Area In Galicia Research Articles

Combined Sodium-Glucose-Transporters Inhibitors and Glucagon-Like-Peptide Receptor Agonist Compared With Monotherapy Improves Long-Term Survival: A Real-World Registry

BackgroundThe benefits of new glucose-lowering agents on cardiovascular disease have been demonstrated in randomized clinical trials. However, more evidence is required to assess the additive value of a combined therapy based on sodium-glucose transporter inhibitors (SGLT2i) and glucagon-like peptide receptor agonists (GLP1ra) in a real-world population. MethodsA nonconcurrent prospective study was conducted using integrated electronic medical records from primary care and hospitals obtained through “big data” technologies in a healthy area in Galicia. The study involved patients who were given SGLT2i, GLP1ra, or both treatments between January 2018 and June 2022 and were categorized as either mono- or combined therapy (SGLT2i, GLP1ra, or both). The cumulative risk for different events: hospitalization or mortality, or both, for 1) coronary artery disease, 2) heart failure, 3) cerebrovascular accident, and all-cause mortality were represented by Kaplan-Meier curves and multivariate Cox regression analysis to obtain the hazard ratio (HR) and (95% confidence interval [CI]). Validation was performed in a subpopulation with propensity score matching. ResultsThe patients (15,549) who were included were median (standard deviation) 68 (12) years old, with 41% of them being female and 46% experiencing obesity. The median (interquartile range) of follow-up was 19 (8-33) months. The Kaplan-Meier analysis determined that the cumulative risk for coronary artery disease and cerebrovascular accident events was similar among the 3 different therapy groups. However, the combined therapy vs SGLT2i reduced the risk of heart failure events (HR 0.69; 95% CI, 0.56-0.87) or all-cause mortality (HR 0.68; 95% CI, 0.54-0.86). Multivariate Cox regression analysis, after matching with a propensity score, confirmed the benefits of combined therapy regarding SGLT2i or GLP1ra monotherapy. ConclusionCompared with SGLT2i or GLP1ra alone, combined therapy SGLT2i + GLP1ra reduces heart failure risk and all-cause mortality in a real-world population.

Developing customized fuel models for shrub and bracken communities in Galicia (NW Spain)

Geospatial fire behaviour and fire hazard simulators, fire effects models and smoke emission software commonly use standard fuel models in order to simplify data collection and the inclusion of complex fuel scenarios. These fuel models are often mapped using remotely sensed data. However, given the great complexity of fuelbeds, with properties that vary widely in both time and space, the use of these standard fuel models can greatly limit accurate fuel mapping. This affects fuel hazard assessment, fuel reduction treatment plans, fire management decision-making and evaluation of the environmental impact of wildfire. In this study, we developed unique customized fire behaviour fuel models for shrub and bracken communities, by using k-medoids clustering analysis based on both fuel structural characteristics and potential fire behaviour. We used an original database of 722 destructive sample plots in nine different shrub and bracken communities covering the entire distribution area in Galicia (NW Spain), one of the regions in Europe most affected by forest fires. Measurements of cover, height and fuel fractions loads differentiated by size and vegetative state (live or dead) were used to estimate the potential rate of fire spread with five different models including fireline intensity, heat per unit area and the flame length for each sampling site and considering extreme environmental conditions. The optimal number of clusters was established by combining practical knowledge about the shrubland communities under study and their associated fire behaviour, with maximization of the mean value of the silhouette variable and minimization of the within-cluster sum of squares. The structural characteristics of the medoids derived from the analysis were associated with each of the proposed customized fuel models. Finally, a simple dichotomous classification based only on shrub height was developed to enable construction of spatially explicit fuel model maps based on remotely sensed data. Thus, the methodology applied allows generation of a more realistic representation of fuel distribution in the landscape, based on fuel structure measurements of natural regional ecosystems rather than on the use of standard models. We believe that the proposed methodology is generally applicable to communities composed of other shrub and fern species in different biogeographical regions.

