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High-speed rail (HSR) was originally conceived to connect large metropolitan areas in competition with air transport and suitable for distances between 400 km and 600 km. Since the opening of the first HSR, several studies have been undertaken to evaluate the increased accessibility HSR provides. The accessibility indicators used in these assessments consider the characteristics of the new transport system (speed, layout, stops, etc.) that are fundamentally related to the infrastructure itself. However, many studies on HSR have also highlighted the importance of providing services (timetables, frequencies, and fares). A high-performance infrastructure such as HSR may not reach its full potential in terms of accessibility and reducing travel times unless adequate services are provided. Considering this service approach, the paper presents a comparative accessibility analysis of the Spanish high-speed rail network based on two indicators: one focused on the potential connectivity between stations (location-based measure) and the other based on actual HSR services (schedule-based measure). This latter calculation has been established taking into account the available time at the destination and the associated travel costs. The use of this measure to assess the accessibility of the Spanish HSR network provides a new perspective on the real usefulness of this infrastructure. Comparing these two measures helps us evaluate the extent to which the services provided in each city allow the HSR network to reach its full potential accessibility. The comparison also highlights many dissimilarities among cities. This method provides a useful tool for transport planning and improving city design strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: One of the reported arguments to health-care personnel receiving influenza vaccination is fear of Adverse Reactions (AR). The objective of this study was to investigate the frequency and characteristics of AR associated with the influenza vaccine., Methods: Cohort study; 2587 health-care workers vaccinated against influenza during the seasons 2006-2007, 2007-2008 and 2008-2009 were included. They were asked about any AR seven days after the vaccination., Results: A total of 1893 health-care workers were evaluated (73.2%). An AR was reported by 30.3%. There were no serious AR reported., Conclusion: The fear of the severity of AR does not seem to be justifiable as a reason for refusing the flu vaccine., (Copyright 2009 Elsevier España, S.L. All rights reserved.)

Background: High-grade intraepithelial neoplasia (HGPIN) is the only lesion regarded as precursor of prostatic carcinoma, though its frequency is unknown in many countries. Here we studied the frequency of HGPIN in a population with high grade frequency of prostatic carcinoma., Material and Methods: A total of 486 cases of sextant prostatic biopsies performed from January 2001 to January 2006 were reviewed. These included 280 biopsies from patients belonging to an urban population, with medium or high socioeconomic status, from two hospitals in Mexico City. For comparison, 206 cases from the Regional Hospital of Tabasco located in the tropical zone of the country were included. This hospital receives patients from a rural population with low income and socioeconomic status., Results: Of the total 486 cases, 162 (33.33%) cases were diagnosed as prostatic carcinoma and 319 (65.64%) as benign conditions. Only in five (1.03%) biopsies was HGPIN found. Three of these patients were from Mexico City, and two from the Regional Hospital of Tabasco., Conclusions: Even when our results were obtained only in three hospitals, they suggest that a low frequency of HGPIN on needle prostate biopsies does not necessarily mean a low frequency of prostatic carcinoma in the same population. The reason for such a disparity could be related to a reduced extension of HGPIN areas in the prostate gland. In populations with low frequency of HGPIN and high incidence of prostatic carcinoma, perhaps more biopsy cores should be obtained in order to minimize false negative results for premalignant lesions or early adenocarcinoma.