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The research on grafting in horticultural plants has increased in recent years due to the benefits of grafting on disease control, productivity, and fruit quality. This study analyzes the scientific production on grafting in horticultural plants, using bibliometric techniques with the objective of obtaining a vision of the characteristics of the work carried out in the world on this subject. The worldwide evolution of research in this field was analyzed from 1979 to 2018 using a bibliometric analysis of 1376 articles. The analysis provided evidence of scientific production of authors, institutions, and countries. The results showed a growing interest on grafting in horticultural plants, mainly in the past decade when 73% of the total analyzed articles were published. The most productive subject area was Agricultural and Biological. The most productive journal was Scientia Horticulturae, and the one that obtained highest number of citations was Plant Physiology. The most cited authors per article were Colla, Roupahel, and Cardarelli. The most prolific institution was Agricultural Research Organization of Israel. China, United States, and Spain were the countries that published the most articles. The countries with the highest percentage of international collaboration were Germany and United Kingdom.

páginas, 4 figuras, 3 tablas, Background: Growing international migration has increased the complexity of tuberculosis transmission patterns. Italy's decision to close its borders in 2018 made of Spain the new European porte entrée for migration from the Horn of Africa (HA). In one of the first rescues of migrants from this region at the end of 2018, tuberculosis was diagnosed in eight subjects, mainly unaccompanied minors. Methods: Mycobacterium tuberculosis isolates from these recently arrived migrants were analysed by Mycobacterial Interspersed Repetitive-Unit/Variable-Number of Tandem Repeat (MIRU-VNTR) and subsequent whole genome sequencing (WGS) analysis. Data were compared with those from collections from other European countries receiving migrants from the HA and a strain-specific PCR was applied for a fast searching of common strains. Infections in a cellular model were performed to assess strain virulence. Results: MIRU-VNTR analysis allowed identifying an epidemiological cluster involving three of the eight cases from Somalia (0 single-nucleotide polymorphisms between isolates, HA cluster). Following detailed interviews revealed that two of these cases had shared the same migratory route in most of the trip and had spent a long time at a detention camp in Libya. To confirm potential en route transmission for the three cases, we searched the same strain in collections from other European countries receiving migrants from the HA. MIRU-VNTR, WGS and a strain-specific PCR for the HA strain were applied. The same strain was identified in 12 cases from Eritrea diagnosed soon after their arrival in 2018 to the Netherlands, Belgium and Italy. Intracellular replication rate of the strain did not reveal abnormal virulence. Conclusions: Our study suggests a potential en route transmission of a pan-susceptible strain, which caused at least 15 tuberculosis cases in Somalian and Eritrean migrants diagnosed in four different European countries., This work was supported by ERANet-LAC [ELAC2015/T08-0664] and Instituto de Salud Carlos III [AC16/00057, FIS15/01554, FIS13/01207, CP15/00075, PI19/00331] and cofounded by the European Regional Development Funds from the European Commission: ‘A way of making Europe’ and by Junta de Andalucia PI0488-2017.

Investments in research and development (R&amp, D) and innovation are expensive, and one wishes to be assured that there is positive feedback and to receive guidance on how to direct investments in the future. The social or economic benefits of investments in R&amp, D are of particular interest to policymakers. In this regard, public expense in research, especially through universities, is sometimes being questioned. This paper establishes a measure of how research in Spain, and specifically in its universities, is involved. In this study, we have analyzed all the literature cited in the period 1998&ndash, 2018 produced by Spanish institutions and which has been cited in at least one international patent, obtaining more than 40,000 publications from more than 160,000 different authors. The data have been surprisingly positive, showing that practically all public universities contribute to this subject and that there is a great deal of international collaboration, both in terms of the number of countries with which they collaborate and the prestige of the institutions involved. Regarding the specific scientific fields in which this collaboration is most relevant, biochemistry, genetics and molecular biology, and medicine together account for almost 40% of the total works. The topics most used by these publications were those of diseases or medical problems such as: Neoplams, Carcinoma, Alzheimer Disease, or human immunodeficiency virus (HIV-1). Oncology was according to the All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) the leading and central issue. Therefore, although the result of basic research is difficult to quantify, when it is observed that there is a return in fields such as medicine or global health, it can be said that it is well employed. In terms of journals from a purely bibliometric point of view, it has been observed that some journals do not have a great impact or relative position within their categories, but they do have a great relevance in this area of patent support. Therefore, it would be worthwhile to set up a rank for scientific journals based on the citations of patents, so the percentage of articles cited in patents with Field-Weighted Citation Impact (FWCI) &gt, 1, and as an indicator of scientific transfer from universities or research centres, the transference index in patents (TIP) is also proposed.

