Search

Objective: To evaluate the agreement between noninvasive arterial blood pressure (NIBP) measured from the tongue and thoracic limb with invasive blood pressure (IBP), and to compare NIBP measured from the tongue and thoracic limb in anaesthetized horses., Study Design: Prospective clinical study., Animals: A group of eight client-owned healthy horses anaesthetized for scheduled procedures, American Society of Anesthesiologists classification I-II, weighing (mean ± standard deviation) 498 ± 91 kg and aged 7.8 ± 6.75 years., Methods: Animals were premedicated with intravenous (IV) romifidine (0.04-0.08 mg kg -1 ) and methadone (0.1 mg kg -1 ). General anaesthesia was induced IV with ketamine (2.5 mg kg -1 ) and midazolam (0.05 mg kg -1 ) and maintained with isoflurane. The facial artery was catheterized for IBP measurements. Systolic (SAP), mean (MAP) and diastolic (DAP) arterial pressures were recorded from the NIBP tongue , NIBP limb and IBP every 20 minutes during the procedure. Agreement between NIBP and IBP was evaluated based on the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine criteria and American Association for Medical Instrumentation criteria using the Bland-Altman method., Results: The mean bias and precision between IBP and NIBP measured from the tongue met the standards for all pressure ranges (< 10 mmHg and < 15 mmHg, respectively). NIBP measurements from the tongue and thoracic limb tended to underestimate IBP measurements. During hypotension, MAP tongue and DAP tongue overestimated IBP, but both precision and accuracy met the criteria. The overall accuracy and precision of NIBP limb was poorer than NIBP tongue . The percentage of NIBP tongue that differed from IBP by < 10 mmHg was higher than that recorded with NIBP limb for SAP (46% versus 25%), MAP (77% versus 28%) and DAP (79% versus 19%)., Conclusions and Clinical Relevance: The tongue is a clinically suitable alternative for assessing arterial blood pressure compared with the thoracic limb and can reliably detect hypotension in healthy anaesthetized horses., (Copyright © 2023 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

In this work, a new approach for the identification of unknown compounds in human tears has been developed and validated using ultra-high performance liquid chromatography-high resolution mass spectrometry (UHPLC-HRMS) linked to an intelligent data acquisition mode (AcquireX DS-dd-MS 2 ) coupled to an automated data processing software (Compound Discoverer™ 3.2). As a pilot research study, four human tear samples from volunteers were analyzed. Data were acquired in both positive and negative ionization modes and exact mass, isotope pattern, and MS 2 spectra match were used for the tentative identification. Following this approach, 58 substances were identified, 47 in positive mode and 11 in negative mode, with an estimated concentration ranging from 0.1 to 9000 ng mL -1 . Most of them were amino acids, hormones, metabolites, and pharmaceuticals. In order to validate the proposed method, the system suitability was evaluated and 29 commercial analytical standards of the tentatively identified substances were analyzed, of which 28 were confirmed obtaining a high identification accuracy (96.6 %). These results confirm that the screening tool presented in this work can facilitate the discovery of new metabolites, novel potential biomarkers, and substances to which the person is exposed, such as pollutants., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: Volcanic eruptions emit gases and particulate matter into the atmosphere which, if inhaled, can have an impact on health. The eruption of the volcano situated in the Cumbre Vieja Nature Reserve (La Palma, Canary Islands, Spain) affords a unique opportunity to study the effect of such a phenomenon on health. The aim of the proposed study is to assess the short-, medium- and long-term respiratory health effects of exposure to volcanic emissions from the eruption in three different population groups., Methods: We propose to undertake a multidesign study: an ambispective cohort study to analyze the effect of the eruption on the general population, the highly exposed population, and the childhood population; and a pre-post quasi-experimental study on subjects with previously diagnosed respiratory diseases. The information will be collected using a personal interview, biologic specimens, air pollution data, data from medical records, respiratory tests and imaging tests. The study has an envisaged follow-up of five years, to run from the date of initial recruitment, with annual data-collection. This study has been approved by the Santa Cruz de Tenerife Provincial Research Ethics Committee (Canary Island Health Service) on March 10, 2022., Conclusions: This study will make it possible to advance our knowledge of the effect a volcano eruption has on population health, both short- and long-term, and to assess the potential