Evaluación de la contribución externa a los niveles polínicos de Olea en Alicante

En los últimos años se ha registrado un incremento sustancial en el número de pacientes sensibilizados al polen de Olea en la provincia de Alicante, a pesar de tener ésta una baja densidad de cultivo del olivo. El presente trabajo de investigación busca determinar las características aerbiológicas del polen de Olea en la zona de Alicante (2010-2015), e identificar y cuantificar el transporte del mismo desde otras regiones de origen, definiendo para ello un nuevo parámetro denominado Índice Polínico Externo (EPI, del inglés o external pollen index). El estudio también pretende establecer los niveles de exposición al polen de Olea en la ciudad de Alicante mediante una nueva metodología basada en percentiles estadísticos. Los niveles anuales de polen de Olea registrados en Alicante mostraron: concentraciones máximas durante el mes de mayo, poca correlación con los factores meteorológicos locales y una importante contribución procedente de áreas fuente situadas en el oeste de la Península Ibérica. En base a ello, el EPI se definió como la suma de las aportaciones de polen transportado por masas de aire procedentes del suroeste y noroeste de España. La contribución de aportes foráneos se obtuvo mediante análisis clúster. La buena correlación entre el EPI y la concentración polínica anual (APIn annual pollen integral) (R2 0,818; p-valor 0,013) sugiere que el aporte total de polen de las regiones del oeste puede ser un buen predictor del APIn del polen de Olea registrado en Alicante. Se ha estimado que, en ausencia de las citadas contribuciones externas, la concentración anual de polen de Olea en el área de estudio se establece alrededor de 1300 polen/m3. De la citada metodología basada en percentiles, se pudieron determinar los niveles de exposición para el polen de Olea en la ciudad de Alicante, los cuales fueron: bajo (100 polen/m3). Los niveles de exposición altos y muy altos se asociaron con contribuciones del noroeste y suroeste peninsular respectivamente. Las investigaciones futuras deberían considerar las contribuciones EPI en los modelos de predicción para obtener una mejor estimación de los niveles de polen en Alicante y, en consecuencia, mejorar la información proporcionada a la población alérgica.In recent years there has been a substantial increase in the number of patients with allergic sensitization to Olea pollen in the province of Alicante located in southeastern Spain, despite there being a low density of olive cultivation. The present investigation seeks to determine the aerobiological characteristics of Olea pollen in the city of Alicante (2010-2015), and identify and quantify the transport of Olea pollen from other source regions, defining a new parameter called External Pollen Index (EPI). This study also aims to define the Olea pollen exposure levels in Alicante by means of a new method based on statistical percentiles. The annual levels of olive pollen registered in Alicante showed: maximum concentrations in the month of May, low correlation with local meteorological parameters and significant contribution to the pollen levels from the Western Iberian Peninsula. Thus, the EPI is defined as the sum of the contributions of pollen transported by air masses from southwestern and northwestern Spain. These external contributions were obtained by cluster analysis. The good lineal correlation between the EPI and the annual pollen integral (APIn) (R2=0,818; p-valor 0,013) suggests that the total contribution of pollen from western regions may be a good predictor of the APIn of Olea pollen registered in Alicante. It has been estimated that, in the absence of external contributions, the annual Olea pollen levels in the study area would be around 1300 pollen/m3. The following Olea pollen exposure levels were determined in Alicante using a new method based on statistical percentiles: Low (100 pollen/m3). High and very high exposure levels were associated with northwestern and southwestern contributions, respectively. Future research should consider EPI contributions in prediction models in order to get a better estimation of pollen levels in Alicante and, consequently, improve the information provided to the allergic population

Efecto del soporte nutricional en pacientes oncológicos en tratamiento con citostáticos orales

[abstract not available

Understanding the valuation of paediatric health-related quality of life: a qualitative study protocol

Introduction There is evidence from previous studies that adults value paediatric health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and adult HRQoL differently. Less is known about how adolescents value paediatric HRQoL and whether their valuation and decision-making processes differ from those of adults. Discrete choice experiments (DCEs) are widely used to develop value sets for measures of HRQoL, but there is still much to understand about whether and how the methods choices in the implementation of DCE valuation tasks, such as format, presentation and perspective, affect the decision-making process of participants. This paper describes the protocol for a qualitative study that aims to explore the decision-making process of adults and adolescents when completing DCE valuation tasks. The study will also explore the impact of methodological choices in the design of DCE studies (including decisions about format and presentation) on participants’ thinking process.Methods and analysis An interview protocol has been developed using DCE valuation tasks. Interviews will be conducted online via Zoom with both an adolescent and adult sample. In the interview, the participant will be asked to go through some DCE valuation tasks while ‘thinking aloud’. After completion of the survey, participants will then be asked some predetermined questions in relation to various aspects of the DCE tasks. Interviews will be recorded and transcribed and analysed using a thematic analysis approach.Ethics and dissemination Ethics approval for this study has been received for the adult sample (UTS ETH20-9632) as well as the youth sample (UTS ETH22-6970) from the University of Technology Sydney Human Research Ethics Committee. Results from this study will inform the methods to be used in development of value sets for use in the health technology assessment of paediatric interventions and treatments. Findings from this study will also be disseminated through national/international conferences and peer-reviewed journals