Province Of Madrid Research Articles

West Nile Virus Seroprevalence in Wild Birds and Equines in Madrid Province, Spain.

West Nile virus (WNV) is a re-emerging flavivirus, primarily circulating among avian hosts and mosquito vectors, causing periodic outbreaks in humans and horses, often leading to neuroinvasive disease and mortality. Spain has reported several outbreaks, most notably in 2020 with seventy-seven human cases and eight fatalities. WNV has been serologically detected in horses in the Community of Madrid, but to our knowledge, it has never been reported from wild birds in this region. To estimate the seroprevalence of WNV in wild birds and horses in the Community of Madrid, 159 wild birds at a wildlife rescue center and 25 privately owned equines were sampled. Serum from thirteen birds (8.2%) and one equine (4.0%) tested positive with a WNV competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (cELISA) designed for WNV antibody detection but sensitive to cross-reacting antibodies to other flaviviruses. Virus-neutralization test (VNT) confirmed WNV antibodies in four bird samples (2.5%), and antibodies to undetermined flavivirus in four additional samples. One equine sample (4.0%) tested positive for WNV by VNT, although this horse previously resided in a WN-endemic area. ELISA-positive birds included both migratory and resident species, juveniles and adults. Two seropositive juvenile birds suggest local flavivirus transmission within the Community of Madrid, while WNV seropositive adult birds may have been infected outside Madrid. The potential circulation of flaviviruses, including WNV, in birds in the Madrid Community raises concerns, although further surveillance of mosquitoes, wild birds, and horses in Madrid is necessary to establish the extent of transmission and the principal species involved.

Ambient temperature and seasonal variation in inpatient mortality from respiratory diseases: a retrospective observational study.

The seasonal fluctuation in mortality and hospital admissions from respiratory diseases, with a winter peak and a summer trough, is widely recognized in extratropical countries. However, little is known about the seasonality of inpatient mortality and the role of ambient temperature remains uncertain. We aimed to analyse the association between ambient temperature and in-hospital mortality from respiratory diseases in the provinces of Madrid and Barcelona, Spain. We used data on daily hospitalisations, weather (ie, temperature and relative humidity) and air pollutants (ie, PM2.5, PM10, NO2and O3) for the Spanish provinces of Madrid and Barcelona during 2006-2019. We applied a daily time-series quasi-Poisson regression in combination with distributed lag non-linear models (DLNM) to assess, on the one hand, the seasonal variation in fatal hospitalisations and the contribution of ambient temperature, and on the other hand, the day-to-day association between temperature and fatal hospital admissions. The analyses were stratified by sex, age and primary diagnostic of hospitalisation. The study analysed 1710012 emergency hospital admissions for respiratory diseases (mean [SD] age, 60.4 [31.0] years; 44.2% women), from which 103845 resulted in in-hospital death (81.4 [12.3] years; 45.1%). We found a strong seasonal fluctuation in in-hospital mortality from respiratory diseases. While hospital admissions were higher during the cold season, the maximum incidence of inpatient mortality was during the summer and was strongly related to high temperatures. When analysing the day-to-day association between temperature and in-hospital mortality, we only found an effect for high temperatures. The relative risk (RR) of fatal hospitalisation at the 99th percentile of the distribution of daily temperatures vs the minimum mortality temperature (MMT) was 1.395 (95% eCI: 1.211-1.606) in Madrid and 1.612 (1.379-1.885) in Barcelona. In terms of attributable burden, summer temperatures (June-September) were responsible for 16.2% (8.8-23.3) and 22.3% (15.4-29.2) of overall fatal hospitalisations from respiratory diseases in Madrid and Barcelona, respectively. Women were more vulnerable to heat than men, whereas the results by diagnostic of admission showed heat effects for acute bronchitis and bronchiolitis, pneumonia and respiratory failure. Unless effective adaptation measures are taken in hospital facilities, climate warming could exacerbate the burden of inpatient mortality from respiratory diseases during the warm season. European Research Council Consolidator Grant EARLY-ADAPT, European Research Council Proof-of-Concept Grants HHS-EWS and FORECAST-AIR.