respiratory injury attributable to volcanic eruptions. It may serve as a model for future studies of new volcanic eruptions in the coming years., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare the following financial interests/personal relationships which may be considered as potential competing interests: Alberto Ruano-Ravina reports financial support was provided by Spanish Society of Pneumology and Thorax Surgery., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: Recent studies show an increase in the use of antidepressants in minors (younger than 18 years), although few antidepressants are indicated for this age group. The aim of our study was to calculate the annual prevalence of antidepressant use in children and adolescents and to review the adherence of prescription to current indications., Methods: Study of the prevalence of antidepressant use in minors based on the records of the Electronic Database for Pharmacoepidemiologic Studies in Primary Care (BIFAP) of Spain for the 2013-2018 period, considering at least one prescription per year for each patient., Results: The prevalence of antidepressant prescription in patients from the BIFAP cohort increased between 2013 (7.97 prescriptions per 1000 patients) and 2018 (8.87 prescriptions per 1000 patients), in most groups and in both sexes. In this period, female patients received the most prescriptions, surpassing prescriptions in male patients by up to 2.5 points in the overall rates. In patients younger than 13 years, this trend was inverted and antidepressant use was higher in male patients. The prevalence of prescription rose with increasing patient age, as did the proportion of off-label prescriptions. The use of off-label medication decreased over time., Conclusions: There was a gradual increase in the prevalence of antidepressant prescription in minors younger than 18 years, with a predominance of the female sex. The high proportion of unapproved medication use in this age group calls for more thorough investigation of the risk-benefit balance of these treatments and of safer treatment alternatives., (Copyright © 2022 Asociación Española de Pediatría. Published by Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.)

Background and Aim: Hospitalization is an ideal time to promote smoking cessation, but interventions are limited for supporting cessation maintenance after discharge. This study aimed to evaluate the acceptability of participating in a trial that tested the efficacy of an intensive telephone-based intervention for smokers after discharge., Methods: Adult smokers admitted to mental health wards of six hospitals were invited to participate in the trial. We studied the study acceptance/decline rates by analyzing the characteristics of participants (e.g., sex, age, psychiatric disorder, smoking pattern) and hospitals (e.g., size, tobacco control implementation). We calculated adjusted odds ratios (aOR) to assess predictors of non-participation., Results: Of 530 smokers that met the study inclusion criteria, 55.5% (n = 294) agreed to participate. Participant and non-participants were not different in sex, age, or psychiatric diagnosis. Compared to non-participants, participants had made more attempts to quit in the past year (66.1% vs 33.9%; p < 0.001) and reported higher abstinence rates during the hospital stay (66.7% vs. 33.3%; p = 0.05). Participation rates by hospital varied from 30.9% to 82.0% (p < 0.001). Predictors of non-participation were not having attempted to quit in the last year (aOR=2.42; 95%CI: 1.66-3.53) and low level of tobacco control in the hospital (aOR range: 1.79-6.39, p < 0.05)., Conclusions: A telephone-based intervention to promote smoking cessation after discharge was accepted by half of the smokers with mental health disorders. Smokers that had attempted to quit previously and those that stayed in hospitals with a strong tobacco control policy were more likely to participate in the trial., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Context: Mobile health (mHealth) provides an opportunity to use internet coverage in low- and middle-income countries to improve palliative care access and quality., Objectives: This study aimed to design a mobile phone application (app) to enable or improve communication between family caregivers, community caregivers, and palliative care teams; to evaluate its acceptability, processes, and mechanisms of action; and to propose refinements., Methods: A codesign process entailed collaboration between a Project Advisory Group and collaborators in India, Uganda, and Zimbabwe. We then trained community and family caregivers to use an app to communicate patient-reported outcomes to their palliative care providers each week on a data dashboard. App activity was monitored, and qualitative in-depth interviews explored experience with the app and its mechanisms and impact., Results: N = 149 caregivers participated and uploaded n = 837 