Short-term effects of particulate matter on total mortality during Saharan dust outbreaks: a case-crossover analysis in Madrid (Spain).

Background: The role of Saharan dust outbreaks on the relationship between particulate matter and daily mortality has recently been addressed in studies conducted in Southern Europe, although they have not given consistent results.

Methods: We investigated the effects of coarse (PM(10-2.5)) and fine particulate matter (PM(2.

Sea urchins predation facilitates coral invasion in a marine reserve.

Macroalgae is the dominant trophic group on Mediterranean infralittoral rocky bottoms, whereas zooxanthellate corals are extremely rare. However, in recent years, the invasive coral Oculina patagonica appears to be increasing its abundance through unknown means. Here we examine the pattern of variation of this species at a marine reserve between 2002 and 2010 and contribute to the understanding of the mechanisms that allow its current increase.

Mitochondrial drug targets in cell death and cancer.

Mitochondria are involved in different physiological and pathological processes that are crucial for tumor cell physiology, growth and survival. Since cancer cells have frequently disrupted different cell death pathways that promote their survival, mitochondria may be key organelles to promote cell death in cancer cells. The present review is focused on the different experimental and therapeutic cancer strategies addressed to either target mitochondria directly, or use mitochondria as mediators of apoptosis.

Combination treatment in Alzheimer's disease: results of a randomized, controlled trial with cerebrolysin and donepezil.

Treatment with neurotrophic agents might enhance and/or prolong the effects of cholinesterase inhibitors (ChEIs) in Alzheimer's disease (AD). We compared the safety and efficacy of the neurotrophic compound Cerebrolysin (10 ml; n=64), donepezil (10 mg; n=66) and a combination of both treatments (n=67) in mild-to-moderate (mini-mental state examination-MMSE score 12-25) probable AD patients enrolled in a randomized, double-blind trial. Primary endpoints were global outcome (Clinician's Interview-Based Impression of Change plus caregiver input; CIBIC+) and cognition (change from baseline in AD Assessment Scale-cognitive subscale+; ADAS-cog+) at week 28.

Skin intrinsic fluorescence is associated with hemoglobin A(1c )and hemoglobin glycation index but not mean blood glucose in children with type 1 diabetes.

Objective: To evaluate the relationship between skin advanced glycation end products (sAGEs) with mean blood glucose (MBG), hemoglobin A(1c) (HbA(1c)), and MBG-independent, between-patient differences in HbA(1c) among children with type 1 diabetes.

Research Design And Methods: Children aged 5 to 20 years with type 1 diabetes of at least 1 year duration participated. At a clinic visit, sAGE was estimated noninvasively by measurement of skin intrinsic fluorescence (SIF).

Particulate air pollution and short-term mortality due to specific causes among the elderly in Madrid (Spain): seasonal differences.

A time-series study was conducted to ascertain the short-term effects of different-sized airborne particulate matter (PM) on daily respiratory and cardiovascular cause-specific mortality in winter and summer, among subjects aged over 75 years in Madrid. Poisson regression was used to analyse the time-series, in which the dependent variable was daily mortality due to different specific respiratory and circulatory causes, and the principal independent variables were daily mean PM10, PM2.5 and PM10-2.

Ceratonia siliqua (carob) trees as natural habitat and source of infection by Cryptococcus gattii in the Mediterranean environment.

Recent Cryptococcus gattii infections in humans and animals, including several outbreaks in goats, were the basis of this environmental survey in six provinces of Spain. A total of 479 samples from 20 tree species were studied. Cryptococcus gattii was found for the first time in autochthonous Mediterranean trees in Spain.

Intense cold and mortality in Castile-La Mancha (Spain): study of mortality trigger thresholds from 1975 to 2003.

Studies on temperature-mortality time trends especially address heat, so that any contribution on the subject of cold is necessarily of interest. This study describes the modification of the lagged effects of cold on mortality in Castile-La Mancha from 1975 to 2003, with the novelty of also approaching this aspect in terms of mortality trigger thresholds. Cross-correlation functions (CCFs) were thus established with 15 lags, after application of ARIMA models to the mortality data and minimum daily temperatures (from November to March), and the results for the periods 1975-1984, 1985-1994 and 1995-2003 were then compared.

Health impact assessment of a reduction in ambient PM(2.5) levels in Spain.

Background: Health effects linked to exposure to high air pollutant levels have been described in depth, and many recent epidemiologic studies have also consistently reported positive associations between exposure to air pollutants at low concentrations (particularly PM(2.5)) and adverse health outcomes.

Objective: To estimate the number of avoidable deaths associated with reducing PM(2.

Role of Saharan dust in the relationship between particulate matter and short-term daily mortality among the elderly in Madrid (Spain).