Advanced digital skills of the Spanish population from 2015 to 2021. Socioeconomic and geographical factors according to an ordered probit model

The increasing digitalisation of the economy, especially after the COVID-19 pandemic, requires the population to have advanced digital skills. In a decentralised country such as Spain, it is necessary to identify the population’s model of digital skills acquisition by taking geographical variables into account. To this end, the aim of this research is to analyse the impact of socioeconomic and geographical variables on the level of advanced digital skills of the Spanish population including two spatial levels: regional (Autonomous Communities) and local (provinces) from 2015 to 2021. An ordered probit model is used with microdata provided by the Spanish National Statistics Institute’s Survey on Equipment and Use of Information and Communication Technologies in Households (ICT_H) for 2015, 2019 and 2021. The results of this study show that socioeconomic factors have a greater influence than geographical factors on the digital skills acquisition model. The model has undergone changes with the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic, with an increase of advanced digital skills among the employed and the unemployed compared to inactive persons. Moreover, the importance of educational level is corroborated and the importance of daily Internet use increased during the pandemic. There was also less regional than provincial dispersion in the probability of converging in digital skills with the region and province of Madrid. This study contributes the evolution over time of the model of digital skills acquisition with socioeconomic and geographical variables, identifying intra-regional differences and indicating whether there is spatial dependence between regional and local levels in Spain, with a view to reducing them in terms of sustainability.

A complex landscape favours the abundance and species richness of syrphids (Diptera: Syrphidae) in olive groves

Abstract Sustainability of agroecosystems depends on the ecosystem services, provided by beneficial organisms, such as the syrphids (Diptera: Syrphidae) acting as other‐insect predators and pollinators in different crops. In the case of olive groves, syrphids are predators of important pests and are endangered by the continuous intensification of agriculture, including landscape simplification. In this work, the effect of landscape structure on the abundance and species richness of syrphids in the olive agroecosystem of central Spain is assessed. Adult syrphids were sampled in 2015 and 2016 in the centre of circular areas of 15 olive grove landscapes (from 250 to 1500 m radius) representing a gradient of landscape complexity, in the province of Madrid, central Spain. The syrphid assemblage was made up of 57 species, although Eupeodes corollae, Eristalis tenax, Eristalis similis and Chrysotoxum intermedium made up 76% of the captures. Syrphid abundance and species richness were favoured in complex landscapes, with low olive grove area (CAO). Other landscape indices showed also this trend although their effect was not as strong and consistent as that of CAO. The area of scrublands (CAS) favoured syrphids in spring, but was unfavourable in autumn. The effect of Shannon's Evenness Index (SHEI) and mean shape index (MSI) was less consistent. The effect of CAO increased with increasing buffers radii, while the effect of CAS, SHEI and MSI was detected in general at smaller radii, indicating these indices affect different processes. Redundancy analysis (RDA) detected some differences between species regarding their abundance in spring versus autumn, and their relationship with landscape indices. This work provides new evidence that maintenance of complex landscapes is essential for maintaining functional biodiversity in the olive agroecosystem.

White Storks nest at high densities near landfills changing stork nesting distributions in the last four decades in Central Spain

AbstractHuman-induced environmental changes are the main drivers of the ongoing redistribution of biodiversity. The millions of tons of organic waste that is added daily to landfills can increase the carrying capacity of ecological systems with direct effects on species’ population sizes and/or distributions. Understanding the effect of landfills on bird distribution is essential to assess management decisions. Our aim was to determine the role of landfills in the distribution of the breeding population of White Storks (Ciconia ciconia) in the last 4 decades. For that purpose, we used historical and current census data of breeding pairs before and after landfill exploitation. In this study, we found that landfills have altered the distribution of the breeding population over the last 4 decades in the province of Madrid, Spain. We found that birds occupied new nesting sites near landfills independently of habitat quality as defined by prey abundance and quality according to the previous studies. Nest density was higher near landfills and increased after the landfills began to be utilized by this species. Population growth and extremely high breeding densities may translate into conflicts with humans, particularly when new nesting sites are in urban areas, and possibly alter the perception of this bird species by the human population. Landfill closures, mandated by the European Landfill legislation, are an opportunity to reduce the effects of landfills on animal populations, and reduce human–wildlife conflicts. However, there must be a process of transition and a preliminary evaluation of habitat quality and suitability in the region to avoid a dramatic decline of the White Stork population.

