De Llobregat Research Articles

Beyond food: A stochastic model to estimate the contributions of urban agriculture to sustainability

In the first decades of the 21st century, urban agriculture has gained attention for its role in enhancing food security, particularly in developing nations. Additionally, it is commonly assumed that urban agriculture also has positive implications for other aspects of urban sustainability, such as mitigating runoff and creating job opportunities. However, the extent of these contributions has not been extensively quantified. This study aims to address this gap by presenting a stochastic model that quantifies the contributions of urban agriculture to urban sustainability, using Sant Feliu de Llobregat, a Mediterranean city, as a case study. We assessed eight indicators, including accessibility to green areas, food self-reliance, green surface area per capita, job creation, NO2 sequestration, runoff mitigation, urban heat island effect, and volunteer participation. These indicators were estimated across twelve different simulated scenarios using 1000 Monte Carlo simulations for each scenario, to account for uncertainties. The findings revealed that the contributions of urban agriculture are not straightforward, as they are influenced by factors such as garden typology and location. Although urban agriculture typically originates as a grassroots movement, it often receives administrative support. Therefore, strategic planning can be employed to maximize the contributions of urban agriculture to urban sustainability and minimize trade-offs between social and environmental benefits.

Effect and safety of listening to music or audiobooks as a coadjuvant treatment for chronic pain patients under opioid treatment: a study protocol for an open-label, parallel-group, randomised, controlled, proof-of-concept clinical trial in a tertiary hospital in the Barcelona South Metropolitan area

BackgroundChronic non-cancer pain (CNCP) treatment’s primary goal is to maintain physical and mental functioning while improving quality of life. Opioid use in CNCP patients has increased in recent years, and...

Tratamiento de la informacion de violencia de género. Con aportaciones de la inteligencia artificial

Introduction/objectivesViolence against women is still a serious social and health problem, despite the measures implemented in recent years. The examination of the victims by the forensic doctor in the courts is of great interest since it provides information related not only to the aggression, but also to their social, family and economic environment. The objective is to use this information to identify groups at risk and improve/implement the necessary measures. Material and methodsIn this work, the forensic has collected, for eight years, abundant data on the victims examined in L'Hospitalet de Llobregat. The sample includes 1,622 cases of women who have been victims of gender violence. A descriptive study of the population and of the lesions has been carried out. ResultsThe paper presents the main variables studied, both socioeconomic and referring to the aggression itself. This study also analyzes the reentry of the victims, the repetition of aggressions (revictimization), which are 10.9% of the sample. Finally, the results obtained after applying artificial intelligence techniques -in this case, CaRT classification trees- are presented. ConclusionsWith the results obtained, we conclude that the treatment of the information collected and systematized from the medical-forensic intervention allows a better understanding of Violence Against Women, from which we can extract suggestions on the adoption of care and support measures for the victims and the most vulnerable groups, as well as administrative resources and the optimization of prevention programs.

Predicting Legionella contamination in cooling towers and evaporative condensers from microbiological and physicochemical parameters.

Inhalation of Legionella-containing aerosols generated by cooling towers (CT) and evaporative condensers (EC) where water risk management is not performed correctly has been linked to a high percentage of community outbreaks of Legionnaires' disease (LD). Likewise, microbiological and physicochemical characteristics of the water in these facilities have been associated with this bacterium. The main aim of this study was to assess the risk of Legionella colonization in CT and EC based on the data for microbiological and physicochemical water quality provided by the Environmental Health Department and Laboratory of the City Council of L'Hospitalet de Llobregat (Barcelona, Spain). Legionella was analysed in 789 samples collected from 127 CT and EC in 46 companies in Catalonia from 2002 to 2019. A two-step logistic regression analysis was carried out to assess the risk of colonization by Legionella in the studied facilities according to the microbiological (aerobic heterotrophic bacteria) and physicochemical (pH, alkalinity, hardness, turbidity, conductivity, total iron and Langelier Index) water parameters. The optimal cut-off points for the water parameters predictive of Legionella contamination were defined as the values on the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve where sensitivity and specificity were jointly maximized. Legionella was isolated in 8.49% of the 789 analysed samples, 22.39% of which were heavily contaminated (with counts higher than 1.0×104CFU/l). L. pneumophila was isolated in 82.09% of the samples, with 41.82% belonging to serogroup 1. Logistic regression analysis revealed that aerobic heterotrophic bacteria concentrations ≥6.90×102CFU/ml [Odds ratios (OR) (95% CI)=3.56 (1.39-9.43), p=0.01], a pH≥8.70 [OR (95% CI)=3.60 (1.34-10.09), p=0.01], and water hardness ≥5.72×102mg/l [OR (95% CI)=6.30 (2.34-18.56), p<0.001] were each independently associated with a higher risk of CT and EC colonization by Legionella. The present study shows the importance of risk assessment for improving the control measures aimed at preventing or reducing Legionella populations in CT and EC, thus minimizing potential dangers for public health.

