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BackgroundTrajectory patterns of positive, disorganized and negative dimension symptoms during antipsychotic treatment in drug-naive patients with first-episode psychosis have yet to be examined by using naturalistic data.MethodThis pragmatic clinical trial randomized 161 drug-naive patients with a first episode of psychosis to olanzapine, risperidone or haloperidol. Patients were assessed with the Scale for the Assessment of Negative Symptoms (SANS) and Positive Symptoms (SAPS) at baseline and at the end of weeks 1, 2, 3, 4 and 6 of antipsychotic treatment. Censored normal models of response trajectories were developed with three dimensions of the SAPS-SANS scores (positive, disorganized and negative) in order to identify the different response trajectories. Diagnosis, cannabis use, duration of untreated psychosis (DUP), smoking and antipsychotic class were examined as possible predictive variables.ResultsPatients were classified in five groups according to the positive dimension, three groups according to the disorganized dimension and five groups according to the negative dimension. Longer DUPs and cannabis use were associated with higher scores and poorer responses in the positive dimension. Cannabis use was associated with higher scores and poorer responses in the disorganized dimension. Only schizophrenia diagnosis was associated with higher scores and poorer responses in the negative dimension.ConclusionsOur results illustrate the heterogeneity of short-term response to antipsychotics in patients with a first episode of psychosis and highlight markedly different patterns of response in the positive, disorganized and negative dimensions. DUP, cannabis use and diagnosis appeared to have a prognostic value in predicting treatment response with different implications for each dimension. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context. Near-Earth binary asteroid (175706) 1996 FG3 is the current backup target of the ESA MarcoPolo-R mission, selected for the study phase of ESA M3 missions. It is a primitive (C-type) asteroid that shows significant variation in its visible and near-infrared spectra. Aims. Here we present new visible and near-infrared spectra of 1996 FG3. We compare our new data with other published spectra, analysing the variation in the spectral slope. The asteroid will not be observable again over the next three years at least. Methods. We obtained visible and near-infrared spectra using DOLORES and NICS instruments, respectively, at the Telescopio Nazionale Galileo (TNG), a 3.6 m telescope located at El Roque de los Muchachos Observatory in La Palma, Spain. To compare with other published spectra of the asteroid, we computed the spectral slope S′, and studied any plausible correlation of this quantity with the phase angle (α). Results. In the case of visible spectra, we find a variation in spectral slope of ΔS′ = 0.15 ± 0.10%/10³ Å/° for 3° < α < 18°, which is in good agreement with the values found in the literature for the phase reddening effect. In the case of the near-infrared, there seems to be a trend between the reddening of the spectra and the phase angle, excluding one point. We find a variation in the slope of ΔS′ = 0.04 ± 0.08%/10³ Å/° for 6° < α < 51°. Our computed variation in S′ is in good agreement with the only two values found in the literature for the phase reddening in the near-infrared. Conclusions. The variation in the spectral slope of asteroid 1996 FG3 shows a trend with the phase angle at the time of the observations, both in the visible and the near-infrared. It is worth noting that, to fully explain this spectral variability we should take into account other factors, like the position of the secondary component of the binary asteroid 1999 FG3 with respect to the primary, or the spin axis orientation at the time of the observations. More data are necessary for an analysis of this kind. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AIM: This was to examine the attitude of a group of Spanish parents towards behaviour-management techniques used in paediatric dentistry. METHODS: A video with 8 different behaviour-management techniques used in paediatric dentistry was shown to 50 parents whose children were being treated at the International University of Catalonia (Barcelona, Spain). The techniques shown were: tell-show-do, nitrous-oxide sedation, passive restraint, voice control, hand-over-mouth (HOM), oral premedication, active restraint and general anaesthesia. Parents gave an acceptance rating of each of these techniques according to a scale of 0 to 10, with 0 being the lowest level of acceptance and 10 the highest. RESULTS: The technique rated as most acceptable was the tell-show-do technique, while the least accepted was the HOM technique. An association was found between acceptance of the different techniques and the socioeconomic status and gender of the parent, and the differences were statistically significant. No statistically significant differences were found regarding the age or gender of the child treated, or the previous dental experiences of those interviewed or of their children, with acceptance of each of the techniques. CONCLUSIONS: The techniques were well accepted by all those surveyed with the exception of HOM technique and the use of the papoose board. On comparing this study to other studies previously carried out in other areas of the world, similar results were found. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents information regarding development and validation of a computer program employed for designing and calculating rollover protective structure (ROPS). A computer program known as ESTREMA, which is the Spanish acronym for safety structure for mechanical agricultural tractor equipment, has been designed to overcome homologation test for tractors. ROPS was tested at the Spanish Authorized Station and passed the homologation test which falls under OECD Code 4. The computer program proved effective in providing adequate protection to the operator while overturning.