In this paper, worldwide research trends in the microalgae field are analyzed based on a bibliometric study. We have reviewed the number of publications and their distribution, as well as the most relevant journals and keywords, to determine the evolution and latest tendencies in this field. The results confirm that this is a fast-growing area in terms of the number of publications. The most relevant journals on this subject are Bioresource Technology and Algal Research. Although the majority of papers come out of the USA, the institutions with larger number of publications are actually located in China, France and Spain. The most frequently cited strains are Chlorella and Chlamydomonas. The main keywords that appear in over 1000 articles are generally related to microalgae cultivation applications such as ‘biomass, biofuel, and lipids’ while others are related to the methodology; for instance, ‘bioreactor’. Of all the keywords, ‘biomass’ stands out, as it appears in almost 20% of publications. Bibliographic analysis confirms that Microalgae Biotechnology is a very active field, where scientific productivity has exponentially increased over recent years in tandem with industrial production. Therefore, expectations are high in this field for the near future.

In industrial-scale microalgal cultures, non-target microalgae compete with the desired species for nutrients and CO2, thus reducing the growth rate of the target species and the quality of the produced biomass. Microalgae identification is generally considered a complicated issue; although, in the last few years, new molecular methods have helped to rectify this problem. Among the different techniques available, DNA barcoding has proven very useful in providing rapid, accurate, and automatable species identification; in this work, it is used to assess the genomic identity of the microalga species Scenedesmus sp. ‘almeriensis’, a common strain in industrial-scale cultures. Barcode markers rbcL and ITS1-5.8S-ITS2 were sequenced and the obtained genomic information was used to design a quantitative PCR assay to precisely quantify the S. almeriensis concentration in microalgal cultures of industrial interest. TaqMan chemistry was used to quantify down to 1 μg/L dry weight of S. almeriensis cells, including in the presence of concentrated mixed cultures of other microalgae. A simple direct qPCR approach was also investigated to avoid classic DNA extraction and to reduce total assay time to approximately 2 h. The objective was to design strain-specific tools able to confirm and quantify the presence of different strains in whatever microalgae culture so as to achieve maximal productivity and quality of the produced biomass.

Malaria is a major concern for international health authorities. Millions of people contract it every year in the world due to a parasite of the Plasmodium genus. Due to the complexity of the parasite biology and genetics, there is currently no vaccine against the disease. However, due to the great resistance both to the medicines and to the insecticides used to combat the disease, it has become essential to obtain a vaccine as the necessary tool to prevent transmission and eliminate the disease. The bibliometric data indicate that interest in vaccines has been growing steadily since the 1980s. But nowadays, a powerful tool is used: the Plasmodium genome. This allows us to improve the fight against the disease. Knowing the sequences of the genes that favor the appearance of drug resistance, or those that encode for proteins with greater antigenic response, is a tool that can become fundamental. This article reviews the state of the art on vaccines and genetics, in the fight against malaria, and analyzes the fixed photo that the worldwide research on the disease poses.

Background: The more than 4100 species of phytoparasitic nematodes are responsible for an estimated economic loss in the agricultural sector of nearly $125 billion annually. Knowing the main lines of research and concerns about nematodes that affect plants is fundamental. Methods: For this reason, an analysis using bibliometric data has been carried out, with the aim of tracing the state of world research in this field, as well as knowing the main lines of work, their priorities, and their evolution. Results: This will allow us to establish strategic lines for the future development of this research. Conclusions: The analysis has allowed us to detect that the interest in nematodes affecting plants has not stopped growing in the last decades, and that tomato, soybean, and potato crops are the ones that generate the most interest, as well as nematodes of the genus Meloidogyne and Globodera. Likewise, we have detected that the main lines of research in this field are focused on biological control and host&ndash, parasite interaction.

