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The article presents a study which examines the short-term movements of small temperate fish Serranus scriba in the marine protected area (MPA) of Palma Bay, Spain through the use of passive acoustic telemetry. It mentions that the researchers have surgically implanted fifteen adult fishes with acoustic transmitters and monitored them for seven months in which they have detected interindividual variability on the animals. It affirms that two principal movement behaviors that are being detected from the study include having some of the fishes showing high site fidelity and others having a more mobile behavior.

Juvenile turbot (Scophthalmus maximus) were kept in captivity and were fed a prepared food contaminated with five different concentrations of seawater-accommodated fuel oil from 2.4±0.35 to 48.2±2.2mgg−1 food, with a control group receiving uncontaminated food. The growth and survival of individually tagged fish (N =202) were measured after a six-week treatment period. The otolith growth rate was measured and otolith composition was determined before and after the treatments using LA-ICPMS. Fish and otolith growth were negatively affected by the fuel oil treatment, and the response decreased with the level of contamination. Otolith growth and element incorporation peaked at mid level exposures and decreased at the highest level. The otolith elemental composition reflected the presence of some elements in the Prestige fuel that may have been incorporated through the diet into the otolith. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The Cardona Diapir in NE Spain, with a salt outcrop about 0.9 km2 in area, has a well-developed endokarstic system that used to discharge into the Cardener River. Underground mining for potassium salt carried out from 1930 to 1990 caused significant changes in the topography and hydrology of the diapir. The accumulation of two halite slag heaps, totalling around 10 million tons, locally dammed the surface drainage, creating closed depressions and preferential zones of water recharge. The waters that infiltrated in one of these depressions, largely derived from uncontrolled sewage disposal, led to the generation of a 335-m-long human-induced cave excavated in one of the slag heaps. Moreover, the inflow of freshwater from the surrounding sandstone aquifer, caused by the excavation of a ventilation gallery, resulted in the generation of a 280-m-long cave. In March 1998, the interception of a phreatic conduit by a halite mine gallery 50 m deep caused dramatic changes in the hydrology and geomorphology of the diapir, including: (a) a sudden decline in the piezometric level of the karstic aquifer; (b) the inflow of freshwater and debris from the Cardener River into the endokarstic system and the mine galleries. A tunnel had to be constructed to divert the river flow from the salt outcrop; (c) massive dissolution of salt, creating new cavities and enlarging the pre-existing ones, including both mine galleries or cave passages. The 4,300-m-long Salt Meanders Cave was largely generated by the inrush of water from the Cardener River into the mine galleries; and (d) the generation of a large number of sinkholes in the vicinity of the Cardener River. An inventory of 178 sinkholes has allowed us to estimate minimum probability values of 4.7 and 8 sinkholes/km2·year for time intervals previous and subsequent to the 1998 mine flood event, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Spain, evaporite outcrops cover approximately 7% of the total area of the country. Most of the evaporitic formations are made up of Ca-sulfates (gypsum/anhydrite) or Ca-sulfates and halite. Certain Paleogene marine evaporites also contain K-Mg-chlorides, and some Tertiary continental formations bear substantial amounts of Na-sulfates in the subsurface (glauberite and thenardite). Mesozoic evaporitic formations commonly wedge out towards the ground surface, passing into condensed sequences and dissolution-collapse breccias. Some of these highly porous breccias constitute major regional aquifers. In several areas, interstratal karstification of the evaporites has given rise to gravitational deformations such as basin structures, monoclines, and collapse structures covering several square kilometers that record a cumulative subsidence in excess of 200 m (Teruel and Calatayud Grabens). A widespread consequence of evaporite dissolution processes in Spain is the hydrochemical degradation of surface waters. Some of the largest and most outstanding lake systems, from an environmental perspective, occur in karstic depressions developed in evaporitic formations (Fuente de Piedra, Gallocanta, Bujaraloz, and Bañolas lakes). Sinkhole activity is a major geohazard in several evaporite karst areas. The sinkhole risk has a particularly high impact in sectors where Tertiary evaporites are overlain by Quaternary alluvial aquifers (Calatayud, Zaragoza, and Madrid areas). Some of the detrimental effects of subsidence include severe damage to historical monuments (Calatayud), the demolition of a whole