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Gerardo Flórez,1,2 Ana López-Durán,3 Yolanda Triñanes,4 Jesús Osorio,5 Jaime Fraga,5 José Manuel Fernández,5 Elisardo Becoña,3 Manuel Arrojo5 1Addictive Disorders Assistance Unit, Complejo Hospitalario, Ourense, Spain; 2Center for Biomedical Research in Mental Health (CIBERSAM), Oviedo, Spain; 3Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychobiology, University of Santiago de Compostela, Spain; 4Galician Agency for Health Technology Assessment, Directorate General for Innovation and Management of Public Health, Galicia, Spain; 5Directorate General of Health Assistance, Galician Health Service, Galicia, Spain Background: The purpose of this study was to gain an understanding of the profiles of the new treatment demands posed by opioid addicts between 2005 and 2010 at the addictive disorders assistance units in Galicia, Spain. Methods: A cluster analysis was performed using data from 1,655 treatment entrants. Clusters were constructed using sociodemographic and medicolegal variables. A cluster analysis was also conducted according to age. Once clusters were defined, their association with the following variables was analyzed: age at first use of opioids, years of use, frequency of opioid use in the previous month, psychiatric treatment, cocaine use, existence of a drug-dependent partner, and source of referral. Results: Four clusters were obtained in the main analysis. Cluster 1 (34.01%) consisted of young males, cluster 2 (16.19%) consisted of not-so-young males, cluster 3 (32.62%) consisted mainly of older males and a small group of females, and cluster 4 (17.18%) was made up entirely of women. With regard to age-related clusters, two clusters were obtained in those under the age of 30 years: cluster 1 (73%) without medicolegal complications and cluster 2 (27%) with medicolegal complications. For those over the age of 30 years, two clusters were obtained: cluster 1 (53.92%) with hardly any medicolegal complications and cluster 2 (46.08%) with medicolegal complications. Conclusion: Cluster analysis suggests that there have been no substantial changes in variables indicating greater severity in this new group of patients. Women are likely to seek help earlier, which reduces their duration of opioid use. The younger the patient, the shorter the duration of opioid use and the greater the likelihood of cessation of intravenous use. Public health systems should use a two-pronged treatment strategy of short but intense cessation therapies for women and younger treatment entrants and longer maintenance and replacement therapies for older treatment entrants with more psychosocial and medical complications. Keywords: opioid dependence, cluster analysis, treatment-seeking, sex, age

Despite the increasing number of mobile-based interventions to quit smoking over the last years, few studies have investigated the efficacy of smoking cessation interventions blended with smartphone Apps. The present pilot study aims to examine the preliminary effectiveness and acceptability of a cognitive-behavioral treatment combined with a smartphone App, compared to the same psychological treatment without the App. The sample comprised 206 treatment-seeking smokers, who were assigned to: 1) an experimental group receiving a cognitive-behavioral intervention combined with the “Non Fumo” App (n = 102), and 2) a control group receiving only the cognitive-behavioral intervention to quit smoking (n = 104). Results concerning the primary outcomes showed no significant differences between conditions in point-prevalence abstinence rates at 12-month follow-up (35.30 % in the experimental group vs. 31.70 % in the control group) and in treatment acceptability. Regarding the secondary outcomes, both groups obtained similar point-prevalence abstinence rates at the end of treatment (61.80 % vs. 65.40 %), at 3-month (42.20 % vs. 45.20 %, respectively) and 6-month follow-ups (37.30 % vs. 37.50 %). No significant differences were found between conditions in prolonged abstinence rates at 6-month (35.3 % vs. 35.6 %) and 12-month follow-ups (30.4 % vs. 26.9 %). Overall, good abstinence rates and treatment acceptability were obtained, although there were no significant differences between conditions. More research is needed to establish clear conclusions about the efficacy of psychological smoking cessation treatments blended with smartphone Apps.

