Publications by authors named "Ortega M"

Most Mediterranean ecosystems have been profoundly shaped by wildfires, driving the evolution of plant species. Through photo interpretation and field inventories, this research assessed vegetation dynamics from 1984 to 2021, examining how fire severity and recurrence, key fire regime variables, influenced changes in structure and woody species diversity. Using two burn scars (1988 and 2006), we identified four scenarios dominated by Pinus pinea tree species: control (unburned), areas burned once (either in 1988 or 2006), and twice (in both 1988 and 2006).

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Purpose: COVID-19 is an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease. The aim of this study is to determine the burden, characteristics, and causes of sudden death in sport (SrSD) before and after the COVID-19 pandemic in the general population.

Methods: Retrospective observational study.

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This review focuses on the latest advancements in using biomarkers to diagnose, predict outcomes, and guide the treatment of different types of thyroid cancer, such as anaplastic, papillary, medullary, and follicular thyroid carcinoma. We highlight the key role of both traditional and new biomarkers in improving the treatment of these cancers. For anaplastic thyroid cancer, biomarkers are crucial for detecting distant metastases and making treatment decisions.

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Antiepileptics and antidepressants are frequently prescribed for chronic pain, but their efficacy and potential adverse effects raise concerns, including dependency issues. Increased prescriptions, sometimes fraudulent, prompted reclassification of antiepileptics in some countries. Our aim is to comprehend opinions, perceptions, beliefs, and attitudes towards co-analgesics from online discussions on X (formerly known as Twitter), offering insights closer to reality than conventional surveys.

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Purpose: The purpose of the study was to analyze patients with vaginal-involving recurrences of gynecological tumors and primary vaginal tumors, treated with transperineal interstitial brachytherapy (P-ISBT). Dosimetric, clinical, and toxicity analysis of these patients was conducted, incorporating MRI in volume definition and dose-volume dosimetry.

Material And Methods: Forty-two patients were retrospectively analyzed.

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Mood disorders include a set of psychiatric manifestations of increasing prevalence in our society, being mainly represented by major depressive disorder (MDD) and bipolar disorder (BD). The etiopathogenesis of mood disorders is extremely complex, with a wide spectrum of biological, psychological, and sociocultural factors being responsible for their appearance and development. In this sense, immune system dysfunction represents a key mechanism in the onset and pathophysiology of mood disorders, worsening mainly the central nervous system (neuroinflammation) and the periphery of the body (systemic inflammation).

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Introduction: Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is a highly heterogeneous and complex metabolic disease harbouring different metabolic characteristics. Adequate characterisation of subjects is essential to allow the implementation of precision medicine for the prevention, diagnosis, prognosis and treatment of this condition.

Methods And Analysis: This prospective observational cohort study aims to identify and characterise relevant clinical clusters that are reproducibly associated with various clinical outcomes in T2DM in our Mediterranean region.

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Metastatic melanoma is an aggressive and deadly form of skin cancer, known for its rapid ability to spread to other organs. Melanoma metastasis involves several steps: Local invasion, lymphovascular invasion and proliferation to new sites. This process is facilitated by genetic alterations, interactions with the tumor microenvironment and evasion of the immune system.

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Article Synopsis
  • COVID-19 led to a global pandemic in 2020, creating a need for efficient decision-making by medical staff with limited resources during healthcare emergencies.
  • The study introduces an automated method that utilizes multimodal data fusion, combining clinical features and deep learning from chest X-ray images, to estimate the risks of hospitalization and mortality for COVID-19 patients.
  • Results indicate high accuracy in risk assessment (AUC-ROC scores of 0.8452 and 0.8285 for hospitalization and mortality, respectively) and show that incorporating imaging features improves hospitalization risk evaluation, while clinical features are more critical for mortality, emphasizing the approach's potential to enhance clinical decision-making across various medical scenarios.
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  • - Penile cancer is a rare type of tumor, more frequently seen in low- and middle-income countries, with major risk factors being age, ethnicity, smoking, hygiene, and HPV infection.
  • - Early detection can lead to high cure rates (up to 80%), but late diagnosis significantly lowers survival chances, especially when the cancer has spread.
  • - The study assesses various biomarkers related to cell growth, inflammation, and other processes in penile squamous cell carcinoma, suggesting that the degree of cell differentiation affects these biomarkers' expression, which may help in predicting disease outcomes.
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  • This study analyzes the evolution of mortality rates for two main heart procedures, percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) and coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG), in Spain over a span of years.
  • Using hospital data from 2010-2012 and 2016-2019, researchers applied multivariate regression models to assess mortality differences, taking into account factors like age, gender, and patient health conditions.
  • The findings show that CABG has significantly lower mortality rates, particularly for more complex patients, while the mortality rates for PCI have remained stable, influencing how doctors choose between these treatments for coronary artery disease.
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  • - Glaucoma is a major cause of irreversible blindness, and diagnosing it involves measuring retinal layer thickness, which can be complicated in patients with elongated, highly myopic eyes due to distortions in OCT scans.
  • - The study presents a new method for accurately segmenting retinal layers, specifically designed for patients with high myopia, enabling better differentiation of glaucoma from simple myopia.
  • - Findings reveal significant reductions in retinal thickness in specific sectors of glaucoma patients with high myopia compared to those with myopia alone, enhancing understanding of the disease's impact.
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In the face of cell damage, cells can initiate a response ranging from survival to death, the balance being crucial for tissue homeostasis and overall health. Cell death, in both accidental and regulated forms, plays a fundamental role in maintaining tissue homeostasis. Among the regulated mechanisms of cell death, ferroptosis has garnered attention for its iron-dependent phospholipid (PL) peroxidation and its implications in aging and age-related disorders, as well as for its therapeutic relevance.

