1996-2011: Análisis del soporte nutricional utilizado en los pacientes de la Unidad de Cuidados Intensivos (UCI) del Hospital Arnau de Vilanova (HUAV)

Objetivos: Comparar tres períodos de tiempo (1996-2001; 2002-2006; 2007-2011) a partir del análisis del soporte nutricional en los pacientes de UCI del hospital Arnau de Vilanova (HUAV). A partir de la comparación, elaborar modelos predictivos (basados en árboles de clasificación tipo CHAID y redes neuronales artificiales) del tipo de soporte nutricional a utilizar, según varias variables obtenidas en las primeras 24 horas de ingreso.

Breast cancer in younger women in Switzerland 1996-2009 : a longitudinal population-based study

BACKGROUND: Breast cancer (BC) is the most commonly diagnosed cancer and a leading cause of death in younger women. METHODS: We analysed incidence, mortality and relative survival (RS) in women with BC aged 20-49 years at diagnosis, between 1996 and 2009 in Switzerland. Trends are reported as estimated annual percentage changes (EAPC). RESULTS: Our findings confirm a slight increase in the incidence of BC in younger Swiss women during the period 1996-2009. The increase was largest in women aged 20-39 years (EAPC 1.8%). Mortality decreased in both age groups with similar EAPCs. Survival was lowest among women 20-39 years (10-year RS 73.4%). We observed no notable differences in stage of disease at diagnosis that might explain these differences. CONCLUSIONS: The increased incidence and lower survival in younger women diagnosed with BC in Switzerland indicates possible differences in risk factors, tumour biology and treatment characteristics that require additional examination.

Los cambios recientes en la evolución demográfica de las áreas rurales catalanas: de la crisis al crecimiento

El estudio de las cifras que reflejan la evolución de la población y de los distintos componentes demográficos que están detrás de la misma, de cada municipio y comarca catalana en el período comprendido entre los años 1975-1996, -especialmente entre los años 1991 y 1996-, ha puesto de manifiesto que se está produciendo un cambio notable en la realidad sociodemográfica en los espacios rurales. Es un proceso que ya había sido detectado hace unos años en otros países industrializados, y cuyos factores explicativos pueden agruparse en tres ámbitos: en primer lugar, se desarrolla una transformación de las estructuras económicas de esos espacios rurales; en segundo lugar, cambia la función de dichas áreas con respecto al conjunto de la formación social catalana -cobrando un papel clave las funciones residenciales y de ocio-; y, finalmente, en tercero -en buena medida como consecuencia de los dos anteriores-, se modifican las relaciones entre las áreas urbanas y las áreas rurales, difuminándose definitivamente las barreras o fronteras entre ambas.

The first SEPServer event catalogue 68-MeV solar proton events observed at 1 AU in 1996-2010

SEPServer is a three-year collaborative project funded by the seventh framework programme (FP7-SPACE) of the European Union. The objective of the project is to provide access to state-of-the-art observations and analysis tools for the scientific community on solar energetic particle (SEP) events and related electromagnetic (EM) emissions. The project will eventually lead to better understanding of the particle acceleration and transport processes at the Sun and in the inner heliosphere. These processes lead to SEP events that form one of the key elements of space weather. In this paper we present the first results from the systematic analysis work performed on the following datasets: SOHO/ERNE, SOHO/EPHIN, ACE/EPAM, Wind/WAVES and GOES X-rays. A catalogue of SEP events at 1 AU, with complete coverage over solar cycle 23, based on high-energy (~68-MeV) protons from SOHO/ERNE and electron recordings of the events by SOHO/EPHIN and ACE/EPAM are presented. A total of 115 energetic particle events have been identified and analysed using velocity dispersion analysis (VDA) for protons and time-shifting analysis (TSA) for electrons and protons in order to infer the SEP release times at the Sun. EM observations during the times of the SEP event onset have been gathered and compared to the release time estimates of particles. Data from those events that occurred during the European day-time, i.e., those that also have observations from ground-based observatories included in SEPServer, are listed and a preliminary analysis of their associations is presented. We find that VDA results for protons can be a useful tool for the analysis of proton release times, but if the derived proton path length is out of a range of 1 AU < s[3 AU, the result of the analysis may be compromised, as indicated by the anti-correlation of the derived path length and release time delay from the asso ciated X-ray flare. The average path length derived from VDA is about 1.9 times the nominal length of the spiral magnetic field line. This implies that the path length of first-arriving MeV to deka-MeV protons is affected by interplanetary scattering. TSA of near-relativistic electrons results in a release time that shows significant scatter with respect to the EM emissions but with a trend of being delayed more with increasing distance between the flare and the nominal footpoint of the Earth-connected field line.

La opinión pública catalana ante la coalición parlamentaria entre PSOE y CiU en la V legislatura de las Cortes Generales (1993-1996)

En el presente artículo se analiza la percepción de la coalición parlamentaria entre el PSOE y CiU en la opinión pública catalana. El análisis utiliza una serie de variables explicativas de carácter eminentemente político, como son la identificación con los partidos y la autoubicación ideológica en los ejes de conflicto. Los datos ponen en evidencia que los individuos legitiman la conducta de su formación en las Cortes, bien apoyando el pacto, bien rechazándolo según si aquélla forma parte de la mayoría parlamentaria o de la oposición. Sin embargo, al considerar sólo las posiciones en los ejes izquierda-derecha y nacionalista se observan los matices. El sentimiento nacional es el elemento que decanta la valoración sobre el acuerdo: positivamente si se parte de una postura catalanista, pero negativamente si se trata de una españolista. La influencia de una formación de ámbito no estatal en la gobernabilidad española es el factor que provoca mayor división de actitudes.

Incident Hepatitis C Virus Infections in the Swiss HIV Cohort Study : changes in treatment uptake and outcomes between 1991 and 2013

Background: The hepatitis C virus (HCV) epidemic is evolving rapidly in patients infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). We aimed to describe changes in treatment uptake and outcomes of incident HCV infections before and after 2006, the time-point at which major changes in HCV epidemic became apparent. Methods.  We included all adults with an incident HCV infection before June 2012 in the Swiss HIV Cohort Study, a prospective nationwide representative cohort of individuals infected with HIV. We assessed the following outcomes by time period: the proportion of patients starting an HCV therapy, the proportion of treated patients achieving a sustained virological response (SVR), and the proportion of patients with persistent HCV infection during follow-up. Results.  Of 193 patients with an HCV seroconversion, 106 were diagnosed before and 87 after January 2006. The proportion of men who have sex with men increased from 24% before to 85% after 2006 (P < .001). Hepatitis C virus treatment uptake increased from 33% before 2006 to 77% after 2006 (P < .001). Treatment was started during early infection in 22% of patients before and 91% after 2006 (P < .001). An SVR was achieved in 78% and 29% (P = .01) of patients treated during early and chronic HCV infection. The probability of having a detectable viral load 5 years after diagnosis was 0.67 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.58-0.77) in the group diagnosed before 2006 and 0.24 (95% CI, 0.16-0.35) in the other group (P < .001). Conclusions. In recent years, increased uptake and earlier initiation of HCV therapy among patients with incident infections significantly reduced the proportion of patients with replicating HCV.