Background: Saharan dust outbreaks are a common phenomenon in the Madrid atmosphere. The current Directive 2008/50 CE governing air quality in European cities, draws no distinction between which particulate matter (PM(10), PM(2.5) or PM(10-2.

Mortality from cold waves in Castile--La Mancha, Spain.

Introduction: As is known, the effects of extreme temperatures on mortality are characterised by an annual periodicity, with a rise centred in the winter months. The most recent epidemiological studies show that mortality caused by cold waves is, in many cases, comparable to that caused by the severest heat waves. This study sought to quantify the rise in mortality due to extreme cold and the factors that determine the relationship between these variables in Castile-La Mancha (Spain).

Short-term effect of fine particulate matter (PM 2.5) on daily mortality due to diseases of the circulatory system in Madrid (Spain).

Introduction: Owing to their small size, fine particles, i.e., those having a diameter ≤ 2.

Structural studies of cord factors from Mycobacterium simiae related to the capacity for tumour necrosis factor alpha (α-TNF) induction.

The structure of cord factor was studied in several strains of Mycobacterium simiae, including 'habana' TMC 5135, considered as highly immunogenic in experimental tuberculosis and leprosy. The mycolic acids liberated from cord factor were identified in all cases as α'-, α- and keto-mycolates. According to the general NMR and MS data, α'-mycolates were mono-unsaturated and contained from 64 to 68 carbon atoms, whereas α-mycolates mainly presented two 2,3-disubstituted cyclopropane rings and a chain length of 80-91 carbon atoms; keto-mycolates mostly contained one cyclopropane ring and 85-91 carbon atoms.

[Heat health warning systems: possibilities of improvement].

In the summer of 2003 the temperatures reached were responsible for a large number of deaths in Europe. A year after this fact, many countries had implemented some sort of plan of prevention against excessive temperatures. Plans that had already shown its ability to prevent a large proportion of avoidable mortality in other latitudes.

Efficacy and safety of Cerebrolysin in moderate to moderately severe Alzheimer's disease: results of a randomized, double-blind, controlled trial investigating three dosages of Cerebrolysin.

Background: cerebrolysin is a neuropeptide preparation mimicking the effects of neurotrophic factors. This subgroup analysis assessed safety and efficacy of Cerebrolysin in patients with moderate to moderately severe Alzheimer's disease (AD) (ITT data set: N = 133; MMSE: 14-20) included in a dose-finding study (ITT data set: N = 51; MMSE: 14-25). Results of the mild AD subgroup (ITT data set: N = 118; MMSE: 21-25) are also presented.

Candida dubliniensis does not show phospholipase activity: true or false?

Introduction: The phospholipase activity in Candida albicans and Candida dubliniensis isolated from oral candidiasis cases were studied.

Methods: The phospholipase activity was evaluated in egg yolk agar.

Results: All the C.

Tobacco-related tumours of the lung, bladder and larynx: changes in Spain.

The association between tobacco use and lung cancer and other tumours has been confirmed by a large number of studies. In Spain, the prevalence of smoking has been declining since 1978. This study describes lung, bladder and laryngeal cancer mortality and incidence rates and their trends in Spain.

Short-term effect of PM(2.5) on daily hospital admissions in Madrid (2003-2005).

The aim of this paper was to analyse the effect of particulate matter PM(2.5), a recent air quality guideline value for the protection of health, on hospital admissions in Madrid, Spain. This dependent variable was used as a measure against the daily number of emergency hospital admissions from 2003-2005.

Comparison between two methods of defining heat waves: a retrospective study in Castile-La Mancha (Spain).

Introduction: Following the 2003 heat wave, many European countries implemented heat-wave prevention plans. A number of aspects can prove fundamental in determining the effectiveness of such plans, and of these we sought to analyse the criteria used to define threshold temperatures and trigger a higher level of intervention.

Method: Retrospective study of the days on which heat-wave thresholds were exceeded during the period 1974-2003 was conducted.

[Effects of temperature extremes on daily mortality in Castile-La Mancha (Spain): trends from 1975 to 2003].

Objectives: To determine time trends and the geographical distribution of mortality trigger temperature thresholds due to extreme temperatures in Castile-La Mancha (central Spain) between 1975 and 2003.

Methods: The analysis was divided into three periods (1975-1984, 1985-1994 and 1995-2003) for each province of the region. Daily mortality due to organic causes (dependent variable) was modelled using autoregressive integrated moving average (ARIMA) procedures.

Short-term effect of concentrations of fine particulate matter on hospital admissions due to cardiovascular and respiratory causes among the over-75 age group in Madrid, Spain.

Objectives: This study sought to analyse the effect of daily mean concentrations of fine particulate matter (diameter <2.5 microm; PM(2.5)) on hospital admissions due to circulatory and respiratory causes among an elderly population (>75 years) in Madrid between 2003 and 2005.