HPN rara, cara i desconeguda : Documental sobre l’Hemoglobinúria Paroxística Nocturna

Aquest treball acadèmic reflecteix, a través d’un documental audiovisual, la situació dels malalts d’HPN (Hemoglobinúria Paroxística Nocturna) a Espanya. Són un col•lectiu d’uns 300 afectats. Com a malaltia rara que és, fa que cada pacient tingui una situació molt diferent. En aquest treball, fet a partir d’entrevistes a malalts i experts, s’intenta explicar com viuen el seu dia a dia i quins problemes tenen.

Gross Hemoglobinuria and Oliguria are Common Transient Complications of Sclerotherapy for Venous Malformations: Review of 475 Procedures.

Estudi retrospectiu per analitzar la incidència, factors de risc i tractament de la hemoglobinuria macroscòpica i oliguria després del tractament de malformacions venoses amb escleroteràpia. Un total de 475 procediments es van realitzar en 131 malalts usant etanol, sulfat tetradecil sòdic o ambdos. Hemoglobinuria temporal es va donar després del 34% de procediments i el 57% d’aquests es van asociar amb oliguria temporal. Aquest risc augmenta amb el increment de dosis. La resolució de la hemoglobinuria i oliguria va ser satisfactòria en tots els malalts. El risc d’hemoglobinuria augmenta a les malformacions que afecten les extremitats inferiors i a les de localitzacions mútiples.

Experimental assessment of the effects of a Neotropical nocturnal piscivore on juvenile native and invasive fishes

We experimentally examined the predator-prey relationships between juvenile spotted sorubim Pseudoplastystoma corruscans and young-of-the-year invasive and native fish species of the Paraná River basin, Brazil. Three invasive (peacock bass Cichla piquiti, Nile tilapia Oreochromis niloticus, and channel catfish Ictalurus punctatus) and two native (yellowtail tetra Astyanax altiparanae and streaked prochilod Prochilodus lineatus) fish species were offered as prey to P. corruscans in 300 L aquaria with three habitat complexity treatments (0%, 50% and 100% structure-covered). Prey survival was variable through time and among species (C. piquiti < O. niloticus < A. altiparanae < P. lineatus < I. punctatus), depending largely on species-specific prey behavior but also on prey size and morphological defenses. Habitat complexity did not directly affect P. corruscans piscivory but some prey species changed their microhabitat use and shoaling behavior among habitat treatments in predator’s presence. Pseudoplatystoma corruscans preyed preferentially on smaller individuals of those invasive species with weak morphological defensive features that persisted in a non-shoaling behavior. Overall, our results contrast with those in a companion experiment using a diurnal predator, suggesting that nocturnal piscivores preferentially prey on different (rather diurnal) fish species and are less affected by habitat complexity. Our findings suggest that recovering the native populations of P. corruscans might help controling some fish species introduced to the Paraná River basin, particularly C. piquiti and O. niloticus, whose parental care is expected to be weak or null at night

Insomnia in hospitalised patients with advanced disease: prevalence and related factors

Objectiu: Avaluar prevalença i factors associats a l’insomni en pacients ingressats a una unitat de cures pal•liatives. Mètode: Entrevista estructurada a pacients consecutivament ingressats avaluant l’insomni a través de l’escala Sleep Disturbance Scale, i els factors físics, psicològics i ambientals potencialment associats. Resultats principals: El 47% presentà insomni moderat a sever. Els factors potencialment associats més prevalents foren dolor, distrés psicològic, rumiacions nocturnes i factors ambientals. En l’anàlisi multivariada, rumiacions nocturnes i somnolència diürna (relació inversa) es relacionaren amb insomni moderat a sever. Conclusions: L’insomni és un símptoma prevalent relacionat amb rumiacions nocturnes i absència de somnolència diürna.

Differences in diet between the two largest breeding colonies of Audouin's gulls: the effects of fishery activities

