Province Of Albacete Research Articles

Novedades florísticas para la provincia de Albacete III

Novedades florísticas para la provincia de Albacete III

Formas de curanderismo en la Manchuela albacetense. Identidades y paradigmas

The practice of curanderismo, or healing, takes very different forms according to the context in which it takes place and the social relationships supporting it. This article begins with the models described by Irwin Press, Eduardo Menendez, Roberto Campos, Gerardo Fernandez Juarez and Francisco Ferrandiz and seeks to express them in terms of the results obtained in field work carried out in la Manchuela, a region located in the north of the Spanish province of Albacete. We propose two categories of curanderos, endo- and exocuranderos-, based on various criteria such as, among others, the social construction of the healers, the nature of their performances and how their services are paid for. This dichotomy is also found in other therapeutic settings, such as scientific medicine or healing by spiritual means.

Relationships between nutritional screening and functional impairment in institutionalized Spanish older people

ObjectivesAn association between functional status and nutritional status has previously been demonstrated and the value of the Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA) as an indicator of functional status has been investigated. However, experience in nursing homes is still limited. The objectives of this survey were to study the relationships between functional impairment as measured by the Barthel Index (BI) and broad nutritional assessment categories as measured by the MNA. Study designCross-sectional study developed with data collected from 895 residents in 34 nursing homes all over the province of Albacete (Spain). Main outcome measuresNutritional and functional statuses were assessed using the MNA and the BI, respectively. Correlations between MNA and BI were evaluated. Analyses of BI against the MNA were utilized to obtain cut-off points for three broad categories of the MNA, “well”, “at risk” and “malnourished”. Multiple logistic regression analyses were used to assess the association of the MNA items with the BI. ResultsMNA and BI were significantly correlated. The BI cut-off point that best determined malnourished versus well or at risk was 40.5. The BI cut-off point that best determined well versus malnourished or at risk was 85.5. The BI was positively associated with the following MNA items: mobility, mode of feeding, self view of health status and mid-arm circumference. ConclusionsBoth tests, MNA and BI, are positively associated. The scores of BI can help determine who may be at risk of poor nutrition.

Quality of Life in Patients With Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease in the Province of Albacete (Spain)

Quality of Life in Patients With Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease in the Province of Albacete (Spain)

Multivariate Analysis of the Agricultural Management Presence of Sorghum Halepense (L.) Pers. Relationships in Maize Crops

Sorghum halepense (L.) Pers. is one of the most troublesome weeds in warm climates. Its control is difficult, and understanding the factors affecting its spreading is crucial. A study was conducted in 47 commercial maize fields, which account for more than 400 ha in the Spanish provinces of Albacete, Badajoz and Madrid, to analyse the distribution of S. halepense as a function of various agricultural variables. The results showed significant effects of agricultural management on the presence of this weed. Crop rotation decreased the infestation of S. halepense. Furrow irrigation system favored the establishment of large patches with high plant density, while the sprinkler irrigation system favored the presence of isolated plants or small patches. Apparently, moldboard tillage promoted the establishment of large patches. The combination of different variables also had effects on the characteristics of the present infestations, and its management could lead to a better control in maize fields.

Novedades sobre la distribución del macroendemismo bético Castrilanthemum debeauxii (Degen, Hervier et É. Rev.) Vogt et Oberprieler

New data about the distribution of Baetic macroendemism Castrilanthemum debeauxii (Degen, Hervier & E. Rev.) Vogt & Oberprieler We present new data on the distribution area of rare macroendemism Castrilanthemum debeauxii, confirming its presence in the provinces of Jaen and Granada and contributing as a new presence in the province of Albacete.

Malnutrition in an Elderly Population without Cognitive Impairment Living in Nursing Homes in Spain: Study of Prevalence Using the Mini Nutritional Assessment Test