assessments of patient-reported outcomes. These data were displayed to the palliative care team on an outcomes dashboard on n = 355 occasions. Qualitative data identified: 1) high acceptability and data usage; 2) improved understanding by team members of patient symptoms and concerns; 3) a need for better feedback to caregivers, for better prioritisation of patients according to need, for enhanced training and support to use the app, and for user-led recommendations for ongoing improvement., Conclusion: An outcomes-focused app and data dashboard are acceptable to caregivers and health-care professionals. They are beneficial in identifying, monitoring, and communicating patient outcomes and in allocating staff resource to those most in need., (Copyright © 2020 American Academy of Hospice and Palliative Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: To report the use of corneoscleral lenses (CSL) in keratoconus patients who were unsatisfied with their visual outcomes after keratoplasty surgery., Methods: Eleven consecutive cases with unsatisfactory vision with spectacles, due to irregular astigmatism, preferred to try CSL before SL due to handling or economic issues. An eye examination included refraction and visual acuity assessment, anterior eye biomicroscopy, ocular fundus examination, corneal topographic analysis, endothelial-cell count (ECC) and evaluation of corneal biomechanical parameters (corneal resistance factor, CRF; corneal hysteresis, CH; corneal-compensated intraocular pressure, IOPcc). The fitting process was performed using a diagnostic fitting set. Subjective visual quality and comfort, and CSL usage time were also recorded. Patients were monitored for 1 year., Results: Two patients presented intolerance to CSL. Therefore, nine patients (6 males and 3 females; the mean±SD age, 44.56 ± 17.33 years, range 27-82) were fitted with CSL. The log MAR visual acuity of these eyes improved significantly with CSL in relation to the best spectacle-corrected vision (0.02 ± 0.06 vs 0.22 ± 0.15, respectively; p = 0.007). Patients reported prolonged usage times (an average of 9.78 ± 1.99 h; range, 8-14). No significant adverse ocular effects or clinically relevant changes in ocular parameters (ECC, CH, IOPcc, central corneal thickness and keratometry; all p > 0.05), visual quality, comfort rating or usage time were found during the 1-year follow-up., Conclusion: Corneoscleral lenses could be fitted in non-severe cases after keratoplasty surgery with optimal visual results as they can be a safe and healthy alternative option., (Copyright © 2020 British Contact Lens Association. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: The aim of this study was to assess the relationship between do-it-yourself activities entailing the exposure to carcinogenic substances and the risk of lung cancer., Methods: We pooled individual data from different case-control studies conducted in Northwestern Spain which investigated residential radon and lung cancer. Cases had an anatomopathologically confirmed primary lung cancer and controls were selected at the pre-surgery unit with uncomplicated surgeries. Both cases and controls were older than 30 years with no previous cancer history. All participants were interviewed face-to-face using a specific questionnaire. Painting, model building, furniture refinishing and woodworking or home carpentry were the do-it-yourself activities considered risky due to exposure to carcinogenic agents., Results: We included 1528 cases and 1457 controls. Practicing do-it-yourself risk activities was more frequent among cases: 16.0% were exposed to carcinogenic exposures during leisure time, compared to 11.8% for controls. The overall adjusted OR for lung cancer risk among individuals who practiced do-it-yourself risk activities, was 1.77 (95% CI: 1.36-2.31); this was 2.17 (95% CI: 1.51-3.11) when the analysis was restricted to individuals who performed these activities for at least 10 years. These risks were greater when the analyses were carried out exclusively among never-smokers, with the respective ORs being 2.04 (95% CI: 1.38-3.01) and 3.10 (95% CI: 1.78-5.40)., Conclusion: These results support the hypothesis that do-it-yourself activities involving exposure to certain carcinogens are associated with an increased risk of lung cancer, both in ever and never-smokers., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Using a pooled case-control study design, including only never-smokers, we have assessed the association of residential radon exposure with the subsequent occurrence of lung cancer. We also investigated whether residential radon poses a different risk specifically for adenocarcinoma., Methods: We pooled individual data from different case-control studies conducted in recent years in Northwestern Spain which investigated residential radon and lung cancer. All participants were never-smokers. Cases had a confirmed biopsy of primary lung