We analysed and compared the diet of Audouin´s gulls Larus audouinii between their two largest breeding sites in the world: the Ebro Delta and the Chafarinas Islands (western Mediterranean). These two localities showed marked differences in the features of the commercial fishing fleet: in the Ebro Delta area a large fishing fleet produced large amounts of discards, while in the Chafarinas the fleet discarded smaller amounts of fish and marine invertebrates, due to the smaller number of vessels. It is also likely that the percentage of discards from total catches is also lower around the Chafarinas than at the Ebro Delta. We distinguished two types of fishing to compare diet compositions: diurnal (only trawling activity) and diurnal and nocturnal (trawling and purse-seine activity, respectively). We also differentiated regurgitates from young nestlings (up to 20 days old) and from older nestlings or adult birds. At the two localities, fish was the main food of Audouin´s gulls, with epipelagic prey (mainly clupeoids) being more important when both diurnal and nocturnal fisheries were operating. This confirms that epipelagic prey either caught actively by the gulls or linked to fisheries was particularly important in the feeding habits of Audouin´s gulls. Nevertheless, differences between the two colonies appear mainly when only trawlers operated: while at the Ebro Delta gulls showed higher consumption of benthic-mesopelagic prey (probably linked to a higher trawler discard availability), gulls from the Chafarinas Islands consumed higher biomass of epipelagic prey probably caught actively at night. When both fleets operated around the two colonies, the average biomass of prey in a regurgitate of younger chicks was significantly higher at the Ebro Delta than at Chafarinas, and the opposite trend was recorded for older nestlings and adults. Niche width was broader in Chafarinas than in the Ebro Delta for both age classes and for any fishing fleet schedule, suggesting again that the exploitation of discards was higher at the Ebro Delta than at the Chafarinas, where gulls showed a more varied diet. Despite the fact that availability of discards was probably higher at the Ebro Delta than at Chafarinas, the per capita availability was not so different at both localities due to the increasing seabird community population at the Ebro Delta, which ca. doubled that at Chafarinas in the last decade.

De llibertat, autoritat i in/dependències (a la vida i l'obra de Maria-Mercè Marçal)

This article pays attention to two moments in the life and work (inseparably united) of Maria-Mercè Marçal. The first refers to a search of small objects presided by the moon. Taking this search as a motif, the freedom which the poet confers to the nocturnal light ¿mythical and magical symbol of femaleness- and, therefore, to that which symbolises the heavenly body, is revealed. The second moment revolves around the reflection of Marçal on the ¿female authority¿, a concept which this author, inspired by the philosophical community of Diotima, distinguishes from power. Throughout history, Maria-Mercè Marçal remarked, many women have gained strength from the free atribution of authority to other women, to their texts, to their experiences.

Neck pounding during sinus rhythm: a new clinical manifestation of dual atrioventricular nodal pathways

Objective To determine the clinical and electrophysiological characteristics of patients with paroxysmal palpitations and neck pounding during sinus rhythm. Methods Clinical, electrocardiographic, and electrophysiological characteristics of six patients with paroxysmal palpitations and neck pounding during sinus rhythm were studied in basal conditions and when symptomatic. Response to treatment was observed. Results Baseline ECGs were normal (four patients) or had first degree atrioventricular block with intermittent PR shortening. During symptoms, narrow QRS rhythms were seen without visible P waves (three patients) or with P waves partially hidden in the QRS complex (three patients). Dual atrioventricular nodal pathways were found in all five patients who had electrophysiological studies. In these patients the slow pathway conduction time was long enough (mean (SD), 425 (121)¿ms) for ventricular activation after slow pathway conduction during sinus rhythm to coincide with the next atrial depolarisation, causing neck pounding during exercise (four patients) or at rest (two patients). Tachycardia was not induced in any patient. Medical treatment aggravated symptoms in three patients. A pacemaker was successfully used in two. Conclusions Neck pounding during sinus rhythm is a clinical manifestation of dual atrioventricular nodal pathways. Medical treatment may aggravate symptoms but a pacemaker may offer definitive relief.

Differences in diet between the two largest breeding colonies of Audouin's gulls: the effects of fishery activities

We analysed and compared the diet of Audouin´s gulls Larus audouinii between their two largest breeding sites in the world: the Ebro Delta and the Chafarinas Islands (western Mediterranean). These two localities showed marked differences in the features of the commercial fishing fleet: in the Ebro Delta area a large fishing fleet produced large amounts of discards, while in the Chafarinas the fleet discarded smaller amounts of fish and marine invertebrates, due to the smaller number of vessels. It is also likely that the percentage of discards from total catches is also lower around the Chafarinas than at the Ebro Delta. We distinguished two types of fishing to compare diet compositions: diurnal (only trawling activity) and diurnal and nocturnal (trawling and purse-seine activity, respectively). We also differentiated regurgitates from young nestlings (up to 20 days old) and from older nestlings or adult birds. At the two localities, fish was the main food of Audouin´s gulls, with epipelagic prey (mainly clupeoids) being more important when both diurnal and nocturnal fisheries were operating. This confirms that epipelagic prey either caught actively by the gulls or linked to fisheries was particularly important in the feeding habits of Audouin´s gulls. Nevertheless, differences between the two colonies appear mainly when only trawlers operated: while at the Ebro Delta gulls showed higher consumption of benthic-mesopelagic prey (probably linked to a higher trawler discard availability), gulls from the Chafarinas Islands consumed higher biomass of epipelagic prey probably caught actively at night. When both fleets operated around the two colonies, the average biomass of prey in a regurgitate of younger chicks was significantly higher at the Ebro Delta than at Chafarinas, and the opposite trend was recorded for older nestlings and adults. Niche width was broader in Chafarinas than in the Ebro Delta for both age classes and for any fishing fleet schedule, suggesting again that the exploitation of discards was higher at the Ebro Delta than at the Chafarinas, where gulls showed a more varied diet. Despite the fact that availability of discards was probably higher at the Ebro Delta than at Chafarinas, the per capita availability was not so different at both localities due to the increasing seabird community population at the Ebro Delta, which ca. doubled that at Chafarinas in the last decade.

