Utilización de técnicas genéticas y anticuerpos recombinantes para la detección de alérgenos alimentarios de origen vegetal

El correcto etiquetado de los alimentos es un elemento fundamental para garantizar la seguridad alimentaria y prevenir los fraudes comerciales. En este marco, el Reglamento (CE) 178/2002 reconoce a los consumidores el derecho a estar debidamente informados respecto a los alimentos que adquieren para que puedan elegir con conocimiento de causa los productos adecuados a sus necesidades. Este hecho se hace especialmente relevante en el caso de personas que sufren algún tipo de alergia alimentaria dado que, en estos individuos, incluso pequeñas cantidades del alérgeno pueden desencadenar una reacción adversa severa. Para proteger a los consumidores alérgicos, el Reglamento (UE) 1169/2011 establece un total de 14 grupos de ingredientes que obligatoriamente deben declararse en el etiquetado de los productos que los contengan por ser los causantes de una elevada parte de las reacciones alérgicas humanas. Para dar cumplimiento a estas normativas, las industrias y agencias encargadas de la seguridad alimentaria deben disponer de técnicas analíticas sensibles y específicas para identificar aquellos alérgenos que puedan estar presentes, tanto de forma voluntaria como accidental, en los productos alimenticios..

Termoestables epoxídics obtinguts mitjançant dues condensacions epoxi-amina seqüencials

Els materials termoestables presenten,en general,poca conformabilitat i una processabilitat limitada, degut al fenomen de la gelificació i a l’elevada exotermicitat del procés de curat durant el qual es forma una xarxa altament entrecreuada. Per tal d’incidir positivament sobre aquests inconvenients, el present projecte, aprofitant l’eficiència de les reaccions clicki elsbeneficis del curat dual seqüencial, proposa la preparació i caracterització de nous termoestables duals amina-epoxi amb processabilitat millorada.A tal fi, s’estudiarà una família de mescles d’una resina epoxi amb dues amines de diferent reactivitat. Durant la primera etapa de curat, a baixa temperatura (50-100 ºC), tindrà lloc la policondensació entre la resina epoxi i una amina alifàtica d’alta reactivitat. Durant la segona etapa reaccionaran a alta temperatura (150-200 ºC) els grups epoxi que no ho han fet a baixa temperatura i una amina aromàtica de baixa reactivitat. D’aquesta manera es pretén aconseguir un curat perfectament seqüencial i que el material sigui enmagatzemable i manipulable després de la primera condensació epoxi amina. Ambdues etapes del curat s’analitzaran percalorimetria i espectroscòpia infraroja i s’establirà la seva cinètica mitjançant mètodes isoconversionals i models fenomenològics. Les dades cinètiques obtingudes s’utilitzaran per simular i optimitzar condicions de curat de les dues etapes. Les propietats tèrmiques i viscoelàstiques dels materials intermedis i finals s'analitzaran mitjançant calorimetria, anàlisi dinamomecànic i anàlisi termogravimètrica. S’estudiarà la gelificació mitjançant assaigs calorimètrics i termomecànics combinats.Finalment s’estudiarà la potencialitat dels nous materials com adhesius i com a material amb memòria de forma, així com les seves propietats mecàniques i morfologi

Correlaciones clínicas, morfológicas y de calidad de vida en pacientes afectos de rinosinusitis crónica con poliposis nasal

