Although resident doctors have a little more general knowledge on RD than other surveyed groups, health and non-health future professionals have a low general knowledge on this topic and none of them prioritized the assignment of funds to RD.

The composition and application of a single, chemically defined medium for growth and sporulation of Bacillus subtilis is described. At 37°C cells grew with a doubling time of about 40 min; cultures attained nearmaximal spore formation (70 to 80% by 12 h after the end of exponential growth and produced 1 x 109 to 2 x 109 heat-resistent free spores at 24 h. Dipicolinic acid production was completed between 7 and 11 h. Cells grown in the single, chemically defined medium excreted levels of serine and neutral proteases comparable to those excreted in nutrient broth medium.

Objective: To estimate the association strength of dietary behaviour and sedentary habits in relation to childhood obesity in Spain. Design: A matched case-control study was carried out using data collected by sentinel network paediatricians in general practices. Setting: Five Spanish autonomous communities. Subjects: Cases were 437 children (2-14 years old) with BMI .95th percentile according to Spanish reference tables. Controls were 751 children (2-14 years old; two paired per case) with BMI ,84th percentile. Data were collected in two phases: individual (questionnaires filled in by sentinel paediatricians) and family (self-administered questionnaires filled in a family environment). Crude OR and adjusted OR (ORc and adj OR) for the given variables were calculated using a simple and multiple conditional logistic regression analysis. Results: The factors with the greatest effect on obesity were family history of obesity: both parents (adj OR 5 11?2), mother but not father (adj OR 5 9?1), father but not mother (adj OR 5 6?1), siblings (adj OR 5 2?7); and eating between meals (adj OR 5 2?5) and consumption of sweets and soft drinks .2 times/week (adj OR 5 2?0). The highest protection effect was found for five meals per day (adj OR 5 0?5), the regular consumption of breakfast (adj OR 5 0?5) and for eating fruit for dessert (adj OR 5 0?6). Factors related to sedentary habits did not appear as noteworthy. Conclusions: We have determined the association between certain dietary behaviour and family history with childhood obesity in several Spanish regions.

BackgroundIn Spain, the influenza vaccine effectiveness (VE) was estimated in the last three seasons using the observational study cycEVA conducted in the frame of the existing Spanish Influenza Sentinel Surveillance System. The objective of the study was to estimate influenza vaccine effectiveness (VE) against medically attended, laboratory-confirmed influenza-like illness (ILI) among the target groups for vaccination in Spain in the 2011–2012 season. We also studied influenza VE in the early (weeks 52/2011-7/2012) and late (weeks 8-14/2012) phases of the epidemic and according to time since vaccination.MethodsMedically attended patients with ILI were systematically swabbed to collect information on exposure, laboratory outcome and confounding factors. Patients belonging to target groups for vaccination and who were swabbed <8 days after symptom onset were included. Cases tested positive for influenza and controls tested negative for any influenza virus. To examine the effect of a late season, analyses were performed according to the phase of the season and according to the time between vaccination and symptoms onset.ResultsThe overall adjusted influenza VE against A(H3N2) was 45% (95% CI, 0–69). The estimated influenza VE was 52% (95% CI, -3 to 78), 40% (95% CI, -40 to 74) and 22% (95% CI, -135 to 74) at 3.5 months, 3.5-4 months, and >4 months, respectively, since vaccination. A decrease in VE with time since vaccination was only observed in individuals aged ≥ 65 years. Regarding the phase of the season, decreasing point estimates were only observed in the early phase, whereas very low or null estimates were obtained in the late phase for the shortest time interval.ConclusionsThe 2011–2012 influenza vaccine showed a low-to-moderate protective effect against medically attended, laboratory-confirmed influenza in the target groups for vaccination, in a late season and with a limited match between the vaccine and circulating strains. The suggested decrease in influenza VE with time since vaccination was mostly observed in the elderly population. The decreasing protective effect of the vaccine in the late part of the season could be related to waning vaccine protection because no viral changes were identified throughout the season.

In conclusion, a slight decrease in SLE mortality has been observed in Spain over the last decade and future studies would be needed to explain the factors contributing to the improvement in the mortality rates.