Percepciones y factores externos de la actividad física en adolescentes mediante métodos mixtos

ObjectiveAnalyze the levels of physical activity in adolescents and their relationship with perceptions of physical activity and external factors. MethodCross-sectional descriptive observational study. The participants were adolescents between the ages of 11 and 18. They were recruited in secondary schools in the municipality of Esplugues de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain. The measurements were amount of physical activity (IPAQ-A questionnaire) and the relationship between level of physical activity and the perceptions of physical activity and external factors proposed by the health promotion model. ResultsOf the total sample, 60.34% participants were insufficiently active. The factors positively associated with physical activity were male gender (p<0.01), engaging in extracurricular sports (p<0.01), perceiving benefits (p<0.01), perceiving self-efficacy (p<0.01), interpersonal influences (p<0.01), having parents who engage in sports (p<0.01), social support (p<0.01) and social norms supporting exercise (p<0.01). The factors negatively associated with physical activity were female gender (p<0.01), body mass index (p=0.048) and perceiving obstacles (p<0.01). There was no relationship with social class (p=0.164). Situational influences were a conditioning factor for boys (p<0.01), but not girls (p=0.561). ConclusionsThis study identifies factors that determinate the practice of physical activity in adolescents. Taking these factors into account in the design of health promotion interventions and policies could help increase levels of physical activity in this population. Even so, there are some variables, such as gender and socioeconomic status, that should be explored in depth through research that is more exploratory and discursive.

Food festivals as builders of the image of a tourist destination

ABSTRACT This paper analyses how the image of a tourist destination is built through food festivals and the role played by the stakeholders in the image construction process. The study is based on a food festival in the municipality of L'Hospitalet de Llobregat close to Barcelona. The conceptual framework is based on tourist destination image construction, focusing on the role of local agents and particularly their use of social media. Content analysis of the induced image provided by local agents and the image perceived by tourists was conducted on social media platforms Facebook and Tripadvisor. The results suggest that local associations promoting and organizing food festivals can influence destination image by enhancing local identity and culture and reshaping the mental construct of the urban landscape based on food. Affective image attributes based on emotions are particularly important in this process. From a practical point of view, the study highlights a gap between induced image by local agents and perceived image by tourists for the case of food festivals. Moreover, it challenges local food agents to understand how to strengthen their message and build narratives around gastronomy as a relevant attribute for tourists that may influence destination image.

Abstracts 8th PCNE working symposium ‘Navigating research on pharmaceutical care’. 11–12 February 2022, Lisbon, Portugal

Abstracts 8th PCNE working symposium ‘Navigating research on pharmaceutical care’. 11–12 February 2022, Lisbon, Portugal

History of mental disorder in an ICU and referrals to psychiatry

ObjectiveTo describe the prevalence of patients with mental disorders (MD) admitted to the ICU. To compare the clinical characteristics according to the presence of psychiatric history. To review the relevance of the consultations made to Psychiatry. DesignRetrospective descriptive study. SettingICU of the General Hospital of the Parc Sanitari Sant Joan de Deu, Sant Boi de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain. PatientsPatients admitted between January 2016 and June 2018. InterventionsNone. Main variables of interestSeverity level (APACHE II), reason for admission, days of admission, days of mechanical ventilation, psychiatric history and reason for psychiatric consultation. ResultsA total of 1,247 patients were included; 194 (15.5%) met MD criteria, their mean age being younger (59 vs 68, P < .001) and with a lower mean score on the APACHE II scale (12 vs 14, P ≤ .003). There were 64 consultations to Psychiatry (5.1% of admissions), 59 of which were in patients with TM (92.1%). Regarding the reasons for the consultation, 22.6% were for attempted suicide, 61.3% for pharmacological adjustment, 11.3% to rule out mental disorder, and 4.8% for competence assessment. The probability of a consultation being carried out while it was indicated was 89.1%, while the probability of not carrying it out when it was not indicated was 99.4%. ConclusionsThis study supports the need to expand the specific recommendations for consultation to Psychiatry, beyond the assessment after a suicide attempt, since a large percentage (77.5%) of the pertinent consultations were for other reasons.