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Introduction: Dementia comprise a broad spectrum of cognitive declines affecting 47 million people worldwide, with numbers projected to reach 131 million by 2050. Predominantly associated with older adults, dementia can also impact younger individuals, having a significant impact on daily functioning of the affected patients, relatives, caregivers and the socioeconomic system. Recent research underscores the utility of social media, particularly X (previously designed as Twitter), in understanding public perceptions and sentiments related to neurological disorders.

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The prevalence of neurodegenerative diseases (NDDs) such as Alzheimer's (AD), Parkinson's (PD), Essential tremor (ET), and Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is increasing alongside the aging population. Recent studies suggest that these disorders can be identified through retinal imaging, allowing for early detection and monitoring via Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) scans. This study is at the forefront of research, pioneering the application of multi-view OCT and 3D information to the neurological diseases domain.

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  • Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) includes chronic conditions like ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn's disease (CD), driven by genetic and environmental factors that provoke an immune response against gut bacteria, leading to intestinal inflammation.
  • Current IBD treatments can be invasive and have significant side effects, highlighting the need for alternative approaches that focus on reducing inflammation and restoring gut health.
  • Polyphenols, natural compounds found in plants, show promise in preclinical studies for their antioxidant and immune-modulating effects; however, more human research is needed to address their effectiveness and integration into dietary habits.
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  • Full-grown mammalian oocytes exposed to moderate to severe DNA damage show ineffective DNA damage repair (DDR), leading to conditions like aneuploidy due to altered chromatin states and inaccessible repair proteins.* -
  • Mouse and pig oocytes do not activate autophagy in response to DNA damage like somatic cells do, which contributes to their impaired DDR and potentially explains the chromatin alterations.* -
  • Reduced autophagy is notably pronounced in aged oocytes with severe DNA damage and is linked to improved DNA repair, suggesting enhancing autophagy could benefit assisted reproductive technologies for women with lower oocyte quality.*
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Objective: To determine the prevalence of genital infections (GIs), including sexual transmitted STIs: Neisseria gonorrhoeae, Chlamydia trachomatis, Mycoplasma genitalium, Trichomonas vaginalis, and opportunistic pathogens that generally do not cause STIs, non-classic STI: Ureaplasma urealyticum, Ureaplasma parvum and Mycoplasma hominis, in women with high-risk oncogenic human papillomavirus (hr-HPV) infection and their association with cervical lesions.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out including 231 hr-HPV positive women. Of these, 46 has histologically confirmed cervical intraepithelial neoplasia 3 (CIN3) or more (including CIN3 and cervical cancer lesions-CIN3+).

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Preeclampsia (PE) is a complex multisystem disease characterized by hypertension of sudden onset (>20 weeks' gestation) coupled with the presence of at least one additional complication, such as proteinuria, maternal organ dysfunction, or uteroplacental dysfunction. Hypertensive states during pregnancy carry life-threatening risks for both mother and baby. The pathogenesis of PE develops due to a dysfunctional placenta with aberrant architecture that releases factors contributing to endothelial dysfunction, an antiangiogenic state, increased oxidative stress, and maternal inflammatory responses.

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Purpose: Problem-based learning (PBL) is an established learning method in medical education that uses small groups to address a "problem" in the form of a patient's medical condition. Compared to lectures, there is compelling evidence that PBL performs better in numerous areas including student basic knowledge and satisfaction. Inquiry case (IQ) learning is a modified form of PBL, which can be described as faster-paced and requires more student responsibility.

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  • Crohn's disease (CD) causes chronic inflammation in the intestines, and diet plays a crucial role in shaping the gut microbiome, which might impact CD symptoms.
  • A study investigated how a high-fiber, low-fat diet (Mi-IBD) affects gut microbiome function in CD patients over 8 weeks, comparing those who received diet counseling and catered meals.
  • The results showed that the Mi-IBD diet improved carbohydrate metabolism in CD patients, with notable differences in microbial function based on whether the disease affected the ileum or colon, benefiting those with colonic involvement the most.
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Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a frequent complication in patients undergo-ing cytoreductive surgery (CRS) with hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) due to a combination of several factors: increased intra-abdominal pressure, heat stress and drug tox-icity. Patients admitted to Intensive Care Unit after CRS and HIPEC during 129 months. Data recorded were: demographic characteristics; severity of illness, haematology and basic chemistry panels (renal function and electrolytes), type of cancer and extension, HIPEC drug and temperature, fluid balance, ICU and hospital stay and mortality.

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  • Benzodiazepines are drugs often given by doctors, but using them for a long time can cause problems like dependence and side effects.
  • A study looked at tweets from people talking about benzodiazepines to understand what the public thinks about them.
  • Most tweets were positive, focusing on how effective these drugs are, but didn’t mention the bad effects, which shows the need for more education on the risks of using them long-term.
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