Using InSAR and GPR Techniques to Detect Subsidence: Application to the Coastal Area of “A Xunqueira” (NW Spain)

Climate change represents an important cause of subsidence, especially in coastal cities affected by changes in surface water level and water table. This paper presents a complementary study of Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) and Ground Penetrating Radar (GPR) for the early detection of subsidence and sinkhole phenomena. The methodology was applied to a coastal urban area in Galicia, northwest Spain (humid region), showing apparent signs of subsidence and building settlement during the last two years. Two different InSAR methods are compared for the period from June 2021 to March 2022: PSI (Persistent Scatterer Interferometry) and SBAS (Small Baseline Subsets), and the average deformation velocities obtained resulted in −3.0 mm/yr and −4.1 mm/yr, respectively. Additional GPR data were collected in January 2022 to validate the InSAR results, which detected subsidence in agreement with the persistent scatters obtained from the PSI method. This is crucial information to plan preventive maintenance.

El sueño que no fue: El cultivo del lúpulo en Galicia, 1914-1981

Hops growing gave agricultural and industrial dynamism to certain areas of the northwest of the Iberian Peninsula and, particularly, to the northeast of the province of A Coruña in the central decades of the 20th century. The main aim of this article is to analyse the origins and causes of the development of this sector, as well as its decline in the main hop-growing area in Galicia (Betanzos; A Coruña). The main results show an initial success that could not be sustained in the long term due to the fragility of the production model, which was based on small family farms and abundant labour. Likewise, within the autarkic economic framework, regulated prices were initially favourable, but they were not adapted over time to the increase of production costs, which deteriorated profitability and contributed to the sectoral decline.

Mercury Content and Pools in Complex Polycyclic Soils From a Mountainous Area in Galicia (NW Iberian Peninsula)

Atmospheric mercury (Hg) usually tends to accumulate in the upper horizons of soils. However, the physico-chemical characteristics of some soils, as well as pedogenetic processes, past climate changes, or soil degradation processes, can lead to a redistribution of mercury through the soil profile. In this work, the presence and accumulation of mercury was studied in three deep polycyclic soils from a mountainous area in NW Iberia Peninsula. The highest total Hg values (HgT) were found in the organic matter-rich O and A horizons of FL and MF profiles (169 and 139 μg kg−1, respectively) and in the illuvial horizon of RV (129.2 μg kg−1), with the latter two samples showing the maximum Hg reservoirs (29.3 and 29.0 mg m−2, respectively). Despite finding the highest Hg content in the surface horizons, considerable Hg reservoirs were also observed in depths higher than 40–50 cm, indicating the importance of taking into account these soil layers when Hg pools are evaluated at a global scale. Based on the mass transfer coefficients, we can rule out the contribution of parent material to the Hg accumulation in most of the horizons, thus indicating that pedogenetic processes are responsible for the Hg redistribution observed along the soil profiles. Finally, by means of principal component analysis (PCA) and stepwise linear regression we could assess the main soil components involved in the Hg accumulation in each soil horizon. Therefore, PC1 (organic matter and low stability Al-hummus complexes) showed a higher influence on the surface horizons, whereas PC2 (reactive Al-Fe complexes and medium-high Al-hummus complexes) and PC4 (crystalline Fe compounds and pHw) were more relevant in the Hg distribution observed in the deepest soil layers.

Examining socioeconomic factors associated with wildfire occurrence and burned area in Galicia (Spain) using spatial and temporal data

BackgroundThe Spanish region of Galicia is one of the most fire-prone areas in Europe. Most wildfires are directly or indirectly related to human activities, suggesting that socioeconomic factors likely can inform wildfire management. Socioeconomic factors, for example, could help explain the causes and distribution of wildfires spatially and temporally within the region. We sought to examine how socioeconomic and biophysical variables and their fluctuations over time (2000–2015) might influence wildfire ignitions and hectares burned in Galicia using municipality-level data describing socioeconomic factors and forest land wildfires.ResultsWe used cluster analysis to characterize socioeconomic variation in our data set and regression analysis of panel data to investigate jointly the temporal and spatial dimensions of correlation between socioeconomic factors and wildfires. Using cluster analysis, we divided the region inter-territorially according to socioeconomic characteristics. Clustering divisions were found to have a similar pattern to that of Galician provinces. Our regression models for each cluster indicate that several socioeconomic factors are at least correlated with and may tend to influence wildfire occurrence and burned area in Galicia. We also found discernible patterns related to our identified clusters, confirming that differences between territories exist regarding the likely influence of socioeconomic factors on the number of wildfire ignitions and hectares burned.ConclusionsResults suggest that socioeconomic factors are as crucial as meteorological variables for understanding wildfire ignitions and burned area in Galicia (Spain). Accurate knowledge of inter-territorial socioeconomic differences could help public officials and forest managers to design wildfire prevention policies best suited to the socioeconomic, cultural, and environmental circumstances of each territory.