First-principles electronic structure calculations are now accessible to a very large community of users across many disciplines, thanks to many successful software packages, some of which are described in this special issue. The traditional coding paradigm for such packages is monolithic, i.e., regardless of how modular its internal structure may be, the code is built independently from others, essentially from the compiler up, possibly with the exception of linear-algebra and message-passing libraries. This model has endured and been quite successful for decades. The successful evolution of the electronic structure methodology itself, however, has resulted in an increasing complexity and an ever longer list of features expected within all software packages, which implies a growing amount of replication between different packages, not only in the initial coding but, more importantly, every time a code needs to be re-engineered to adapt to the evolution of computer hardware architecture. The Electronic Structure Library (ESL) was initiated by CECAM (the European Centre for Atomic and Molecular Calculations) to catalyze a paradigm shift away from the monolithic model and promote modularization, with the ambition to extract common tasks from electronic structure codes and redesign them as open-source libraries available to everybody. Such libraries include "heavy-duty" ones that have the potential for a high degree of parallelization and adaptation to novel hardware within them, thereby separating the sophisticated computer science aspects of performance optimization and re-engineering from the computational science done by, e.g., physicists and chemists when implementing new ideas. We envisage that this modular paradigm will improve overall coding efficiency and enable specialists (whether they be computer scientists or computational scientists) to use their skills more effectively and will lead to a more dynamic evolution of software in the community as well as lower barriers to entry for new developers. The model comes with new challenges, though. The building and compilation of a code based on many interdependent libraries (and their versions) is a much more complex task than that of a code delivered in a single self-contained package. Here, we describe the state of the ESL, the different libraries it now contains, the short- and mid-term plans for further libraries, and the way the new challenges are faced. The ESL is a community initiative into which several pre-existing codes and their developers have contributed with their software and efforts, from which several codes are already benefiting, and which remains open to the community.

The study aimed at developing predictive equations to estimate carcase tissue composition in Blackbelly sheep using the 9th–11th rib section and to evaluate its accuracy and precision. Twenty male growing Blackbelly sheep with a bodyweight (BW) of 29 ± 3 kg were slaughtered. Data from carcase and non-carcase components were recorded. Thereafter, the left half carcase was weighed and dissected to record weights of fat (CF), muscle (CM), and bone (CB). Also, the 9th–11th section was dissected for muscle, fat and bone (MRib, FRib, BRib, respectively). The MRib and FRib were moderate to highly correlated (p 0.59 ≤ and ≤ 0.92). All equations had high accuracy (> 0.96), moderate to high reproducibility index and concordance (CCC > 0.74 and ≤ 0.96) and moderate to high efficiency of prediction (from 0.58 to 0.91). Overall, results showed that the 9th–11th rib section could accurately be used as an option for predicting carcase tissue composition in Blackbelly sheep.HIGHLIGHTS Muscle and fat from the 9th–11th rib section were moderate to highly correlated with carcase muscle weight. Fat from the 9th–11th rib section was positive and moderate correlated with carcase fat weight. The 9th–11th rib section could be used as an option for predicting carcase tissue composition in Blackbelly sheep.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1371/journal.pntd.0009145.].

Objetivo. Predecir la composición tisular de canales de corderos “Blackbelly” usando mediciones in vivo y postmortem. Materiales y métodos. Se utilizaron 20 corderos con una edad de siete meses y peso de 29.07±2.88 kg en promedio. Antes del sacrificio, se midió con ultrasonografía la grasa subcutánea, la profundidad, la amplitud y el área del músculo Longissimus dorsi. Posterior al sacrificio, se registró el peso de la canal y de los tejidos: músculo, grasa y hueso. En la canal, también se midió y registró la profundidad torácica, el largo, el perímetro, el largo y ancho de la pierna, así como el índice de compacidad. Para predecir la composición tisular de las canales se usó análisis de correlación y modelos de regresión. Resultados. Los tejidos de la canal se correlacionaron con la profundidad del músculo L. dorsi (p≤0.05; r entre 0.67 y 0.80) y con el índice de compacidad de la canal (p≤0.05; r varió de 0.54 a 0.75). Las ecuaciones de predicción de la composición tisular de la canal tuvieron una r2 que osciló entre 0.71 a 0.78 para el tejido graso (p≤0.001). Conclusiones. El uso de mediciones in vivo y postmortem permitieron predecir la composición tisular de canales de corderos con una precisión de moderada a alta (r2 >0.71≤ y ≤0.78).