It is essential to establish a pattern to detect the strengths and weaknesses of working groups publishing on malaria, to promote coordination to facilitate the eradication of the disease. Given the complexity of the scientific network of groups and institutions studying malaria, it is necessary to use a mathematical algorithm that allows us to know the real structure of research on the disease in the world. In this work, articles with the word &ldquo, malaria&rdquo, in the title or author keywords gathered from Elsevier Scopus database were analyzed. By means of specific software, graphs were created. The analysis of the data allowed established different scientific communities, among which two were very diverse: one formed by those groups concerned about the vector transmission and control, and another one focused on the drug resistance of the parasite. Basic, applied, and operational research to eradicate malaria is an ambitious goal of the international institutions and the scientific community. The combination of effort and the establishment of a worldwide-scientific network that allows an effective interconnection (exchange) of knowledge, infrastructure technology, collaborators, financial resources, and datasets will contribute more effectively to end the disease.

Urban Wastewater treatment plants (UWWTPs) have played an important and fundamental role in society for water purification of contaminated human wastewaters over the last decades. Microorganisms are very important in UWWTP as their metabolic activity significantly reduces the organic load of the UWW, although there is an uncertain gap in our knowledge regarding microbial consortium structure and their activity in UWWTP operation on a large scale. On the other hand, effluents of UWWTPs have come to be a new source of fresh water to ease water scarcity in many regions of the world, especially in intensive irrigation practices. Many concerns over health risks relating to the direct reuse of this water are very well known. However, if a proper disinfection treatment is applied, these are strongly reduced as conventional methodologies have demonstrated over the last decades. In line with this, the continuous development of new devices for analytical measurement that increase the sensitivities (limit of detection) are showing that other potential risks for both environmental and human health may be associated with UWW reuse. In this work, the most important aspects related to microorganisms in UWWTPs and UWW effluents are presented. Moreover, the new developments on genetic tools for detection of microorganisms are presented, with special emphasis on metagenomic methodology. A bibliometric analysis of what has been published so far is also carried out.

Background: Malaria is one of the infectious diseases of greatest interest to the scientific community and of greatest concern to international health authorities. Traditionally, the focus has been on Plasmodium falciparum, the parasite that causes the most severe form of the disease in Africa. However, in the last twenty years, the Plasmodium vivax parasite, responsible for a large number of cases in Latin America, the Middle East, South and Southeast Asia, the Horn of Africa, and Oceania, has also generated enormous interest due, among other things, to the published evidence that it can cause severe malaria. Methods: In this paper, the international scientific publication on malaria and P. vivax has been analyzed using the Scopus database to try to define global trends in this field of study. Results: It has been shown that events such as the emergence of resistance to certain drugs can break a trend. The important role of non-malaria-endemic countries such as the USA or Switzerland in malaria research is also evident. Conclusions: International cooperation will be essential for the eradication of the disease. Moreover, in this sense, the general vision given by the bibliometric analysis of malaria caused by P. vivax is fundamental to paint the picture regarding the current situation and encourage international cooperation and control efforts.

