Comparison between Poaceae Airborne Pollen Counts and Phl p5 Aeroallergen Quantification in South Europe

The European project HIALINE: Comparison between Poaceae Airborne Pollen Counts and Phl p5 Aeroallergen Quantification in South Europe C. Antunes1,2, R. Ferro2, R. Ribeiro2, Torres M.C.4, M.J. Velasco4H. García-Mozo4, Galán, C4 , R.Brandao1,3, M.Thibaudon5, R. Albertini6 Ugolotti. M.6, Usberti I.6, Dall’Aglio P.6 and the HIALINE team7 1DInstitute of Mediterranean Agricultural and Environmental Sciences –ICAAM, University of Évora, Portugal 2Department of Chemistry, University of Évora, Portugal 3Department of Biology, University of Évora, Portugal 4Department of Botany, Ecology and Plant Physiology, University of Córdoba 5Réseau National de l Surveillance Aerobiologique, Saint-Genis-l’Argentière, France 6Department of Clinical Medicine, Nephrology and Health Sciences, University of Parma, Italy 7J.T.M. Buters, Germany, M. Thibaudon, France, M. Smith, Great Britain, C. Galan, Spain, R. Brandao and C.M. Antunes, Portugal, G. Reese, Germany, R. Albertini, Italy, L. Grewling, Poland, A. Rantio-Lehtimäki, Finland, S. Jäger and U. Berger, Austria, I. Sauliene, Lithuania, L. Cecchi, Italy Introduction: Nowadays, pollinosis is affecting a large percentage of population in countries with a western life style. The existence of allergenic activity in the atmosphere is not only associated to pollen grains and fungal spores, but also to submicronic and paucimicronic biological particles. The origin of these allergens can be due to the rupture of pollen transported in the atmosphere or to the presence of allergens from other parts of the plant making amorphous material with an allergen load. Poaceae pollen is recognized as one of the main causes of allergic disease in all Europe. In this study we have tried to compare Poaceae pollen counts in the air and Phl p 5, one of the major allergens of this family, through the use of a high-volume cascade impactor (Chemvol). This study was done in the frame of the European project HIALINE and it compares the results obtained in 2009 by 4 different partners participating in this project: in Córdoba (Spain), Évora (Portugal), Lyon (France) and Parma (Italy). Methodology: Pollen grains were sampled using a 7-day volumetric Hirst type spore trap. Chemvol high-volume cascade impactor equipped with stages PM>10µm, 10 µm>PM>2.5µm was used for detecting aeroallergens. In each stage polyurethane filters were use as an impacting substrate. Phl p 5 allergen was determined using an allergen specific ELISA. Antibodies for analysis were delivered by Allergopharma Joachim Ganzer KG, the industrial partner in this project. At each location both samplers were placed side-by-side. Results: Most of the allergen was collected in the PM>10µm fraction. Similar profiles between airborne pollen and the total allergenic load was observed during the pollen season. A good correlation was obtained between pollen count and allergen content of the air and a value of 2.5 pg/pollen grain of Poaceae was estimated. Discussion: This is the first year of this project. Nevertheless, results suggest that the allergenic load in outdoor air might be mainly due to pollen bursts. It supports the hypothesis that monitoring the allergens itself in ambient air might be an improvement in allergen exposure assessment. This work was supported in part by the European Agency for Health and Consumers EAHC, Luxembourg, under the grant agreement 2008110

The European project HIALINE: Comparison between Poaceae Airborne Pollen Counts and Phl p5 Aeroallergen Quantification in SW Europe