Abstract Background Studies have detected that prescribers display gaps in knowledge and inappropriate attitudes regarding antibiotics and resistances, but it is not known whether these are generated during professional practice or derive from the undergraduate stage of their education. Accordingly, the aim of this study was to identify medical students’ knowledge, beliefs and attitudes regarding antibiotic use and antibiotic resistance, and whether these change over the course of their time at medical school. Methods We conducted a search of the MEDLINE and EMBASE databases, and included studies that measured knowledge and/or beliefs and/or attitudes regarding antibiotic prescribing and/or resistance, among medical students. Results Of the 509 studies retrieved, 22 met the inclusion criteria. While medical students perceived resistance as posing a major public health problem, both worldwide and in their own countries, students in the last two course years were more aware of overprescription of antibiotics in general, and of broad-spectrum antibiotics, at their teaching hospital. There was a considerable lack of knowledge about the treatment of high-incidence infections, and upper respiratory tract infections in particular (41–69% of participants believed antibiotics to be useful for treating these), without any differences by course year. Students were conscious of their personal shortcomings and thus showed willing to improve their education. Conclusions Future physicians display important gaps in knowledge, particularly in terms of treatment of high-incidence infections. This finding may be of use when it comes to designing more effective training in antibiotic stewardship for undergraduates.

El objetivo fue evaluar el crecimiento post-destete de corderos Pelibuey bajo diferentes tipos de alimentación, considerando la relación costo-beneficio (RCB) y la rentabilidad. Se utilizaron 30 corderos de 13.14±2.87 kg y 60 días de edad, alojados individualmente, por un periodo de 49 días. Se evaluaron tres alimentos: Iniciador (I), Destete y Desarrollo (DyD), e I más DyD, en proporción de 50:50% (I+DyD), con 10 repeticiones cada uno. Se usó ANOVA para evaluar el efecto del tipo de alimentación sobre la ganancia diaria de peso (GDP), el consumo diario de alimento (COA), la conversión alimenticia (CA) y peso final (PF). Excepto para CA (P < 0.05), el tipo de alimentación no afecto PF, GDP y COA (P > 0.05). La RCB y la rentabilidad fue mayor con el alimento I+DyD en comparación con I y DyD. El tratamiento I+DyD fue más productivo y económicamente más rentable que I y DyD.

Antibiotic resistance is a significant public health concern, with numerous studies linking antibiotic consumption to the development of resistance. As medical students will play a pivotal role in prescribing antibiotics, this research aimed to identify their perceptions of current use and factors that could influence future inappropriate use of antibiotics. The study employed a qualitative research approach using Focus Group discussions (FGs) consisting of students from the final theoretical course of the Medicine degree. The FGs were conducted based on a pre-script developed from factors contributing to antibiotic misuse identified in previous studies. All sessions were recorded and transcribed for analysis by two independent researchers, with all participants signing informed consent. Seven focus groups were conducted, with a total of 35 participants. The study identified factors that could influence the future prescription of antibiotics, including the low applicability of knowledge, insecurity, clinical inertia, difficulties in the doctor-patient relationship, unawareness of available updates on the topic, and inability to assess their validity. The students did not perceive antibiotic resistance as a current problem. However, the study found several modifiable factors in medical students that could explain the misuse of antibiotics, and developing specific strategies could help improve their use.