Rediscovering Carduncellus matritensis: assessing the conservation status of an Iberian endemic

AbstractThe plant Carduncellus matritensis (Cardueae, Compositae) was formerly known from only a single locality: Cerro Negro in Madrid Province, Spain. It is one of the six endemic species of the Spanish flora considered to be extinct. The causes of its presumed extinction were anthropogenic: the growth of the city of Madrid subsumed the locality into the city, such that Cerro Negro is now a railway station. During 2021–2022 we discovered three new populations c. 50 km south of the type locality, with 130–166 mature individuals. Habitat fragmentation and degradation are the most significant threats facing the three populations. We categorize the conservation status of the species as Critically Endangered according to the IUCN Red List criteria. To avoid the loss of this species, we recommend both in situ (creation of micro-reserves) and ex situ (seed storage) conservation measures.

Old, Lost, and Forgotten Rural Materialities: Old Local Irrigation Channels and Lost Local Walking Trails

Geo-historical studies have essentially focused on analyzing the historical evolution of the landscape and the processes of material resistance of rural landscapes against the dynamics of rural change. Historical landscapes are cumulative life micro-worlds. In the present contribution, the historical evolution of lost and disappeared rural roads and caceras—old local irrigation channels—is analyzed in a comparative way. The case studies were the Berbedillo river cacera system in the north of the province of Guadalajara and the Bustar path in the municipality of Bustarviejo in the province of Madrid. The methodology was based on a variety of research sources: written and archival documents, oral testimonies of the elderly, and micro-territorial recognition. The roads and caceras are lost but can continue to be represented, even if they can no longer be used for the life of rural communities. A new history of depopulation, restructuring, and loss is possible to (re)write based on spectral agrarian (im)materialities.

Medical empathy in medical students in Madrid: A proposal for empathy level cut-off points for Spain.

This study evaluates the degree of empathy among medical students and its influencing factors at three critical moments of their degree studies (beginning of first year and end of third and sixth years) as well as establishes low-, medium-, and high-empathy cut-off points to obtain valid and reliable results that can be extrapolated to the general population. This cross-sectional study of the eight (public and private) medical schools in the province of Madrid, used an electronic questionnaire with the Jefferson Scale of Empathy (JSE), Medical Student Well-Being Index, and other independent characteristics as measuring instruments. Of the 2,264 student participants, 1,679 (74.0%) were women, with a 50.7% participation rate. No significant differences were found in empathy levels by academic year. Regarding range, percentile and cut-off point tables were established to identify students with high, medium, and low empathy levels. Women (p<0.001), volunteer workers (p<0.001), and those preferring general specialties (internal medicine, psychiatry, pediatrics, or family medicine) scored higher on the JSE (p<0.02). Moreover, 41.6% presented high level of psychological distress. Women reported a lower well-being level and a higher risk of psychological distress (p = 0.004). In sum, the empathy of medical students in Madrid did not differ among the three critical moments of their university studies. The established cut-off points could be taken into account when accessing the medical degree and identifying students with low levels of empathy to implement curricular interventions to rectify this perceived deficiency. There was a high percentage of medical students with high levels of psychological distress.