Objective To explore the relationship between gastric cancer (GC) and occupational exposures. Methods A total of 382 incident GC cases and 2,846 randomly selected population controls with occupational information were included from the MCC-Spain study, a population-based multicase-control study. Occupation was coded according to the Spanish National Classification of Occupations 1994. Occupational exposures were assessed by the MatEmEsp Job Exposure Matrix. ORs and their 95% confidence intervals (CI) were estimated by unconditional logistic regression adjusting for matching variables and education. Results In men, a statistically significant increased risk of GC, was found for ‘Employed skilled workers in agricultural activities’ (OR 4.4) and a borderline association was found for ‘miners and quarry workers’ (OR 1.8, 95% CI: 0.9 to 3.4). Regarding occupational exposures, a statistically significant association was found for long term exposure (>10 years) to ‘insecticides’ in women (OR 2.68) and a borderline association was found in men (OR 1.43, 95% CI: 0.94 to 2.17). In men, a statistically significant increased risk of GC for the highest level of exposure to ‘ioninzing radiation’ (2.08), and ‘silica dust’ (OR1.52) was also found. In women, statistically significant associations were found for the highest level of exposure to some dusty exposures such as ‘flour dust’ (OR 1.76), or ‘other mineral dust different from silica’ (OR 2.07). A borderline association was found in women for other dusty exposures such as ‘paper pulp&dust’ (OR 3.22, 95% CI: 0.99 to 10.45), and non-significant increases of risk were found for ‘leather dust’ (OR 2.30, 95% CI: 0.58 to 9.17) and ‘textile dust’ (OR 2.30, 95% CI: 0.59 to 9.92). Conclusions This study supports the relationship previously suggested between GC and ionising radiation, pesticides or occupational exposure to dusty environments.

Background In Spain, prostate cancer is the third cause of mortality from cancer in men, after lung and colorectal cancers. Age, family history and race are common risk factors. Several environmental and occupational factors have been investigated, including pesticides and endocrine disruptors, but results are inconsistent. We have previously shown an association of prostate cancer risk with shift work. We evaluate here which occupations and agents are associated with a high risk for prostate cancer within the framework of the MCC-Spain. Methods We included 1111 incident cases of prostate cancer and 1489 population controls recruited from 7 Spanish regions from September 2008 to December 2012. Occupational history was collected for all subjects, and occupations were coded according to the Spanish National Classification of Occupations 1994 (CNO-94). The Spanish Job Exposure Matrix (MatEmESp) was applied to assess occupational exposures to different agents. Unconditional logistic regression was applied, adjusting for age, education and region, showing Odds Ratios and 95% Confidence Intervals (OR; CI). Results Construction building managers (OR = 2.0; 1.1–3.8), cleaning personnel (OR = 2.1; 1.1–4.0), farmers (OR = 3.0; 1.1–8.1) were associated with an increase risk in prostate cancer. An association has been observed for exposure to inorganic dust, specifically to silica dust (OR = 1.3; 1.1–1.7), insecticides (OR = 1.4; 1.1–1.8), and ultraviolet radiations (OR = 1.3; 1.1–1.6). Analysis on intensity and duration of the exposure to certain agents as well as associations with extension of the disease will be presented. Conclusions Occupational exposures may play a role in the development of prostate cancer.

As an engineer I feel personally involved, as no doubt many others feel fellow engineers, professors and businessmen, the responsibility to reflect on the specific role of the engineer in the coming decades, in a world of rapid technological change.

Previous studies investigating associations between occupational history and risk of exocrine pancreatic cancer (EPC) did not use biomarkers of exposure. The only two studies that measured internal concentrations of organochlorine compounds (OCs) in EPC did not analyse their relationship with occupation.To analyse the relationship between occupational history and blood concentrations of seven OCs in patients with EPC.Incident cases of EPC were prospectively identified, and during hospital admission were interviewed face-to-face on occupational history and life-style factors (n = 135). Occupations were coded according to the International Standard of Occupations 1988. Some occupational exposures were also assessed with the Finnish job-exposure matrix (Finjem). Serum concentrations of OCs were analysed by high-resolution gas chromatography with electron-capture detection.Craftsmen and related trades workers had significantly higher concentrations of polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) congeners 138, 153 and 180. Years worked in agriculture did not influence concentrations of p,p'-DDT, p,p'-DDE, hexachlorobenzene or β-hexachlorocyclohexane. Subjects who ever worked in agriculture had lower concentrations of PCBs (all p0.05). Occupational exposure to lead, nickel and low frequency magnetic fields was significantly associated with higher concentrations of PCBs.Certain occupations were associated with higher concentrations of PCBs, suggesting that these compounds may account for some increased risks found in previous studies. The lack of association between work in agriculture and concentrations of OC pesticides is consistent with occupation playing a lesser role than diet in influencing OC concentrations. Occupational studies on the relationships among exposure to industrial agents and EPC risk may need to consider adjusting for exposure to PCBs.