Background: The prevalence of malnutrition in institutionalized elderly people is generally high. A good nutritional status is related to a decrease in mortality and costs of morbidity treatments. Therefore, it is essential to know the nutritional status in order to establish action policies. However, there are not enough studies about malnutrition in institutionalized elderly in Spain. Objectives: The objectives of this survey were to assess the prevalence of malnutrition and risk of malnutrition in elderly people living in nursing homes in the province of Albacete (Spain) using the Mini Nutritional Assessment (MNA®) test, to analyze their distribution according to age, gender and different nursing home features, and to identify the MNA items that best predict the MNA total score. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted with data collected from 895 elders living in 34 nursing homes all over the province of Albacete, including facilities located in the main city, towns and villages. Prevalence of malnutrition and risk of malnutrition were assessed using the MNA full form test. Groups of malnutrition were compared by using mean MNA scores. Stepwise linear regression analyses were used to identify the items in the MNA which best predicted the MNA total scores. Results: According to the MNA, the prevalence of malnutrition among elderly people staying in Albacete province nursing homes was 2.8%, and the prevalence of being at risk of malnutrition was 37.3%. MNA total score was significantly higher in men (24.3 ± 2.9) than in women (23.7 ± 3.3) and significantly higher in residents living in nursing homes located in towns and villages (24.2 ± 2.8) than in those who were living in institutions placed in the main city (23.7 ± 3.4). The MNA score was found to decrease with increasing age, except for individuals aged 90 years or older. Conclusions: The prevalence of malnutrition and risk of malnutrition was 40.1%. Female gender and living in institutions located in the main city were identified as malnutrition risk factors. In general, an increase in malnutrition with age was detected, except for people in the last years of their lives. The MNA questions that best predicted the nutritional status were the ones relating to the anthropometrical and self-assessments.

The social factory of democracy in underdeveloped Spain

This article aims to analyse the contribution made by Christian movements towards constructing a democratic citizenship in an authoritarian context in the backward province of Albacete. Our study attempts to analyse the efforts made by grassroots Catholic sectors to foster democratic enclaves free from the interference of the Francoist state in 1960s and 1970s Spain. These alternative social spaces enabled new habits of civil resistance that confronted the socio-cultural hegemony of authoritarian values. As a result, throughout these years, various social groups started to challenge the sense of the regime's impregnable unity. This grassroots experience with the “power of the powerless” laid the foundations for negotiations among the political elites during the transition to democracy in Spain.

Paleoseismic and geomorphologic evidence of recent tectonic activity of the Pozohondo Fault (Betic Cordillera, SE Spain)

Instrumental and historical seismicity in the Albacete province (External Prebetic Zone) has been scarcely recorded. However, major strike-slip faults showing NW-SE trending provide geomorphologic and paleoseismic evidence of recent tectonic activity (Late Pleistocene to Present). Moreover, these faults are consistently well oriented under the present stress tensor and therefore, they can trigger earthquakes of magnitude greater than M6, according to the lengths of surface ruptures and active segments recognized in fieldwork. Present landscape nearby the village of Hellin (SE of Albacete) is determined by the recent activity of the Pozohondo Fault (FPH), a NW-SE right-lateral fault with 90 km in length. In this study, we have calculated the Late Quaternary tectonic sliprate of the FPH from geomorphological, sedimentological, archaeoseimological, and paleoseismological approaches. All of these data suggest that the FPH runs with a minimum slip-rate of 0.1 mm/yr during the last 100 kyrs (Upper Pleistocene-Holocene). In addition, we have recognized the last two major paleoearthquakes associated to this fault. Magnitudes of these paleoearthquakes were gretarer than M6 and their recurrence intervals ranged from 6600 to 8600 yrs for the seismic cycle of FPH. The last earthquake was dated between the 1st and 6th centuries, though two earthquakes could be interpreted in this wide time interval, one at the FPH and other from a far field source. Results obtained here, suggest an increasing of the tectonic activity of the Pozohondo Fault during the last 10,000 yrs.

Progreso en el programa nacional español de mejora de cebada

El programa nacional de mejora de cebada se lleva a cabo por cuatro organismos públicos situados en las principales regiones productoras de cebada de España. El objetivo de este estudio es la evaluación retrospectiva de i) el progreso en términos de rendimiento y ii) la magnitud y el efecto de la interacción genotipo-por ambiente del rendimiento en los materiales avanzados. La base de datos utilizada consiste en datos de rendimiento absoluto y relativo y fechas de floración de 349 líneas F8, F9 y F10, además de testigos, evaluadas en 163 ensayos distribuidos en 11 años. Las localidades de ensayo están en las provincias de Albacete, Lleida, Valladolid y Zaragoza. El progreso del programa se estimó utilizando el rendimiento relativo analizado mediante modelos mixtos para homogeneizar los resultados entre años y localidades, que son muy desequilibrados. Se constató la existencia de progreso en el programa, aumentando los rendimientos en cada generación, hasta superar a los testigos, aunque el progreso varió entre provincias y entre localidades. La ganancia genética fue mayor de F8 a F9 que de F9 a F10. El componente de varianza más grande (además de los puramente ambientales) fue el de genotipo por localidad y por año, por lo que los patrones geográficos eran imprevisibles. La relación entre fecha de floración y rendimiento en general fue débil en todas las localidades en esta etapa avanzada del programa. El programa puede continuar con la misma estructura, pero se debería investigar la causa del menor progreso obtenido en algunas localidades.