Cholevinae (Coleoptera: Leiodidae) of the Sierra de Guadarrama National Park, Spain: occurrence in the MSS of a siliceous landscape

In siliceous landscapes, study of the mesovoid shallow substratum (MSS) provides interesting species records. The Cholevinae Kirby, 1837 are normally found in the forest litter, and they also are a constant element in underground habitats. However, their knowledge is totally lacking in relation to the underground realm of Sierra de Guadarrama National Park (Spain). Over the period of a year, the MSS of this mountain range was prospected to acquire first insights into the Cholevinae species established in this habitat. The prior literature was reviewed to establish an initial checklist of the Cholevinae species in the National Park, and distributional maps of the captured species were provided for the area. Twelve species of Cholevinae were captured, five of which are new records for the National Park, four for the province of Segovia, and one for the province of Madrid. All the species present wide Iberian ranges, except Choleva (Choleva) cisteloides (Frölich, 1799), whose new record notably expands its known distribution range. Ten species had been identified in subterranean habitats before, six of which have been previously reported in the MSS. The species accumulation curve built for the observed species richness showed that the inventory was not complete. Finally, the collection of Choleva (Cholevopsis) punctata Brisout, 1866 facilitated detailed study of the taxonomic characters used for the identification of Choleva (C.) punctata and Choleva (C.) securiformis Blas, 1980, allowing us to propose the synonymisation of C. (C.) securiformis n. syn. into C. (C.) punctata. This study highlights the importance of investigating hidden habitats, such as the MSS in siliceous landscapes, so as to uncover the previously unknown biodiversity, even in protected natural areas supposedly well studied.

Innovations and Reforms to Be Introduced for the Modernization of the Conventional Railway Line of Madrid-Cuenca-Valencia

This political study unravels the results and derivations of the potential official interest in closing the conventional train line between Madrid and Valencia, showing in all sections that it is urgent to ensure that a mistake is not made with wide consequences. This requires completely discarding the so-called “XCuenca Plan”, since it would generate a problem that has been dragging on for many years and that has only been getting worse over time. The general objective is focused on claiming support for the train and the maintenance of the line, as the backbone and dynamizer of the province of Cuenca. This opinion has been achieved through the most common methods of information extraction in Sociology in the field of local management, focusing on those areas in which it is necessary to have a diagnostic knowledge of the reality on which it is intended to act. With concrete data it is shown that there is a better alternative to this plan to structure the localities of the provinces of Cuenca, Toledo, Madrid and Valencia, in terms of travel time and price. And a new strategy, elaborated by Pablo Salvador Zuriaga, a PhD professor at the Polytechnic University of Valencia, reveals that the solution to this problem must be based on rail-road intermodality and its application to the localities of the Serranía Baja de Cuenca. The strategy is based on improving the benefits that the improved line would introduce and its operation with updated rolling stock, but it goes further. Once the line is renewed, the objective is to carry out a public consultation with the municipalities under the area of influence of the line to agree on the service schedules. From there, solutions must be articulated to move travelers from the population centers to the nearest stations. We will see that this solution, even considering the transfer times, is more efficient than assigning a bus that passes through the successive population centers.

Comparison of Polydrug Use Prevalences and Typologies between Men Who Have Sex with Men and General Population Men, in Madrid and Barcelona.

This study compares the prevalence of drug use and the typologies of polydrug use (PDU) in men who have sex with men (MSM) and general population men (GPM). Participants were men aged 16–64, living in the provinces of Madrid and Barcelona: 1720 were recruited in a GPM survey, and 2658 were HIV-negative MSM from HIV/STIs diagnosis services. Lifetime and last-year prevalence of drug use and prevalence ratios (PRs) of MSM to GPM for the different drugs were calculated using Poisson regression. Latent class analysis (LCA) was performed to identify typologies of PDU. Lifetime use of the drugs considered was higher in MSM, and even higher for drug use in the last-year: PRs for cannabis, hallucinogens and cocaine ranged from 2–5; for amphetamine, ecstasy and methamphetamine 12–16; and above 60 for ketamine, GHB/GBL, inhalants and mephedrone. In the LCA for lifetime PDU four classes arose from the GPM (No-PDU (79.6%); Conventional PDU (13.8%); Intensive conventional PDU (4.9%); Heavy PDU (1.8%)) and four among MSM (No-PDU (57.7%); Conventional PDU plus poppers (18.8%); PDU preferring chemsex drugs (6.4%); Heavy PDU (17.2%)). For PDU during the last-year, three classes arose in the GPM: No-PDU (94.7%); Conventional PDU (4.3%); Heavy PDU (0.9%). For MSM, we identified four classes: No-PDU (64.7%); Conventional PDU plus poppers (15.6%); PDU preferring chemsex drugs (6.2%); Heavy PDU (13.5%). MSM should be considered a priority group for the prevention of the use of all drugs but the heterogeneity of PDU typologies regarding users’ preference towards conventional and/or sexualised drugs needs to be taken into account.

