La importancia del agua en la industria de alimentos vegetales

The fresh produce industry consumes large volumes of good quality water and generates large amounts of wastewater. One of the systems that can be applied to reduce water consumption and water discharge is the reuse of washing water. To carry out the reuse of water without compromising the microbiological and chemical safety of the food, it is necessary to optimize the use of antimicrobial agents. Chlorine has traditionally been the disinfection treatment used by the horticultural industry for washing water. However, its use has the disadvantage of accumulating disinfection by-products, which has led to the study and use of alternative disinfectants such as peroxyacetic acid. In any case, maintaining the microbiological and chemical safety of fresh produce in the washing stage involves the selection of operational limits that must be maintained (e.g., the concentration of disinfectant), as well as the monitoring and control of critical parameters related to disinfection such as the content of organic matter. The optimization of disinfection must take into account the peculiarities of each case, including the type of product washed, the disinfectant used and the design and management of the washing line.La industria de alimentos vegetales consume grandes volúmenes de agua de buena calidad y genera grandes cantida­des de agua residual. Uno de los sistemas que se pueden aplicar para reducir el consumo y el vertido de agua es la reutilización del agua de lavado. Para llevar a cabo la reutilización del agua sin comprometer la seguridad microbiológica y química de los alimentos es necesario optimizar el uso de agentes antimicrobia­nos. El cloro ha sido tradicionalmente el tratamiento de desinfec­ción usado por la industria hortofrutícola para el agua de lavado. Sin embargo, su uso tiene la desventaja de la acumulación de subproductos de desinfección, lo que ha impulsado el estudio y el uso de desinfectantes alternativos como el ácido peroxiacéti­co. En cualquier caso, el mantenimiento de la seguridad micro­biológica y química de los alimentos vegetales frescos, en lo que respecta a la etapa de lavado, pasa por la selección de los límites operacionales que deben mantenerse en cuanto a la concentra­ción de desinfectante, así como la monitorización y control de los parámetros críticos relacionados con la desinfección, como es el contenido en materia orgánica. La optimización de la desinfec­ción tiene que tener en cuenta las peculiaridades de cada caso, incluyendo el tipo de producto lavado, el desinfectante usado, y el diseño y manejo de la línea de lavado

Morphological Description of Frontal EEG Interictal and Ictal Discharges in an Adult Cohort of 175 Patients

EEG morphology; Electroencephalography; Frontal lobe seizuresMorfología EEG; Electroencefalografía; Convulsiones del lóbulo frontalMorfologia EEG; Electroencefalografia; Convulsions del lòbul frontalClinical and electroencephalogram (EEG) features in frontal lobe epilepsy (FLE) vary considerably among patients, making the diagnosis a challenge. The objective of this study was to describe interictal and ictal EEG activity, identifying variables that could help to differentiate and diagnose frontal lobe epilepsy cases. A prospective cross-sectional study from patients with frontal interictal epileptiform discharges (IED) referred to the Vall d’Hebron University Hospital (Barcelona, Spain) after a clinical event compatible with epileptic seizures was designed. The interictal and ictal activity were analyzed to provide a detailed EEG description of the cases, using different statistical analyses. The morphological seizure pattern at the ictal onset remained globally unchanged over time in seizures arising from the frontal lobe for each patient. Isolated sharp waves were the most frequent waveforms in the expression of IED. Frontal lobe seizures are frequently short and sometimes appear grouped in clusters within the same recording. Often the ictal expression of the electrical activity in frontal lobe seizure is subtle and challenging to interpret. A description of the main findings is summarized to identify seizures arising from the frontal lobe and avoid false negatives findings in EEG interpretations.This research received no external funding

Perfil funcional básico de los jóvenes del programa nacional de tecnificación en bádminton