Norovirus GII.3[P12] Outbreak Associated with the Drinking Water Supply in a Rural Area in Galicia, Spain, 2021.

ABSTRACTOn 30 September 2021, the city council of Muxia, Spain (population of 4,564 inhabitants), reported an unusual increase of patients with acute gastroenteritis (AGE). Because geographically widespread villages belonging to the same water supply were affected, a waterborne outbreak was suspected. Overall, 115 probable cases were ascertained during epidemiological investigations carried out by the local health authority (attack rate, 5.7%); the age range was 0 to 92 years, and 54% were female. The main symptoms were vomiting (78.1%) and diarrhea (67.5%). Primary cases peaked on 29 September and subsided on 1 October, compatible with a point-source outbreak followed by possible secondary cases until 7 October. We conducted an unmatched case-control study using phone surveys. The case-control study included 62 cases and 46 controls. Univariate analysis showed that cases had a higher exposure to tap water through direct consumption (odds ratio [OR] = 86; 95% confidence interval [CI], 18 to 409) or vegetable washing (OR = 27; 95% CI, 7 to 98). Norovirus GII was detected in two terminal points of the water supply system, and 14 cases were laboratory confirmed after detection of GII in stool samples. A unique genotype (GII.3[P12]) was identified in stool samples. On 1 October, a tap water ban was put in place and the water was purged and chlorinated. The rapid increase in the number of cases and its decline after implementing control measures suggested a waterborne point-source outbreak among the residents of Muxia sharing the same water distribution system.IMPORTANCE Noroviruses are likely to be underrecognized in most suspected waterborne outbreaks. Therefore, effective norovirus detection and the early recognition of water as a possible source of infection are important to reduce morbidity as appropriate steps are taken to control the source. In our study, we combined epidemiological, environmental, and microbiological investigations to demonstrate that it was a waterborne outbreak caused by norovirus. Metagenomic sequencing in one norovirus-positive stool sample confirmed norovirus etiology and the absence of other potential pathogens. Detection of fecal indicator bacteria and the fact that the drinking water was not chlorinated suggest a breakdown in chlorination as the cause of the outbreak. This outbreak investigation also demonstrated the importance of timely communication to the public about the risk linked to tap water consumption.

Process mining for the analysis of a Rapid Referral Pathway of Colorectal cancer in an integrated healthcare area in Galicia (Spain).

The International Journal of Integrated Care (IJIC) is an online, open-access, peer-reviewed scientific journal that publishes original articles in the field of integrated care on a continuous basis.IJIC has an Impact Factor of 5.120 (2020 JCR, received in June 2021)The IJIC 20th Anniversary Issue was published in 2021.

Assessment Of A Rapid Referral Cancer Colorectal Pathway With Process Mining In An Integrated Area In Galicia (Spain)

The International Journal of Integrated Care (IJIC) is an online, open-access, peer-reviewed scientific journal that publishes original articles in the field of integrated care on a continuous basis.IJIC has an Impact Factor of 5.120 (2020 JCR, received in June 2021)The IJIC 20th Anniversary Issue was published in 2021.

Modeling the Impact of Salinity Variations on Aquatic Environments: Including Negative and Positive Effects in Life Cycle Assessment.

Salinity is changing in aquatic systems due to anthropogenic activities (like irrigation or dam management) and climate change. Although there are studies on the effects of salinity variations on individual species, little is known about the effects on overall ecosystems, these impacts being more uncertain in transitional waters such as estuaries or fiords. The few works that do address this topic have considered these impacts using ecotoxicity models. However, these models state that an increase in the concentration of a pollutant generates an increase in the impacts, disregarding the effects of water freshening. The present research work introduces a general framework to address the impacts of salinity variations, including emission-related positive effects. We validated this framework by applying it to an estuarine area in Galicia (northwestern Spain), where sharp drops in the salt concentration have caused mass mortalities of shellfish in recent decades. This research work addresses for the first time the potential effects on the environment derived from a decrease in the concentration of essential substances, where the effects of an emission can also generate positive impacts. Moreover, it is expected that the framework can also be applied to model the environmental impacts of other essential substances in life cycle assessment (LCA), such as metals and macronutrients.

