An open dataset about georeferenced harmonized national agricultural censuses and surveys of seven mediterranean countries

[EN] The dataset presented in this paper is based on data gathered from several countries within the West Mediterranean area at the highest detailed scale regarding official statistics, with the aim of investigating land and food systems dynamics in the Mediterranean. Characterizing land and food systems dynamics is critical to reveal insights regarding interactions between current dynamics of agricultural practices, species diversity and local food systems. These interactions were analyzed, at multiple spatial scales, on a large part of the Mediterranean basin within the DIVERCROP Project (https://divercropblog.wordpress.com/). An harmonized dataset with the desired characteristics was not readily available from official sources and, therefore, it was necessary to build an ad hoc database that could: (1) cover the Mediterranean areas of seven countries, namely Algeria (DZ), France (FR), Italy (IT), Malta (MT), Portugal (PT), Spain (ES) and Tunisia (TN); (2) contain data referred to the most disaggregated level of administrative units for which data is available in each country; (3) contain data referred to at least two time points, including the latest available data, in each country; (4) contain data on number of farm holdings, on the physical areas covered by the main annual and permanent crops and on livestock (number of heads); (5) contain a primary key that allows joining the census and surveys database to a geographical dataset of administrative units covering the entire area; (6) have an associated complete geographical dataset of administrative units, to allow spatial data analyses.DIVERCROP is funded through the ARIMNet2 2016 Call by the following funding agencies: ANR, IRESA (Tunisia), INIA (Spain), FCT (Portugal), ATRSNV (Algeria), MiPAAF (Italy) and MCST. ARIMNet2 (ERA-NET) has received funding from the European Union s Seventh Framework Programme for research, technological development and demonstration under grant agreement n 618127. Special thanks to all of the local partners of the DIVERCROP project for collaborating on data collection, discussing the method and validating the results.Villani, R.; Sabbatini, T.; Moreno-Pérez, OM.; Guiomar, N.; Debolini, M. (2019). An open dataset about georeferenced harmonized national agricultural censuses and surveys of seven mediterranean countries. Data in Brief. 27:1-8. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dib.2019.104774S182

Análisis Actuarial de la indemnización por necesidad de ayuda de tercera persona prevista en la Ley 35/2015

La Ley 35/2015, de 22 de septiembre, establece un nuevo sistema para la valoración de los daños y perjuicios causados a las personas en accidentes de circulación, el cual incluye indemnizaciones cuya finalidad es compensar los perjuicios patrimoniales que sufren los perjudicados, ya se trate de lucro cesante o de daño emergente. Conforme a lo establecido en la propia Ley, las más relevantes de esas indemnizaciones requieren una valoración actuarial, siendo ése el caso de la indemnización por necesidad de ayuda de tercera persona. El presente trabajo tiene por objeto analizar la metodología de valoración actuarial que, para esta indemnización, se incluye en las “Bases Técnicas Actuariales del Baremo”, así como las hipótesis biométricas y económico-financieras que se asumen y los resultados que se obtienen; y todo ello en el marco de los principios y criterios que la Ley 35/2015 establece con carácter general para el sistema y en particular para dicha indemnización.Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech

The roles of the independent actuary in the assessment of damages caused to persons by traffic accidents according to the Spanish legal framework

The roles of the independent actuary in the assessment of damages caused to persons by traffic accidents according to the Spanish legal frameworkUniversidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech

Disentangling the diversity of small farm business models in Euro-Mediterranean contexts: A resilience perspective

With growing concern for the unsustainability of food systems, the international research community has turned its attention to small farms as key actors to potentially face the global food crisis. This study aims to support a policy design that values the diversity of small farms business models vis-à-vis environmental, economic, social and institutional challenges affecting European farming systems. Building on the existing classification of five small farm types in the EU, our analysis targets the business model dynamics of small farms in four Euro-Mediterranean countries: Greece, Italy, Portugal and Spain. For this analysis, we applied resilience thinking to the Business Model Canvas framework. This innovative conceptual framework allows us to depict the architecture of small farms business models and their role in farming systems. The diversity of small farms business models and their continuous adaptation to changing conditions allows for the identification of a strongly heterogeneous assemblage of farms that contribute to the resilience of food systems at local, regional and multiple other scales

The Professional University Degree Of Actuary Through Bloom's Taxonomy

The aim of this paper is to determine the characteristics of the MScAFS in terms of how the Syllabus of the AAE sets out the subjects, organised into sub-areas, and the degree of development of the competences required to obtain the professional qualification of actuary in the EU. For this purpose, they are classified and quantified according to the type of conceptual development and the degree of in-depth study. This makes it possible to obtain the Master's degree graduate profile, which must coincide with the professional qualification agreed in the AAE. This profile is different from other master's degrees, whether complementary academic or with a research profile, and from other professions, which may or may not have one or more of the characteristics of the actuarial profession.Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech

Chromosomal and SRY gene findings by FISH in patients with disorders of sexual development