village (Puilatos), or the derailment of a freight train (Zaragoza area). The deepest gypsum caves are found in Triassic diapiric structures (El Sumidor Cave, 210 m deep), and the longest ones are developed in horizontally lying Neogene sequences (Sorbas caves, and Estremera maze cave). The Cardona diapir hosts salt caves up to 4,300 m long whose genesis is related to flooding of mine galleries caused by the interception of a phreatic conduit. The main anthropogenic impacts on the endokarstic systems are related to the disposal of wastewaters and the destruction of caves by quarrying. The fluvial valleys that cross Tertiary evaporitic outcrops commonly show peculiar geological characteristics related to dissolution-induced synsedimentary subsidence phenomena: (1) Thickened alluvium filling dissolution basins up to several tens of kilometers long and more than 100 m deep. The largest thickenings are found in areas where the bedrock contains halite and glauberite. (2) Superimposed alluvial units locally bounded by angular unconformities. (3) Abundant deformational structures and paleosinkholes related to the rockhead and/or interstratal karstification of the substratum. These fluvial valleys typically are flanked by a prominent gypsum escarpment. Rock-falls favored by the dissolutional enlargement of joints derived from these scarps are the type of mass movement which has caused the highest number of casualties in Spain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Few epidemiological studies have examined the relationship of dietary fatty acids, especially MUFA, with the interrelation between insulin secretion and insulin resistance. We assessed the relation of dietary fatty acids with insulin secretion in a free-living population. Design and setting: This cross-sectional, population-based study was undertaken in Pizarra, a small town in Spain. Subjects and methods: Anthropometrical data were collected for 1226 persons selected randomly from the municipal census, 538 of whom (randomly chosen) were given a prospective, quantitative, 7-day nutritional questionnaire. The fatty acid composition of the serum phospholipids was used as a biological marker of the type of fat consumed. Beta-cell function (βCFI) and insulin-resistance index (IRI) were estimated by the Homeostasis Model Assessment. Results: To determine which factors influence the variability of the βCFI, we analyzed the variance of the βCFI according to sex, the presence of carbohydrate metabolism disorders and the different components of the diet, adjusting the models for age, body mass index (BMI) and IRI. The dietary MUFA and polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) contributed to the variability of the βCFI, whereas only the proportion of serum phospholipid MUFA, but neither the saturated fatty acids nor the PUFA accounted for part of the variability of the βCFI in a multiple regression analysis. Conclusion: The results of this population-based study corroborate the results of other clinical and experimental studies suggesting a favorable relationship of MUFA with β-cell insulin secretion. Sponsorship: Fondo de Investigación Sanitaria, Junta de Andalucía and the Asociación Maimónides. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Osteoporotic hip fractures in older people may confer an increased risk of subsequent hip fractures and death. The aim of this study was to estimate the cumulative incidence of both recurrent hip fracture and death in the Valencia region. We followed a cohort of 34,491 patients aged ≥65 years who were discharged alive from Valencia Health System hospitals after an osteoporotic hip fracture between 2008 and 2015, until death or end of study (December 31, 2016). Two Bayesian illness-death models were applied to estimate the cumulative incidences of recurrent hip fracture and death by sex, age, and year of discharge. We estimated 1-year cumulative incidences of recurrent hip fracture at 2.5% in women and 2.3% in men, and 8.3% and 6.6%, respectively, at 5 years. Cumulative incidences of total death were 18.3% in women and 28.6% in men at 1 year, and 51.2% and 69.8% at 5 years. One-year probabilities of death after recurrent hip fracture were estimated at 26.8% and 43.8%, respectively, and at 57.3% and 79.2% at 5 years. Our analysis showed an increasing trend in the 1-year cumulative incidence of recurrent hip fracture from 2008 to 2015, but a decreasing trend in 1-year mortality. Male sex and age at discharge were associated with increased risk of death. Women showed higher incidence of subsequent hip fracture than men although they were at the same risk of recurrent hip fracture. Probabilities of death after recurrent hip fracture were higher than those observed in the general population. © 2022 The Authors. Journal of Bone and Mineral Research published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of American Society for Bone and Mineral Research (ASBMR)., (© 2022 The Authors. Journal of Bone and Mineral Research published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of American Society for Bone and Mineral Research (ASBMR).)