cancer. Hospital controls were selected at pre-surgery units, presenting for non-complex surgical procedures. They were interviewed using a standardized instrument. Residential radon was measured using alpha track detectors at the Galician Radon Laboratory at the University of Santiago de Compostela., Results: A total of 1415 individuals, 523 cases and 892 controls were included. We observed an odds ratio of 1.73 (95%CI: 1.27-2.35) for individuals exposed to ≥ 200 Bq/m 3 compared with those exposed to ≤100 Bq/m 3 . Lung cancer risk for adenocarcinoma was 1.52 (95%CI: 1.14-2.02) using the same categories for radon exposure., Conclusions: Residential radon is a clear risk factor for lung cancer in never-smokers. Our data suggest that radon exposure is associated with all histological types of lung cancer and also with adenocarcinoma, which is currently the most frequent histological type for this disease., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Proteomic techniques in bones forensic samples are increasingly, being applied. The main aim of forensic sciences is the estimation of postmortem interval. Most current techniques are useful for the first post-mortem stages. However, in the case of osseous remains, these techniques may be difficult to use due to the high level of decomposition of the sample. Our objective was to attempt to know whether there is a protein profile in human bone remains that would enable a late postmortem. interval ranging from 5 to 20 years postmortem to be estimated. A total of 40 femur bones from 40 different cadavers (data range 5-20 years) were use. Of the 275 total proteins, we excluded the circulating ones (n = 227), leaving a total of 48 proteins (29 structural and 19 functional) were found. A multiple correspondence analysis was applied on the 48 proteins. Finally selecting 32 proteins that allowed us to discriminate between the. two groups of postmortem interval. Analysis of the protein profile present in bone permits an approximation of the date of death within the studied interval, and could be used to complement other tests for estimating the postmortem interval., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: To evaluate the visual quality results when fitting a corneo-scleral contact lens (CScL) after intracorneal ring segment (ICRS) implantation for keratoconus management., Methods: Twenty-seven eyes of 27 patients with keratoconus underwent ICRS implantation and had CScL fitted as their visual quality was unsatisfactory with their spectacles or contact lenses. Patients received a complete eye examination, refraction and visual acuity assessment, anterior eye biomicroscopy, ocular fundus examination, corneal topographic analysis, endothelial-cell count, and visual quality assessment using contrast sensitivity and aberrometry tests. A diagnostic trial set was used in the fitting process, and patients were assessed according to a standardised methodology, including subjective visual quality and comfort, and contact lens usage time. The follow-up period was one year., Results: After fitting CScL, log-MAR visual acuity values improved significantly in relation to the best spectacle-corrected vision (0.22 ± 0.17 vs 0.00 ± 0.12; p < 0.001). Total high-order aberrations decreased 33% (2.62 ± 1.31 vs 1.75 ± 1.81 μm; p < 0.009) and the spatial frequencies of contrast sensitivity all improved (all p < 0.05). Furthermore, 70.37% of patients reported high ratings of subjective visual quality (favourable and very favourable) and prolonged usage times (11.78 ± 3.93 h). After wearing CScL for one year, no adverse ocular effects or clinically relevant changes in corneal parameters, visual quality, comfort ratings or usage time were found., Conclusion: This CScL appears to be an alternative reasonable option for keratoconic eyes with ICRS placement, providing an improvement in subjective visual quality., (Copyright © 2018 British Contact Lens Association. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: To assess the visual quality achieved by fitting corneo-scleral contact lenses (CScL) for keratoconus management., Methods: Thirty patients with keratoconus presented to have CScL fitted because of the unsatisfactory visual quality they experienced with their contact lenses or spectacles. The eye examination included visual acuity assessment, anterior eye biomicroscopy, ocular fundus examination, corneal topographic analysis, endothelial-cell count, contrast sensitivity and aberrometry. The fitting process was performed using a diagnostic trial set. Subjective visual quality and comfort, and contact lens wear time were also reported. Patients were monitored for one year., Results: Three patients discontinued CScL wear before one year. Therefore, 27 eyes of 27 patients (19 male and 8 female) participated in this study. The mean age was 36.1 ± 13.1 (mean ± SD) years. Statistically significant differences were found in logMAR visual acuity