Effects of Vacation RentalWebsites on the Concentration of Tourists—Potential Environmental Impacts. An Application to the Balearic Islands in Spain

The concentration of tourists at certain times of the year can damage sensitive environments. The use of peer-to-peer vacation rental websites has increased greatly during the last decade. This system could either reduce seasonality in touristic destinations where the tourist activity takes place throughout the year at a lower price or on the contrary, it could increase the number of visitors at certain times of the year even more. This paper intends to analyze the effect that these platforms have on tourism seasonality in order to calculate if they help reduce or increase the pressure on the destinations. To do so, the Gini Index has been applied to one of the main touristic spots in Europe, the Balearic Islands in Spain. The conclusion is that this type of accommodation has aggravated the problem, generating a greater concentration of tourists and a higher pressure on the resources of the islands.The authors would like to thank the financial support provided by the Government of Spain (ECO2013-44879-R) and the Regional Government of Andalucía (SEJ-393)

Los derechos humanos en el Cuerno de África: un índice de salud infantil y materna

J.A. Rodríguez Martín, the corresponding author of the article, gratefully acknowledges the financial support provided by the following institutions: the Ministry of Economy, Industry and Competitiveness of Spain, the State Research Agency (SRA) and European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) (project reference ECO2017-86822-R).Objective: To construct a territorial measure and classification of child and maternal health in the countries of the Horn of Africa based on the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development adopted by all United Nations Member States in 2015. Method: The design of our index includes the variables child and maternal health defined in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to enable territorial ranking of the countries. For this purpose, we used Pena’s distance method for 2017. Results: The results indicate a relatively high territorial disparity inmaternal health between the countries of the Horn of Africa according to the differing values of the SDGs variables of child and maternal health. Conclusions: We propose a territorial classification in the countries of the Horn of Africa. We believe that the most striking differences between countries relate to basic variables of maternal health such as being attended by skilled health personnel.Objetivo: Elaborar una medida y clasificación territorial de la salud infantil y materna en los países del Cuerno de África, basada en la Agenda 2030 para el Desarrollo Sostenible, que fue adoptada por todos los Estados miembros de las Naciones Unidas en 2015. Método: El diseno˜ del índice incluye variables de salud infantil y materna definidas en los Objetivos de Desarrollo Sostenible (ODS), para permitir la clasificación territorial de los países. Para este propósito, utilizamos el método de distancia de Pena para 2017. Resultados: Los resultados revelan una disparidad territorial relativamente alta en salud materna entre los países del Cuerno de África, de acuerdo con los diferentes valores de las variables ODS. Conclusiones: Proponemos una clasificación territorial en el Cuerno de África. Consideramos que las mayores diferencias entre los países se relacionan con variables básicas de salud materna, como la asistencia de personal de salud cualificado

Smartphone-Enabled Personalized Diagnostics: Current Status and Future Prospects

Biosensors; Mètodes moleculars; Diagnòstics basat en telèfons intel·ligentsBiosensores; Métodos moleculares; Diagnósticos basados en teléfonos inteligentesBiosensors; Molecular methods; Smarthphone-based diagnosticsSmartphones are becoming increasingly versatile thanks to the wide variety of sensor and actuator systems packed in them. Mobile devices today go well beyond their original purpose as communication devices, and this enables important new applications, ranging from augmented reality to the Internet of Things. Personalized diagnostics is one of the areas where mobile devices can have the greatest impact. Hitherto, the camera and communication abilities of these devices have been barely exploited for point of care (POC) purposes. This short review covers the recent evolution of mobile devices in the area of POC diagnostics and puts forward some ideas that may facilitate the development of more advanced applications and devices in the area of personalized diagnostics. With this purpose, the potential exploitation of wireless power and actuation of sensors and biosensors using near field communication (NFC), the use of the screen as a light source for actuation and spectroscopic analysis, using the haptic module to enhance mass transport in micro volumes, and the use of magnetic sensors are discussed.Financial support from the Basque Government under the ELKARTEK program is also acknowledged. EB is funded by Instituto de Salud Carlos III, cofinanced by the European Regional Development Fund (grant CPII18/00025)

Immunosuppresive effects of the methanolic extract of Chrysophyllum cainito leaves on macrophage functions