Background: Recent works have reported that bariatric surgery has remarkable effects on the metabolome, which might be potentially associated to the metabolic improvement of this procedure in patients with obesity. Serum polyamines, metabolites derived from amino acid metabolism, have been recently related to the metabolic status in obese individuals. However, the impact of bariatric surgery on the circulating levels of polyamines remains elusive., Objective: To evaluate the effect of bariatric surgery on serum polyamine levels and to evaluate the association of changes in these molecules with metabolic improvement in patients with morbid obesity., Setting: Virgen de la Victoria University Hospital, Malaga, Spain., Methods: This study included 32 morbidly obese patients (weight index ≥40 kg/m 2 ) with metabolic syndrome, who underwent sleeve gastrectomy. Serum levels of polyamines (putrescine, spermidine, and spermine), acetylpolyamines, and polyamine-related amino acids (arginine and ornithine) were assessed at baseline and 6 months after bariatric surgery, and were analyzed in an ultraperformance liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry platform., Results: Our metabolomic analysis revealed a significant rise in several metabolites related to the polyamine metabolism, such as putrescine and acetyl derivatives of spermidine and spermine in serum samples from morbidly obese patients after bariatric surgery. Changes in serum levels of both putrescine and acetylputrescine were associated to the resolution of metabolic syndrome after surgery., Conclusion: Our study indicates that bariatric surgery affects the serum polyamine pattern and the resolution of metabolic syndrome after bariatric surgery is associated to specific changes in the serum polyamine metabolome., Competing Interests: Disclosures The authors have no commercial associations that might be a conflict of interest in relation to this article., (Copyright © 2019 American Society for Bariatric Surgery. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objective: To explore the perceptions, beliefs and attitudes of women who opted for a home birth in Andalusia (Spain)., Background: Home birth is currently an unusual choice among Spanish women. It is not an option covered by the Spanish National Health Service and women who opt for a home birth have to pay for an independent midwife., Design: A qualitative study with a phenomenological approach was adopted. All participants who took part in this study had chosen to have a home birth and given written consent to take part in the study., Methods: Data collection was conducted in 2015-16. Face-to-face, semi-structured interviews were undertaken with women who chose a home birth in the last 5 years., Findings: The sample consisted of thirteen women. Seven themes were created through analysis: 1. Getting informed about home birth; 2. Home birth as a choice, despite feeling unsupported; 3. The best way to have a personalized and a physiological birth; 4. Seeking a healing and empowering experience 5. The need for emotional safety, establishing a relationship and trusting the midwife; 6. Preparing for birth and working on fears; 7. Inequality of access (because of financial implications)., Conclusions: Women opted to plan birth at home because they wanted a personalised birth and control over their decision-making in labour, which they felt would not have been afforded to them in hospital settings. Andalusian maternity care leaders should strive to ensure that all pregnant women receive respectful and high-quality personalised care, by appropriately trained staff, both in the hospital and in the community., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: Abnormal uric acid levels are considered by some to be a risk factor for metabolic disorders, whereas others consider it to be just a marker. We therefore examined the association between plasma uric acid concentrations and the risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus., Material and Methods: We undertook a prospective, 8-year study of 411 persons from the general population with no carbohydrate metabolism disorder at the start of the study evaluated by oral glucose overload. The following variables were measured at the beginning and end of the study: uric acid, triglycerides, cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, glucose and insulin in plasma, body mass index and waist-to-hip ratio. The participants were classified according to their plasma uric acid concentration, with a cut-off at the 33rd percentile (men, 291.45 and women, 208.18 micromol/l)., Results: Participants with plasma uric acid concentrations above the 33rd percentile at the start of the study had worse lipid and anthropometric profiles. These persons were at greater risk for carbohydrate disorder at the end of the 8- year follow-up study (relative risk, 1.73; 95% confidence interval, 1.04-2.8). No significant differences were found in age or in the remaining variables studied between these two groups., Conclusions: Increased uric acid levels in response to a possible chronic increase in oxidative stress may predict future disorders or complications such as type 2 diabetes in otherwise healthy persons.