¿Es diferente el seguimiento de pacientes con diabetes mellitus tipo 2 en medio rural y urbano?

Is monitoring type II diabetes mellitus different in urban and rural environments? Objective. To determine variability in the compliance of protocols for monitoring patients diagnosed with type II diabetes mellitus in urban and rural health centres. Design. Observational, descriptive, cross sectional. Location. Three health centres in the province of Albacete (urban, rural and semi-urban). Participants. A total of 173 patients diagnosed with type II diabetes mellitus who underwent routine controls in selected health centres during the year 2008. 83 belonged to the urban centre and 45 to each of the other two centres. Main Measures. Gender, years of progress, body mass index, inner eye, electrocardiogram, microalbuminuria, glycated haemoglobin, lipid profile and glycated haemoglobin within range. Results. The average age of the diagnosed patients was 68,6 years (DE: 11,9), ranging from 40 to 89 years, of which 45,1% were female. There were no differences in age or gender distribution in the health centres. In the rural health centre, an inner eye test had been carried out on 46,7% of the patients, an electrocardiogram on 73,3%, tests for microalbuminuria on 37,8% and for glycated haemoglobin every 6 months on 86,7%, with these proportions being significantly higher than those of other centres. Glycated haemoglobin < 7 was available to 82% of the rural centre patients and 78,6% of the semi-urban centre. Through logistic regression, the fact of belonging to the rural health centre was identified as a sole independent variable associated with protocol monitoring: urban in relation to rural OR: 0,18 (IC95%: 0,06-0,56) and semi-urban in relation to rural OR: 0,18 (IC95%: 0,05-0,58). Conclusion. In the rural health centre, there is a greater monitoring of recorded controls than in

Conocimientos y actitudes de los mayores hacia el documento de voluntades anticipadas

ObjectivesThe aim of this study was to determine seniors’ knowledge of and attitudes toward advance directive documents. MethodsWe carried out a cross-sectional descriptive study in a primary care setting in the provinces of Albacete and Guadalajara, Spain (n = 464). ResultsA total of 86.2% (95% CI: 83.0-89.5) of the participants were unaware of advance directive documents and only 3.4% (95% CI: 1.7-5.3) had formalized one. These documents were positively viewed by 76.7% of the participants (95% CI: 72.8-80.7). The variables associated with positive attitudes toward advance directives in logistic regression were educational level (OR = 4.7; 95% CI: 2.6-8.4) and experience of a situation in which such a document would have helped (OR = 1.7; 95% CI: 1.1-3.4). ConclusionsSeniors had positive attitudes toward advance directives, but the proportion of persons aware of these documents was low.

Association of insulin resistance with different anthropometric measures and cardiovascular risk factors in a non-diabetic population

Background and objectiveInsulin resistance (IR) has been directly related to obesity, particularly central obesity, and to other cardiovascular risk factors (CVRFs). Direct IR quantification is difficult in clinical practice, and indirect methods such as HOMA (homeostasis model assessment) have therefore been developed. The aim of this study was to assess the association of IR, as measured by HOMA, with different anthropometric measures and some CVRFs. Materials and methodsA cross-sectional, observational study was carried out in a general population sample older than 18 years in the province of Albacete, Spain. Sample size was 678 subjects. Participants completed a survey and underwent physical examinations and laboratory tests. Obesity measures included body mass index, waist perimeter, and sagittal abdominal diameter. Data analysis was performed using SPSS 15.0 software. ResultsMean values of obesity measures were higher in males as compared to females and increased with age. IR prevalence was 39.8%. All assessed anthropometric measures, decreased HDL (high density lipoprotein) cholesterol and increased non-HDL cholesterol were independently associated to the risk of IR. ConclusionsA clear association exists between different anthropometrical measures and IR in the general population. There is also an association between lipid profile changes and the risk of experiencing IR.

