Estudi de l'entorn MediaScape

L'objectiu d'aquest projecte és estudiar quines possibilitats ens proporciona el software MediaScape dels laboratoris HP i mirar de desnvolupar una aplicació en l'entorn universitar

Las empleadas de hogar. Régimen jurídico y de Seguridad Social

Esta investigación presenta un estudio de género del régimen jurídico laboral aplicable al personal del servicio doméstico. Sector ocupado mayoritariamente por mujeres. El objetivo principal es realizar un análisis jurídico sobre el marco legal aplicable para la actividad de las empleadas de hogar. Se presentará evolución de la normativa laboral, de seguridad social, así como análisis de la acción protectora vigente, observando la precariedad existente para este colectivo. Para abordar este estudio ha sido necesario efectuar un análisis documental y bibliográfico, junto con otros informes y datos estadísticos. Se pretende así, mostrar una visión general de la relación laboral del personal al servicio del hogar familiar, analizando así sus peculiaridades respecto de la relación laboral común. La importancia de esta investigación radica en sus peculiaridades, difícilmente podemos encontrar una regulación tan precaria, teniendo en cuenta que la mayor parte de las personas que trabajan en este sector son mujeres.This research presents a gender study of the labor legal regime applicable to domestic service personnel. Sector occupied mainly by women. The main goal is to carry out a legal analysis on the applicable legal framework for the activity of domestic workers. The evolution of labor regulations, social security will be presented, as well as the analysis of the current protective action, observing the existing precariousness for this group. To address this study it has been necessary to carry out a documentary and bibliographic analysis, together with other reports and statistical data. The aim is to show a general vision of the employment relationship of the staff at the service of the family home, analyzing their peculiarities with respect to the common labor relationship. The importance of this research lies in its peculiarities, we can hardly find such a precarious regulation, taking into account that most of the people who work in this sector are women

Development and validation of a new nephrotoxicity model mimicking cell physiology microenvironment