between the best spectacle-corrected vision and after CScL fitting (mean ± SD, 0.23 ± 0.30 and 0.00 ± 0.14, respectively; p < 0.001). The total high-order aberrations decreased significantly (55%), and the spatial frequencies of contrast sensitivity all improved to normal range values of the population. Furthermore, high subjective visual quality and comfort ratings, and prolonged usage times (mean ± SD, 13.44 ± 2.38 h a day) were reported. No adverse ocular effects or clinically relevant changes in corneal parameters, visual quality, comfort or usage time were found one year after wearing CScL., Conclusion: This CScL seems to be safe and healthy, providing optimal visual quality, comfort and prolonged usage times in patients with keratoconus., (Copyright © 2018 British Contact Lens Association. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: To analyse the visual quality achieved by fitting corneo-scleral contact lenses (CScL) in an uncommon case of bilateral keratoconus, high hyperopia and astigmatism., Methods: A 45-year-old man presented for eye examination due to the unsatisfactory quality of his vision wearing soft toric contact lenses. He presented high hyperopia and astigmatism with bilateral keratoconus. He was fitted with CScL to correct his irregular astigmatism and ocular aberrations. A diagnostic trial set was used in the fitting process and he was assessed according to standardised fitting methodology. Visual acuity, corneal topography, biometry and ocular aberrations were evaluated. The follow-up period was 1year., Results: The best spectacle-corrected visual acuity was 20/32 with +8.00/-4.50×30° for the right eye (RE) and 20/25 with +7.75/-2.25×120° for the left eye (LE). After CScL fitting, visual acuity was improved to 20/20 and 20/16 for the RE and LE, respectively. The patient wore these contact lenses an average of 13h a day. The total high order aberrations decreased by approximately 79% in the RE (2.37-0.50μm) and 47% in the LE (1.04-0.55μm) after CScL fitting. Visual quality and wearing time were maintained after 1year wearing CScL. In addition, no adverse ocular effects were found during this period., Conclusion: The present case report describes how the patient had CScL fitted successfully for management of keratoconus with high hyperopia and astigmatism. They provided optimal visual quality, along with prolonged use times and no adverse effects to the cornea., (Copyright © 2017 British Contact Lens Association. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: We describe a case of fitting a corneo-scleral contact lens with a multi-aspheric geometry design (MAGD CScL) on top of a daily silicone hydrogel lens (piggyback system) for keratoconus management., Methods: A 48-year-old man using soft toric contact lenses required an improvement in the unsatisfactory quality of his vision. He presented with bilateral asymmetric keratoconus with high myopia in the right eye (RE) and severe myopia in the left eye (LE). In addition, he had low vision in his LE because of a maculopathy. He was fitted with MAGD CScL to correct his irregular astigmatism. A diagnostic trial set was used in the fitting process and the patient was assessed according to a standardised fitting methodology. Visual acuity, corneal topography and contrast sensitivity were evaluated. The follow-up period was 1year., Results: The best spectacle-corrected visual acuity was 0.5 logMAR for the RE with -10 D/-5 D×60° and 2 logMAR for the LE with -20 D/-3 D×105°. After fitting MAGD CScL, visual acuity improved significantly to 0.1 logMAR for the RE and 1.3 logMAR for the LE, as well as contrast sensitivity. The fitting parameters of the base curve, diameter, and power were 7.05mm, 12.60mm, -18.50 D and 7.15mm, 12.60mm, -19 D for the RE and LE, respectively. Optimal fitting characteristics were found in terms of lens position and lens movement. To increase the time of MAGD CScL wear, they piggybacked on daily silicone hydrogel lenses of low power (-0.5 D). The patient reported being comfortable with this piggyback system for approximately 15h a day. After 1year of using the piggyback system, visual quality and wearing time were maintained. In addition, no adverse ocular effects were found during this period., Conclusion: This case report shows that in this patient a MAGD CScL could be fitted successfully on a daily silicone hydrogel lens in a piggyback system for keratoconus management, providing good visual quality along with prolonged use times and without adverse effects on the cornea., (Copyright © 2016 British Contact Lens Association. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Aims: The objectives of the present study were to describe smoking prevalence and compare the smoking attributes of adult smokers according to the type of tobacco product consumed., Methods: Repeated cross-sectional surveys (2004-2005 and 2011-2012) of a representative sample of the adult (≥16 years) population in Barcelona, Spain, were used to assess self-reported tobacco consumption, smoking attributes, and salivary cotinine concentration. The survey conducted in 2004-2005 included information on 1245 subjects and the survey in 2011-2012 on 1307 individuals., Results: Smoking prevalence decreased over the study period (from 26.6% to 24.1% in self-reported daily smokers). The prevalence of daily smokers who reported the use of manufactured cigarettes declined from 23.7% in 2004-2005 to 17.3% in 2011-2012. The prevalence of roll-your-own cigarette users increased from 0.4% to 3.7%. According to data obtained in 2011-2012, the proportion of self-reported roll-your-own cigarette users was higher among men (19.8% vs. 9.5% of women), participants aged 16-44 years (22.9% vs. 5.8% of participants aged 45-65 years and 4.0% of participants aged ≥65 years), and participants with secondary and university education (17.7% and 18.5% vs. 7.9% of participants with less than primary and primary education). We did not observe differences in cotinine concentrations according to the type of tobacco product consumed., Conclusions: Systematic collection of data on smoking prevalence and smoker attributes from representative samples of the population is necessary for policymakers to develop efficient tobacco control interventions. Considering the increase of roll-your-own cigarette users and the unclear health consequences of their use, policymakers should aim to implement tax policies to equalize the prices of different types of tobacco products., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

The characterization of pharmaceutical drugs and their transformation products have become an important analytical research field because its presence in the environment could induce bacterial resistance. Despite all efforts made by the scientific community, detection and structure identification of unknown chemicals still remains the most challenging task in non-targeted analytics. Given that, the objective of the present study was to develop an untargeted workflow to detect, quantify, identify and characterize ofloxacin and its transformation products (OFX TPs) after photocatalytic treatments based on TiO2 nanoparticles and TiO2 nanofibers. For the characterization and chemical structure assignment of OFX TPs, mass defect filters, mass accurate measurements (HRMS), tandem mass spectrometry in a q-Orbitrap (MS/HRMS) and the photocatalysis of the isotopically labelled ofloxacin (OFX-d3) were used. Since a large set of data was obtained in each run, data treatment based on statistical analysis and mass defect filtering was used to reduce the number of potential TP candidates from 2497 m/z peaks to 70. Moreover, ions generated by in-source CID and by redox reactions in the electrospray source (ESI) were also detected and discarded from the TP candidate list. Moreover, the whole kinetics evolution of the generated TPs provided a deeper insight into the degradation mechanism and was used to propose a degradation pathway for the OFX in the aqueous phase. The time evolution of the TPs generated during the photocatalytic process using both types of catalysts (NPs and NFs) and different set-ups (suspended and supported conditions) indicated that OFX was completely removed from the aqueous solution in less than 4h. Among the condition tested TiO2 nanoparticles in suspended conditions showed the fastest kinetics (k: 0.161 min(-1))., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: Never-smokers comprise up to 25% of all lung cancer cases. They could have different molecular pathways for lung cancer induction compared with smokers. Alpha-1 antitrypsin (AAT) deficiency is a hereditary trait whose main characteristic is early onset of lung emphysema. Our aim is to know if AAT-deficient carriers have a higher risk of lung cancer in a study performed exclusively in never-smokers., Methods: We designed a multicentre hospital-based case-control study, which included incident never-smoking lung cancer cases. Controls were never-smokers attending nonmajor surgery at the participating hospitals. Controls were frequency matched on age and gender with cases. We determined AAT variants (alleles S and Z) through polymerase chain reaction., Results: Two hundred and twelve cases and 318 controls were included. PiSS individuals showed a lung cancer risk of 4.64 (95% confidence interval: 1.08-19.92) compared with those with normal genotype (PiMM). When the analysis was restricted to women, the risk for PiSS increased to 7.58 (95% confidence interval: 1.40-40.87). This risk for homozygous SS was even higher for individuals exposed to environmental tobacco smoke (greater than 20 years). The presence of other alleles did not show any effect on lung cancer risk., Conclusions: Never smoking SS homozygous individuals pose an increased risk of lung cancer. The risk is higher for individuals exposed to environmental tobacco smoke.