De llibertat, autoritat i in/dependències (a la vida i l'obra de Maria-Mercè Marçal)

This article pays attention to two moments in the life and work (inseparably united) of Maria-Mercè Marçal. The first refers to a search of small objects presided by the moon. Taking this search as a motif, the freedom which the poet confers to the nocturnal light ¿mythical and magical symbol of femaleness- and, therefore, to that which symbolises the heavenly body, is revealed. The second moment revolves around the reflection of Marçal on the ¿female authority¿, a concept which this author, inspired by the philosophical community of Diotima, distinguishes from power. Throughout history, Maria-Mercè Marçal remarked, many women have gained strength from the free atribution of authority to other women, to their texts, to their experiences.

Activity patterns and foraging behaviour of Audouin's gulls at the Ebro Delta, NW Mediterranean.

Twenty Audouin´s gulls, Larus audouinii, breeding in the Ebro Delta (NW Mediterranean) were radio-tracked in 1998 to study their foraging behaviour and activity patterns. Some detrimental effects of tagging on the breeding success of the birds were detected, especially when both members of the pair were tagged. The results were actually constrained by the low number of locations due to natural breeding failure and failure in tag emission, as well as the adverse effect of tagging. However, through a combination of aircraft surveys at sea and a fixed station for automatic tracking of the presence of the birds at the colony, novel individual-based information of home ranges and activity patterns was obtained. Trawler fishing activity seemed to influence both the foraging range and habitat use: while trawlers operated, gulls overlapped their fishing grounds with vessels, probably to scavenge on discards. Very few locations were obtained during a trawling moratorium period, although they were all recorded in coastal bays and terrestrial habitats. During the trawling activity period, gulls ranged over a minimum convex polygon area of 2900 km2. Gulls were tracked up to 40 km from the colony, but some individuals were observed beyond 150 km while still breeding. Arrivals and departures from the colony were in accordance with the trawling timetable. However, most birds also showed some nocturnal foraging activity, probably linked to active fishing of clupeoids (following diel migrations) or to the exploitation of purse-seine fishing activity. Foraging trips lasted on average 15 hours: males performed significantly shorter trips than females, which spent more time outside the colony. The proportion of nocturnal time involved in the foraging trips was the same for males and females, but whilst all males initiated their trips both during the day and at night, some females only initiated their trips during the day. Hatching success was found to be related to foraging effort by males. Gulls spent on average ca. 38% of their time budget outside the nesting territory, representing the time devoted mainly to flying, foraging and other activities.

Feeding habits of Ophichthus rufus (Anguilliformes, Ophichthidae) in the western Mediterranean

Ophichthus Rufus is a Mediterranean benthic fish with nocturnal habits. It lives in sand or mud bottoms at depths between 50 and 150m. Until now, nothing about its feeding habits was known. Stomach contents of 689 individuals, collected between 1985 and 1987, were analysed. The diet is basically composed of benthic organisms, among which the decapods processa canaliculata and Alpheus glaber and the teleost fish Callionymus maculatus are prominent. Young of both sexes and adult males have a euryphagic carnivorous diet, whereas adult females are closer to a stenophagic piscivorous diet

Orofacial pain of cardiac origin, serial of clinical cases

Objective: To determine the clinical characteristics of the orofacial pain of cardiac origin in patients visited when doing a treadmill exercise test, at the cardiology service of the Can Ruti Hospital in Badalona (Barcelona, Spain). Study design: The sample of that study included thirty patients visiteding when doing a treadmill exercise test, at the cardiology service. The questionnaire has been asked to a sample of 30 patients. Results: Eleven of the 30 patients included in this study presented craniofacial pain before or during the cardiac seizure. The location of the pain was bilateral, non-irradiated at the mandible in all cases. The intensity of the pain was from slight to severe. The frequency of the appearance of the pain was paroxysmal in 8 cases and constant in three cases, and the duration was from a few hours to a maximum of 14 days. Discussion: The cardiac pain in craniofacial structures is usually bilateral, compared to odontogenic pain which is always unilateral. The pain of cardiac origin is considered atypical because of its location, but about the 10 % of the cases, the cardiac ischemia has its primary manifestation in orofacial structures. Conclusions: Eleven patients referred a bilateral non-irradiated mandibular pain, with intensity from slight to severe, and with a paroxystic frequency in eight cases and a constant frequency in three cases. Just one patient referred pain during the treadmill exercise test. In all cases the pain disappeared after the cardiac surgery or the administration of vasodilators.