Los riñones son órganos muy eficientes que llevan a cabo múltiples funciones en el organismo. Una de las principales funciones que realizan es la eliminación de productos de desecho y exceso de fluido del cuerpo a través de la orina. La regulación de las sales y el contenido de ácido, son funciones desempeñados por estos órganos. En el riñón también tiene lugar la producción de diferentes hormonas. El riñón está constituido por las nefronas, que son las unidades estructurales y funcionales de estos órganos. Dentro de las nefronas podemos diferenciar las siguientes estructuras: El glomérulo, que es la primera parte de la nefrona donde el plasma es filtrado desde la sangre. Inmediatamente después, encontramos el túbulo, cuya estructura es semejante a un tubo largo y estrecho, donde el fluido filtrado desde la sangre es procesado y convertido en orina. A lo largo del túbulo, encontramos los siguientes segmentos: túbulo proximal, asa de Henle, túbulo distal y tubo colector.En esta Tesis Doctoral, nos centraremos en el estudio del segmento formado por el túbulo proximal (TP) [1]. La principal función desempeñada por el TP es la reabsorción y secreción de metabolitos y para realizar estas funciones las células del TP cuentan con un gran contenido de diferentes transportadores de membrana [2-5]. El túbulo proximal está formado por células epiteliales, las cuales están polarizadas, característica que nos permite distinguir entre dos zonas bien diferenciadas, la zona apical y la zona basolateral. Las células del TP contienen una estructura denominada borde en cepillo que aumenta el área de superficie de las células y este incremento es útil durante los procesos de reabsorción [6]. Conviene destacar que las células renales están continuamente expuestas al ultra filtrado del plasma y que el flujo luminal genera una fuerza de cizallamiento (shear stress, SS) sobre la superficie apical de las células. Las células del TP pueden detectar estas SS a través del cilio primario o de las microvellosidades del borde en cepillo. La señalización intracelular desencadenada por la SS luminal es un estímulo fisiológico clave para las células tubulares renales [7]. A pesar de la relevancia del flujo luminal en la nefrona, así como en el desarrollo de enfermedades, hay relativamente pocos estudios in vitro que incluyan este estímulo. El flujo luminal debería ser un requisito imprescindible para la generación de un modelo de función tubular in vitro, fisiológicamente más similar al que encontramos in vivo.Las células del TP in vivo presentan unas características dinámicas diferentes en ambos compartimentos. Cuando se trabaja in vitro, se alteran esas características dinámicas ya que las células son expuestas a la inmovilización de su compartimento basolateral, en contacto con la superficie donde las células crecen y en el lado apical se renueva el medio cada 2-4 días, eliminando el efecto que el SS ejerce en ambos compartimentos. La ausencia del flujo luminal, así como la alteración de las características dinámicas de las células en ambos compartimentos, son dos de los problemas que encontramos en las condiciones de cultivo convencional 2D, eliminando la posibilidad de reproducir la función tubular renal, la cual consiste en concentrar o diluir los solutos en el fluido luminal. Por tanto, es evidente que las técnicas de cultivo convencionales 2D, a pesar del gran conocimiento que nos han aportado sobre la función celular y molecular, no son capaces de reproducir el ambiente fisiológico de las células del TP. Esto a la vez, podría explicar la dificultad en la traslación de los resultados in vitro a aplicaciones in vivo [8].En los últimos años y con el objetivo de aproximarse a la creación in vitro de microambientes fisiológicamente más similares a los encontrados in vivo, han surgido colaboraciones entre las áreas de Ingeniería y las áreas de Biología [9] interesadas en el desarrollo de dispositivos microfluídicos [10] para su uso en estudios de epitelio renal. Los dispositivos mencionados anteriormente, son estructuras situadas en la escala micro y nano, que han posibilitado el desarrollo de los microchips, dispositivos miniaturizados capaces de imitar sistemas naturales de forma precisa si se acoplan a sistemas continuos de perfusión en los canales que componen estos dispositivos, los cuales son habitados por las células sembradas en ellos. Estos dispositivos ofrecen ventajas como la reproducción de la arquitectura multicelular o de la interfaz tejido-tejido, la recreación del microambiente físico-químico y la perfusión vascular, originando niveles de tejidos funcionales, que no pueden obtenerse con los métodos de cultivo 2D o 3D. Otra ventaja, es que al trabajar en escala micro-nanométrica, el ahorro de las soluciones necesarias paras el mantenimiento de las células, o para la ejecución de experimentos, se ve drásticamente reducido. A nivel experimental, este tipo de dispositivos presentan gran potencial en el área de la organogénesis y la fisiología y, en el contexto del descubrimiento y desarrollo de nuevos fármacos, tiene especial valor en el estudio de los mecanismos de acción, toxicidad e identificación de biomarcadores.A partir de la información expuesta anteriormente, se detectó un problema y se propuso una hipótesis: las