The objective of this study was to analyze the functional profile of a group of young athletes, all belonging to the national badminton technification programme. There were evaluated 43 players of badminton (26 boys and 17 girls), of between 15 and 16 years, with a minimal experience of 3 years of competitive practice. Basic motor patterns were evaluated using the "Basic Functional Assessment battery" consisting of five Overhead Squat Test (OHS), Hurdle Step (HS), Forward Step Down (FSD), Shoulder Mobility (SM), and Active Straight Leg Raise (ASLR) functional tests. The results show that the group of boys has presented a higher incidence of total compensation than the group girls. The most repeated compensation in the whole sample has been cervical protraction, seen in the SM test.  Followed by loss of shoulder flexion, in the OHS test. No statistically significant differences were found between genera. Together as a badminton team without differentiation from gender obtained an average of 20,86 compensation out of 75. The compensation players have presented most was in the hip complex, in the shoulder complex, as well as a lack of core stability.El objetivo del presente estudio fue analizar el perfil funcional de un grupo de jóvenes deportistas, todos pertenecientes al programa nacional de tecnificación de bádminton. Se evaluaron a 43 jugadores de bádminton (26 chicos y 17 chicas), de entre 15 y 16 años, con una experiencia mínima de 3 años de práctica competitiva. Se evaluaron los patrones motores básicos utilizando para ello, la batería de valoración funcional “Basic Functional Assessment” compuesta por cinco pruebas funcionales Overhead Squat test (OHS), Hurdle Step (HS), Forward Step Down (FSD), Shoulder Mobility (SM) y Active Straight Leg Raise (ASLR). Los resultados muestran que el grupo de chicos ha presentado una mayor incidencia de compensaciones totales que el grupo de chicas. La compensación que más se ha repetido en toda la muestra ha sido la protracción cervical, vista en la prueba del SM.  Seguida de la pérdida de flexión de hombros, en el test OHS. No se hallaron diferencias estadísticamente significativas entre géneros. De manera conjunta como equipo de bádminton sin diferenciación de género obtuvieron una media de 20,86 compensaciones sobre 75, mostrando un perfil funcional aceptable. Las compensaciones que más han presentado los jugadores se encontraban en el complejo de la cadera, en el complejo del hombro, así como una falta de estabilidad del core

Riesgo de lesión del ligamento cruzado anterior en fútbol femenino: valoración funcional y mecánicas de aterrizaje

The risk of anterior cross ligament injury is multifactorial and numerous tests have been used to locate possible factors that increase the risk of injury. The objective of the present study was to describe the functional and mechanical deficits of injury risk for the anterior cross ligament (ACL) in semi-professional soccer players, as well as to correlate the risk of injury of women players through a functional test and another of ability. In this case study, 17 women's football players from the First Autonomous and Preferential Autonomous Women of the F.C. Cartagena SAD Females with age range from 14 to 23 years (mean age 17.05 ± 3.24 years) participated. A normal training day was used to perform the following tests: Over Head Squat and Tuck Jump. The outstanding results were that most players showed average risk of functional test injury, on the other hand, no significant associations were shown between Overhead Squat test (OHS) and Tuck Jump tests. Therefore, it is recommended to continue with this line of research in order to detect a possible system of optimal tests to identify the risk of injury of the ACL individually in soccer players. And so, offer coaches the possibility to prescribe individualized work to keep each player away from the LCA injury.El riesgo de lesión del ligamento cruzado anterior es multifactorial y son numerosas las pruebas que han ido utilizando para localizar posibles factores que incrementen el riesgo de lesión. El objetivo del presente estudio fue describir los déficits funcionales y las mecánicas del riesgo lesional para el ligamento cruzado anterior (LCA) en jugadoras de fútbol de categoría semiprofesionales, así como correlacionar el riesgo de lesión de las jugadoras a través de una prueba funcional y otra de habilidad. En este estudio de caso participaron 17 jugadoras de fútbol femenino de categoría Primera Autonómica y Preferente Autonómica Femenina de un club de fútbol con rango de edad de 14 a 23 años (edad media 17,05±3,24 años). Se utilizó un día de entrenamiento normal para realizar las siguientes pruebas: Over Head Squat y Tuck Jump. Los resultados destacados fueron que la mayoría de jugadoras mostraron riesgo medio de lesión en la prueba funcional, por otro lado, no se mostraron asociaciones significativas entre las pruebas de Overhead Squat test (OHS) y Tuck Jump. Por tanto, se recomienda continuar con esta línea de investigación con la finalidad de detectar un posible sistema de pruebas óptimo para identificar el riesgo de lesión del LCA de forma individual en jugadoras de fútbol, y de este modo, ofrecer a los entrenadores la posibilidad de prescribir trabajo individualizado para alejar a cada jugadora de la lesión del LCA

