability to isolated playas in a semiarid context elsewhere. Based in such model, the authors have used monthly climatic data, water stage measurements, and the basin morphometry of a particular case (Los Jarales playa lake) to calibrate the soil water budget in the catchment and the water inputs from the watershed (runoff plus groundwater flow) at different scales, from monthly to daily. After the hydrologic model was calibrated, the authors implemented simulations with the goal of reproducing the past hydrological dynamics and forecasting water regime changes that would be caused by a modification of the wetland morphometry.

Extraction of carotenoids and chlorophyll from microalgae with supercritical carbon dioxide and ethanol as cosolvent.

The extraction of carotenoids and chlorophylls using carbon dioxide modified with ethanol as a cosolvent is an alternative to solvent extraction because it provides a high-speed extraction process. In the study described here, carotenoid and chlorophyll extraction with supercritical CO(2 )+ ethanol was explored using freeze-dried powders of three microalgae (Nannochloropsis gaditana, Synechococcus sp. and Dunaliella salina) as the raw materials. The operation conditions were as follows: pressures of 200, 300, 400 and 500 bar, temperatures of 40, 50 and 60 degrees C. Analysis of the extracts was performed by measuring the absorbance and by using empirical correlations. The results demonstrate that it is necessary to work at a temperature of 50-60 degrees C and a pressure range of 300-500 bar, depending on the type of microalgae, in order to obtain the highest yield of pigments. The best carotenoid/chlorophyll ratios were obtained by using supercritical fluid extraction + cosolvent instead of using conventional extraction. The higher selectivity of the former process should facilitate the separation and purification of the two extracted pigments.

Medicamentos antivirales / Antiviral drugs

Se revisan los mecanismos y sitios de acción de los diferentes agentes y drogas contra los virus más frecuentes que producen enfermedades de importancia clínica y epidemiológica. El desarrollo de la biología molecular y las tecnologías de avanzada han permitido conocer las distintas etapas de la multiplicación de los ácidos nucleicos y proteínas de los virus; estos pasos pueden constituir puntos críticos o blancos donde actúen sustancias químicas de origen natural o diseñadas especialmente mediante técnicas sofisticadas que entorpecen, e incluso detienen la duplicación viral. El objetivo principal es acercar al médico de asistencia a este tema de poca aplicación práctica en nuestro entorno clínico. La terapia antiviral ha entrado en una época de progreso que va desde la impotencia terapéutica a la posibilidad actual de tratar muchas enfermedades virales. No estarán lejos los días en que los médicos necesitarán conocer tanto sobre el tratamiento de las infecciones virales como sobre sus similares bacterianass (AU)

Macrólidos / Macrolides

Se hace una revisión de este grupo de antimicrobianos, sus indicaciones actuales y espectro de actividad. Se particulariza en los nuevos macrólidos y azálides, fundamentalmente azitromicina, claritromicina y roxitromicina, sus propiedades farmacológicas, y mayor amplitud del espectro antibacteriano de estos novedosos compuestos (AU)

Medicamentos antivirales / Antiviral drugs

Se revisan los mecanismos y sitios de acción de los diferentes agentes y drogas contra los virus más frecuentes que producen enfermedades de importancia clínica y epidemiológica. El desarrollo de la biología molecular y las tecnologías de avanzada han permitido conocer las distintas etapas de la multiplicación de los ácidos nucleicos y proteínas de los virus; estos pasos pueden constituir puntos críticos o blancos donde actúen sustancias químicas de origen natural o diseñadas especialmente mediante técnicas sofisticadas que entorpecen, e incluso detienen la duplicación viral. El objetivo principal es acercar al médico de asistencia a este tema de poca aplicación práctica en nuestro entorno clínico. La terapia antiviral ha entrado en una época de progreso que va desde la impotencia terapéutica a la posibilidad actual de tratar muchas enfermedades virales. No estarán lejos los días en que los médicos necesitarán conocer tanto sobre el tratamiento de las infecciones virales como sobre sus similares bacterianass

Macrólidos / Macrolides

Se hace una revisión de este grupo de antimicrobianos, sus indicaciones actuales y espectro de actividad. Se particulariza en los nuevos macrólidos y azálides, fundamentalmente azitromicina, claritromicina y roxitromicina, sus propiedades farmacológicas, y mayor amplitud del espectro antibacteriano de estos novedosos compuestos

El Estándar de Cuidados de Alto Riesgo de Síndrome de Desuso / The care standard os patients at high risk of disuse syndrome

El presente trabajo nace de la necesidad de estandarizar los cuidados básicos que se deben tener a los enfermos con inactividad musculoesquelética, partiendo de la definición de la categoría alto riesgo de síndrome de desuso; se determinará la funcionalidad de los sistemas corporales. Expresar la participación en las actividades que se realicen, así como sus sentimientos en lo que respecta a su estado y los efectos que éste les produce. Demostrar conocimientos y habilidades en el cuidado del enfermo, manteniendo la integridad de la piel y las mucosas. Se realiza para este trabajo una revisión bibliográfica exhaustiva y se expresan los cuidados básicos que deben aplicársele a los enfermos con inactividad músculo-esquelética (síndrome de desuso)(AU)

El Estándar de Cuidados de Alto Riesgo de Síndrome de Desuso / The care standard os patients at high risk of disuse syndrome

El presente trabajo nace de la necesidad de estandarizar los cuidados básicos que se deben tener a los enfermos con inactividad musculoesquelética, partiendo de la definición de la categoría alto riesgo de síndrome de desuso; se determinará la funcionalidad de los sistemas corporales. Expresar la participación en las actividades que se realicen, así como sus sentimientos en lo que respecta a su estado y los efectos que éste les produce. Demostrar conocimientos y habilidades en el cuidado del enfermo, manteniendo la integridad de la piel y las mucosas. Se realiza para este trabajo una revisión bibliográfica exhaustiva y se expresan los cuidados básicos que deben aplicársele a los enfermos con inactividad músculo-esquelética (síndrome de desuso)

Infección por Chlamydia trachomatis

La infección por Chlamydia trachomatis es una de las enfermedades de transmisión sexual de mayor incidencia a nivel mundial. La forma clínica asintomática y sus posibles consecuancias la han convertido en un grave problema de salud. Sobre la base de estos conocimientos, se realizó una revisión de la literatura disponible, enfocando aspectos como la epidemiología, cuadro clínico, diagnóstico y tratamiento, con el objetivo de actualizar a los médicos de la atención primiaria de salud. La búsqueda de la información se obtuvo de forma automatizada (Medline 1994-1996; LILACS 1990-1996) y manual en la Biblioteca Médica Nacional, utilizando como descriptores Infección por Chlamydia trachomatis y Chlamydia trachomatis (AU)