We aim to assess the relationship between leisure time activities related to exposure to carcinogenic substances and lung cancer risk in a hospital-based case-control study performed in never smokers. We included never smoking cases with anatomopathologically confirmed lung cancer and never smoking controls undergoing trivial surgery, at 8 Spanish hospitals. The study was conducted between January 2011 and June 2013. Participants were older than 30 and had no previous neoplasms. All were personally interviewed focusing on lifestyle, environmental tobacco smoke exposure, occupational history and leisure time activities (including duration of such activities). Results were analyzed through logistic regression and adjusted also by residential radon and education level. We included 513 never smokers, 191 cases and 322 controls. The OR for those performing the studied leisure time activities was 1.43 (95%CI 0.78-2.61). When we restricted the analysis to those performing do-it-yourself activities for more than 10 years the OR was 2.21 (95%CI 0.93-5.27). Environmental tobacco smoke exposure did not modify this association. The effect for the different lung cancer histological types was very close to significance for adenocarcinoma but only when these activities were performed for more than 10 years. We encourage health professionals to recommend protective measures for those individuals while performing these hobbies to reduce the risk of lung cancer., (Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Kinesio taping (KT) has been proposed to modulate muscle tone. However no studies have systematically studied the efficacy of KTon this primary outcome measure. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of Kinesio taping (KT) applied over the gastrocnemius muscles on muscle tone, extensibility, electromyography (EMG) and strength. Nineteen healthy subjects were enrolled in a double-blind, placebo controlled crossover trial. KT and sham-tape were applied onto the gastrocnemius muscles of all subjects in two randomized sessions. Measurements before, at 10 min and 24 h after the intervention were taken. Outcome measurements included passive resistive torque to ankle dorsiflexion, dorsiflexion passive range of motion (PROM), surface Gastrocnemius Medialis (GM) EMG and maximal isometric voluntary force (MIVF). No significant differences were found between the sham-tape and KT groups for passive resistive torque, PROM nor maximal plantarflexion isometric voluntary force. A short-term increase of GM EMG activity was found in the KT group during the PROM mobilization, which was not maintained at 24 h following treatment. A short-term decrease in dorsiflexion force was produced 10 min after KT with respect to sham-tape application. These results demonstrate that the application of KT in the gastrocnemius muscles has no effect on healthy muscle tone, extensibility nor strength. However a short-term increase of GM EMG activity after KT treatment suggests the activation of central nervous system mechanisms, although without a therapeutic implication. Further studies with more appropriate designs are needed to clarify the physiological and therapeutic effects of this taping technique.