Texture Extraction Techniques for the Classification of Vegetation Species in Hyperspectral Imagery: Bag of Words Approach Based on Superpixels

Texture information allows characterizing the regions of interest in a scene. It refers to the spatial organization of the fundamental microstructures in natural images. Texture extraction has been a challenging problem in the field of image processing for decades. In this paper, different techniques based on the classic Bag of Words (BoW) approach for solving the texture extraction problem in the case of hyperspectral images of the Earth surface are proposed. In all cases the texture extraction is performed inside regions of the scene called superpixels and the algorithms profit from the information available in all the bands of the image. The main contribution is the use of superpixel segmentation to obtain irregular patches from the images prior to texture extraction. Texture descriptors are extracted from each superpixel. Three schemes for texture extraction are proposed: codebook-based, descriptor-based, and spectral-enhanced descriptor-based. The first one is based on a codebook generator algorithm, while the other two include additional stages of keypoint detection and description. The evaluation is performed by analyzing the results of a supervised classification using Support Vector Machines (SVM), Random Forest (RF), and Extreme Learning Machines (ELM) after the texture extraction. The results show that the extraction of textures inside superpixels increases the accuracy of the obtained classification map. The proposed techniques are analyzed over different multi and hyperspectral datasets focusing on vegetation species identification. The best classification results for each image in terms of Overall Accuracy (OA) range from 81.07% to 93.77% for images taken at a river area in Galicia (Spain), and from 79.63% to 95.79% for a vast rural region in China with reasonable computation times.

Habitat quality assessment of Atlantic wet heathlands in Serra do Xistral, NW Spain

The assessment of habitat quality, especially in semi-natural managed systems, provides a powerful tool for monitoring short and long-term conservation actions. The Erica mackayana Atlantic wet heathlands of the Serra do Xistral protected area in Galicia, NW Spain, represent a dynamic system with high conservation value associated to traditional management through grazing of free-ranging cattle and wild ponies. Here, we aimed to develop a spatially-explicit, quantitative method for Habitat Quality Assessment, defining an optimum state and the alternative states that may arise from habitat degradation. Vegetation structure, grass-shrub cover ratio, gorse cover, presence of bracken, exotic species such as pine trees and saplings, erosive events and altered hydrological dynamics were identified as the main indicators of habitat degradation. A heterogeneous vegetation structure with a dominant shrub cover of c.0.5 m height and constant gaps among shrubs, with a limited cover of gorse and absence of pine trees, bramble and bracken, and absence of erosive events was recognized as the optimum state. We applied the Habitat Quality Assessment (HQA) method to a pilot area within the Xistral protected site. Wet heathland was the dominant habitat, covering 37.1% of the area. 7.0% of the assessed heathlands were recognized as in the optimum state for habitat quality. Recommendations are made for habitat management to revert low scores, mainly by the adjustment of livestock numbers and the removal of exotic pine trees.

Spread or backwash: The impact on population dynamics and business performance of a new road in a rural county of Galicia (Spain)

AbstractThe natural experiment provided by the opening of a section that completed the A8 motorway in Mariña de Lugo, a rural area in Galicia (Spain), offers an opportunity to identify whether spread or backwash effects in economic activity are observed. The new section directly affects only a small strip of the territory—where the transition from the inland rural areas to the more dynamic coastal area takes place. This allows us to test a separate dual inner‐coastal socio‐economic performance after the opening of the new road—an analysis that has rarely been performed for rural areas in developed countries. We study the impact over population growth, employment and business financial results, using the differences‐in‐differences approach. The results we obtain are consistent with the spread hypothesis for the nearest municipality to the new road section, while the spread effects did not disseminate to the neighbouring municipalities. These global results hide a different performance at the sector level, positive for transport and manufacturing companies, and negative for retail firms and hospitality.

