Plan de negocio de una empresa instaladora de colectores solares térmicos y paneles fotovoltaicos

Con la realización de este trabajo se ha apostado por un plan de negocio en lugar de por un trabajo de índole más técnica. Se investigará un ámbito el cual motiva a trabajar continuamente y del que me especialicé los dos últimos años. De alguna forma, se “evaden” las tradicionales materias de las ingenierías en las cuales el estudiante centra los esfuerzos los primeros años del grado. Se ciñe el proyecto a un mundo tanto diferente como, en mi opinión, más directo desde el punto de vista de la aplicabilidad en la vida real. Esto es posible gracias a la extensa oferta que brinda el Grado en Ingeniería de Tecnologías Industriales, al disponer éste de varias ramas orientadas a diversos campos de entre las cuales, este proyecto se centra en la del fascinante y singular ámbito de la Ingeniería de Organización. Además, la oportunidad de plasmar los conocimientos adquiridos en las asignaturas de organización en este trabajo, principalmente aquellos relacionados con la gestión de la cadena de suministros (la cual será prioritaria para el deseado posicionamiento de la empresa), supone un aliciente más para haber decidido desarrollar esta modalidad de entrega. Otros puntos del trabajo como puede ser el referente al marketing comercial (ámbito que evoluciona sin cesar y de gran interés de cara a la búsqueda de nuevas formas de implantarlo satisfactoriamente), afianzaron la decisión por este tipo de propuesta. En cuanto a la utilidad de la investigación una vez terminada, probablemente llegue a ser mayor que en el caso de haber elegido otra propuesta más técnica. Esto es simplemente una valoración personal tras cursar las diferentes asignaturas del grado ya que, las de organización me parecen menos abstractas y con una posible aplicación más directa con circunstancias factibles tanto en la vida cotidiana como en un futuro oficio.Ingeniería en Tecnologías Industriale

Implicaciones clínicas de la investigación básica : inmunología de la enfermedad celíaca : ¿qué debe saber el clínico?

Producción CientíficaLa enfermedad celíaca es un trastorno inflamatorio crónico del intestino delgado que asocia un componente autoinmune y es inducido por la ingestión de gluten de trigo y proteínas similares en individuos genéticamente susceptibles. El gluten contiene péptidos inmunogénicos capaces de estimular linfocitos T CD4+ específicos de la lámina propia, y péptidos tóxicos de acción directa sobre el epitelio. Muchos de estos péptidos son resistentes a la hidrólisis por enzimas digestivas. Se conoce bien el papel de la inmunidad adaptativa frente al gluten, mediada por linfocitos T CD4+ específicos que reconocen péptidos de gluten modificados por la transglutaminasa tisular (TG2) y presentados junto a moléculas HLA-DQ2/DQ8. Se conocen menos los mecanismos de la inmunidad innata que llevan a la activación de los linfocitos intraepiteliales y a la apoptosis de los enterocitos. Las respuestas de la inmunidad innata y adaptativa frente al gluten existen de forma independiente, pero ambas son necesarias para el desarrollo de la inflamación crónica y la lesión intestinal

Is it true that coeliacs do not digest gliadin?. Degradation pattern of gliadin in coeliac disease small intestinal mucosa

Producción CientíficaProlyl-endopeptidase supplementation has been proposed to favour gliadin degradation as an alternative treatment for coeliac disease (CD), although the real usefulness of this therapy in vivo is still under discussion. 1 However, our data point to alternative treatments aiming to modify the intestinal microbiota in patients with CD by the use of probiotics and/or prebiotics. We propose that the induction of gliadin proteolysis in the human gut might not be the solution but the origin of CD

Bioactive Compounds and Antioxidant Capacity of Moringa Leaves Grown in Spain Versus 28 Leaves Commonly Consumed in Pre-Packaged Salads

Total antioxidant capacity (TAC) evaluated by ferric ion reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) assay, ABTS, DPPH, and Oxygen radical absorbance capacity (ORAC) assay, and total polyphenol content (TPC) by Folin–Ciocalteu were determined in Moringa oleifera leaves (MO) grown in Spain, and compared with 28 different vegetable leaves pre-packaged for consumption as a salad. Total carotenoids, flavonoids, and chlorophylls were also determined in the samples with highest TAC. Two different extraction procedures were applied to obtain the methanolic fraction and the lipophilic and hydrophilic fractions. The highest TAC and TPC contents were found in MO. High values were also found in red chicory, “lollo rosso”, and oak lettuce. The lowest TAC and TPC values were obtained in iceberg lettuce. The correlations between the extraction procedures and methods assayed were high and statistically significant. In the light of these results, we suggest the addition of MO to the existing range of fresh-cut salad foods would increase their antioxidant content by up to six times.Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness RTI2018-099835-A-I0

