Approval to do research? Examining the ethical require-ments for participant observation in the context of organ procurement family interviews

Aunque se han identificado muchos de los factores que pueden influir en la donación, el momento de la entrevista en la que se les solicita a las familias su autorización para la extracción de órganos parece ser decisivo. Sin embargo, son escasos los estudios que analizan este proceso cuando dicha entrevista tiene lugar. Técnicas cualitativas como la observación participante podrían ayudar a comprender mejor las claves de este contexto. Uno de los argumentos más recurrentes para no realizar este tipo de estudios es la dificultad de cumplir todos los requisitos éticos exigibles a cualquier investigación tal y como vienen definidos en las guías y los comités de investigación biomédica. Este artículo pretende contribuir a una discusión sobre la viabilidad ética de la realización de un estudio in situ sobre la entrevista familiar y propone una estrategia de minimización de posibles riesgos para diseñar un estu-dio de estas características.Although many of the factors that may influence donation have been identified, the timing of the interview in which families are asked for their authorisations seems to be deci-sive. However, there are few studies that analyse this process when the interview takes place. Qualitative techniques such as Participant Observation could help to better understand this process. One of the most recurring arguments against carrying out this type of study is the difficulty in complying with all the ethical requirements for any research as defined in bio-medical research guidelines and committees. This article aims to contribute to a discussion on the ethical viability of conducting an in situ study on family interviewing and proposes a strategy for minimising possible risks in designing a study of these characteristics.Gobierno español (MINECO FFI2017-88913-P

Beyond the Altruistic Donor: Embedding Solidarity in Organ Procurement Policies

Altruism and solidarity are concepts that are closely related to organ donation for transplantation. On the one hand, they are typically used for encouraging people to donate. On the other hand, they also underpin the regulations in force in each country to different extents. They are often used indistinctly and equivocally, despite the different ethical implications of each concept. This paper aims to clarify to what extent we can speak of altruism and solidarity in the predominant models of organ donation. It also raises the ethical question of whether these categories are adequate as a basis for such models, bearing in mind that organs are a scarce resource and that a shortage of them may mean that fewer lives are saved or improved.INEDyTO [Investigation on the Ethics of Organ Donation and Transplantation]Spanish Government European Commission MINECO FFI2017-88913-P"Bioethics and end-of-life practices" (INEDyTOII) MINECO PID2020-118729RBSpanish Government FPU19/06027La Caixa Foundation LCF/BQ/DR20/1179000

Eighteenth-century forms of quasicrystals

A careful inspection of the drawings and baked clay models created by the mineralogist Romé de L’Isle in the 18th century has revealed the existence of a number of intriguing forms with pentagonal symmetries. These forms cannot be classified in any of the 32 crystal classes. They can thus be considered the first crystallographic descriptions of polyhedral forms found in quasicrystals two centuries later. This paper presents a symmetry analysis of the fascinating drawings and clay models with pentagonal symmetries described in the book Cristallographie published in 1783 by Romé de L’Isle, as well as a comparison with quasicrystals recently synthesized. The paper also briefly discusses what could induce Rome´ de L’Isle to consider forms with pentagonal symmetries as plausible crystal forms

Toxinología clínica, alimentaria y ambiental

La toxinología es la ciencia que estudia las toxinas. Si tóxico, es toda sustancia venenosa, toxina es aquella sustancia elaborada por un ser vivo, que, además, tiene acción fuera de él, sin que sea necesaria la muerte o descomposición del ser productor, para su liberación ni para su acción"". Según esta definición, y con la novedosa nomenclatura de los cinco reinos de seres vivos (Mónera, Protista, Fungi, Vegetal y Animal), en la que se sustenta este trabajo, se establecen cinco grupos de toxinas: bacterianas, protozoarias, fúngicas, vegetales y animales. En este libro, de gran ayuda tanto al estudiante como al profesional que necesite ampliar conocimientos, se profundiza en los cinco reinos de organismos, así como, y de manera más amplia, en los diferentes grupos de toxinas

Mapping trust relationships in organ donation and transplantation: a conceptual model