Let's Do It Online?! Challenges and Lessons for Inclusive Virtual Participation

Within the broader framework of the EU-H2020 EdiCitNet project—a large-scale collaborative project with a multi-stakeholder approach—there is the opportunity to observe participatory planning approaches to mainstream nature-based, edible solutions to solve specific social urban problems in an international group of six cities—Berlin (Germany), Carthage (Tunisia), Sant Feliu de Llobregat (Spain), Letchworth (United Kingdom), Šempeter pri Gorici (Slovenia), and Lomé (Togo). One year after the project started, the COVID-19 pandemic made it necessary to transfer most participatory planning processes to online platforms. This new format presented challenges to planning and voluntary stakeholder engagement due to different capacities regarding technical requirements as well as location-specific social circumstances. In this paper, we aim to shed light on the potentials and trade-offs in shifting to online participation and who gets to participate under digital Participatory Action Research (PAR) circumstances. We used a mixed-methods approach to evaluate the planning progress and the transition to working online in the six cities during the first wave of the pandemic. The study identifies critical implications of COVID-19 on participatory planning processes, the challenges for online participation, and the effectiveness of measures applied to tackle those challenges. The transition to online participatory planning described in this paper emphasizes organizational rather than technical remedies. While the planning progress in all cities was delayed, some faced significant challenges in the transition to online due to the lack of technical or community capacities. This was fostered through the diverse and new realities of the stakeholders ranging from meeting existential needs to adapting to alternative forms of working and caring. The reflections in this paper offer learnings from the disruptions caused by COVID-19 to better understand how participatory planning processes can be managed online along the lines of equity, access, and participation. The findings demonstrate how participatory processes in the ongoing crisis can be maintained, with relevance to future waves of this and other pandemics.

Dynamic profiles and predictive values of some biochemical and haematological quantities in COVID-19 inpatients.

IntroductionSevere acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection in some hospitalized patients has shown some important alterations in laboratory tests. The aim of this study was to establish the most relevant quantities associated with the worst prognosis related to COVID-19.Materials and methodsThis was a descriptive, longitudinal, observational and retrospective study, in a cohort of 845 adult inpatients from Bellvitge University Hospital (L’Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona, Spain). A multivariate regression analysis was carried out in demographic, clinical and laboratory data, comparing survivors (SURV) and non-survivors (no-SURV). A receiver operating characteristic analysis was also carried out to establish the cut-off point for poor prognostic with better specificity and sensibility. Dynamic changes in clinical laboratory measurements were tracked from day 1 to day 28 after the onset of symptoms.ResultsDuring their hospital stay, 18% of the patients died. Age, kidney disease, creatinine (CREA), lactate-dehydrogenase (LD), C-reactive-protein (CRP) and lymphocyte (LYM) concentration showed the strongest independent associations with the risk of death in the multivariate regression analysis. Established cut-off values for poor prognosis for CREA, LD, CRP and LYM concentrations were 75.0 μmol /L, 320 U/L, 80.9 mg/L and 0.69 x109/L. Dynamic profile of laboratory findings, were in agreement with the consequences of organ damage and tissue destruction.ConclusionsAge, kidney disease, CREA, LD, CRP and LYM concentrations in COVID-19 patients from the southern region of Catalonia provide important information for their prognosis. Measurement of LD has demonstrated to be very good indicator of poor prognosis at initial evaluation because of its stability over time.

El libro como presente continuo

Review of the exhibition “The book as a continuous present. Artist's books around conceptual poetics”. Tecla Sala Art Center, L’Hospitalet de Llobregat (Barcelona). Framed in the Arts Libris Fair in Barcelona.

P674 Definition of a microbial signature as a predictor of anti-TNFα treatment response