Relación de la resistencia a la insulina con diferentes medidas antropométricas y factores de riesgo cardiovascular en una población no diabética

Background and Objective Insulin resistance (IR) has been directly related to obesity, particularly central obesity, and to other cardiovascular risk factors (CVRFs). Direct IR quantification is difficult in clinical practice, and indirect methods such as HOMA (homeostasis model assessment) have therefore been developed. The aim of this study was to assess the association of IR, as measured by HOMA, with different anthropometric measures and some CVRFs. Materials and Methods A cross-sectional, observational study was carried out in a general population sample older than 18 years in the province of Albacete, Spain. Sample size was 678 subjects. Participants completed a survey and underwent physical examinations and laboratory tests. Obesity measures included body mass index, waist perimeter, and sagittal abdominal diameter. Data analysis was performed using SPSS 15.0 software. Results Mean values of obesity measures were higher in males as compared to females and increased with age. IR prevalence was 39.8%. All assessed anthropometric measures, decreased HDL (high density lipoprotein) cholesterol and increased non-HDL cholesterol were independently associated to the risk of IR. Conclusions A clear association exists between different anthropometrical measures and IR in the general population. There is also an association between lipid profile cahnges and the risk of experiencing IR.

Evolución de la prevalencia de los factores de riesgo y del riesgo cardiovascular global en población mayor de 18 años de la provincia de Albacete (1992-94 a 2004-06)

To establish strategies for prevention of cardiovascular disease implies to know its epidemiology and evolution in time. The objective of this study is to know the prevalence of risk factors and cardiovascular risk in two moments during the following of a grownup general population. Study of cohorts, followed at random selected general population during 12 years (1992-94 to 2204-06). Two transversal studies were made, one at the beginning and the other one at the end of this follow-up. The population in this study was 18 years and older registered in the province of Albacete. Random sampling, stratified and two-stage. The sample size for the first cut was 2121 subjects and for second one 1577. One specific anamnesis was made, physical examination, measurement of blood pressure, electrocardiogram and extraction of venous blood. The studied variables were: age, sex, personal and familiar antecedents, risk factors and global cardiovascular risk. 1322 subjects went to the appointment for the first examination (mean age 48.2 years. 53.6% women) and 997 for the second (mean age 52.8 years. 56.7% women). Has Increased the prevalence of hypertension (32.7% to 41,2%), diabetes (9,8 to 11,4%), obesity (27,8 to 34,3%) and hypercolesterolemia (47,5 to 53,5%), whereas smokers have decreased (32,6 to 23,7%) and have handicapped the average values of arterial pressure (132/81 to 129/73 mmHg), glycaemia (100,8 to 92,8 mg/dl) and LDL-cholesterol (128,7 to 116,7 mg/dl) and also a lowering of cardiovascular risk with Framingham (10,8% to 8,2%) and Score (2,3% to 1,6%). In the last years an increasing prevalence of risk factors has been seen (hypertension, diabetes and hypercolesterolemia), a better control of them, and lower prevalence of smoking and cardiovascular risk in the population has also be seen.

Improving on-farm water management through an irrigation scheduling service

Irrigation scheduling services (ISS) provide farmers with recommendations on timing and amount of irrigation, thus contributing to improving on-farm water management. There are wide variations in the level of services, from providing regional water use guidelines to local, on-farm advisory services. An ISS (ISS-ITAP) was created in 1988 in Albacete, Central Spain, a province encompassing 100,000 ha which are irrigated mostly with groundwater. The ISS-ITAP first offered general information on crop water requirements (ET), and after 1994 field-specific scheduling services were provided to growers. By 2005 the ISS-ITAP had expanded its services to over 33,500 ha, corresponding to about 30% of the irrigable area. The evolution of irrigation performance in a number of individual farms was followed over 10 years, and it was found that the proportion of fields which were adequately irrigated increased from 50 to over 70% in that period. Meanwhile, the proportion of deficit-irrigated fields declined from 20 to 10%, while the proportion of over-irrigated fields which also had initially decreased from 20 to 10%, went back to 20% at the end of the study period. To assess the benefits and costs of the ISS-ITAP, a comparison of the yields achieved in the scheduled farms against those obtained in the rest of the province was carried out. When the Service was evaluated in economic terms, using information from 2003, the pay-back was 2 years and the internal rate of return was 59.1%, highlighting the high returns on the public funds invested by ISS-ITAP to provide irrigation advisory service to growers in the Albacete province.