herramientas de cultivo convencionales no recrean con precisión el ambiente fisiológico donde crecen las células y por tanto, esto puede originar la pérdida de reproducibilidad de la respuesta celular contra agentes tóxicos y mecanismos de reparación unidos a daño renal. Con el objetivo de aceptar o rechazar la hipótesis propuesta se propone la creación de un modelo de nefrotoxicidad, usando dispositivos de cultivo biomiméticos que tendrán acoplados las herramientas necesarias para poder usar flujo, y de esta manera reproducirán mejor el microambiente de las células del TP.La elección del TP para desarrollar esta Tesis, se basa en que en este segmento de la nefrona se procesa la mayoría de tóxicos y fármacos y tiene lugar el daño agudo y crónico renal. Por tanto, desde el punto de vista clínico y con el objetivo de estudiar nefrotoxicidad, el TP representa un segmento cuyos estudios pueden aportar mucho conocimiento. Con el objetivo de crear un modelo de nefrotoxicidad, el uso de cultivos primarios de células del TP humanas (hPTPC), daría lugar a una fácil traslación de los resultados a la clínica.La molécula elegida para la creación del modelo de nefrotoxicidad es el cisplatino, un compuesto antitumoral usado en el tratamiento contra diversos tipos de cánceres, entre los que destacan pulmón, testículo y cérvix. Uno de los principales efectos secundarios de este compuesto es la nefrotoxicidad [11] en el TP. Los mecanismos de acción del cisplatino incluyen su paso al interior de las células del TP mediante los transportadores basolaterales OCT2 y CTR-1, así como la enzima GGT1, encargada de la conversión del cisplatino en una molécula mucho más reactiva tras entrar en contacto con esta enzima [12]. A partir de las hPTPC y del modelo de nefrotoxicidad que se desarrolló, se estudió el efecto de la estimulación mecánica proporcionado por el flujo, sobre la sensibilidad al cisplatino, permitiendo recrear un ambiente más semejante al que encontramos in vivo. Los resultados obtenidos a lo largo de esta tesis nos sugieren que:1. El protocolo de aislamiento empleado para la obtención de células primarias de TP procedentes de nefrectomías humanas, hPTPC, y la posterior caracterización de las células, nos permitió obtener un cultivo formado mayoritariamente por células de TP que expresaban los principales marcadores de este segmento de la nefrona.2. El uso combinado del ensayo de actividad enzimática de GGT1 y el ensayo de viabilidad, nos permitió distinguir los efectos del cisplatino. La combinación de estos ensayos se validó como una herramienta útil a la hora de monitorizar la función celular y viabilidad celular.3. El modelo de nefrotoxicidad empleando cisplatino fue consistente para su uso en células creciendo en dispositivos fluídicos.4. El cultivo de hPTPC aislado y caracterizado durante esta tesis, no mostró diferencia en la sensibilidad al modelo de cisplatino en dispositivos fluídicos en presencia de la estimulación mecánica proporcionada por el flujo y comparado con células en condiciones estáticas.The kidneys are very efficient organs that perform multiple functions in the body. One of the main functions performed by the kidneys is the elimination of waste products and excess fluid from the body through the urine. The regulation of body salts and acid content are functions played by these organs. In the kidney also takes place the production of different hormones. The kidney is made up of nephrons, which are the structural and functional units of these organs. The nephrons are composed by the following structures: The glomerulus, which is the first part of the nephron, where the plasma is filtered from the blood. Immediately afterward, we find the tubule, which structure is like a long narrow tube, where the filtered fluid from the blood is processed into the urine. The tubule is divided into different segments: proximal tubule, loop of Henle, distal tubule and collecting tube. In this Thesis, we focused on the study of the segment formed by the proximal tubule (PT). The main role played by the PT is the reabsorption and secretion of metabolites and to perform these functions, PT cells have a high content of different membrane transporters. The PT is formed by epithelial cells, which are polarized, a feature that allows us to distinguish between two distinct areas, the apical zone, and the basolateral zone. PT cells contain a structure called brush border that increases the surface area of the cells, and this increase is useful during the reabsorption processes. It should be noted that renal cells are continually exposed to ultrafiltration of the plasma and that the luminal flux generates a shear stress (SS) on the apical surface of the cells. PT cells can detect this SS through the primary cilium or the brush border. The intracellular signaling triggered by the luminal SS is a physiological stimulus essential for renal tubular cells. Despite the relevance of luminal flow in the nephron, as well as in the development of diseases, there are relatively few in vitro studies including this stimulus. Luminal flow should be a prerequisite for the generation of an in vitro physiological model to study tubular function, similar to what is found in in vivo environment. PT cells in vivo exhibit different dynamic