When unexpected guests come to eat: two new species of Phyllolabis Osten Sacken (Diptera: Limoniidae) collected with carrion-baited traps in the centre of the Iberian Peninsula.

Phyllolabis eiroae sp. nov. and P. martinhalli sp. nov. are described from the centre of the Iberian Peninsula. These two remarkable species were collected using carrion-baited traps, running during winter, in several localities of Madrid province (Spain). The two new species are well differentiated from the other Phyllolabis Osten Sacken species recorded from the Iberian Peninsula, P. savtshenkoi Theowald, and those from the west Palaearctic. An identification key to differentiate the three Phyllolabis species occurring in the Iberian Peninsula is provided. The first images of P. savtshenkoi, based on the holotype and a male specimen recorded from a cave located in Ja (Spain), are also provided.

Study of the energy intensity by built areas in a medium-sized Spanish hospital

Assessing energy use in healthcare buildings requires identifying consumption profiles regularly. Keeping this in mind, this paper studies the energy intensity of a hospital and sets specific energy performance indicators by healthcare area. The authors analysed a hospital located in the province of Madrid (Spain), equipped with 182 beds and an area of usage of 25,177 m2. The heating, ventilation and air-conditioning system (HVAC) and steam production equipment (63.0%) and medical equipment (18.8%)—which includes electromedicine (11.6%), radiology (4.2%), radiotherapy (0.7%) and nuclear medicine (2.4%)—accounted for 81.8% of the energy consumed. Throughout the analysis, the authors found that operating theatres and intensive care units demanded more than 1000 kWh/m2 per year, while catering and nuclear medicine required between 500 and 1000 kWh/m2 per year and radiology between 350 and 500 kWh/m2, and most of the other units did not exceed 250 kWh/m2. The wide variability of these results shows that each area’s energy consumption should be studied separately for an appropriate energy management. These indicators are useful for benchmarking between hospitals, thus prioritising energetically efficient investments.

Hydrocharis laevigata (Humb. &amp; Bonpl. ex Willd.) Byng &amp; Christenh. (Hydrocharitaceae), novedad para la flora de Andalucía (España)

Se aporta la primera cita de Hydrocharis laevigata (Humb. &amp; Bonpl. ex Willd.) Byng &amp; Christenh. para la flora andaluza. El hallazgo constituye la segunda cita de este hidrófito para la Península ibérica, en donde se conocía solo de la provincia de Madrid.

Does exposure to noise pollution influence the incidence and severity of COVID-19?

Research that analyzes the effect of different environmental factors on the impact of COVID-19 focus primarily on meteorological variables such as humidity and temperature or on air pollution variables. However, noise pollution is also a relevant environmental factor that contributes to the worsening of chronic cardiovascular diseases and even diabetes. This study analyzes the role of short-term noise pollution levels on the incidence and severity of cases of COVID-19 in Madrid from February 1 to May 31, 2020. The following variables were used in the study: daily noise levels averaged over 14 days; daily incidence rates, average cumulative incidence over 14 days; hospital admissions, Intensive Care Unit (ICU) admissions and mortality due to COVID-19. We controlled for the effect of the pollutants PM10 and NO2 as well as for variables related to seasonality and autoregressive nature. GLM models with Poisson regressions were carried out using significant variable selection (p < 0.05) to calculate attributable RR. The results of the modeling using a single variable show that the levels of noise (leq24 h) were related to the incidence rate, the rate of hospital admissions, the ICU admissions and the rate of average cumulative incidence over 14 days. These associations presented lags, and the first association was with incidence (lag 7 and lag 10), then with hospital admissions (lag 17) and finally ICU admissions (lag 22). There was no association with deaths due to COVID-19. In the results of the models that included PM10, NO2, Leq24 h and the control variables simultaneously, we observed that only Leq24 h went on to become a part of the models using COVID-19 variables, including the 14-day average cumulative incidence. These results show that noise pollution is an important environmental variable that is relevant in relation to the incidence and severity of COVID-19 in the Province of Madrid.