La Iluminación de las ciudades y su imagen nocturna: caso de Lyon y Barcelona

Este trabajo pretende estudiar el uso que se hace de la iluminación para la puesta en valor del patrimonio. Aquí veremos las medidas, normativas, y usos que emplea la ciudad en el espacio nocturno y la relación que tiene con el turismo. Ver si se transmite a través de la imagen inducida nocturna de la ciudad. En un segundo tiempo, miraremos si esas medidas influyen en la imagen del destino. Es decir, si las intenciones de los agentes inductivos, con las medidas, proyectos y normativas se ven reflejados y presentes en las imágenes inducidas del destino

Feeding ecology and movements of the Barolo shearwater Puffinus baroli baroli in the Azores, NE Atlantic

Trophic ecology and movements are critical issues for understanding the role of marine predators in food webs and for facing the challenges of their conservation. Seabird foraging ecology has been increasingly studied, but small elusive species, such as those forming the"little shearwater" complex, remain poorly known. We present the first study on the movements and feeding ecology of the Barolo shearwater Puffinus baroli baroli in a colony from the Azores archipelago (NE Atlantic), combining global location-sensing units, stable isotope analyses of feathers (δ13C and δ15N), stomach flushings and data from maximum depth gauges. During the chick-rearing period, parents visited their nests most nights, foraged mainly south of the colony and fed at lower trophic levels than during the non-breeding period. Squid was the most diverse prey (6 families and at least 10 different taxa), but species composition varied considerably between years. Two squid families, Onychoteuthidae and Argonautidae, and the fish family Phycidae accounted for 82.3% of ingested prey by number. On average, maximum dive depths per foraging trip reached 14.8 m (range: 7.9 to 23.1 m). After the breeding period, birds dispersed offshore in all directions and up to 2500 km from the breeding colony, and fed at higher trophic levels. Overall, our results indicate that the Barolo shearwater is a non-migratory shearwater feeding at the lowest trophic level among Macaronesian seabirds, showing both diurnal and nocturnal activity and feeding deeper in the water column, principally on small schooling squid and fish. These traits contrast with those of 3 other Azorean Procellariiformes (Cory"s shearwater Calonectris diomedea, the Madeiran storm-petrel Oceanodroma castro and Monteiro"s storm-petrel O. monteiroi), indicating ecological segregation within the Azorean seabird community.

Sexual dimorphism of sonic apparatus and extreme intersexual variation of sounds in Ophidion rochei (Ophidiidae): first evidence of a tight relationship between morphology and sound characteristics in Ophidiidae

Many Ophidiidae are active in dark environments and display complex sonic apparatus morphologies. However, sound recordings are scarce and little is known about acoustic communication in this family. This paper focuses on Ophidion rochei which is known to display an important sexual dimorphism in swimbladder and anterior skeleton. The aims of this study were to compare the sound producing morphology, and the resulting sounds in juveniles, females and males of O. rochei.Results: Males, females, and juveniles possessed different morphotypes. Females and juveniles contrasted with males because they possessed dramatic differences in morphology of their sonic muscles, swimbladder, supraoccipital crest, and first vertebrae and associated ribs. Further, they lacked the ‘rocker bone’ typically found in males. Sounds from each morphotype were highly divergent. Males generally produced non harmonic, multiple-pulsed sounds that lasted for several seconds (3.5 ± 1.3 s) with a pulse period of ca. 100 ms. Juvenile and female sounds were recorded for the first time in ophidiids. Female sounds were harmonic, had shorter pulse period (±3.7 ms), and never exceeded a few dozen milliseconds (18 ± 11 ms). Moreover, unlike male sounds, female sounds did not have alternating long and short pulse periods. Juvenile sounds were weaker but appear to be similar to female sounds.Conclusions: Although it is not possible to distinguish externally male from female in O. rochei, they show a sonic apparatus and sounds that are dramatically different. This difference is likely due to their nocturnal habits that may have favored the evolution of internal secondary sexual characters that help to distinguish males from females and that could facilitate mate choice by females. Moreover, the comparison of different morphotypes in this study shows that these morphological differences result from a peramorphosis that takes place during the development of the gonads