characteristics in both compartments. When we are working with these cells in vitro, these dynamic characteristics are altered since the cells are exposed to the immobilization of their basolateral compartment, in contact with the surface where the cells grow, and on the apical side, the medium is renewed every 2-4 days, eliminating the effect that the SS exerts on both compartments. The absence of luminal flow, as well as the alteration of the dynamic characteristics of the cells in both compartments, are two of the problems found in conventional 2D culture conditions, eliminating the possibility of reproducing renal tubular function, which consists of concentrating or diluting the solutes present in the luminal fluid. Therefore, it is evident that conventional 2D culture techniques, despite the high knowledge that they have provided us on the cellular and molecular function, are not able to reproduce the physiological environment of the PT cells. This could explain the difficulty we have in translating in vitro results into in vivo applications. In the last years, with the aim of creating in vitro microenvironments physiologically similar to those found in vivo, we observe an increase in the number of collaborations between the areas of Engineering and Biology interested in the development of microfluidic devices for use in renal epithelial studies. The devices mentioned above are structures in the micro and nano scale, which have enabled the development of microchips, miniaturized devices capable of accurately mimicking natural systems since they contain continuous infusion systems in the channels that make up these devices, covered by the cells seeded in them. These devices offer advantages such as reproduction of the multicellular architecture or the tissue-tissue interface, the recreation of the physicochemical microenvironment and the vascular perfusion, resulting in levels of functional tissues, which cannot be obtained with 2D or 3D culture methods. Another advantage is the size of these devices, in the micro-nanometric scale. This supposes to save solutions for the maintenance of the cells, or for the execution of experiments because their volume is drastically reduced. At the experimental level, this type of device has great potential in the area of organogenesis and physiology and, in the context of discovery and development of new drugs, it has a special value in the study of the mechanisms of action, toxicity, and identification of biomarkers. From the above information, a problem was detected and a hypothesis was proposed: the conventional culture tools do not accurately recreate the physiological environment where the cells grow and therefore, this can cause the lack of reproducibility of cellular response to toxic agents and repair mechanisms linked to renal damage. With the objective of accepting or rejecting the proposed hypothesis, it was proposed to create a model of nephrotoxicity using biomimetic culture devices that will have the necessary tools coupled to be able to use flow. This will help to reproduce the microenvironment of PT cells more accurately. The choice of PT to develop this Thesis is based on the fact that in this segment of the nephron the majority of toxins and drugs are processed and here is where acute and chronic renal damage take places. Therefore, from the clinical point of view and with the aim of studying nephrotoxicity, PT represents the segment of choice. In order to create a model of nephrotoxicity, the use of human primary cultures of PT cells (hPTPC), would lead to an easy translation of the results to the clinic. The molecule chosen to create the nephrotoxicity model is cisplatin, an antitumor compound used in the treatment of various types of cancers, including lung, testis and cervix. However, one of the major side effects of this compound is nephrotoxicity in PT. The mechanism of action of cisplatin includes the entrance of the molecule to the hPTPC through the basolateral transporters OCT2 and CTR-1, as well as the enzyme GGT1, responsible for the conversion of cisplatin into a much more reactive molecule after entering in contact with this enzyme. From the hPTPC and the nephrotoxicity model developed, we proposed to study the effect of mechanical stimulation on cisplatin sensitivity produced under flow. This allowed us to recreate a more physiological environment, closer to what we find in vivo. The results obtained along this Doctoral Thesis suggest: 1. The isolation protocol employed to obtain primary PT cells from human nephrectomies, hPTPC, and the posterior cell characterization, allowed us to obtain a highly enriched culture of PT cells, expressing the main PT markers. 2. Combined use of GGT1 activity and cell viability assays allowed us to distinguish different cisplatin effects and were validated as useful assays to monitor cell function and cellular status. 3. The cisplatin nephrotoxicity model was consistent and amenable for its use on cells grown in microfluidic devices. 4. The hPTPC isolated and characterized along this Thesis did not present any difference in the sensitivity to cisplatin model in fluidic devices in the presence of the mechanical stimulation created by flow and compared with cells growing in static condition.<br /