Changes in depression and suicidal ideation under severe lockdown restrictions during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in Spain: a longitudinal study in the general population.

To assess whether there is a change in the prevalence of depression and suicidal ideation after the strict lockdown measures due to the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic in Spain; and to assess which are the factors associated with the incidence of a depressive episode or suicidal ideation during the lockdown. Data from a longitudinal adult population-based cohort from the provinces of Madrid and Barcelona were analysed (n = 1103). Structured face-to-face home-based interviews (pre-pandemic) and telephone interviews were performed. Both depression and suicidal ideation were assessed through an adaptation of the Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI 3.0). A variety of validated instruments and sociodemographic variables including age, sex, educational level, occupational status, home quietness, screen time, resilience, loneliness, social support, physical activity, disability, economic situation and COVID-19-related information were also considered. Population prevalence estimates and multivariable logistic regressions were computed. Overall, prevalence rates of depression and suicidal ideation did not change significantly from before to after the COVID-19 outbreak. However, the rates of depression among individuals aged 50+ years showed a significant decrease compared to before the pandemic (from 8.48 to 6.41%; p = 0.01). Younger individuals (odds ratio (OR) = 0.97 per year older; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.95-0.99) and those feeling loneliness (OR = 1.96; 95% CI = 1.42-2.70) during the lockdown were at an increased risk of developing depression during the confinement. Resilience showed a protective effect against the risk of depression (OR = 0.46; 95% CI = 0.32-0.66) and suicidal ideation (OR = 0.33; 95% CI = 0.16-0.68), whereas individuals perceiving social support were at a lower risk of developing suicidal thoughts (OR = 0.35; 95% CI = 0.18-0.69). Continuous reinforcement of mental health preventive and intervening measures during and in the aftermath of the crisis is of global importance, particularly among vulnerable groups who are experiencing the most distress. Future research should strive to evaluate the long-term effects of the COVID-19 crisis on mental health.

Hoverflies (Diptera: Syrphidae) of El Ventorrillo Biological Station, Madrid province, Spain: a perspective from a late twentieth century inventory

Temporal comparisons of a site's biodiversity depend on the availability of at least two asynchronous data sets on a bioindicator group. The Sierra de Guadarrama, a mountain range in central Spain has a high biodiversity and representative sites such as El Ventorrillo Biological Station (Madrid province) play an important role in research and monitoring of the Sierra biodiversity. Although unevenly and randomly, hoverflies of the Sierra de Guadarrama have been surveyed for decades, but never at El Ventorrillo. This important group of pollinators, aphid predators and bioindicators was sampled with a Malaise trap at El Ventorrillo from June 1989 to June 1990. A total of 51 species were identified (20 spp. of Eristalinae and 31 spp. of Syrphinae), 22 of which were new to the Sierra de Guadarrama and 17 to the Madrid province. The genera Brachypalpus and Didea were also new to the Madrid province. The Sierra de Guadarrama now has 126 species recorded and the Madrid province 150. Within the Sierra de Guadarrama, El Ventorrillo becomes the second locality in number of hoverfly species recorded after El Escorial (64 spp.). In the Malaise trap catch, hoverflies with zoophagous larvae had a higher representation than those of other guilds, both in species richness and abundance. The results provided here for El Ventorrillo represent a baseline for future biodiversity studies at this site with a similar experimental design, for example, to detect changes in hoverfly diversities along time.