“Research in Ethics of Organ Donation and Transplantation” (INEDyTO) [MINECO FFI201 88913-P]. Open Access funding provided thanks to the CRUE-CSIC agreement with Springer Nature. This research has been conducted as part of the following projects: “Research in Ethics of Organ Donation and Transplantation” (INEDyTO) [MINECO FFI201 88913-P]; “Epistemological and bioethical analysis of the criteria for determining death” (ABCDm) MICINN: PID2020-119717GA-I00]; “Moral science and institutional design lab” (MSIDLab) [PID2020-119791RAI00].The organ donation and transplantation (ODT) system heavily relies on the willingness of individuals to donate their organs. While it is widely believed that public trust plays a crucial role in shaping donation rates, the empirical support for this assumption remains limited. In order to bridge this knowledge gap, this article takes a foundational approach by elucidating the concept of trust within the context of ODT. By examining the stakeholders involved, identifying influential factors, and mapping the intricate trust relationships among trustors, trustees, and objects of trust, we aim to provide a comprehensive understanding of trust dynamics in ODT. We employ maps and graphs to illustrate the functioning of these trust relationships, enabling a visual representation of the complex interactions within the ODT system. Through this conceptual groundwork, we pave the way for future empirical research to investigate the link between trust and organ donation rates, informed by a clarified understanding of trust in ODT. This study can also provide valuable insights to inform interventions and policies aimed at enhancing organ donation rates."Research in Ethics of Organ Donation and Transplantation" (INEDyTO) FFI201 88913-PCRUE-CSIC agreementSpringer NatureABCDm, MICINN: PID2020-119717GA-I00MSIDLab: PID2020-119791RAI0

Effect of platform switching on the peri-implant bone: a finite element study

Background: There exists a relation between the presence and location of the micro-gap and the loss of peri-implant bone. Several authors have shown that the treatments based on the use of platform switching result in less peri-implant bone loss and an increased tissue stability. The purpose of this study was to analyse the effect of the platform switching on the distribution of stresses on the peri-implant bone using the finite element method. Material and Methods: A realistic 3D full-mandible finite element model representing cortical bone and trabecular bone was used to study the distribution of the stress on the bone induced by an implant of diameter 4.1 mm. Two abutments were modelled. The first one, of diameter 4.1 mm, was used in the reference model to represent a conventional implant. The second one, of diameter 3.2 mm, was used to represent the implant with platform switching. Both models were subjected to axial and oblique masticatory loads. Results: The analyses showed that, although no relevant differences can be found for the trabecular bone, the use of platform switching reduces the maximum stress level in the cortical bone by almost 36% with axial loads and by 40% with oblique loads. Conclusions: The full 3D Finite Element model, that can be used to investigate the influence of other parameters (implant diameter, connection, ...) on the biomechanical behaviour of the implant, showed that this stress reduction can be a biomechanical reasons to explain why the platform switching seems to reduce or eliminate crestal bone resorption after the prosthetic restoratio

End-of-Life Narratives of Patients who Request Medical Assistance in Dying: A Qualitative Study Protocol