Impact of Education on Poverty Reduction in Costa Rica: A Regional and Urban-Rural Analysis

In this article, we analyze the relationship between levels of education and poverty for the different planning regions and also according to urban and rural areas. For the purposes of the study, we use the methodology of Unsatisfied Basic Needs (UBN) to measure poverty in a multidimensional way: access to decent shelter, access to health, access to knowledge, and access to other goods and services (consumption capacity). Based on empirical evidence that uses data from the Population Census of 2011, we conclude that achieving greater levels of education helps people from rural and urban areas and people living in the different planning regions of Costa Rica to escape poverty. Using the methodology of propensity score matching, we show that people who finish secondary education reduce poor shelter between 8.0% and 33.0%, reduce low levels of knowledge between 26.0% and 44.0%, and reduce poor consumption between 12.0% and 30.0%. This is also consistent with the results of finishing secondary education in urban and rural areas since completing secondary education in urban areas would have a significant impact on reducing poverty of shelter in about 36.0%, poverty of access to knowledge in 48.0%, and in 22.0% regarding access to other goods and services (consumption capacity), while completing secondary education in rural areas would reduce poverty of shelter in 18.0%, poverty related to access to knowledge in 30.0%, and poverty in consumption capacity in 32.0%

Effect of cultivar and environment on chemical composition and geographical traceability of Spanish olive oils

This study aimed to investigate the influence of cultivar and environment on the chemical composition of Arbequina and Empeltre olive oils, and their contribution to geographical identification of olive oils from Aragon. A total of 260 olive oil samples from different cultivars (Arbequina, Empeltre, Royal de Calatayud, Alquezrana, and Royeta de Asque) from the three main oil‐producing areas of Aragon, located in northeast Spain, were selected. Fatty acid and sterol composition were analyzed in the course of three crop years (2017, 2018, and 2019). Cultivar was found the main factor influencing the variability of palmitic, palmitoleic, and linolenic fatty acid content, whereas geographic origin was the main contributor to variation in oleic and linoleic fatty acids in Arbequina and Empeltre olive oils. Cultivar also had a significant impact on sterol composition, although the effect of the production area also showed a significant effect on these oils. Crop year showed limited relevance, except for oleic and linoleic fatty acids. The interaction between the environment (e.g., crop year and geographical factors) and the cultivar (Arbequina and Empeltre) exerted a significant influence on oleic/linoleic (O/L) ratio and Δ7‐stigmastenol content, particularly in the southeast area of Aragon during the crop year with higher temperatures and drier conditions. Principal component analysis (PCA) and discriminant analysis (DA) confirmed the discriminative potential of the geographic production zone as a factor enabling the differentiation of olive oils from Aragon based on the major fatty acids and sterols

Crop year, harvest date and clone effects on fruit characteristics, chemical composition and olive oil stability from an Empeltre clonal selection grown in Aragon

BACKGROUND In this study, the effects of crop year, harvest date and clone on the fruit characteristics and chemical composition of Empeltre olive oils were evaluated. For this purpose, the weight and oil content of fruit and the fatty acid composition, polyphenol content and oxidative stability of the olive oil was analysed throughout ripening during three successive seasons. RESULTS The weight and moisture in the fruit, as well as the fatty acids and polyphenol content in the olive oil, were mainly affected by crop year. In contrast, the stability was strongly influenced by the harvest date. Both factors had an influence on the fruit''s oil content. The clone was not a substantial component in terms of variability, although the interaction with crop year was notable for some of the characteristics. The oil content increased significantly along with the harvest date and reached maximum values in the last period (44.9%). Conversely, stability and polyphenols decreased significantly (depending on the year, by 30-70%) from October to December, reaching the highest mean values between 1 October and 10 November (15.5 h; 500 mg caffeic acid kg(-1)). Oleic acid and monounsaturated/polyunsaturated fatty acids (MUFA/PUFA) did not show significant differences depending on the harvest date, but between years, with 2018 having the highest percentage of oleic acid (72.72%) and MUFA/PUFA (8.38). CONCLUSION Early harvesting of Empeltre olives would provide considerably more stable olive oils, regardless of the clone selected, with higher phenolic content. It would not affect the MUFA/PUFA ratio, mainly influenced by the crop year. (c) 2022 The Authors. Journal of The Science of Food and Agriculture published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Society of Chemical Industry

Authenticity in Olive Oils from an Empeltre Clonal Selection in Aragon (Spain): How Environmental, Agronomic, and Genetic Factors Affect Sterol Composition

Sterol composition is used as a “fingerprint” to demonstrate the authenticity of olive oils. Our study’s objective was to exhaustively characterize the sterol composition of Empeltre olive oils from clonal selection during the ripening period in 2017, 2018, and 2019. We likewise assessed the influence of crop year, fruit ripening, and clonal selection on the oils’ regulatory compliance in terms of sterol composition. Empeltre olive oils were shown to have medium-range β-sitosterol and Δ5-avenasterol content, along with elevated amounts of campesterol and Δ7-stigmastenol. A total of 26% and 12% of the samples were non-compliant in terms of apparent β-sitosterol and Δ7-stigmastenol, respectively. Crop year was the most influential factor in the case of most sterols. Clone type was the least influential factor, except in the case of campesterol. Olive maturity was only significant for Δ7-sterols. We likewise applied a discriminant analysis, with “crop year” as the grouping variable: 94.9% of the oils were thereby classified correctly