INTRODUCCIÓN La rinosinusitis crónica con pólipos nasosinusales (RSCcPN) es una en-fermedad desafiante que tiene un impacto significativo en la calidad de vida (CdV) de los pacientes. Los eosinófilos se consideran las células in-flamatorias más importantes en la patogénesis de la rinosinusitis con pólipos nasales. La posibilidad de predecir la CdV en los pacientes con RSCcPN permitiría optimizar su manejo y mejorar los resultados. OBJETIVO Conocer la asociación entre la CdV mediante el cuestionario Sinonasal Outcome Test -22 (SNOT-22) y parámetros histopatológicos y molecula-res (incluyendo eosinofilia y expresión de Mucina 1 –MUC1) en pacien-tes con RSCcPN. Los objetivos secundarios incluyen la asociación entre la CdV y las variables clínicas así como el rol de estos factores en la res-puesta al tratamiento con corticoides sistémicos y tópicos. MÉTODOS Se ha realizó una revisión prospectiva y retrospectiva de las historias clínicas de 62 pacientes tratados con RSCcPN. Los datos recogidos inclu-yeron edad, sexo, alergias, tabaquiscmo, historia de asma, intolerancia a antiinflamatorios no esteroidales (AINEs), grado clínico y endoscópico de poliposis, tratamiento médico y quirúrgico, perfil microbiológico, eosino-filia tisular, expresión de MUC1, MKP1, MIF, GRα, IL-8, TLR2, TLR4 y TLR5. La CdV se midió mediante el cuestionario SNOT-22 y se comparó la influencia de los parámetros anteriormente mencionados en la CdV de los pacientes. El análisis estadístico se realizó mediante R Core Team (2017) y el software estadístico R. RESULTADOS Se identificaron 62 pacientes con RSCcPN. La media de la puntuación del cuestionario SNOT-22 fue de 39.8, la expresión media de eosinófilos fue 28% y la expresión media de MUC1 1.02. La puntuación de SNOT-22 se correlacionó estadísticamente con niveles elevados de IL-8 y de eosinófi-los (p=0.01 y 0.02 respectivamente). No se estableció una asociación entre la expresión de MUC1 y la puntuación en el SNOT-22. Cuando se consideró eosinofilia, MUC1, asma e intolerancia a AINEs, se encontró una asociación significativa entre esta última y la CdV. Los pacientes con niveles de eosinóifilos elevados tenían una respuesta significativamente mayor a corticoides sistémicos (p=0.03). Esta asociación no era significa-tiva en el caso de la expresión de MUC1 (p=0.014). La respuesta a corti-coides tópicos se asoció con expresión elevada de MUC1 (p=0.02). CONCLUSIÓN Este trabajo de tesis doctoral demuestra una asociación significativa entre el papel de los parámetros inflamatorios (eosinófilos e IL-8) y los patrones clínicos (intolerancia a AINEs) con la CdV de los pacientes con RSCcPN.INTRODUCTION Chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps (CRSwNP) is a challenging dis-ease that significantly impacts patients’ quality of life (QoL). Eosinophils are considered the most important inflammatory cells in the pathogene-sis of rhinosinusitis with nasal polyposis. Being able to predict QoL in patients with CRSwNP will optimize management and improve patient outcomes. AIM To investigate the association between QoL as per Sinonasal Outcome Test -22 (SNOT-22) and histopathological and molecular parameters (including eosinophil and mucin 1 –MUC1- expression) in patients with CRSwNP. Secondary aims included the association between QoL and clinical variables as well as the role of these parameters in assessing systemic and topic steroid treatment response. METHODS Prospective and retrospective review of medical records of 62 patients treated for CRSwNP. Factors as age, sex, allergies, smoking, history of asthma, non-steroidal drugs (NSAID) intolerance, clinical and endoscopic disease severity, medical and surgical treatment, microbiology profile, tissue eosinophilia, MUC1, MKP1, MIF, GRα, IL-8, TLR2, TLR4 and TLR5 expression were recorded. QoL was assessed using the SNOT-22 questionaire and differences in QoL were compared between all the gathered parameters. Statistical analysis was performed by R Core Team (2017) and Statistic software R. RESULTS 62 patients with CRSwNP were identified. Mean SNOT-22 score was 39.8, mean eosinophil expression was 28% and mean MUC1 expression was 1.02. SNOT-22 score correlates statistically with high IL-8 levels and high eosinophil levels (p= 0.01 and 0.02 respectively). No association was established between MUC1 expression and SNOT-22 outcome. When considering eosinophilia, MUC1, asthma and NSAID intolerance, the latest shows a significant association with QoL. Patients with high eosinophil levels have better systemic steroid response (p=0.03). This association is not statistically significative when comparing MUC1 ex-pression and systemic steroid response (p=0.14). Topical corticosteroid response was associated with high MUC1 expression (p=0.02). CONCLUSION This thesis demonstrated a significant association between the role of inflammatory parameters (eosinophils and IL-8) and clinical patterns (NSAID intolerance) in QoL in patients with CRSwP

Montsec Ground Station

In every space mission, the ability to contact the satellite to transmit or receive telecommands and data is one of the critical parts, so having a good ground segment is fundamental. In support to 3Cat-2 operations a ground station was first developed by the UPC NanoSat Lab at UPC Campus Nord premises. However, due to increasing radio frequency interference it was moved to the Institute Space Studies of Catalonia (IEEC) - Observatori del Montsec (OdM), located in Sant Esteve de la Sarga, Lleida. This location has outstanding reception conditions in terms of very weak interference levels, and excellent elevation mask (i.e. satellites can be tracked even below the horizon). The ground station is equipped with a TX/RX Yagi antenna for amateur bands VHF (144-146 MHz) and UHF (435-438 MHz), and it also includes an S-band 3-meter dish in the commercial band (2025-2110 MHz, 2200-2290 MHz) for reception that will be upgraded for transmission in 2022. The antenna rotors, receivers etc. are remotely controlled to the operation-center in Barcelona and operations can be automated. Nowadays, the ground station is jointly operated by the UPC NanoSat Lab and the IEEC in support to the Catalan New Space strategy, in addition to the upcoming UPC missions

Variables Influencing Pre-Service Teacher Training in Education for Sustainable Development: A Case Study of Two Spanish Universities