Objectives: To describe second-hand smoke in the hospitals of the Catalan Network for Smoke-free Hospitals using Particulate Matter (PM(2.5)) and to assess the association between second-hand smoke exposure in main entrances (outdoors) and halls and between PM(2.5) and airborne nicotine concentrations., Methods: Cross-sectional study carried out in 2009 in the 53 hospitals affiliated with the network. We measured PM(2.5) (μg/m(3)) in all hospitals and measured airborne nicotine concentrations (μg/m(3)) in a subsample of 11 hospitals. For each assessment, we measured nine locations within the hospitals, computing medians, means, geometric means, interquartile ranges (IQRs), and 95% confidence intervals (CI) of the means and the geometric means. Further, we used Spearman's linear correlation coefficient r(sp)) to explore the association between PM(2.5) concentrations in halls and main entrances and between PM(2.5) and nicotine concentrations., Results: The overall median of the 429 PM(2.5) measurements was 12.48 μg/m(3) (IQR: 8.84-19.76 μg/m(3)). The most exposed locations were outdoor smoking points (16.64 μg/m(3)), cafeterias (14.82 μg/m(3)), and main entrances (14.04 μg/m(3)); dressing rooms were the least exposed (6.76 μg/m(3)). PM(2.5) concentrations in halls were positively correlated with those in main entrances (r(sp)=0.591, 95% CI: 0.377-0.745), as were PM(2.5) values and nicotine concentrations (r(sp)=0.644, 95% CI: 0.357-0.820)., Conclusions: Second-hand smoke levels in hospitals were low in most locations, with the highest levels observed in outdoor locations where smoking is allowed (smoking points and entrances). Smoking in main entrances was associated with increased second-hand smoke levels in halls. Use of PM(2.5) to evaluate second-hand smoke is feasible and shows a good correlation with airborne nicotine values., (Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Life stress and mucosal inflammation may influence symptom onset and severity in certain gastrointestinal disorders, particularly irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), in connection with dysregulated intestinal barrier. However, the mechanism responsible remains unknown. Crowding is a validated animal model reproducing naturalistic psychosocial stress, whose consequences on gut physiology remain unexplored. Our aims were to prove that crowding stress induces mucosal inflammation and intestinal dysfunction, to characterize dynamics in time, and to evaluate the implication of stress-induced mast cell activation on intestinal dysfunction. Wistar-Kyoto rats were submitted to 15 days of crowding stress (8 rats/cage) or sham-crowding (2 rats/cage). We measured spontaneous and corticotropin-releasing factor-mediated release of plasma corticosterone. Stress-induced intestinal chrono-pathobiology was determined by measuring intestinal inflammation, epithelial damage, mast cell activation and infiltration, and intestinal barrier function. Corticosterone release was higher in crowded rats throughout day 15. Stress-induced mild inflammation, manifested earlier in the ileum and the colon than in the jejunum. While mast cell counts remained mostly unchanged, piecemeal degranulation increased along time, as the mucosal content and luminal release of rat mast cell protease-II. Stress-induced mitochondrial injury and increased jejunal permeability, both events strongly correlated with mast cell activation at day 15. Taken together, we have provided evidences that long-term exposure to psychosocial stress promotes mucosal inflammation and mast cell-mediated barrier dysfunction in the rat bowel. The notable resemblance of these findings with those in some IBS patients, support the potential interest and translational validity of this experimental model for the research of stress-sensitive intestinal disorders, particularly IBS., (Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

The aim of this study was to assess the exposure to second-hand smoke (SHS) in 90 primary health care centres in Catalonia, Spain. We conducted a cross-sectional study between March and October 2006. We measured vapour-phase nicotine as a marker of SHS in main halls, staff rooms, direction areas, and continued care. Sampler devices were exposed for 7 days, and samples were analysed by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry. We compared the median airborne nicotine concentrations with the non-parametric test for medians by sanitary region, sampled location, affiliation to the Smoke-free Primary Health Care Programme, and urban-rural area. From 300 sampler devices installed, 4 were lost, and detectable levels of nicotine were found in 89 samples (30.0%) in 48 different centres (53.3%). The overall median was 0.01 microg/m(3), with an interquartile range (IQR) of 0.01-0.07 microg/m(3). Median nicotine levels by locations were: reception hall 0.01 microg/m(3) (IQR: 0.01-0.06); staff room 0.01 microg/m(3) (IQR: 0.01-0.08); direction area 0.01 microg/m(3) (IQR: 0.01-0.01); continued care 0.01 microg/m(3) (IQR: 0.01-0.07). Results showed that airborne nicotine levels were very low, with 46.7% of primary health centres being free of SHS.