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Summary Afforestation with pines (Pinus pinaster and, to a lesser extent, P. pinea and P. halepensis ) seems to be the most probable land-use change over large areas of dry cereal croplands in central Spain in the next 10–20 years. This will be encouraged by changes in the subsidy policies of the Common Agricultural Policy that aim to decrease food production and restore the environmental diversity previously lost through agricultural intensification. This study addresses the factors influencing the richness and composition of breeding bird communities in these pine plantations and evaluates the potential environmental benefits of the afforestation programmes. The complement of bird species breeding in 88 plantations ranging in size from 0.1 to 6775 ha was determined. Plantations were characterized according to size, distance to the nearest large plantation, vegetation structure and geographical location (northern moist vs. southern xeric Iberian plateaux). Plantation size alone accounted for 67–75% of the variation in species richness, and was also the maintrait explaining the patterns of presence/absence of most individual bird species. Plantations smaller than 25 ha only maintained 50% of the regional pool of forest birds during breeding, whereas this proportion increased to 69–86% for plantations of 25–100 ha. Geographic location, degree of isolation and vegetation structure were also important. Bird species richness decreased with distance to a large plantation, and increased with prevalence of undergrowth shrubs and with plant species richness. Both species richness and the incidence of individual species in plantations were affected by geographical location. They were greater in plantations of the northern plateau, reflecting a trend of increasing densities of most forest bird species in Spain in more northerly locations. The results of this study suggest that re-afforestation of former arable land in the Spanish plateaux is... [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To analyse the lines of action identified in the health promotion projects participating in the EvaluA GPS research, and their relationship with the scores assigned in EvalGuia, a tool for evaluating evidence-based community participation., Design: Qualitative-quantitative multicentre study., Setting: Primary care or intersectoral network of primary care and municipalities in five autonomous communities in Spain., Participants: Participants of 10 health promotion projects, selected with convenience sampling, following inclusion criteria (projects with a minimum of community engagement and centred on community health)., Method: Data were collected through questionnaires (EvalGuía tool) and participatory workshops. Quantitative data were analysed with descriptive statistics, qualitative data were analysed using matrix analysis., Results: After implementing the EvalGuide tool, the lowest scores were assigned in outcome evaluation, knowledge of policies related to community participation, diversity in the core working group, inclusivity policies, financial resources and diffusion of results. The lines of action proposed were heterogeneous and did not always match with those prioritised as lower score. The prioritised lines revolved around project organisation and communication., Conclusions: The EvalGuide tool can be helpful to design action plans in Health Promotion projects. The implementation of measures in 12 months to increase the diversity of the core working group, to incorporate work-life balance measures or to improve evaluation is difficult. More time is needed to implement such measures., (Copyright © 2023 The Authors. Publicado por Elsevier España S.L.U. All rights reserved.)

Thirty fecal samples from wild specimens of Iberian lynx were collected and analyzed for Enterococcus spp. (27 isolates) and Escherichia coli (18 isolates) recovery. The 45 isolates obtained were tested for antimicrobial resistance, molecular mechanisms of resistance, and presence of virulence genes. Among the enterococci, Enterococcus faecium and Enterococcus hirae were the most prevalent species (11 isolates each), followed by Enterococcus faecalis (5 isolates). High percentages of resistance to tetracycline and erythromycin (33% and 30%, respectively) were detected among enterococcal isolates. The tet(M) and/or tet(L), erm(B), aac(6')-Ie-aph(2″)-Ia, ant(6)-Ia, or aph(3')-IIIa genes were detected among resistant enterococci. Virulence genes were detected in one E. faecalis isolate (cpd, cylB, and cylL) and one E. hirae isolate (cylL). High percentages of resistance were detected in E. coli isolates to tetracycline (33%), streptomycin (28%), nalidixic acid (28%), and sulfamethoxazole-trimethoprim (SXT, 22%). Additionally, the blaTEM, tet(A), aadA, cmlA, and different combinations of sul genes were detected among most ampicillin, tetracycline, streptomycin, chloramphenicol and SXT-resistant isolates, respectively. Two isolates contained a class 1 integron with the gene cassette arrays dfrA1 + aadA1 and dfrA12 + aadA2. The E. coli isolates were ascribed to phylo-groups A (n=5); B1 (n=4); B2 (n=6), and D (n=3), with the virulence gene fimA present in all E. coli isolates. This study found resistance genes in wild specimens of Iberian lynx. Thus, it is important to notice that multiresistant bacteria have reached species as rare and completely non-synanthropic as the Iberian lynx. Furthermore, the susceptibility of this endangered species to bacterial infection may be affected by the presence of these virulence and resistance genes., (Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Differences in day length may act as a critical factor in bird biology by introducing time constraints in energy acquisition during winter. Thus, differences in day length might operate as a main determinant of bird abundance along latitudinal gradients. This work examines the influence of day length on the abundance of wintering crested tits (Lophophanes cristatus) in 26 localities of Spanish juniper (Juniperus thurifera) dwarf woodlands (average height of 5 m) located along a latitudinal gradient in the Spanish highlands, while controlling for the influence of food availability, minimum night temperature, habitat structure and landscape characteristics. Top regression models in the AIC framework explained 56% of variance in bird numbers. All models incorporated day length as the variable with the highest magnitude effect. Food availability also played an important role, although only the crop of ripe juniper fruits, but not arthropods, positively affected crested tit abundance. Differences in vegetation structure across localities had also a strong positive effect (average tree height and juniper tree density). Geographical variation in night temperature had no influence on crested tit distribution, despite the low winter temperatures reached in these dwarf forests. This paper demonstrates for the first time that winter bird abundance increases with day length after controlling for the effect of other environmental variables. Winter average difference in day length was only 10.5 minutes per day along the 1°47' latitudinal interval (190 km) included in this study. This amount of time, which reaches 13.5 h accumulated throughout the winter season, appears to be large enough to affect the long-term energy budget of small passerines during winter and to shape the distribution of winter bird abundance under restrictive environmental conditions.

Background: The discovery of the hepatitis C virus (HCV) and the possibility of determining anti-HCV serum antibodies has permitted greater etiological, clinical and epidemiological knowledge of non A non B hepatitis (NANB)., Methods: The clinical and epidemiological characteristics of 47 patients with acute hepatitis C were studied. Diagnosis was based on compatible clinical and analytical picture as well as positivity of the anti-HCV antibodies., Results: Thirty-eight percent of the patients were intravenous drug abusers (IVDA). Thirty-four percent had transfusion antecedents and the remaining were sporadic forms of which 3 cases corresponded to health care workers. The study of other viral markers demonstrated that only in the IVDA collective did infections by hepatitis B and delta (HBV and HDV) and by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) coexist. Anti-HCV antibodies were detected between 15 days and 8 months (mean 38 +/- 74 days) of clinic initiation; with no differences being found regarding the form of contagion. The incubation period of transfused patients was 50 +/- 15 days. In 2 cases the disease followed a biphasic course, in 4 patients a cholestatic profile was observed, and in 12 the hepatitis was anicteric. In 28% of the cases controlled over 6 months the disease autolimited itself and 72% developed active chronic hepatitis., Conclusions: Most cases of acute hepatitis C are of intravenous origin with a prolonged period of anti-HCV positivization. No differences exist in the clinical picture of the disease regarding the form of contagion and the great tendency to chronicity of hepatitis C is confirmed, regardless of the mechanisms of acquiring the disease.