Pompe disease is a rare genetic myopathy with two main clinical phenotypes: Infantile Onset Pompe Disease (IOPD) and Late Onset Pompe Disease (LOPD). Epidemiological studies showed a disease prevalence about 1:40.000 but reliable data in Spain in lacking. Here we analyzed the data of the 130 patients in the Spanish Pompe, included between 2019 and 2023. We collected information about demographics, family history, clinical features, ancillary tests, functional outcomes and response to treatments from each individual clinical report. One-hundred-eighteen patients were classified as LOPD while 12 had an IOPD phenotype. Seventy patients were males (53.85%). Mean age of our population was of 29.75 years old (SD 42.75). 44 had family history of Pompe, being most common place of birth and parent's origin Andalusia, 100 patients were symptomatic. The most frequent symptom reported was lower limb and axial weakness in 60.7%. Ninety-one patients preserved their ability to walk in their last visit. Forty patients required ventilation support (34 non-invasive). Ninety-three patients had high levels of CK with a mean value of 716 UI/L (SD 457.99). The most common mutation reported was IVS1-13T>G (c.‐13‐32T>G) in 85 patients. 89 were treated with Enzyme Replace Therapy. According to our data the Pompe prevalence is 3/1.000.000 in our country. The Spanish Pompe Registry give us valuable information about the demographics and clinical features of our population of patients with this rare disease. yielding us a lower prevalence than expected. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coagulopathy is a key feature of COVID-19 and D-dimer has been reported as a predictor of severity. However, because D-dimer test results vary considerably among assays, resolving harmonization issues is fundamental to translate findings into clinical practice. In this retrospective multicenter study (BIOCOVID study), we aimed to analyze the value of harmonized D-dimer levels upon admission for the prediction of in-hospital mortality in COVID-19 patients. All-cause in-hospital mortality was defined as endpoint. For harmonization of D-dimer levels, we designed a model based on the transformation of method-specific regression lines to a reference regression line. The ability of D-dimer for prediction of death was explored by receiver operating characteristic curves analysis and the association with the endpoint by Cox regression analysis. Study population included 2663 patients. In-hospital mortality rate was 14.3%. Harmonized D-dimer upon admission yielded an area under the curve of 0.66, with an optimal cut-off value of 0.945 mg/L FEU. Patients with harmonized D-dimer ≥ 0.945 mg/L FEU had a higher mortality rate (22.4% vs. 9.2%; p < 0.001). D-dimer was an independent predictor of in-hospital mortality, with an adjusted hazard ratio of 1.709. This is the first study in which a harmonization approach was performed to assure comparability of D-dimer levels measured by different assays. Elevated D-dimer levels upon admission were associated with a greater risk of in-hospital mortality among COVID-19 patients, but had limited performance as prognostic test., (© 2021. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

Identification of predictors for severe disease progression is key for risk stratification in COVID-19 patients. We aimed to describe the main characteristics and identify the early predictors for severe outcomes among hospitalized patients with COVID-19 in Spain. This was an observational, retrospective cohort study (BIOCOVID-Spain study) including COVID-19 patients admitted to 32 Spanish hospitals. Demographics, comorbidities and laboratory tests were collected. Outcome was in-hospital mortality. For analysis, laboratory tests values were previously adjusted to assure the comparability of results among participants. Cox regression was performed to identify predictors. Study population included 2873 hospitalized COVID-19 patients. Nine variables were independent predictors for in-hospital mortality, including creatinine (Hazard ratio [HR]:1.327; 95% Confidence Interval [CI]: 1.040-1.695, p  = .023), troponin (HR: 2.150; 95% CI: 1.155-4.001; p  = .016), platelet count (HR: 0.994; 95% CI: 0.989-0.998; p  = .004) and C-reactive protein (HR: 1.037; 95% CI: 1.006-1.068; p  = .019). This is the first multicenter study in which an effort was carried out to adjust the results of laboratory tests measured with different methodologies to guarantee their comparability. We reported a comprehensive information about characteristics in a large cohort of hospitalized COVID-19 patients, focusing on the analytical features. Our findings may help to identify patients early at a higher risk for an adverse outcome.