Abstract Background Crohn’s disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC) evolve with alternate outbreaks and remissions of variable duration. Tumour necrosis factor α antagonists (anti-TNFα) have enhanced the treatment of patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), improving the patient’s quality of life by reducing the number of surgeries and hospitalizations. Despite these advances, about 10–30% of patients do not respond to the treatment after the induction period. Recent studies have pointed, on one hand, gut microbiota can play a role in the anti-TNFα treatment response as gram-positive bacteria can modulate the response of NOD proteins and, on the other hand, gram-negative bacteria can stimulate TLR4 receptors causing activation of NFkß. This study aimed to define a microbial signature that could be used to predict the response of patients with CD and UC to anti-TNFα treatment. Methods This observational study consisted of obtaining a stool sample from 38 IBD patients before starting an anti-TNFα treatment. Patients were recruited at Hospital Universitari Dr. Josep Trueta (Girona) and Hospital Universitari de Bellvitge (l’Hospitalet de Llobregat). During the one-year follow-up period, disease activity levels, faecal calprotectin evolution, and anti-TNFα antibody levels were analysed to assess response to treatment, differentiating 2 groups: responders and non-responders. From each sample, DNA was purified and used in a qPCR for the quantification of the following markers: F. prausnitzii (Fpra) and its phylogroups (PHG-I and PHG-II), E. coli (Eco), A. muciniphila (Akk), Ruminococcus sp. (Rum), Bacteroidetes (Bac), M. smithii (Msm), and the total bacterial load (Eub). Results In this proof of concept, the predictive ability to identify anti-TNFα treatment responders was analysed. Individually, none of biomarkers demonstrated the ability to differentiate between groups with high sensitivity and specificity. However, an algorithm consisting of the combination of 5 microbial markers (Msm, Fpra, PHGII, Rum, and Eub) showed a high capacity to discriminate between responders and non-responders. The algorithm proved high sensitivity and specificity reporting values ​​of 93.33% and 100%, respectively, with a positive predictive value of 100% and a negative predictive value of 75% for predicting response to biologic treatment. Conclusion A specific microbial signature could beneficiate patients with IBD by predicting the therapeutic effectiveness of an anti-TNFα treatment, which could lead to a personalized therapy, improving the patients’ quality of life, saving costs, and gaining time in patient recovery.A larger prospective study will be needed to validate these results.

(Des)vinculación escolar y procesos de acompañamiento en educación secundaria por clase y origen en un municipio de la región metropolitana de Barcelona

El abandono prematuro de la educación y la formación (ATEF) afecta a uno de cada cinco jóvenes entre 18 y 24 años en España (Eurostat, 2019), con importantes diferencias por sexo y clase, y aún mayores por origen. Este artículo analiza la incidencia de la clase social y el origen como factores clave en la (des)vinculación escolar y el alcance de los procesos de acompañamiento escolar y local en las transiciones educativas. El trabajo se inscribe en uno de los dos spin-offs realizados en los municipios del Sabadell y El Prat de Llobregat, centrándose en este último, a partir del proyecto del FP7 Reducing Early School Leaving in Europe (RESL.eu, 2013-2018). Además de confirmar las diferencias por clase social y origen, los resultados subrayan el impacto que tienen las prácticas de acompañamiento y orientación sobre este alumnado dentro y fuera de los centros educativos y su articulación con la vinculación académica a la hora de favorecer las transiciones educativas a las etapas postobligatorias.

Surveys assessing sports services and municipal governance

This study aims to investigate the social importance of sport in L’Hospitalet de Llobregat. As an instrument for social cohesion and integration, sport has become a very important part of municipal activity. We use two surveys: the Baròmetre, which gathers opinion about municipal services; and satisfaction surveys completed by the users of sports facilities. The sports offer (6.5) receives a better rating than overall municipal management (5.9), and counts for 20.4% of the global assessment of the municipal management. Satisfaction with facilities is 7.3 out of 10, while price receives the lowest mark. Detailed analysis of satisfaction surveys conducted among the population can help the municipal management of sports facilities. Policies that focus only on prices are unlikely to be as effective at improving members’ perception of sports facilities as those that also take other aspects into account.

Assessing the sustainability dimension at local scale: Case study of Spanish cities

Nowadays, cities host most of the world population. As a result of human activities within their boundaries, most greenhouse gases emissions, natural resources consumption and waste generation are concentrated in urban areas. For these reasons, studies focusing on assessing the sustainability of cities have increased in recent decades. Bearing in mind the three pillars of sustainability (social, economic and environmental), this study aims to evaluate the level of sustainability of 31 representative Spanish cities through multiple sustainability indicators, which have been aggregated into a composite sustainability indicator that is reported by a three-letter code. Thus, each pillar of sustainability is represented by a letter A, B or C in the three-letter code, so that the letter A corresponds to the best rate and C to the worst.Within the geographical and socio-demographic framework of Spain, the results show considerable differences between the cities in the south and the north of the country. Accordingly, most of the cities with the best sustainability scores according to the award of at least two A in the three-letters code are located in the north of the country. Examples of this category are Pamplona and L’Hospitalet de Llobregat (both ranked as AAA). Cities such as Murcia, Gijon, Badajoz and Huelva obtained the worst ranking with the CCC rating. For this group of cities, actions for the improvement of sustainability have been identified.

The definitive precautionary measures in the crimes of animal abuse. Commentary on the Orders of the Court of Manresa and Esplugues de Llobregat.