The European project HIALINE: Comparison between Poaceae Airborne Pollen Counts and Phl p5 Aeroallergen Quantification in SW Europe C. Antunes1*, R. Ferro1, R. Ribeiro1, Torres M.C.3, M.J. Velasco3H. García-Mozo3, Galán, C3 , R.Brandao2, M.Thibaudon4 and the HIALINE team5 1Department of Chemistry, University of Évora, Portugal 2Department of Biology, University of Évora, Portugal 3Department of Botany, Ecology and Plant Physiology, University of Córdoba 4Réseau National de l Surveillance Aerobiologique, Saint-Genis-l’Argentière, France 5J.Buters, Germanny, M. Thibaudon, France, M. Smith, Great Britain, C. Galan, Spain, R. Brandao and C.M. Antunes, Portugal, R. Albertini, Italy, L. Grewling, Poland, A. Rantio-Lehtimäki, Finland, S. Jäger and U. Berger, Austria, I. Sauliene, Lithuania, L. Cecchi, Italy * Presenting Author: Antunes, C. Department of Chemistry, University of Évora, Portugal. Phone +351 266745319 ; email: [email protected] Introduction: Nowadays, pollinosis is affecting in a large percentage of population in the developed countries. The existence of allergenic activity in the atmosphere is not only associated to pollen grains and fungal spores, but also to submicronic and paucimicronic biological particles. The origin of these allergens can be due to the rupture of pollen transported in the atmosphere or to the presence of allergens from other parts of the plant making amorphous material with allergenic load. Poaceae pollen is recognized as one of the main causes of allergic disease in all Europe. In this study we have tried to compare Poaceae pollen counts in the air and Phl p 5, one of the major allergens of this family, through the use of a high-volume cascade impactor (Chemvol). This study was done in the frame of the European project HIALINE and it compares the results obtained in 2009 by 3 different partners participating in this project: in Córdoba (Spain), Évora (Portugal) and Lyon (France). Methodology: Pollen grains have been taken out using a 7-day volumetric Hirst type spore trap. Chemvol high-volume cascade impactor equipped with stages PM>10µm, 10 µm>PM>2.5µm were used for detecting aeroallergens. In each stage polyurethane filters were applied. Phl p5 allergen was determined using allergen specific ELISA´s. Antibodies for analysis are delivered by Allergopharma Joachim Ganzer KG, the industrial partner in this project. Both samplers were placed side-by-side. Results: Most of the allergen was collected in the PM>10µm fraction. Similar profiles between airborne pollen and the total allergenic load was observed during the pollen season. A good correlation was obtained and a value of 2.5 pg/pollen grain of Poaceae was estimated. Discussion: These results suggest that the allergenic load in outdoor air might be mainly due to pollen bursts. It supports the hypothesis that monitoring the allergens itself in ambient air might be an improvement in allergen exposure assessment. This work was supported in part by the European Agency for Health and Consumers EAHC, Luxembourg, under the grant agreement 2008110

New approaches on the study of the psychometric properties of the STAI

The main purpose of this study was to analyze the psychometric properties of the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI1). Previous studies have indicated different factor solutions. Nevertheless, there is still a lack of consensus about the best dimensional model of STAI scores.The sample consisted of 417 participants, composed of 387 (29.71% male) healthy participants (comparison group: M=35.5 years; SD=8.40), and 30 (36.66% male) patient (clinical group M=35.8 years; SD=12.94).The internal consistency evaluated through Ordinal Alpha was good, 0.98 and 0.94 in the non-clinical and the clinical samples, respectively. Test-retest reliability (two weeks) for Total Score was 0.81 for the non-clinical subsample, and 0.93 for the clinical subsample. Confirmatory factor analyses supported both a four factor model and bifactor model. Also, STAI scores showed statistically significant correlations with Burns Anxiety Inventory (Burns-A) scores. Furthermore, results showed statistically significant differences in the mean scores of the STAI between the clinical and the non-clinical subsamples.The psychometric properties of the STAI were adequate. The present study contributes to better understand the STAI structure through the comparison of new approaches in the study of the STAI internal structure. The results found may contribute in the efforts to improve the evaluation and identification of anxiety symptoms and disorders

Fastest non-ionic azo dyes and transfer of their thermal isomerisation kinetics into liquid-crystalline materials

