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Volcanism can cause major impacts, including climate change and mass extinctions. However, the impact of monogenetic volcanism is often considered as limited in volcanological research. This work provides for the first time an interdisciplinary approach to the socio-ecological impact of monogenetic volcanism in a key region, the La Garrotxa Volcanic Field (GVF, Girona, NE Iberia), where intense monogenetic volcanic activity occurred in the past. The analyses of a sedimentary sequence from the GVF enabled identifying previously unknown volcanic eruptions in the time interval 14-8.4 ka cal BP, constrain their volcanic stratigraphy and age, and unfold the effects of environmental change on geomorphology, vegetation, aquatic organisms and humans. Moreover, we reconstruct the major palaeoenvironmental changes caused by the eruptions in terms of fire episodes and subsequent disturbance on vegetation, hydrology and limnological conditions. When put in context with the archaeological record, it appears that the last hunter-gatherer communities were resilient at an extra-local scale, facing episodes of vulnerability due to volcanic activity, suggesting that their flexible nomadic patterns and foraging economies were an efficient source of risk management against the volcanic eruptions and their ecological impacts., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Defined as the unpleasant sensation that causes the desire to scratch, pruritus is the most common skin symptom associated with uremia and appears in almost half of patients with advanced chronic kidney disease (CKD). Beyond its direct impact on quality of life, CKD-associated pruritus (CKD-aP) is an independent predictor of mortality that also has a synergistic effect with other quality of life-related symptoms, such as insomnia, depression, and anxiety. Although different mechanisms have been proposed to explain the origin of Pa-ERC, its etiopathogenesis is still not fully understood. Since new therapeutic targets have been identified and several clinical trials have recently shown promising results, our current understanding of the interrelationships has expanded significantly and the pathophysiological mechanisms underlying CKD-aP are now considered to be multifactorial. The potential triggers of pruritus in patients with CKD are discussed in this review, including hypotheses about skin xerosis, accumulation of uremic toxins, dysregulation of the immune system and systemic inflammation, uremic neuropathy, and imbalances in the endogenous opioid system. Other non-uremic causes of pruritus are also discussed, with the aim of guiding the physicians to apply an adequate aetiopathogenic approach to CKD-aP in their day-to-day clinical practice., (Copyright © 2022 Sociedad Española de Nefrología. Published by Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.)

The present study reports the evidence of a radioactive contamination in a wetland located downstream from a former French U mine in Brittany. This situation is demonstrated according to the measurements of gamma dose rates and activity ratios of 238 U and 232 Th-decay series nuclides, which give the justification regarding the accumulation of significant amounts of 238 U, 230 Th and 226 Ra in this wetland. The dose rate map highlights an increase of radiation level along the former mine water pathway compared to the background value, with a maximum value of 1500 nSv.h -1 reached in the wetland. Activities of 238 U, 230 Th and 226 Ra and 232 Th/ 238 U ratios measured in surface wetland soils are significantly higher than the geochemical background. 230 Th/ 238 U ratios less than unity suggest a preferential accumulation of U in the wetland, compared to its daughter isotopes. Moreover, the loss of 226 Ra compared to 230 Th raises its higher mobility compared to its parent isotope. In far-field sediments, 226 Ra/ 238 U ratio of 1.76 implies a different geochemical behavior of U, which could be explained by the occurrence of mobile U species. The results suggest that contamination of wetland soils and far-field sediments could result from discharges of underground mine waters., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Knowledge of sedimentation rates in lakes is required to understand and quantify the geochemical processes involved in scavenging and remobilization of contaminants at the Sediment-Water Interface (SWI). The well-known 210 Pb excess ( 210 Pb ex ) method cannot be used for quantifying sedimentation rates in uranium-enriched catchments, as large amounts of 210 Pb produced by weathering and human activities may dilute the atmospheric 210 Pb. As an alternative dating method in these cases, we propose an original method based on 232 Th decay series nuclides. This study focuses on an artificial lake located in a granitic catchment downstream from a former uranium mine site. The exponential decay of 228 Ra excess ( 228 Ra ex ) with depth in two long cores yields sedimentation rates of 2.4 and 5.2 cm yr -1 respectively. These sedimentation rates lead to the attribution of the 137 Cs activity peak observed at depth to the Chernobyl fallout event of 1986. The 228 Ra ex method was also applied to two short cores which did not display the 137 Cs peak, and mean sedimentation rates of 2.1 and 4.0 cm y -1 were deduced. The proposed method may replace the classical radiochronological methods ( 210 Pb ex , 137 Cs) to determine sedimentation rates in granitic catchments., (Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: Emergency department (ED) readmissions are considered an indicator of healthcare quality that is particularly relevant in older adults. The primary objective of this study was to identify key factors for predicting patients returning to the ED within 30 days of being discharged., Methods: We analysed patients who attended our ED in June 2014, stratified into four groups based on the Kaiser pyramid. We collected data on more than 100 variables per case including demographic and clinical characteristics and drug treatments. We identified the variables with the highest discriminating power to predict ED readmission and constructed classifiers using machine learning methods to provide predictions., Results: Classifier performance distinguishing between patients who were and were not readmitted (within 30 days), in terms of average accuracy (AC). The variables with the greatest discriminating power were age, comorbidity, reasons for consultation, social factors, and drug treatments., Conclusions: It is possible to predict readmissions in stratified groups with high accuracy and to identify the most important factors influencing the event. Therefore, it will be possible to develop interventions to improve the quality of care provided to ED patients.

Introduction and Objectives: The Sociedad Española de Cardiología (Spanish Society of Cardiology) every year awards grants to finance research in the field of cardiovascular diseases. The aim of this study is to identify the impact of these investments during the period 2000-2006 from the subsequently published articles in scientific journals., Methods: Using the identifying data of each project as search terms, all articles that resulted from these grants were located in the Spanish Índice Médico Español and Índice Bibliográfico Español en Ciencias de la Salud databases, and in Science Citation Index-Expanded and Scopus. Descriptive statistical analysis of these articles included type of grant, number and amount awarded per year, and the recipient's sex and institutional affiliation., Results: The Sociedad Española de Cardiología awarded €3,270,877 to 207 recipients, an average annual total of €467,268. We identified 231 publications that resulted from 123 (59.42%) of these grants. The average number of articles per grant awarded was 1.12, and 1.9 when taking into account only the awards that led to publication., Conclusions: During the period 2000 to 2006, the Sociedad Española de Cardiología/ Fundación Española del Corazón (Spanish Heart Foundation) provided about €500,000 per year to fund research grants, thereby contributing to the fight against cardiovascular diseases. Almost 60% of grants have led to publications, 73% of which were published in international journals, and 91.34% in national or international journals with an impact factor in the Journal Citation Reports., (Copyright © 2011 Sociedad Española de Cardiología. Published by Elsevier Espana. All rights reserved.)