This article analyzes the request for precautionary measures consisting of confiscating and definitive adoption in cases of animal abuse by the two resolutions first agreed in Spain, the Order of the Instructional Court number 3 of Manresa of 18th June, 2019 and the Order Instructional Court number 1 of Esplugues de Llobregat of 18th November, 2019, as well as the general regulation of criminal precautionary measures that have a place in the commission of crimes of art. 337 of the Criminal Code (hereinafter CP) in the absence of a specific framework for these cases.

Estimation of the risk of lung cancer in women participating in a population-based breast cancer screening program

IntroductionLung cancer mortality is increasing in women. In Spain, estimates suggest that lung cancer mortality may soon surpass breast cancer mortality, the main cause of cancer mortality among women. The aim of this study was to estimate the proportion of women at high risk of developing lung cancer in a group of participants in a population-based breast cancer screening program. MethodsCross-sectional study in a sample of women who participated in a population-based breast cancer screening program in 2016 in Hospitalet de Llobregat n = 1,601. High risk of lung cancer was defined according to the inclusion criteria of the National Lung Screening Trial (NLST) and the Dutch-Belgian randomized lung cancer screening trial (NELSON). ResultsAround 20% of smokers according to NLST and 40% of smokers according to NELSON criteria, and around 20% of former smokers according to both criteria, are at high risk of developing lung cancer. A positive and statistically significant trend is observed between the proportion of women at high risk and nicotine dependence measured with the brief Fagerström Test. ConclusionsA high proportion of participants in this breast cancer screening program have a high risk of developing lung cancer and would be eligible to participate in a lung cancer screening program. Population-based breast cancer screening programs may be useful to implement lung cancer primary prevention activities.

La participación comunitaria de los jóvenes en contextos urbanos vulnerables: aportaciones desde un diagnóstico colaborativo en el área metropolitana de Barcelona (España)

El presente trabajo es fruto de un diagnóstico colaborativo sobre el ejercicio de la participación comunitaria de adolescentes de l’Hospitalet de Llobregat (Barcelona). Se enmarca en una Investigación-Acción Participativa que ha desvelado la baja participación de los jóvenes en la comunidad y la necesidad de promover la participación social en educación, desde una dimensión comunitaria y con el compromiso imprescindible del conjunto de la ciudadanía.

The experiential expertise of primary care midwives in the detection of gender violence during pregnancy. Qualitative study

AimTo use the reflections of primary care midwives to know the barriers and facilitators for detecting IPV during pregnancy. The second aim is to know proposals for measures to improve the detecting. MethodQualitative methodology with a interpretative phenomenological approach. In-depth interviews were conducted with twelve midwives, who work in the sexual and reproductive health care centers in Hospitalet de Llobregat (Barcelona). ResultsThe difficulties in detection are the system of visits, the situation of women and barriers of the professional such as fear. The follow-up in the control of pregnancy and the relationship of trust with the midwife stand out as facilitators. The proposals for improvement were to increase training and use safe and reliable health care procedures. ConclusionsThe complexity of IPV makes it likely that IPV during pregnancy is undetected. It would be desirable to implement actions such as expanding training and agreeing on an internal work circuit that includes objective instruments to detecting IPV, coordination with other services and the ethical and legally appropriate way of recording in the clinical record.

Estimación del riesgo de cáncer de pulmón en mujeres que participan en un programa de cribado poblacional de cáncer de mama

IntroductionLung cancer mortality is increasing in women. In Spain, estimates suggest that lung cancer mortality may soon surpass breast cancer mortality, the main cause of cancer mortality among women. The aim of this study was to estimate the proportion of women at high risk of developing lung cancer in a group of participants in a population-based breast cancer screening program. MethodsCross-sectional study in a sample of women who participated in a population-based breast cancer screening program in 2016 in Hospitalet de Llobregat (n=1,601). High risk of lung cancer was defined according to the criteria of the National Lung Screening Trial (NLST) and the Dutch-Belgian randomized lung cancer screening trial (NELSON). ResultsAround 20% of smokers according to NLST criteria and 40% of smokers according to NELSON criteria, and around 20% of former smokers according to both criteria, are at high risk of developing lung cancer. A positive and statistically significant trend is observed between the proportion of women at high risk and nicotine dependence measured with the brief Fagerström test. ConclusionsA high proportion of participants in this breast cancer screening program have a high risk of developing lung cancer and would be eligible to participate in a lung cancer screening program. Population-based breast cancer screening programs may be useful to implement lung cancer primary prevention activities.