Push-pull bithienylpyrrole-based azo dyes exhibit thermal isomerisation rates as fast as 1.4 μs in acetonitrile at 298 K becoming, thus, the fastest neutral azo dyes reported so far. These remarkably low relaxation times can be transferred into liquid-crystalline matrixes enabling light-triggered oscillations in the optical density of the final material up to 11 kHz under ambient conditions.Financial support for this research was obtained from the Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad (Spain, CTQ2012-36074 and CTQ2015-65770-P). The authors thank Prof. Santi Nonell for his help with the flash photolysis measurements. Thanks are also due to: Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia (FCT) for a PhD grant to M. C. R. Castro (SFRH/BD/78037/2011); FEDERCOMPETE for financial support through the Centro de Quı ´mica – UM, PEst-C/QUI/UI0686/2013 (FCOMP-01-0124-FEDER-037302). The NMR spectrometer Bruker Avance III 400 is part of the National NMR Network and was purchased within the framework of the National Program for Scientific Re-equipment, contract REDE/1517/RMN/2005 with funds from POCI 2010 (FEDER) and FCT

The impact of endometrioma size on ovarian responsiveness

Research question: Available evidence shows that the presence of ovarian endometriomas does not interfere with the ovarian response to ovarian stimulation. However, the mean size of the endometriomas in these studies is generally small, and two recent investigations suggested that follicular development could be impaired when focusing on larger endometriomas. However, these studies could not identify a clear threshold above which endometriomas could become detrimental. Design: To identify this threshold, the study retrospectively selected women without a history of surgery for ovarian cysts who underwent IVF in the presence of unilateral endometriomas with a mean diameter between 20 and 49 mm. Selected women were divided into three categories of endometrioma size: 20-29 mm (group 1, n = 23), 30-39 mm (group 2, n = 2323), and 40-49 mm (group 3, n = 2321). Recruitment for each category was censored at about 21 women to ensure equal statistical power for each group. Results: The response to ovarian stimulation was equal or superior in the affected gonads in eight women (35%, 95% confidence interval [CI] 16-57%), seven women (30%, 95% CI 13-53%) and two women (10%, 95% CI 2-30%) in groups 1, 2 and 3, respectively. The median (interquartile range) number of developed follicles in the affected and intact ovaries was 6 (3-7) and 5 (4-9) in group 1 (P = 0.21), 4 (1-6) and 4 (3-7) in group 2 (P = 0.08), 5 (3-7), and 7 (4-8) in group 3 (P = 0.01), respectively. Conclusions: The threshold to be used to distinguish between endometriomas that might and might not interfere with ovarian response is 4 cm in diameter

Environmental risk assessment of PPP application in European soils and potential ecosystem service losses considering impacts on non-target organisms

The use of Plant Protection Products (PPPs) is leading to high exposure scenarios with potential risk to soil organisms, including non-target species. Assessment of the effects of PPPs on non-target organisms is one of the most important components of environmental risk assessment (ERA) since they play crucial functions in ecosystems, being main driving forces in different soil processes. As part of the framework, EFSA is proposing the use of the ecosystem services approach for setting specific protection goals. In fact, the services provided by soil organisms can be impacted by the misuse of PPPs in agroecosystems. The aim of this work was to assess PPPs potential risk upon ecosystem services along European soils, considering impacts on earthworms and collembola. Four well-known (2 insecticides-esfenvalerate and cyclaniliprole- and 2 fungicides - picoxystrobin and fenamidone-) worst case application (highest recommended application) were studied; exploring approaches for linked observed effects with impacts on ecosystem services, accounting for their mode of action (MoA), predicted exposure, time-course effects in Eisenia fetida and Folsomia sp. and landscape variability. The selected fungicides exerted more effects than insecticides on E. fetida, whereas few effects were reported for both pesticides regarding Folsomia sp. The most impacted ecosystem services after PPP application to crops appeared to be habitat provision, soil formation and retention, nutrient cycling, biodiversity, erosion regulation, soil remediation/waste treatment and pest and disease regulation. The main factors to be taken into account for a correct PPP use management in crops are discussed.This work has been partially funded by European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) through the grant NP/EFSA/AFSCO/2016/03. The author Miguel J.G. Santos is employed with the EFSA in the PREV Unit. The author Jose V Tarazona was employed by EFSA until October 2022. The present article is published under the sole responsibility of the au thors and may not be considered as an EFSA scientific output. The po sitions and opinions presented in this article are those of the authors alone and do not represent the views of EFSA.S