Background: The aim of this work was to evaluate the immunomodulatory effect of the methanol extract (MeOH) from Chrysophyllum cainito leaves on the MΦs functions.Material and Methods: Peritoneal murine MΦs isolated from Balb/c mice were treated with the MeOH extract and stimulated with LPS. The effect on the phagocytosis was evaluated by flow cytometry assay. The nitric oxide (NO) and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) production was measured by the Griess reagent and phenol red reaction, respectively. Levels of IL-6 and TNF-α was measured using an ELISA kit. Viability of MΦs and Vero cells was determined by the MTT method.Results: The MeOH extract of C. cainito leaves inhibited significantly the phagocytosis, and decreased IL-6 and TNF-α production as well as NO and H2O2 released by the MΦs, in a concentration-dependent manner. In addition, MeOH extract of C. cainito showed low cytotoxicity effect against the cells.Conclusion: These results suggest that MeOH extract of C. cainito leaves has an immunosuppressive effect on murine MΦs, without effects on cell viability. GC-MS chromatogram analysis of MeOH extract showed that lupeol acetate and alpha-amyrin acetate are the principal compounds.Keywords: Macrophages, Immunomodulation, Chrysophyllum cainito, Sapotaceae, Phagocytosi

Garapen Iraunkorrerako Literaturaren Gida (1-6 Helburuak)

Garapen Iraunkorrerako Helburuak eta Haur eta Gazte Literatura, horiexek uztartzen ditugu gida honetan, eta bi helburu nagusi ditugu: batetik, literaturaren erabilera sustatzea Garapen Iraunkorrerako Helburuak (GIH) lantzeko eta, bestetik, bitartekariei tresnak eskaintzea literatura-lan egokiak hautatzeko eta baliatzeko. Horiek horrela, balore sozialak eta balore literarioak jarri ditugu erdigunean. Gida honen ardatz nagusia izan da bi-biak kontuan hartzea.Vicerrectorado de Innovación, Compromiso Social y Acción Social.Dirección de Sostenibilidad y del Servicio de Asesoramiento Educativo. Programa Campus Bizia Lab

Uso de anticuerpos monoclonales en adultos con COVID-19 en un hospital público de Honduras

Antecedentes: La pandemia de COVID-19 ha provocado una crisis de salud pública mundial, creando incertidumbre sobre su tratamiento. El Tocilizumab (TCZ), un anticuerpo monoclonal humanizado que actúa como antagonista del receptor de Interleucina 6 (IL-6), ha sido utilizado en enfermedades inmunológicas y en pacientes críticos por COVID-19. Objetivo: Describir el uso de TCZ en pacientes adultos hospitalizados por COVID-19 en Hospital María Especialidades Pediátricas (HMEP), agosto 2020-marzo 2021. Métodos: Estudio descriptivo, retrospectivo. Fuente de datos: expedientes clínicos. Criterios de inclusión: Adulto mayor de 18 años, manejo hospitalario por COVID-19, con TCZ y expediente clínico completo. Criterios de exclusión: Haber recibido TCZ en otro hospital. Se utilizó estadística descriptiva y se realizó análisis de sobrevida de Kaplan & Meier para comparar las probabilidades de sobrevida según edad, con un nivel se significancia p<0.05. Resultados: Se analizaron 104 expedientes clínicos. La mediana de edad de los pacientes fue 57 años (RI=44-67), la edad fue mayor en los pacientes fallecidos; 60% (62/104) del sexo masculino. Los pacientes mostraron mejoría en parámetros clínicos y laboratoriales, como descensos en frecuencia respiratoria y frecuencia cardíaca, aumento de linfocitos y descenso de Proteína C Reactiva (PCR). El análisis de sobrevida de Kaplan & Meier mostró que la probabilidad de vivir en estos pacientes disminuye conforme aumenta la edad. Discusión: Los resultados de este estudio coinciden con los encontrados a nivel internacional, avalando el uso de TCZ en pacientes críticos por COVID-19

Condiciones del ingresante a la carrera profesional de educación del instituto superior pedagógico santo toribio de Mogrovejo como factores de calidad educativa