Objective: Numerous genes have been associated with the risk for type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM2). In an attempt to understand how specific variants of different genes interact and intervene in the molecular and physiological mechanisms of disorders such as diabetes or insulin resistance, the search for gene-gene interactions is constantly growing. We searched for a possible interaction between two polymorphisms (Trp64Arg of ADRB3 gene and -75G/A of APOA1gene) and the risk for DM2 in a population from southern Spain., Design and Methods: A cross-sectional study in southern Spain of 1020 people, aged 18-65 years. All persons underwent a clinical, anthropometrical and biochemical evaluation, including an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT). Insulin resistance was measured by homeostasis model of assessment (HOMA). The polymorphisms -75G/A of APOA1 and Trp64Arg of ADRB3 were detected by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) and real-time PCR, respectively., Results: The genotype frequencies of the -75G/A polymorphism of the APOA1 gene were 62.7% GG, 25.7% GA and 11.6% AA, whereas for the Trp64Arg polymorphism of the ADRB3 gene, they were 87.5% Trp/Trp, 11.7% Trp/Arg and 0.8% Arg/Arg. Subjects with both gene variants had a greater odds ratio (OR) of having DM2 [OR = 5.5; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.2-23.5] than persons with one or none of the variants, after adjusting for age, sex, body mass index (BMI) and homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR)., Conclusions: Joint association of allele -75A (APOA1) and allele Arg64 (ADRB3) increase the risk of DM2 in a population from southern Spain.

Activation of the PPAR gamma 2 gene (PPARG2) improves the action of insulin and its lipid metabolism. We examined the association between Pro12Ala polymorphism of PPARG2, type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM2), and peripheral insulin sensitivity in a population with a high intake of oleic acid. A cross-sectional, population-based study was undertaken in Pizarra, a small town in the province of Malaga in southern Spain. A total of 538 subjects, aged 18-65 y, were selected randomly from the municipal census. All subjects underwent a clinical, anthropometrical, and biochemical evaluation, including an oral glucose tolerance test and Pro12Ala polymorphism of PPARG2. Insulin resistance was measured by homeostasis model assessment. Those subjects with the Ala-12 allele had an odds ratio for impaired fasting glucose of 0.55, for impaired glucose tolerance of 0.59, and for DM2 of 0.30. The intake of monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA) contributed to the variance of the homeostasis model assessment insulin resistance index (HOMA IR) (P = 0.04), with a 2-way interaction between the Ala-12 allele of PPARG2 and the intake of MUFA (P = 0.005). The results suggest the existence of an interaction between Pro12Ala polymorphism of PPARG2 and dietary MUFA, such that obese people with the Ala-12 allele have higher HOMA IR values, especially if their intake of MUFA is low.