Some thoughts about nonequilibrium temperature

The main objective of this paper is to show that, within the present framework of the kinetic theoretical approach to irreversible thermodynamics, there is no evidence that provides a basis to modify the ordinary Fourier equation relating the heat flux in a non-equilibrium steady state to the gradient of the local equilibrium temperature. This fact is supported, among other arguments, through the kinetic foundations of generalized hydrodynamics. Some attempts have been recently proposed asserting that, in the presence of non-linearities of the state variables, such a temperature should be replaced by the non-equilibrium temperature as defined in Extended Irreversible Thermodynamics. In the approximations used for such a temperature there is so far no evidence that sustains this proposal.Comment: 13 pages, TeX, no figures, to appear in Mol. Phy

Alterações nos compartimentos hídricos e energéticos do organismo durante a greve de fome

Prolonged total food deprivation in non-obese adults is rare, and few studies have documented body composition changes in this setting. In a group of eight hunger strikers who refused alimentation for 43 days, water and energy compartments were estimated, aiming to assess the impact of progressive starvation. Measurements included body mass index (BMI), triceps skinfold (TSF), arm muscle circumference (AMC), and bioimpedance (BIA) determinations of water, fat, lean body mass (LBM), and total resistance. Indirect calorimetry was also performed in one occasion. The age of the group was 43.3±6.2 years (seven males, one female). Only water, intermittent vitamins and electrolytes were ingested, and average weight loss reached 17.9%. On the last two days of the fast (43rd-44th day) rapid intravenous fluid, electrolyte, and vitamin replenishment were provided before proceeding with realimentation. Body fat decreased approximately 60% (BIA and TSF), whereas BMI reduced only 18%. Initial fat was estimated by BIA as 52.2±5.4% of body weight, and even on the 43rd day it was still measured as 19.7±3.8% of weight. TSF findings were much lower and commensurate with other anthropometric results. Water was comparatively low with high total resistance, and these findings rapidly reversed upon the intravenous rapid hydration. At the end of the starvation period, BMI (21.5±2.6 kg/m²) and most anthropometric determinations were still acceptable, suggesting efficient energy and muscle conservation. Conclusions: 1) All compartments diminished during fasting, but body fat was by far the most affected; 2) Total water was low and total body resistance comparatively elevated, but these findings rapidly reversed upon rehydration; 3) Exaggerated fat percentage estimates from BIA tests and simultaneous increase in lean body mass estimates suggested that this method was inappropriate for assessing energy compartments in the studied population; 4) Patients were not morphologically malnourished after 43 days of fasting; however, the prognostic impact of other impairments was not considered in this analysis.A privação total e prolongada de alimentos em adultos não-obesos é raramente vista, e poucos estudos documentaram as modificações da composição corpórea neste contexto.Num grupo de oito casos de greve de fome durante 43 dias, procedeu-se à estimativa dos compartimentos hídricos e energéticos, visando averiguar a influência sobre os mesmos da desnutrição progressiva.Os métodos incluiram índice de massa corporal (IMC), prega cutânea do tríceps (PCT), circunferência muscular do braço, e determinação através da bioimpedância (BIA) da água, massa gorda, massa magra e resistência corpórea total..A calorimetria indireta foi realizada em uma ocasião apenas.A idade do grupo era de 43,3± 6,2 anos (sete homens, uma mulher), somente água e ocasionais eletrólitos e vitaminas foram ingeridos no jejum, e a perda de peso média foi de 17,9%. Por volta do 43º dia da greve iniciou-se a reposição venosa rápida de fluidos, vitaminas e eletrólitos,antes de se prosseguir com a realimentação.A gordura corporal diminuiu em aproximadamente 60% (BIA e PCT), ao passo que o IMC caiu apenas 18%.A estimativa da gordura total inicial por BIA foi de 52,2± 5,4% do peso corporal, e mesmo no 43º dia do evento o valor calculado era de 19,7± 3,8% do peso.Os valores correspondentes deduzidos da PCT mostraram-se substancialmente inferiores, e mais compatíveis com os demais índices antropométricos. A água corporal revelou-se inicialmente contraída, com resistência elevada,sendo que estes achados se reverteram rapidamente por ocasião da hidratação venosa rápida.Quando do término da greve de fome o IMC (21,5± 2,6 kg/m²) e outras variáveis antropométricas revelavam-se numericamente aceitáveis, sugerindo eficiente conservação de musculatura e energia na fase de dieta zero.Conclui-se que: 1) Todos os compartimentos orgânicos se contrairam na greve de fome, porém o tecido adiposo foi de longe o mais afetado; 2) A água corporal mostrou-se reduzida com elevada resistência total, mas estes achados inverteram-se prontamente mediante hidratação parenteral; 3) O encontro de gordura total excessiva e de aumento da massa magra com o avançar do jejum sugerem que as leituras de BIA são inapropriadas para esta população e fornecem resultados incoerentes; 4) Com base nos parâmetros expostos os doentes não estavam morfologicamente desnutridos ao cabo de 43 dias, todavia não foram aqui avaliados outros transtornos de considerável importância prognóstica