Phonetic interactions in the bilingual production of Galician and Spanish /e/ and /o/

Aims and objectives/purpose/research questions: This study investigates the cross-linguistic phonetic interactions in the production of closed mid vowels of Galician-Spanish bilinguals in a semi-urban area in Galicia. The research questions were: (1) Do Galician-Spanish bilinguals produce /e/ and /o/ similarly in their two languages? (2) Does language dominance influence whether these sounds are produced more like Spanish or more like Galician? (3) Do age and gender influence the bilingual production of Galician and Spanish /e/ and /o/? Design/methodology/approach: Thirty Galician-Spanish bilinguals from the western coast of Galicia completed a sociolinguistic questionnaire and two reading tasks in both Galician and Spanish. Data and analysis: 4,728 vowels were acoustically analyzed and submitted to several mixed effect statistical models. Findings/conclusions: Bilinguals in this study produce distinct phonetic categories for their four Galician mid vowels, and additionally have created new phonetic categories to accommodate their L2 (Spanish) vowels, resulting in a more crowded mid-vowel phonetic space. Originality: This is the first study to examine closed mid vowel realizations in both Spanish and Galician by bilinguals who maintain a Galician four mid-vowel contrast, and to investigate their complex L1-L2 phonetic interactions. Significance/implications: This study offers new data to examine how early bilinguals organize their phonetic system(s) through cross-linguistic assimilation and dissimilation.

Estimation of aboveground forest biomass in Galicia (NW Spain) by the combined use of LiDAR, LANDSAT ETM+ and National Forest Inventory data

Assessing biomass is critical for accounting bioenergy potentials and monitoring forest ecosystem responses to global change and disturbances. Remote sensing, especially Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) data combined with field data, is being increasingly used for forest inventory purposes. We evaluated the feasibility of the combined use of freely available data, both remote sensing (LiDAR data provided by the Spanish National Plan for Aerial Ortophotography - PNOA - and Landsat vegetation spectral indices) and field data (from the National Forest Inventory) to estimate stand dendrometric and aboveground biomass variables of the most productive tree species in a pilot area in Galicia (northwestern Spain). The results suggest that the models can accurately predict dendrometric and biomass variables at plot level with an R2 ranging from 0.49 to 0.65 for basal area, from 0.65 to 0.95 for dominant height, from 0.48 to 0.68 for crown biomass and from 0.55 to 0.82 for stem biomass. Our results support the use of this approach to reduce the cost of forest inventories and provide a useful tool for stakeholders to map forest stand variables and biomass stocks.

Burned area prediction with semiparametric models

Wildfires are one of the main causes of forest destruction, especially in Galicia (north-west Spain), where the area burned by forest fires in spring and summer is quite high. This work uses two semiparametric time-series models to describe and predict the weekly burned area in a year: autoregressive moving average (ARMA) modelling after smoothing, and smoothing after ARMA modelling. These models can be described as a sum of a parametric component modelled by an autoregressive moving average process and a non-parametric one. To estimate the non-parametric component, local linear and kernel regression, B-splines and P-splines were considered. The methodology and software were applied to a real dataset of burned area in Galicia for the period 1999–2008. The burned area in Galicia increases strongly during summer periods. Forest managers are interested in predicting the burned area to manage resources more efficiently. The two semiparametric models are analysed and compared with a purely parametric model. In terms of error, the most successful results are provided by the first semiparametric time-series model.

Quality of extra virgin olive oils produced in an emerging olive growing area in north-western Spain

Systematic studies of physico-chemical and stability-related properties, and chemical composition, of extra virgin olive oils (EVOOs) obtained from drupes cropped in specific regions are of special agricultural interest. This is particularly so with new production areas, where careful selection of the most suitable olive varieties for EVOO production is required. This paper reports the first comprehensive chemical characterisation of EVOOs obtained from three different olive varieties (viz., Picual, Morisca and Manzanilla de Sevilla) grown in a new cultivation area in Galicia (NW Spain).The Morisca variety was that providing the highest industrial oil yield (21%). However, the three types of EVOO exhibited no statistically significant differences in standard quality-related indices other than acidity.Morisca EVOO was that with the lowest content in oleic acid (mean=68%) and highest content in linoleic acid (mean=13%). Also, Morisca EVOO exhibited the highest sterol levels (mean=1616mg/kg) and Picual EVOO the lowest (mean=1160mg/kg).Picual EVOO contained greater amounts of the phenolic compounds luteolin and pinoresinol than both Morisca and Manzanilla de Sevilla EVOOs. Finally, Manzanilla de Sevilla EVOO exhibited differential attributes, with banana and olive fruit aromatic series prevailing predominantly over bitter-like, pungent-like and leaf series.