Aims: Genes of the Apo AI/CIII/AIV cluster on chromosome 11 have been related to plasma lipid patterns. The close relationship between carbohydrate metabolism and lipid metabolism warrants investigation of the association between this cluster and Type 2 diabetes mellitus. We therefore examined the possible association between polymorphisms of this cluster and Type 2 diabetes mellitus as part of a study of the prevalence of diabetes and the metabolic syndrome in southern Spain., Methods: A total of 1224 persons were selected randomly from the town of Pizarra in the province of Malaga, southern Spain. The sample errors for the prevalence of Type 2 diabetes mellitus and the three polymorphisms studied were all < or = 4%. All subjects underwent phenotyping after an oral glucose tolerance test (75 g) (WHO 1998 criteria) and the XmnI and MspI polymorphisms of Apo AI and the SstI polymorphism of Apo CIII were genotyped., Results: Those subjects with the mutated AA genotype of the MspI polymorphism (-75 G-->A) of Apo AI had a greater risk of impaired glucose tolerance [odds ratio (OR) = 1.95, CI = 1.02-3.8, P = 0.05], Type 2 diabetes mellitus, both known (OR = 7.38, CI = 1.3-39.7, P = 0.02) and unknown (OR = 3.7, CI = 1.4-9.9, P = 0.009). This risk was independent of age, sex, obesity, triglyceride level, HDL cholesterol and pattern of insulin resistance., Conclusions: Pending confirmation in prospective studies, the AA genotype of the MspI polymorphism of the Apo AI gene, within the Apo A-I/C-III/A-IV cluster, seems to be a risk factor for Type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Most studies of antibodies to oxidized LDL have been undertaken in patients with different diseases and cardiovascular risk factors. However, very few studies have researched the distribution and determining factors of antibodies to oxidized LDL in the general population. A total of 1,354 persons (817 females and 537 males) aged 5-65 years were included in this study. They were selected randomly from the population census of Málaga, in southern Spain. The females had lower levels of total cholesterol and triglycerides and higher levels of HDL-cholesterol and a very significant increase (P < 0.0001) in levels of anti-oxidized LDL [low density lipoprotein modified by malondialdehyde (MDA-LDL)] antibodies but no difference in levels of immune complexes consisting of LDL and IgG antibodies (anti-LDL immune complex). Younger persons (16-35 years) had higher levels of anti-oxidized LDL (MDA-LDL) antibodies than persons older than 35 years (P = 0.05). Levels of immune complexes were significantly higher (P = 0.05) in persons aged 5-15 years than in persons older than 40 years. A very weak association was found between levels of anti-oxidized LDL (MDA-LDL) antibodies and anti-LDL immune complexes. The higher prevalence of anti-oxidized LDL (MDA-LDL) antibodies in females and young persons is in agreement with studies that found an inverse association between atherosclerosis and the level of these antibodies.

The aim of this study was to evaluate patterns of insulin resistance in the general population. The study was cross sectional. Clinical, anthropometric, and lipid measurements were made in 1226 persons aged 18-65 years. An oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) was performed in 1020 subjects, with insulin levels determined at baseline and after 2 h. The homeostasis model assessment insulin resistance index (HOMA IR) and HOMA beta-cell function were calculated. Compared with subjects with normal glucose tolerance, the groups with abnormal OGTT had different baseline insulinemia, 2 h post OGTT insulinemia, HOMA IR and HOMA beta-cell indices. Serum insulin levels at baseline and 2 h after OGTT showed a characteristic pattern for each category of glucose tolerance, resulting from the different insulin responses. In the subjects with normal glucose tolerance, the pattern of the relationships between both types of serum insulin levels was exactly the same, so that it was possible to determine risk groups according to the ratio of baseline serum insulin/2 h insulin. HOMA IR and HOMA beta-cell were significantly associated with the risk of impaired fasting glucose, previously unknown diabetes mellitus, and known diabetes mellitus. These results support the rationale for introducing preventive measures against insulin resistance in the general population.