The objective was to identify the conditions that allow the entrant of the Professional Education Career to be valued as an Educational Quality Factor, grouped into three dimensions: Psychological support (Degree of esteem, commitment, identity), professional option (Degree of obligation, ethical assessment, economic support), and academic aptitude (Academic performance in secondary studies), the methodological strategies implemented were the bibliographic and newspaper review, then a questionnaire was applied that collected information according to specialty and sex. We had as main results: The degree of esteem and commitment is between the medium and high range, positive identity profile, willing to be recognized as educators, little accentuated vocation, solid value attitude, medium economic income, regular level of knowledge, concluding that The entrants have essential conditions to face their teacher trainingEl objetivo fue identificar las condiciones que permiten valorar al ingresante de la Carrera Profesional de Educación como Factor de Calidad Educativa, agrupadas en tres dimensiones: Soporte psicológico (Grado de estima, compromiso, identidad), opción profesional (Grado de obligatoriedad, valoración ética, sustento económico), y aptitud académica (Rendimiento académico en los estudios secundarios), las estrategias metodológicas implementadas fueron la revisión bibliográfica y hemerográfica, luego se aplicó un cuestionario que recogió información según especialidad y sexo. Tuvimos como principales resultados: El grado de estima y compromiso está entre el intervalo medio y alto, perfil de identidad positivo, dispuestos a ser reconocidos como educadores, vocación poco acentuada, actitud valorativa sólida, ingreso económico medio, nivel de conocimientos regular, concluyéndose que los ingresantes cuentan con condiciones indispensables para afrontar su formación docente

Symmetric dithiodigalactoside: strategic combination of binding studies and detection of selectivity between a plant toxin and human lectins

Thioglycosides offer the advantage over O-glycosides to be resistant to hydrolysis. Based on initial evidence of this recognition ability for glycosyldisulfides by screening dynamic combinatorial libraries, we have now systematically studied dithiodigalactoside on a plant toxin (Viscum album agglutinin) and five human lectins (adhesion/growth-regulatory galectins with medical relevance e.g. in tumor progression and spread). Inhibition assays with surface-presented neoglycoprotein and in solution monitored by saturation transfer difference NMR spectroscopy, flanked by epitope mapping, as well as isothermal titration calorimetry revealed binding properties to VAA (Ka: 1560 ± 20 M-1). They were reflected by the structural model and the affinity on the level of toxin-exposed cells. In comparison, galectins were considerably less reactive, with intrafamily grading down to very minor reactivity for tandem-repeat-type galectins, as quantitated by radioassays for both domains of galectin-4. Model building indicated contact formation to be restricted to only one galactose moiety, in contrast to thiodigalactoside. The tested lycosyldisulfide exhibits selectivity between the plant toxin and the tested human lectins, and also between these proteins. Therefore, glycosyldisulfides have potential as chemical platform for inhibitor design

Cellular and humoral functional responses after BNT162b2 mRNA vaccination differ longitudinally between naive and subjects recovered from COVID-19

We have analyzed BNT162b2 vaccine-induced immune responses in naive subjects and individuals recovered from coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), both soon after (14 days) and later after (almost 8 months) vaccination. Plasma spike (S)-specific immunoglobulins peak after one vaccine shot in individuals recovered from COVID-19, while a second dose is needed in naive subjects, although the latter group shows reduced levels all along the analyzed period. Despite how the neutralization capacity against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) mirrors this behavior early after vaccination, both groups show comparable neutralizing antibodies and S-specific B cell levels late post-vaccination. When studying cellular responses, naive individuals exhibit higher SARS-CoV-2-specific cytokine production, CD4+ T cell activation, and proliferation than do individuals recovered from COVID-19, with patent inverse correlations between humoral and cellular variables early post-vaccination. However, almost 8 months post-vaccination, SARS-CoV-2-specific responses are comparable between both groups. Our data indicate that a previous history of COVID-19 differentially determines the functional T and B cell-mediated responses to BNT162b2 vaccination over time.C.d.F., J.G.-P., and J.A. are supported by Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCII). We thank JM Ligos and Cytek Biosciences for their technical support. Research in E.L.-C.’s lab was supported by Fundación Familia Alonso, Santander Bank, Real Seguros, Fundación Mutua Madrileña, Fundación Uria, Fundación La Caixa, and Ayuntamiento de Madrid.S