Spanish version of the Satisfaction with Epilepsy Care questionnaire: Adaptation and psychometric properties

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to perform a cross-cultural adaption and psychometric evaluation of the Spanish version of the Satisfaction with Epilepsy Care (SEC) questionnaire and analyze patient satisfaction with epilepsy care. METHODS: Transcultural adaptation and validation of the SEC were carried out using translation and back-translation with pilot testing and an expert panel. The SEC-E (Spanish) was analyzed in 213 patients with epilepsy to examine construct and criterion validity and internal consistency. RESULTS: The SEC-E achieved conceptual, semantic, and content equivalence with the original version. For content validity, one question was eliminated from the original questionnaire as it has little relevance in our cultural setting. Positive correlations for criterion validity were obtained using the gold standard measure (Satisfaction in Hospitalized Patients scale). Construct validity replicated the three dimensions of the original questionnaire. The scale showed adequate reliability through internal consistency (Cronbach's α of 0.94) and temporal stability on retest (n = 85). Patients scored (0 to 100) 77.5 [standard deviation (SD): 19.9] for satisfaction with communication, 76.9 (SD: 17) for organization, and 67.2 (SD: 22.1) for information. SIGNIFICANCE: The SEC-E is a valid and reliable tool for the assessment of educational interventions aiming to improve the quality of care in patients with epilepsy in Spanish clinical practice. The results showed a good level of patient satisfaction with epilepsy care

Environmental DNA as a cetacean monitoring tool in the Northern Coast of Continental Portugal

34th European Cetacean Society Conference, O Grove, 16-20 April 2023In recent decades, environmental DNA (eDNA) has emerged as a utopian monitoring tool in the marine conservation landscape, for its potential to collect data on presence and abundance of biological communities with insufficient knowledge and/or difficult access. In the ATLANTIDA Project, this tool is being optimized with the ultimate goal of detecting and identifying cetacean species on the northern coast of continental Portugal without relying on visual monitoring. To this end, a molecular biology-based methodology is being developed and tested in positive control samples, consisting of a mixture of DNA extracted directly from muscle tissue or gums of cetaceans with eDNA samples collected in ATLANTIDA dedicated at-sea surveys. Firstly, in silico analysis using metagenomic data was performed to assess the pair of primers directed to mitochondrial DNA presenting the highest variability and, consequently, a higher probability of distinction among the target species. For that purpose, different sets of primers previously described in the bibliography were analysed and unique single nucleotide polymorphisms between the species of interest were counted. After the selection of the most suitable primer set, several optimization tests have been conducted, through conventional PCR, in order to identify the most efficient DNA amplification protocol for the gene of interest. From these tests, we were able to identify the ideal annealing temperature, the best TAQ polymerase enzyme, and the detection of cetacean DNA up to very low concentrations (~5ng/μL) was achieved, with salt water not inhibiting the reaction. In environmental samples, we were still not able to detect cetacean DNA, probably because of its concentration below our detection limit in the samples tested. In conclusion, although the effectiveness of resorting to eDNA for cetacean monitoring programs remains unclear, these results represent a step forward towards that goalN

Environmental DNA as a complementary tool for biodiversity monitoring: A multi-technique and multi-trophic approach to investigate cetacean distribution and feeding ecology