Background and Objective: Our purpose was to evaluate in a cross-section, populational study the association between daily physical activity and various metabolic and cardiovascular disease risk factors., Patients and Method: A total of 1226 randomly selected persons (aged 18-65 years) from a town in southeast Spain were evaluated for studying the association between the level of daily physical activity, both in and out of working hours, and the following variables: body mass index, plasma lipids, hypertension, obesity, altered baseline glycemia, and abnormal glucose tolerance., Results: The intensity of the physical activity at work was related negatively with insulin resistance and levels of LDL cholesterol, and positively with HDL cholesterol. The probability of hypertension, altered baseline glycemia, and abnormal glucose tolerance was greater in those undertaking less daily physical activity., Conclusions: Daily physical activity, considered as part of the lifestyle, is related with the presence of components of the metabolic syndrome. An increase in daily physical activity should contribute to improve preventible cardiovascular risk factors.

Autoantibodies against epitopes of oxidized low-density lipoprotein (LDL), initially shown in human sera, were later related with the atherosclerotic process, although recent studies have questioned this association. Moreover, their association with total cholesterol and plasma LDL, or with the other lipoproteins, is not clear. We studied the relation between the levels of autoantibodies to oxidized LDL and lipoproteins in a population of 400 subjects from the lower Guadalhorce area in Malaga, Spain. Anti-oxidized LDL antibodies were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and total cholesterol, triglycerides, high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, and lipoprotein(a) [Lp(a)] were measured with commercial kits. Subjects who were positive for anti-oxidized LDL antibodies had significantly lower levels of total cholesterol (P <.01) and LDL cholesterol (P <.01). There was a negative correlation between titers of anti-oxidized LDL antibodies and levels of total cholesterol (P =.007) and LDL cholesterol (P =.024). This inverse relation between the levels of anti-oxidized LDL antibodies and the levels of total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol in a large population study, together with the discordances already published, suggests that the relation between anti-oxidized LDL antibodies, arteriosclerosis, and lipids is more complex than initially thought., (Copyright 2002, Elsevier Science (USA). All rights reserved.)

Objective: To find the costs of Primary Care services and centres and identify the variables which enable the possible differences between them to be explained., Design: Cost analysis study., Setting: Primary Care Centres., Participants: 15 Primary Care Centres managed by the Catalan Health Institute., Measurements and Main Results: Costs of chapters 1 (staff), 11 (running costs) and 1V (medicines) of the accounts for the 1993 exercise and possible cost variability between services and Health Centres were analysed. The cost per inhabitant of services was, in order of importance: general medicine (18,873 pesetas per inhabitant), Paediatrics (16,204), Odontology (638) and Social Work (255). The mean cost of Primary Care Centres was 19,137 pesetas per inhabitant. The variables which seemed to explain variability of operating costs were: for general medicine, the inhabitant to doctor ratio (r2 0.31, p < 0.02); for Paediatrics, the number of attendances (r2 0.35, p < 0.01); and for health centres, the inhabitant to doctor ratio, teaching and number of attendances (r2 0.75, p < 0.001)., Conclusions: The analysis of costs of services and centres enables us to identify and compare results between different suppliers, which can be useful when we need parameters to measure efficiency.

Objective: To find the costs of the products in the set of offered services and the costs of Primary Care Centre services, using the costs of functioning., Design: Descriptive study., Setting: Primary Care Centres., Participants: Seven Primary Care Centres managed by the Catalan Institute of Health., Measurements and Main Results: The costs of chapters I (staff) and II (running costs) from the budget accounting of the 1993 exercise. The average costs per product of unplanned attendance on the general practitioner (768 pesetas) and paediatrician (1,152 pesetas) are lower than for general medical (3,291 pes) or paediatric (5,303) nursing. The cost of paediatrics is higher than general medicine for any type of medical attendance. Average costs for unplanned attendance at the odontologist (3,804 pes) and social worker (10,661 pes) are higher than for other professionals. Services with cost per inhabitant are, in order of precedence: paediatrics (13,343 pesetas/inhabitant), general medicine (6,401), odontology (811) and social work (292)., Conclusions: The analysis of costs of products and services allows us to know and compare findings for different health providers.