Enfermedad celíaca: una inmunopatología muy frecuente pero poco conocida

La Enfermedad Celíaca (EC) es una enteropatía crónica de base inmunológica, en la que intervienen mecanismos tanto de la inmunidad innata como adaptativa. La presentación clínica es altamente variable, desde cuadros gastrointestinales característicos hasta formas oligo o asintomáticas. La prevalencia de EC es muy elevada (cercana al 1%), sin embargo, se encuentra fuertemente subdiagnosticada por falta de conocimiento y de estrategias de búsqueda adecuadas. Los pacientes no diagnosticados y por lo tanto no tratados tienen consecuencias severas, muchas de ellas irreversibles, que reducen su calidad de vida y capacidad laboral. En individuos susceptibles, la patología sólo se desarrolla en presencia de un antígeno dietario denominado gluten y constituido mayoritariamente por un grupo de proteínas de trigo, cebada, centeno y avena, denominadas gliadinas o gluten. La ingesta de estas proteínas produce alteración histológica en la mucosa del intestino delgado y pérdida de la función de absorción de nutrientes. Existen varias enfermedades fuertemente asociadas a la EC, en particular aquellas con componentes autoinmunes como diabetes mellitus tipo I y artritis reumatoidea. La susceptibilidad a desarrollar EC está asociada a la presencia de determinados alelos del complejo mayor de histocompatibilidad (CMH), en particular HLA-DQ2 y DQ8 los que están presentes en casi la totalidad de los pacientes. La expansión y activación de linfocitos T específicos de péptidos derivados del gluten y la abundante producción de IFN-γ son los elementos más característicos de la respuesta adaptativa en la mucosa intestinal. Por otra parte, la inmunidad innata se manifiesta frente a ciertos péptidos derivados de gliadinas que inducen mecanismos proinflamatorios. Aunque en la actualidad se conocen con detalle múltiples aspectos de la patogenia de EC que han permitido una mejora de la detección temprana de los pacientes y la profundización en el conocimiento del rol del sistema inmune en la mucosa intestinal, aún existen importantes desafíos para los investigadores. A lo largo de esta revisión presentaremos y discutiremos varios de los hallazgos que han mejorado el diagnóstico de la enfermedad y, consecuentemente, la calidad de vida de los pacientes.Celiac disease (CD) is a chronic enteropathy induced by the immune system where mechanisms of both innate and adaptive immunity are involved. The clinical presentation is highly variable, ranging from the characteristic gastrointestinal syndrome to oligo- or asymptomatic forms. The prevalence of CD is high (close to 1%), though the disease is underdiagnosed due to lack of knowledge and appropriate case-finding strategies. Undiagnosed patients, and therefore not treated, may have a higher risk of complications, some of them irreversible, which reduce the quality of life and working ability. In susceptible individuals, the disease is only developed when a dietary antigen called gluten is ingested (gluten is constituted by a group of proteins from wheat, barley, rye and oats, generally known as gliadins and gluten). The ingestion of these proteins leads to the histological lesion in the small bowel mucosa and the loss of absorptive function by the epithelium. Several diseases associated to CD have been described, particularly those with an autoimmune aetiology, such as diabetes mellitus type I or rheumatoid arthritis. Susceptibility to develop CD is associated with the presence of discrete alleles of the major histocompatibility complex (MHC), in particular HLA-DQ2 or DQ8, which are found in almost all CD patients. The expansion and activation of T cells specific for gluten-derived peptides and the increased production of IFN-γ in the intestinal mucosa are the most characteristic elements of the adaptive response to gluten. On the other hand, innate immunity is triggered by certain gliadin peptides which induce proinflammatory mechanisms. Although currently many aspects of the pathogenesis of CD are known, which has allowed a better early detection of patients and contributed to a deeper understanding of the role of the mucosal immune system, there are still many challenges for researchers. Along this review, we present and discuss different findings that have improved the diagnosis of the disease and, consequently, the quality of life of patients.Laboratorio de Investigaciones del Sistema Inmun