This paper analyzed the relationship that certain demographic and educational variables might have on the training in environmental education (EE) received by undergraduate students enrolled in a Degree in Primary Education (DPE) at two Spanish universities. For this purpose, they were given a questionnaire to assess the link between certain personal and educational characteristics relating to the students in the sample (n = 274) and three components of an environmental competence (EC) model: environmental knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors. The results indicate that variables like gender, the students’ habitual place of residence, the type of leisure activities they undertook, and some educational factors had a significant impact on the acquisition of the said competencies. In light of these outcomes, the paper reflects on the possible role that non-university contexts might play in environmental education for pre-service teachers.Spanish Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad, grant MTM2017-86061-C2-1-P, and by Consejería de Educación de la Junta de Castilla y León and FEDER, grant VA005P17 and VA002G18

Cystic mass of the floor of the mouth

Epidermoid and dermoid cysts in the oral cavity are relatively uncommon lesions of developmental origin. They often remain asymptomatic for years until they grow enough to interfere with speech, deglutition and less often with breathing which can pose a critical risk to the airway and require immediate surgery. A case of an epidermoid cyst of the floor of the mouth affecting a 37-year-old man is presented; this lesion was surgically enucleated with an intraoral approach. Patient did well postoperatively and there was no evidence of recurrence up to 2 years of follow up. Floor of the mouth is a challenging site for the diagnosis of a broad variety of lesions which the surgeon should be aware. Depending on the anatomical relation to the muscles of the floor of the mouth dermoid cysts are classified as supramylohyoid or inframylohyoid, and they will both have different clinical and radiological features. This article also includes literature review about the etiopathological, clinical, radiological and histological features, the differential diagnosis and its treatment

Sphenoid sinus mucocele : an unusual complication of head and neck irradiation in a North African woman

Mucocele is a common benign lesion otherwise rarely located in the sphenoid sinus. Some complications after head and neck irradiation have been described in the literature until now. To our knowledge, this is the first report of a sphenoid sinus mucocele in a North African patient treated some years before with radiotherapy for a nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). We extend the literature review about this infrequent finding, of which head and neck surgeons should be aware

Survey of Commercial Food Products for Detection of Walnut (Juglans regia) by Two ELISA Methods and Real Time PCR

Labeling of food allergens in accordance with legal regulations is important to protect the health of allergic consumers. The requirements for detecting allergens in foods involve adequate specificity and sensitivity to identify very small amounts of the target allergens in complex food matrices and processed foods. In this work, one hundred commercial samples were analyzed for walnut detection using three different methods: a sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kit based on polyclonal antibodies, a direct ELISA using a recombinant multimeric scFv, and a real time PCR. The most sensitive method was real time PCR followed by sandwich ELISA kit and multimeric scFv ELISA. There was agreement between the three methods for walnut detection in commercial products, except for some heat-treated samples or those that contained pecan. The walnut ELISA kit was less affected by sample processing than was the multimeric scFv ELISA, but there was cross-reactivity with pecan, producing some false positives that must be confirmed by real time PCR. According to the results obtained, 7.0 to 12.6% of samples (depending on the analytical method) contained walnut but did not declare it, confirming there is a risk for allergic consumers. Moreover, there was one sample (3.7%) labelled as containing walnut but that tested negative for this tree nut. Genetic and immunoenzymatic techniques offer complementary approaches to develop a reliable verification for walnut allergen labeling

Evolución macroeconómica reciente de Grecia

Se busca describir e interpretar de forma ordenada la evolución de las principales magnitudes macroeconómicas: producción, factores productivos (capital y trabajo), y precios. El análisis se centrará en la evolución macroeconómica reciente de Grecia en términos anuales, debido al interés suscitado en observar la tendencia y el ciclo, dentro del periodo comprendido entre 1995 y 2015. Desarrollaremos el trabajo a través del uso de las principales fuentes de datos nacionales e internacionales. El proceso a seguir será aportando una definición de cada variable tratada, junto con el apoyo de gráficos que muestren la evolución que ha llevado la misma, para terminar con una explicación de las causas o consecuencias del comportamiento de dicha variable. En determinadas ocasiones y con ánimo de facilitar el entendimiento de los datos obtenidos, compararemos los mismos con los de la Unión Europea y sus países que nos sean de interés. El objetivo final será conseguir una visión clara de la economía griega, tanto en su análisis individual como en su comparación con otros países europeos

The uncertainty of the energy demand in existing mediterranean urban blocks

The objective of the paper is to describe a stochastic model that has been developed to obtain load profiles for household electricity. For the study, several profiles have been generated in order to simulate the electrical demand of a residential building block or neighbourhood and evaluate the uncertainty of its energy use. The paper is divided in three different parts: development of the model, validation and determination of the uncertainty demand. In the first parts the basis of the model and how it works is explained. The second one represents the validation of the model, the input data and its results. The last step is focused on a statistical analysis of the electricity demand of a block of dwellings to evaluate minimum number of dwellings needed to estimate the average demand representative of the Mediterranean dwelling with different levels of accuracyPostprint (author’s final draft