A. Sa´nchez's research while affiliated with University of Castilla-La Mancha and other places

Objectives: Identifying the cesarean section rate, classification, maternal-perinatal risk factors associated with this procedure and to propose strategies to rationalize the use of c-sections in Colombia. Materials and methods: We conducted a review of the vital statistics from the Departamento Administrativo Nacional de Estadi´sticas (DANE) from 1998 to 2013 to estimate the rate of caesarean section and an electronic database search in Medline via PubMed, The Cochrane Library, Embase, Lilacs, with the terms "cesarean section", "rate", "maternal mortality", "neonatal mortality", "maternal risk", "perinatal risk", "trial of labor", "vaginal birth after cesarean section", "education", "audit", "second opinion", "strategy", "multiple strategy" and "multifaceted intervention" to identify relevant systematic reviews, meta-analysis and clinical studies published in the last ten years in English or Spanish. The search results and conclusions were discussed in a non-formal consensus on May 9, 2014 in Bogota´ D.C and socialized in the 29th National Congress of Obstetrics and Ginecology held on May 29th to 31st of 2014 in Medelli´n, Colombia. Results: The rate of caesarean sections in Colombia step of 24.9 % in 1998 to 45.7 % in 2013. C-section increases the risk of death, severe maternal complications and neonatal respiratory morbidity compared with vaginal delivery. Medical, socialcultural and economic factors increase the use of cesarean section. Multifaceted strategies have shown the greatest effectiveness in reducing the rate. Conclusions: Strategies such as education, audit, quality improvement and involvement of other stake holders should be promoted to generate a cultural change and rationalize the rate of cesarean section in Colombia.

Ultrasonic attenuation plays an important role in materials characterization of metal components. This paper present data and discuss ultrasonic attenuation variations in a 2205 duplex stainless steel aged isothermally at 700° C and 900° C for different time intervals. Attenuation measurements as function of frequency where performed using pulse-echo immersion method and broad band planar transducers. Evidence is found of changes in the attenuation coefficient as aging time increases. The corresponding microstructure of aged specimens was observed and impact toughness was measured. Comparison is made with measurements of ferrite content for the two temperatures and different aging times.

Many studies have assumed that plant terpenes favor fire due to their enormous-flammability. However, only a few of them, all performed on green leaves, have demonstrated this. In the present work we investigated the question of whether litter terpene content can be used to estimate flammability and temperatures reached during fire. Epiradiator and burn table tests were used to compare flammability of leaf litter of P. pinaster, P. halepensis, P. pinea, C albidus, C ladanifer, C laurifolius and the mixture of litter of P. pinaster with that of the other five species (e.g. P. pinaster + P. halepensis). Tests with burn table showed increasing spread rates and shorter combustion times under higher terpene contents. Flame height was triggered both with higher a terpene content and bed thickness, whereas the percentage of burned biomass was only significantly correlated to bed height. Epiradiator tests indicated that terpene concentration in leaf litter was positively correlated to flame height and negatively correlated to both flame residence time and ignition delay. Flammability was high for P. pinaster, A halepensis, and hence for P. pinaster + P. halepensis, intermediate for C albidus, P. pinea and P. pinaster combined with each of these species, and low for C laurifolius, C ladanifer and P. pinaster combined with them. Accordingly, their terpene content was high, intermediate and low. We concluded that plants might influence fire intensity, by having stored terpenes in their dead leaves, in addition to having developed traits to survive fire. Thus, a correct management of dead aboveground fuels rich in terpene concentrations, such as those of P. pinaster and P. halepensis, could prove helpful in reducing the hazard of fire.

An interlaboratory study, with the participation of 8 laboratories, was conducted to evaluate a sodium dodecyl sulfate–capillary gel electrophoresis method for determination of adulteration of milk powder with soy and pea proteins. Calibration standards (0–8%, w/w, soy and pea protein in total protein) and adulterated skim milk powders (0–5%, w/w, soy and pea proteins in total protein) were produced. Vegetal proteins were determined after removal of milk proteins by pretreatment of the samples with tetraborate–EDTA buffer, pH 8.3. Repeatability standard deviations ranged from 9 to 15% and reproducibility standard deviations ranged from 25 to 30% in the samples containing 5% vegetal protein in total protein.

Three new triphenyltin(IV) sulfanylcarboxylates with the general formula [Q][SnPh3(L)] (Q = di-isopropylammonium cation; L = tspa, pspa or pyspa, where t = 3-(2-thienyl)-, p = 3-(2-phenyl)-, py = 3-(2-pyridinyl)- and spa = 2-sulfanylpropenoato) have been prepared by reaction of triphenyltin(IV) hydroxide with the corresponding acid in the presence of di-isopropylamine in ethanol. The compounds have been characterized by elemental analysis and mass spectrometry and by IR, Mössbauer and NMR (¹H, ¹³C, ¹¹⁹Sn) spectroscopy. X-ray studies of the crystal structures of [Q][SnPh3(pspa)] and [Q][SnPh3(pyspa)] show that in both compounds the tin atom is coordinated to three phenyl C atoms and to S and one O atom of the ligand L. All three complexes are active against strains of the Gram-positive bacterium Staphylococcus aureus, but are inactive or only slightly active against the Gram-negative bacteria Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Copyright © 2000 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Seventeen wild-type Xanthomonas isolates were screened in terms of broth viscosity in shake-flasks. As culture conditions affect polymer characteristics, a fair comparison among isolates required their cultivation in a fermenter under controlled dissolved oxygen tension. Three isolates and a reference strain were studied. The mean molecular weights and molecular weight distributions of their xanthans were determined. Products showed different pyruvate (0.2–7%), acetate (5–10%) and proteinaceous nitrogen (1–3%) contents. The selected isolates exhibit properties which could improve xanthan gum production and some could be used to produce polymers with specific characteristics.