Development of model based sensors for the supervision of a solar dryer

Solar dryers are increasingly used in developing countries as an alternative to drying in open air, however the inherent variability of the drying conditions during day and along year drive the need for achieving low cost sensors that would enable to characterize the drying process and to react accordingly. This paper provides three different and complementary approaches for model based sensors that make use of the psychrometric properties of the air inside the drying chamber and the temperature oscillations of the wood along day. The simplest smart sensor, Smart-1, using only two Sensirion sensors, allows to estimate the accumulated water extracted from wood along a complete drying cycle with a correlation coefficient of 0.97. Smart-2 is a model based sensor that relays on the diffusion kinetics by means of assesing temperature and relative humidity of the air inside the kiln. Smart-2 model allows to determine the diffusivity, being the average value of D for the drying cycle studied equal to 5.14 × 10−10 m2 s−1 and equal to 5.12 × 10−10 m2 s−1 for two experiments respectively. The multidistributed supervision of the dryer shows up the lack of uniformity in drying conditions supported by the wood planks located in the inner or center of the drying chamber where constant drying rate kinetics predominate. Finally, Smart-3 indicates a decreasing efficiency along the drying process from 0.9 to 0.

Cereal Proteins: Immunostimulatory and Toxic Peptides

Storage proteins from wheat kernels are the base of a wide variety of homemade and industrial food products. Nonetheless, for a group of individuals (celiac disease (CD) patients), these proteins are toxic. Gliadins and glutenins from wheat, as well as their counterparts in barley and rye, also called prolamins, are evolutionary related, and present a high degree of homology. Polyclonal and monoclonal antibodies raised against prolamins have been a very useful tool to characterise structural and conformational features of prolamins, and particularly, for gluten analysis based on immunochemical techniques. Complete adherence to a gluten-free diet is required to recover the normal histology of the small intestine in CD patients. To this end, the use of certified gluten-free products is mandatory. Aqueous solvents such as 60-70% ethanol, have been used for extraction of prolamins from flours and food. This method is not selective and, therefore, results in complex mixtures of proteins which together with their low solubility in aqueous solutions, high degree of homology, and consequently crossreactivity, produce some drawbacks in gluten analysis by immunoassays. Prolamins drive an exacerbated immune response in intestinal mucosa of CD patients. T lymphocytes are a central piece in CD pathogenesis. However, new insights in the knowledge of innate immunity point out to some gliadin peptides which can also produce structural changes in the intestine as well as inflammatory reactions.Instituto de Estudios Inmunológicos y Fisiopatológico

Is asthma a risk factor for COVID-19? Are phenotypes important?

Coronavirus SARS-CoV-2; COVID-19; 2019-nCoV; Infeccions respiratòries i tuberculosi; Asma i al·lèrgiaCoronavirus SARS-CoV-2; COVID-19; 2019-nCoV; COVID-19; Infecciones respiratorias y tuberculosis; Asma y alergiaCoronavirus SARS-CoV-2; COVID-19; 2019-nCoV; Respiratory infections and tuberculosis; Asthma and allergyThese results reaffirm the idea that asthma does not appear to be a risk factor for the development of #COVID19. However, most of the asthma patients in this study had a non-T2 phenotype

To reward and beyond: Analyzing the effect of reward-basedstrategies in a MOOC

Producción CientíficaDespite the benefits of MOOCs (e.g., open access to education offered by prestigious universities), the low level of student engagement remains as an important issue causing massive dropouts in such courses. The use of reward-based gamification strategies is one approach to promote student engagement and prevent dropout. However, there is a lack of solid empirical studies analyzing the effects of rewards in MOOC environments. This paper reports a between-subjects design study conducted in a MOOC to analyze the effects of badges and redeemable rewards on student retention and engagement. Results show that the implemented reward strategies had not significant effect on student retention and behavioral engagement measured through the number of pageviews, task submissions, and student activity time. However, it was found that learners able to earn badges and redeemable rewards participated more in gamified tasks than those learners in the control group. Additionally, results reveal that the participants in the redeemable reward condition requested and earned earlier the rewards than those participants in the badge condition. The potential implications of these findings in the instructional design of future gamified MOOCs are also discussed.Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades (projects TIN2017-85179-C3-2-R / TIN2014-53199-C3-2-R)Junta de Castilla y León (project VA257P18)European Commission (project 588438-EPP-1-2017-1-EL- EPPKA2-KA