España en las cadenas globales de valor: comparativa internacional y sector industrial

La liberalización comercial, la caída en los costes del transporte, los avances tecnológicos, la proliferación de acuerdos comerciales y el desarrollo de las multinacionales han originado la fragmentación de los procesos productivos a lo largo del mundo. Desde comienzos de los años 80, se ha producido un importante incremento en el comercio de bienes y servicios intermedios, que atraviesan una y otra vez fronteras como “contenido importador de las exportaciones”. En este contexto, el valor bruto de las exportaciones deja de ser representativo del valor real del intercambio y es el comercio en valor añadido el verdaderamente representativo.En los últimos años se observa una ralentización de este proceso aunque las Cadenas Globales de Valor (CGV) siguen conformando el paradigma de la producción mundial. De hecho, la actual crisis sanitaria causada por la expansión del virus COVID-19 no ha tenido un gran impacto sobre las cadenas de suministro. Muchas han permanecido en funcionamiento e incluso algunas se han visto potenciadas.En este trabajo se realiza una valoración de la posición española en las cadenas de valor mundiales utilizando la nueva base de datos que proporciona la OCDE. Se analiza su evolución en las últimas dos décadas comparándola con otras economías europeas y mundiales y su sector industrial.<br /

Low-dose coronary artery calcium scoring compared to the standard protocol.

BACKGROUND We aimed to compare coronary artery calcium scoring (CACS) with computed tomography (CT) with 80 and 120 kVp in a large patient population and to establish whether there is a difference in risk classification between the two scores. METHODS Patients with suspected CAD undergoing MPS were included. All underwent standard CACS assessment with 120-kVp tube voltage and with 80 kVp. Two datasets (low-dose and standard) were generated and compared. Risk classes (0 to 25, 25 to 50, 50 to 75, 75 to 90, and > 90%) were recorded. RESULTS 1511 patients were included (793 males, age 69 ± 9.1 years). There was a very good correlation between scores calculated with 120 and 80 kVp (R = 0.94, R2 = 0.88, P < .001), with Bland-Altman limits of agreement of - 563.5 to 871.9 and a bias of - 154.2. The proportion of patients assigned to the < 25% percentile class (P = .03) and with CACS = 0 differed between the two protocols (n = 264 vs 437, P < .001). CONCLUSION In a large patient population, despite a good correlation between CACS calculated with standard and low-dose CT, there is a systematic underestimation of CACS with the low-dose protocol. This may have an impact especially on the prognostic value of the calcium score, and the established "power of zero" may no longer be warranted if CACS is assessed with low-dose CT

Structural and sorption properties of bio-nanocomposite films based on κ-carrageenan and cellulose nanocrystals

There is an increased interest on changing the synthetic based materials to biodegradable ones, especially with natural polymers, polysaccharides or proteins. In this research we prepared bio-nanocomposite formulations with different component concentrations and investigated their structural features, with focus on the interactions, sorption properties, and how the combination between them influences these properties. By infrared spectroscopy, principal component analysis (PCA) and two-dimensional correlation spectroscopy (2DCOS) was identified that in the blending process are involved the −SO4 and C(4)-O-S groups of β-d-galactose, CO groups, (O=S=O) of carrageenan and –OH and CO groups from CNCs.The water uptake and water sorption properties decrease with increasing the CNCs content in the formulations from about 15% for κ to 10% for κC15 and from about 128% for κ to 115% for κC15, respectively. The increase of the CNCs content induced an increase of the water contact angle from 47° for κ to 90° for κC15, indicating once again the involvement of the free hydroxyl groups in the hydrogen bonded interactions

Spectroscopic and Spectrometric Methods Used for the Screening of Certain Herbal Food Supplements Suspected of Adulteration

Purpose: This study was carried out in order to find a reliable method for the fast detection of adulterated herbal food supplements with sexual enhancement claims. As some herbal products are advertised as "all natural", their "efficiency" is often increased by addition of active pharmaceutical ingredients such as PDE-5 inhibitors, which can be a real health threat for the consumer. Methodes: Adulterants, potentially present in 50 herbal food supplements with sexual improvement claims, were detected using 2 spectroscopic methods - Raman and Fourier Transform Infrared - known for reliability, reproductibility, and an easy sample preparation. GC-MS technique was used to confirm the potential adulterants spectra. Results: About 22% (11 out of 50 samples) of herbal food supplements with sexual enhancement claims analyzed by spectroscopic and spectrometric methods proved to be "enriched" with active pharmaceutical compounds such as: sildenafil and two of its analogues, tadalafil and phenolphthalein. The occurence of phenolphthalein could be the reason for the non-relevant results obtained by FTIR method in some samples. 91% of the adulterated herbal food supplements were originating from China. Conclusion: The results of this screening highlighted the necessity for an accurate analysis of all alleged herbal aphrodisiacs on the Romanian market. This is a first such a screening analysis carried out on herbal food supplements with sexual enhancement claims

Statistical Study: Vaccination Against HPV Among Dental Students in Romania

Vaccination against Human Papilloma Virus continues to remain a highly complex public health issue, as there are many countries or regions that show increasing reluctance. Romania is among the countries that do not provide HPV vaccine in the national vaccination scheme, but offers the opportunity to young girls between 11 and 18 years of age to benefit from free vaccination. It is the responsibility of health professionals in all health sectors to inform themselves correctly, but also to instruct patients in a prophylactic approach against infection with both HPV and other types of microorganisms. Accurate information and a thorough knowledge of the prophylactic means are achieved from the years of study.Our study focuses on the following aspects: the degree of vaccination among dental students, the willingness of students to get vaccinated if they have not done it so far, the degree of information about Human Papilloma Virus infection, including ways of transmission and methods of diagnosing the infection, the perception of students on how this topic has been promoted, the sources of information they access in order to obtain information about Human Papilloma Virus.</p

LIVER HISTOPATHOLOGY AT MICE WITH INDUCED DIABETES TREATED WITH VEGETAL EXTRACT OF SYLIBUM MARIANUM

In this study we have followed the liver’s histopathologic changes at CD-line mice (mice rederived from a nonconsanguineous stem) with alloxan-induced diabetes, treated with vegetal extract of Sylibum marianum. We have followed the liver’s changes of weight following the removal and its histopathologic changes. Thus, mice with weight ranging from 20 to 25 g were divided into three experimental lots, a witness lot, a lot of mice with alloxan-induced diabetes, and another lot with diabetes treated with vegetal extract of Sylibum marianum. Diabetes was induced by administering two doses of Alloxan monohydrate 0,2 ml (130 mg/kg body dissolved in physiological saline), following which 0.2 ml of vegetal extract of milk thistle was administered by gavage during two weeks. The results obtained for the liver blades sampled from the mice with diabetes showed the presence of hepatic steatosis; following the administration of the vegetal extract to the mice with diabetes a decrease of the blisters full of neutral lipids (hepatic triglycerides) can be noticed, which reveals the beneficial action of the vegetal extract of milk thistl