The author(s) disclosed receipt of the following financial support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: This work has been developed in the framework of the following research projects: INEDYTO (code PID2020-118729RB-I00), funded by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation and «Narrativas de pacientes que solicitan la ayuda para morir» (code BEC-2022-019), funded by Fundació Grífols de Bioètica. Iris Parra Jounou thanks the funding of the Spanish Research Agency (code PID2019-105422GB-I00).Many groups (healthcare professionals, lawyers, philosophers, non-governmental organisations, bioethics committees, journalists, religious groups, etc.) participate in the bioethical debate about medical assistance in dying (MAiD). Bioethics literature on the topic involve different approaches (analytic, empirical, policy oriented, activist) and various normative perspectives (discourses based on deontological premises as the sanctity of life and human dignity, or on utilitarianism, libertarianism, etc.), some of which are at times irreconcilable. Regarding empirical studies, some voices (e.g., healthcare professionals) have been widely considered but the voice of people who request MAiD has been neglected. Understanding the personal and medical circumstances that lead to MAiD, which can only be achieved by listening to the phenomenological discourse of those involved, is key. This study aims to provide knowledge from the testimonies and experiences of patients who have initiated a MAiD request. We believe this research protocol can increase our understanding of a social and academic controversy that lacks important information to be complete. By doing so, this type of research could inform and improve end-of-life public policies, and particularly the health care of individuals who request a MAiD. We propose a qualitative phenomenological study using semi-structured interviews of people in the process of requesting MAiD, as outlined in the Ley Organica 3/2021, de regulacion de la eutanasia (LORE), the Spanish Law on the Regulation of Euthanasia. The study is conducted nationally using a convenience sampling. The number of interviews is determined sequentially and cumulatively, depending on the richness of the narratives and the saturation of the information that has been collected. For the purposes of analysis, the interviews are transcribed verbatim and pseudonymised afterwards. Data analysis is conducted at the same time as data collection. The proposed study has received a favourable report from the Coordinating Committee on Biomedical Research Ethics of Andalusia (CCEIBA).Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation INEDYTO (PID2020-118729RB-I00)Fundació Grífols de Bioètica (BEC-2022-019)Spanish Research Agency (PID2019-105422GB-I00

Modelado de trampas de hidrocarburos aplicadas en el arranque en frío de vehículos de gasolina

En este trabajo, se ha profundizado en el conocimiento del proceso de adsorción de propano sobre zeolita ZSM-5 con el objetivo de establecer las bases para el desarrollo de trampas de hidrocarburos que presenten unas prestaciones adecuadas en la reducción de las emisiones de hidrocarburos durante el periodo de arranque en frío en vehículos de gasolina. Para ello, se han llevado a cabo experimentos del proceso de adsorción-desorción así como de ciclos de encendido en frío en las diferentes condiciones de concentración, temperatura y flujo volumétrico que tienen lugar en las trampas de hidrocarburos. A continuación, y mediante comparación con los resultados experimentales, se han simulado estos procesos como primer paso para conocer los fenómenos de transferencia de materia y transferencia de energía que tienen lugar sobre la zeolita seleccionada. La herramienta seleccionada para llevar a cabo esta simulación dinámica ha sido el módulo Adsorption de AspenTech. A través de los resultados obtenidos, se ha demostrado que el modelo de simulación es adecuado para representar el proceso de adsorción de hidrocarburos en zeolitas bajo diferentes condiciones de operación, lo que indica la versatilidad del modelo y su alto grado de precisión, que lo convierte en una herramienta muy útil para la optimización del proceso y su posible escalado a una trampa real

A proteomic approach to identify biomarkers of foal meat quality: A focus on tenderness, color and intramuscular fat traits

Foal meat is considered a healthy alternative to other meat sources and more environmentally sustainable. However, its quality is highly variable and there is lack of knowledge about the molecular mechanisms underlying its determination. Genotype and diet play a relevant role as the main factors that can allow a control of the final quality and the use of high-throughput analytical methods such as proteomics is a way to achieve this lofty goal. This research aimed to study-two breeds (Burguete and Jaca Navarra) supplemented with two different finishing diets: conventional concentrate and straw (C) vs silage and organic feed (S). The proteomic approach built a library of 294 proteins that were subjected to several statistical and bioinformatic analyses. Burguete breed finished with concentrate produced higher meat quality in terms of tenderness, intramuscular fat and color lightness mainly due to the high abundance of energy metabolic proteins. Tenderness was correlated to myofibrillar proteins (ACTA1, MYBPH, MYL1 and TNNC1) and energy metabolic proteins (ALDOA, CKM, TPI1 and PGMA2). Regarding color, the main pathways were energy metabolism, involving several glycolytic enzymes (ALDOA, PKM, PFKM and CKM). Oxidative stress and response to stress proteins (HSPA1A, SOD2 and PRDX2) were further involved in color variation. Moreover, we revealed that several proteins were related to the intramuscular fat accordingly to the breed. This study proposed several candidate protein biomarkers for foal meat quality that are worthy to evaluate in the futureThis research was funded by Interreg V SUDOE, through OPEN2PRESERVE project, Grant No. SOE2/P5/E0804S