38 pages, 4 figuresThe use of environmental DNA (eDNA) to assess the presence of biological communities has emerged as a promising monitoring tool in the marine conservation landscape. Moreover, advances in Next-Generation Sequencing techniques, such as DNA metabarcoding, enable multi-species detection in mixed samples, allowing the study of complex ecosystems such as oceanic ones. We aimed at using these molecular-based techniques to characterise cetacean communities, as well as potential prey in the northern coast of Mainland Portugal. During seasonal campaigns, we collected seawater samples, along with visual records of cetacean occurrence. The eDNA extracted from 64 environmental samples was sequenced in an Illumina platform, with universal primers targeting marine vertebrates. Five cetacean species were identified by molecular detection: common dolphin (Delphinus delphis), bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus), Risso’s dolphin (Grampus griseus), harbour porpoise (Phocoena phocoena) and fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus). Overall, except for the fin whale (not sighted during the campaigns), this cetacean community composition was similar to that obtained through visual monitoring, and the complementary results suggest their presence in the region all year round. In addition, the positive molecular detections of B. physalus are of special relevance since there are no visual records reported in the area. The detection of multiple known preys of the identified dolphins indicates they use these coastal areas for feeding purposes. While this methodological approach remains in a development stage, the present work highlights the benefits of using eDNA to study marine communities, with specific applications for research on cetacean distribution and feeding ecology, ultimately serving as the baseline of a methodological approach for biodiversity monitoring and marine conservationPh.D. fellowships for authors RV (SFRH/BD/144786/2019) and AG (PD/BD/150603/2020) were granted by Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia (FCT, Portugal) under the auspices of Programa Operacional Regional Norte (PORN), supported by the European Social Fund (ESF) and Portuguese funds (MECTES). This work is a result of the project ATLANTIDA (ref. NORTE-01-0145-FEDER-000040) supported by the Norte Portugal Regional Operational Programme (NORTE2020), under the PORTUGAL 2020 Partnership Agreement and through the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF); and of the project EMPHATIC funded by Biodiversa+, the European Biodiversity Partnership, under the joint call 2022 – 2023 BiodivMon for research proposals, co-funded by the European Commission and with the following funding organisations: Fundación Biodiversidad (FB, Spain), Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia (FCT, Portugal), Agence Nationale de la Recherche (ANR, France), and the Ministry of Universities and Research (MUR, Italy).Peer reviewe

Asymptomatic Strongyloidiasis among Latin American Migrants in Spain: A Community-Based Approach

Strongyloides stercoralis infection is frequently underdiagnosed since many infections remain asymptomatic. Aim: To estimate the prevalence and characteristics of asymptomatic S. stercoralis infection in Latin American migrants attending a community-based screening program for Chagas disease in Spain. Methodology: Three community-based Chagas disease screening campaigns were performed in Alicante (Spain) in 2016, 2017, and 2018. Serological testing for S. stercoralis infection was performed using a non-automatized IVD-ELISA detecting IgG (DRG Instruments GmbH, Marburg, Germany). Results: Of the 616 migrants from Central and South America who were screened, 601 were included in the study: 100 children and adolescents (<18 years of age) and 501 adults. Among the younger group, 6 participants tested positive (prevalence 6%, 95% confidence interval [CI] 2.5% to 13.1%), while 60 adults did so (prevalence 12%, 95% CI 9.3% to 15.3%). S. stercoralis infection was more common in men than in women (odds ratio adjusted [ORa] 2.28, 95% CI 1.289 to 4.03) and in those from Bolivia (ORa 2.03, 95% CI 1.15 to 3.59). Prevalence increased with age (ORa 1.02, 95% CI 0.99 to 1.05). In contrast, a university education had a protective effect (ORa 0.29, 95% CI 0.31 to 0.88). Forty-one (41/66; 62.1%) of the total cases of S. stercoralis infection were treated at the health care center. Positive stool samples were observed in 19.5% of the followed-up positive cases. Conclusion: Incorporating serological screening for S. stercoralis into community-based screening for Chagas disease is a useful intervention to detect asymptomatic S. stercoralis infection in Central and South American migrants and an opportunity to tackle neglected tropical diseases in a transversal way. The remaining challenge is to achieve patients' adherence to the medical follow-up.This study was partially supported by the 3rd call for research project grants for the Institute of Health and Biometric Research of Alicante (ISABIAL)/FISABIO Foundation (UGP-16-158), and by the collaboration agreement regulated under the Law of Patronage between ISABIAL/FISABIO and the Foundation Mundo Sano, Spain.S

“Pasapalabra” de la Psicología Clínica: Una herramienta de aprendizaje basada en el juego

Depto. de Personalidad, Evaluación y Psicología ClínicaFac. de PsicologíaFALSEsubmitte