Assessing the influence of ecological interaction patterns among habitat types on species distribution: studying the Iberian lynx (Lynx pardinus Temminck 1827) in central Spain

Species distribution models (SDMs) usually describe the landscape through single landcover types as explicative and independent variables. However, species distribution responds to ecological processes that are represented in spatial patterns of landcovers, which are not usually considered in SDMs. From the hypothesis that Iberian lynx occurrence will depend on landscape functioning and that spatial organisation of landcovers is a reliable indicator of landscape functionality, we built a SDM based on landscape structure, to: (i) assess the relevance that spatial organisation of landcovers has for SDMs; (ii) describe the suitable landscape for the presence/conservation of the Iberian lynx. Spatial organisation of landscape is identified by recognising landscape mosaics, which are sets of patches with a similar pattern of boundaries. We identified landscape mosaics within western area of the province of Madrid. Then, we used field-collected lynx scats to test if species’ preferences are related to landscape mosaics. The species shows its preference for two out of eight identified mosaics. It shows preference for mosaics with low human-modified holm oak forests, but it does not show rejection of traditional land-uses such as pasture or non-intensive agriculture. The relevance of watercourses was also shown, since two of four mosaics with characteristic riparian vegetation prove to be relevant in the model. As landscape includes spatial interactions (boundaries) among landcovers it is a more holistic descriptor than single landcovers. This contributes to increase SDMs performance and usefulness for designing more accurate conservation actions, compared to those based on single landcover composition.

Trait-anxiety and job psychosocial conditions as determinants of mental health in nursing

Background and objectiveJob stress can have important consequences on the physical, mental or social health of the workers. A considerable number of studies have shown that the nursing community is especially vulnerable to suffering stress due to their work characteristics. The purpose of this research was to determine the relationship between perception of psychosocial risk factors at work, trait-anxiety and mental health in nursing. MethodTwo hundred and ten nurses from various public hospitals in Madrid Province have participated in this study. The perception of psychosocial risk factors was evaluated with DECORE and NASA-TLX questionnaires, trait-anxiety was measured by STAI questionnaire and mental health by GHQ-28 questionnaire. ResultsThe results of the multiple regression analysis revealed that trait-anxiety was the variable most related to mental health. To explore the isolated association between working conditions and nurses’ mental health, partial correlations controlling the nurses’ trait-anxiety level were calculated and significant correlations were found between mental health and some psychosocial risk factors like organizational support, cognitive and temporal demands and control/autonomy at work. ConclusionTrait-anxiety influences the relations between working conditions and nurse's mental health, but regardless of the trait-anxiety level of nurses, the adverse psychosocial conditions of the workplace are directly associated with poorer mental health.

Iberian Lynx Lynx pardinus Temminck, 1827 (Mammalia: Carnivora: Felidae) in central Spain: trophic niche of an isolated population

Understanding predator-prey relationships is fundamental to develop effective conservation plans. Between 2015 and 2018, we combed 21 transects, each 7km long, searching for Iberian Lynx Lynx pardinus scat within the province of Madrid in central Spain. In order to minimise inherent subjectivity of visual identification as much as possible, we performed a double specific nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR) followed by a primer extension assay addressed to two Iberian Lynx diagnostic single nucleotide polymorphisms. Forty-six scat samples were positively identified as belonging to Iberian Lynx through genetic analysis. From these, we extracted remains of consumed prey, which we determined to the lowest possible taxonomic level, mainly through hair identification. Identified prey was divided into four types: lagomorphs, small mammals, birds, and ungulates. The species’ diet composition was described based on the frequency of occurrence (FO) of each prey and niche breadth, and also compared with prior knowledge of the species using four prior studies as a comparative reference through the calculation of the niche overlap value. The FO of lagomorphs (39%) was the lowest, while the FO of small mammals (54%) was the highest recorded to date. The niche breath (0.36) was higher than recorded in prior studies, but still showing the specialist character of the Iberian Lynx. Niche overlap was low (C = 0.49), showing differences in trophic niche between the population in our study area and the one studied in southern Spain. This indicates that the Iberian Lynx is adept at switching its main prey, an ability that has previously been firmly rejected. It is, however, capable of adapting to alternative prey more often than recorded to date, which could be a behavioural response to the patchy distribution of European Rabbit Oryctolagus cuniculus in the study area.