Parámetros productivos y digestivos de gazapos de engorde alimentados con dietas enriquecidas con aceite de salmón

El objetivo del presente trabajo ha sido determinar el efecto de la suplementación de ácidos grasos poliinsaturados n-3 sobre los parámetros productivos y digestivos en gazapos durante el período de cebo (30-60 días). Para ellos se formularon dos piensos que únicamente diferían en la fuente de grasa: manteca (grupo CON) o un producto comercial a base de aceite de salmón rico en ácidos grasos poliinsaturados n-3 (PUFA). En ambos casos, el nivel de inclusión de grasa fue de 7,5 g/kg de pienso. Cada uno de los piensos se administró a 12 camadas de gazapos de 8 animales cada una. En la mitad de las camadas de cada tratamiento se determinó semanalmente el consumo de pienso (CMD) y la ganancia de peso vivo (GMD) de los animales y al final de la prueba se sacrificaron 4 animales de cada camada. En la otra mitad de las camadas, se sacrificaron 2 gazapos de cada una de los 30 (destete), 45 y 60 días de vida para analizar los parámetros de fermentación cecal y la morfología ileal. No se encontraron diferencias (P>0,05) entre tratamientos en el CMD, GMD, índice de conversión del alimento, peso al sacrificio, pero de la canal, pH y concentración de NH3-N en el contenido cecal, ni en la morfología ileal (longitud de vellosidades y profundidad de criptas). Los gazapos suplementados con PUFA presentaron mayores (P<0,001) concentraciones de ácidos grasos volátiles en el ciego a los 30 y 45 días de edad que los gazapos control y se observó una tendencia (P=0,062) a este efecto a los 60 días de edad. En conclusión, la sustitución del manteca por PUFA en la dieta no afectó al rendimiento productivo de los gazapos, pero incrementó la fermentación de la digesta en el ciego

Estudio de diferentes protocolos de restricción alimentaria sobre el desarrollo fetoplacentario en la coneja

Two feed strategies (ad libitum throughout pregnancy and restriction during the first 20 days), combined with oestrus synchronization with eCG or not in nulliparous rabbit does, were studied