Estimation of the tectonic slip-rate from Quaternary lacustrine facies within the intraplate Albacete province (SE of Spain)

The Quaternary lacustrine basin of Cordovilla (CB) represents one of the most active tectonic areas of the Prebetic Zone (Albacete, SE of Spain). The Quaternary sedimentary deposits of this basin are mainly endoreic lacustrine carbonate and alluvial deposits, developed in a semi-arid climate (Pleistocene-present). The basin is a NW–SE-elongated graben bounded by a major right-lateral oblique-fault, the Pozohondo Fault. This fault trends NW–SE, with an approximate trace of 55 km, and is composed of various segments which are identified by fault scarps. In order to establish the slip-rate of the most active segment of the Pozohondo Fault, called the Cordovilla segment, we carried out a detailed study of the affected Quaternary lacustrine deposits. We found that the lacustrine facies could be related to episodic moderate paleoearthquakes. The slip-rate is calculated to be 0.05 and 0.09 mm/yr, using radiometric dating for the vertical offsets of the lacustrine facies. A trenching study at the northern part of the Cordovilla segment revealed two events caused by paleoearthquakes, with the most recent expressed as an oblique-fault off-setting a poorly-developed soil. The magnitude of the last event was greater than 6, using various empirical relationships for the fault displacement and the surface-length rupture. We estimate episodic activity across the Cordovilla segment, to be characterized by moderate-sized paleoearthquakes (M6), which is in agreement with the tectonic context of an intraplate zone of the Iberian plate.

Estudio sobre el grado de adecuación de la medida de la presión arterial en las oficinas de farmacia de la provincia de Albacete a los procedimientos estándar

AimsThe primary objective of this study were to determine the degree of accuracy of arterial pressure measurements currently performed in the community pharmacies of the province of Albacete (Spain) regarding the standard procedures in order to estimate their current utility as screening centers and for detection of people with possible high blood pressure (HBP) as well as in the follow-up of patients with a HBP diagnosis. In addition, it is aimed to know the possible technique and equipment deficiencies of the pharmacies and to estimate what the cost would be to adapt the equipment and the skills of the pharmacies in the province so that they would be able to fulfill the health care of detection and control of high blood pressure with assurance of quality. MethodsA survey was designed to establish if the equipment and skills used to measure blood pressure (BP) in the pharmacies are in line with scientific community recommendations. This survey was sent to all of the community pharmacies (CF) of the province. The results were statistically processed. ResultsEighty-five responses were obtained. Although 94% of the CF measure their client's BP on demand, only 11.3% do so in accordance with the recommendations. The investment needed to use the equipment and methodology the best in order to make valid measures of BP in the pharmacies of the province would be less than 80 euro per year. ConclusionsAlmost all (94.1%) of the pharmacies of Albacete province routinely measure their user's BP values. Nevertheless, only a minority (11.3%) measure the blood pressure with the required exactness and accuracy. The necessary investment to improve the equipment and the methodology to perform valid blood pressure measurements in the province pharmacies would have a mean cost per pharmacy that allow to make valid measures of arterial pressure in the community pharmacies of the province would have a very insignificant cost compared with the cost-effectiveness for year of life gained from the treatment of HBP. Consequently, any initiative aimed at this would be profitable health wise.

Typhlocharis Dieck, 1869 (Coleoptera: Carabidae, Anillini): a new species from the Iberian Peninsula, with notes about its relationships and the evolution of the diecki species group

A new species of the genus Typhlocharis Dieck (Coleoptera: Carabidae, Anillini), T. martini, described from the upper Segura River (province of Albacete, southeast Spain), is included in the diecki group characterised by a series of 4 +3 setae in the lateral umbilical series and a reduced number of preapical and apical dentiform projections of the elytron. A key to the eight species of the diecki species group is included. The relationships of the new taxon and the hypotheses about the evolutionary history of Typhlocharis and the diecki species group are discussed.

A new species of Deinsdorfia (Soricidae, Insectivora, Mammalia) from the Pliocene of Spain

A new species of Deinsdorfia is defined using new material coming from the karstic fissure infilling of Almenara-Casablanca 4 (Castelló, Spain), which shows important differences with the rest of the previously known species of the genus. The definition of a new species is supported by the characters found in extra material coming from the localities of Valdeganga, in the Albacete Province (Spain). The stratigraphical occurrence of this genus of pigmented-toothed shrews reinforces the idea of the Iberian Peninsula as a sink area during the Pliocene, where some Central-European soricids expanded their distribution. Most of those migrations or distributional expansions coincide with moments of climatic changes in the northern hemisphere.