Forest fires in the wildland–urban interface: A spatial analysis of forest fragmentation and human impacts

The contact zone between human infrastructure and wildland vegetation, known as the wildland–urban interface (WUI), has increased worldwide over the last decades and has a direct relationship with the risk of forest fires. Human activities increase the likelihood of wildfires, which can have disastrous consequences for property and land use and can pose a serious threat to lives. This paper examines the spatial patterns of the WUI and wildfire ignition points in Galicia (NW, Spain). We spatially delimited and classified WUI areas by the intensity of human presence, using the spatial arrangement of buildings. We also classified the areas by forest fragmentation and then explored the statistical differences in the density of forest-fire ignitions among areas in the different WUI categories. The study area in Galicia has the highest rate of wildfire incidents in Spain. Our results show that more than half of the built area is located in the WUI and that fire ignition is approximately twice as frequent in WUI as in non-WUI areas. The highest wildfire occurrence is in unforested areas of the WUI, while the lowest fire density is associated with isolated buildings. Areas with very dense clusters of buildings surrounded by forestland, characterized here as peri-urban areas, have the highest density of fire ignition. This trend highlights the vulnerability of the interface to fire in this region. Particularly in high risk areas, our work can advance spatial delimitation policies and further the development and promotion of plans for the protection of human lives, property and economic activity.

The change in the atrial fibrillation type as a prognosis marker in a community study: Long-term data from AFBAR (Atrial Fibrillation in the BARbanza) study

The aim is to describe the prognosis role of the change in the atrial fibrillation (AF) type in an unselected population of patients with AF currently attending primary care in a single health-service area in Galicia, north-western Spain. AFBAR is a cohort study that was carried out by 35 primary care providers in 2008. Participants were followed up for a mean of 2.8 ± 0.7 years. 798 patients with the diagnosis of AF who presented at their clinics during a three-month period were recruited. Primary endpoint was mortality or hospital admission. 778 patients (413 male) were analyzed; mean age 74.8 years old. Hypertension was the most prevalent risk factor (76.5%). Permanent AF was diagnosed in 529 patients (68.0%). Change of AF status occurred in 76 patients (9.8%). During follow-up 52.1% of the patients underwent a primary endpoint and the overall survival was 83.4%. The following independent determinants of primary endpoint were identified: change in AF status (Hazard Ratio (HR) 1.41 (95%-confidence interval (CI) 1.04-1.92); p=0.026); previous heart failure (HR 1.28 (95%-CI 1.00-1.65); p=0.050); previous cardiovascular admission (HR 1.54 (95%-CI 1.16-2.03); p=0.002); stroke (HR 2.02 (95%-CI 1.35-3.03); p=0.001);ischemic heart disease (HR 1.28 (95%-CI 1.00-1.65); p=0.050); chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (HR 1.28 (95%-CI 1.00-1.64);p=0.042); anemia (HR 1.37 (95% CI 1.08-1.75); p=0.010); or AF-related complications (HR 1.45 (95%-CI 1.18-1.78); p<0.001). The change in AF status showed to be an important prognosis marker for death or hospital admissions in a primary care cohort.

Unfolding Farm Practices: Working Toward Sustainable Food Production in the Netherlands and Spain

The modernization of agriculture has caused and continues to cause an increasing disconnection between farming, nature, and society, which has also created a series of social, economic, and ecological crises in the food chain. Case study research of farmers responding to this situation can show us what changes are required to encourage a reconnection between farming, nature, and society. This paper provides ethnographic case study research of two farms: one situated in a productive polder in the Netherlands, and the other in a disadvantaged mountainous area in Galicia, Spain. They both employ "novelty production," farmer-driven adaptations to the farm, seen as a socio-ecological system. These novelties change the input-output relations on farms and result in adaptations in different farming domains (technical, economic, and socio-organizational), which we see as "unfolding" farming practices. This paper examines how these farmers have sustained and improved the socio-ecological performance of their farms and how these changes have led to a shift in the farm as a socio-ecological system and changed the configuration and boundaries of the farms. In conclusion we look at prospects for this approach being supported at a wider level.