Purpose: Studies of patients' preferences for localized prostate cancer treatments have assessed radical prostatectomy and external radiation therapy, but none of them has evaluated brachytherapy. The aim of our study was to assess the preferences and willingness to pay of patients with localized prostate cancer who had been treated with radical prostatectomy, external radiation therapy, or brachytherapy, and their related urinary, sexual, and bowel side effects., Methods and Materials: This was an observational, prospective cohort study with follow-up until 5 years after treatment. A total of 704 patients with low or intermediate risk localized prostate cancer were consecutively recruited from 2003 to 2005. The estimation of preferences was conducted using time trade-off, standard gamble, and willingness-to-pay methods. Side effects were measured with the Expanded Prostate Index Composite (EPIC), a prostate cancer-specific questionnaire. Tobit models were constructed to assess the impact of treatment and side effects on patients' preferences. Propensity score was applied to adjust for treatment selection bias., Results: Of the 580 patients reporting preferences, 165 were treated with radical prostatectomy, 152 with external radiation therapy, and 263 with brachytherapy. Both time trade-off and standard gamble results indicated that the preferences of patients treated with brachytherapy were 0.06 utilities higher than those treated with radical prostatectomy (P=.01). Similarly, willingness-to-pay responses showed a difference of €57/month (P=.004) between these 2 treatments. Severe urinary incontinence presented an independent impact on the preferences elicited (P<.05), whereas no significant differences were found by bowel and sexual side effects., Conclusions: Our findings indicate that urinary incontinence is the side effect with the highest impact on preferences and that brachytherapy and external radiation therapy are more valued than radical prostatectomy. These time trade-off and standard gamble preference assessments as well as the willingness-to-pay estimation could be useful to perform respectively cost-utility or cost-benefit analyses, which can guide health policy decisions., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Aim: This was to examine the attitude of a group of Spanish parents towards behaviour-management techniques used in paediatric dentistry., Methods: A video with 8 different behaviour-management techniques used in paediatric dentistry was shown to 50 parents whose children were being treated at the International University of Catalonia (Barcelona, Spain). The techniques shown were: tell-show-do, nitrous-oxide sedation, passive restraint, voice control, handover- mouth (HOM), oral premedication, active restraint and general anaesthesia. Parents gave an acceptance rating of each of these techniques according to a scale of 0 to 10, with 0 being the lowest level of acceptance and 10 the highest., Results: The technique rated as most acceptable was the tell-show-do technique, while the least accepted was the HOM technique. An association was found between acceptance of the different techniques and the socioeconomic status and gender of the parent, and the differences were statistically significant. No statistically significant differences were found regarding the age or gender of the child treated, or the previous dental experiences of those interviewed or of their children, with acceptance of each of the techniques., Conclusions: The techniques were well accepted by all those surveyed with the exception of HOM technique and the use of the papoose board. On comparing this study to other studies previously carried out in other areas of the world, similar results were found.

Background: Between 25% to 50% of patients with bipolar disorder make suicide attempts during their lives, but there are some controversies about factors related to suicide attempts in this group of patients. The aim of this study is to investigate the association between suicide attempts and the predictive factors previously described in the literature., Method: The sample included all 169 patients with DSM-III-R bipolar I disorder identified in a delimited area (northern Spain). Sociodemographic, clinical, and family history variables measured by Research Diagnostic Criteria-Family History were analyzed. Significant variables were introduced in a logistic regression analysis to control for the effects of other variables., Results: There were 56 patients (33%) who had one or more suicide attempts. Early age at onset, history of hospital admission during depressive episodes, drug abuse, and family history were significantly associated with suicide in the univariate analyses (p < .05). A much higher proportion of patients with onset at or before 25 years of age than patients with onset after 25 years of age attempted suicide (23% vs. 10%). The age at onset was no longer significant after controlling for the other 3 variables included in the logistic regression analysis., Conclusion: Suicide attempts are highly prevalent in bipolar patients and are related to drug abuse, family history of affective disorders, and severe depressive episodes. This study suggests that the risk of suicide in patients with an early age at onset could reflect other variables such as drug abuse, a history of hospital admissions for depression, or family history.