Objetivo: Los trastornos del desarrollo sexual son un grupo de enfermedades congénitas que afectan la formación normal de los genitales. Dentro los mecanismos fisiopatológicos descritos existen factores genéticos causados por alteraciones cromosómicas o en los genes determinantes en la diferenciación sexual. En este trabajo se analizaron alteraciones cromosómicas y en el gen SRY como posible causa del trastorno. Se realizó cariotipo con bandas G o R y FISH para SRY en linfocitos, tejido gonadal y tejido escrotal. Materiales y métodos: La información clínica de los sujetos de investigación se obtuvo de los informes de los médicos tratantes. En 9 (73%) casos el sexo asignado fue masculino y en 3 (27%) casos fue femenino. 8 de los casos (66%) tuvieron cariotipo 46,XY; 2 casos (17%) 46,XX y en 2 casos (17%) se reportaron mosaicos con presencia de idic(Y). Un solo caso de tejido gonadal mostró mosaicismo debido a la presencia de una línea celular tetraploide. El diagnóstico clínico más frecuente fue de genitales ambiguos en 8 casos (67%). Seguido de hipospadias en 5 casos (41,7%). Conclusiones: Los resultados muestran la importancia de aplicar diferentes pruebas citogenéticas en el diagnóstico y la necesidad del seguimiento de los pacientes por un equipo transdisciplinario para abordar estas condiciones clínicas.Q4Pacientes diagnosticados con trastornos del desarrollo sexualObjective: Disorders of sexual development are a group of congenital diseases that affect the normal formation of genital structures. Within the pathophysiologic mechanisms described, there are genetic factors caused by chromosomal or sex-determining gene alterations. Therefore, chromosomal analysis is an essential priority in the diagnostic approach. Alterations in the chromosomes and the SRY gene as a cause of disorder of sexual development was analyzed herein. Material and methods: G or R-banding karyotype and FISH analyses for the SRY gene were performed in lymphocytes, gonadal tissue, and scrotal tissue in twelve cases, three cases, and one case, respectively. The clinical information was obtained from the patients’ medical reports. Results: In 9 (73%) cases, the assigned sex was male, and in 3 (27%) cases, it was female. Karyotype 46,XY was found in 8 (66%) cases, 46,XX in 2 (17%) cases, and mosaic karyotype in 2 (17%) cases with idic(Y). A single case of gonadal tissue showed mosaicism due to the presence of a tetraploid cell line. The most common clinical diagnosis was abnormal genital differentiation in 8 (67%) cases, followed by hypospadias in 5 (41.7%) cases. Conclusions: The results show the importance of applying different cytogenetic tests in making the diagnosis, and the need for a multidisciplinary team to address the disorder.https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7501-7307https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0729-6866https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1421-3619https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6336-5347https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8528-4433https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2231-4321https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7856-7213https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2241-7854https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9675-5963https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5685-8354https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0826-6191Revista Internacional - IndexadaCN

BRCA1 mutations in high-grade serous ovarian cancer are associated with proteomic changes in DNA repair, splicing, transcription regulation and signaling

Ovarian cancer; ProteomicsCáncer de ovarios: ProteómicaCàncer d'ovaris; ProteòmicaDespite recent advances in the management of BRCA1 mutated high-grade serous ovarian cancer (HGSC), the physiology of these tumors remains poorly understood. Here we provide a comprehensive molecular understanding of the signaling processes that drive HGSC pathogenesis with the addition of valuable ubiquitination profiling, and their dependency on BRCA1 mutation-state directly in patient-derived tissues. Using a multilayered proteomic approach, we show the tight coordination between the ubiquitination and phosphorylation regulatory layers and their role in key cellular processes related to BRCA1-dependent HGSC pathogenesis. In addition, we identify key bridging proteins, kinase activity, and post-translational modifications responsible for molding distinct cancer phenotypes, thus providing new opportunities for therapeutic intervention, and ultimately advance towards a more personalized patient care.This work was supported by the PhD4MD collaborative research program between the Vall d’Hebron Research Institute (VHIR) and the Centre for Genomic Regulation (CRG). The CRG/UPF Proteomics Unit is part of the Spanish Infrastructure for Omics Technologies (ICTS OmicsTech) and it is a member of the ProteoRed PRB3 consortium which is supported by grant PT17/0019 of the PE I+D+i 2013-2016 from the Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII) and ERDF. We acknowledge support from the Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities, (CTQ2016-80364-P and “Centro de Excelencia Severo Ochoa 2013-2017”, SEV-2012-0208), and “Secretaria d’Universitats i Recerca del Departament d’Economia i Coneixement de la Generalitat de Catalunya” (2017SGR595 and 2017SGR1661). This project has also received funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under grant agreement No 823839 (EPIC-XS). It has also been supported by grants from the Instituto Carlos III (PI15/00238, PI18/01017, PI21/00977), the Miguel Servet Program (CP13/00158 and CPII18/00027) and the Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad y Fondos FEDER (RTC-2015-3821-1). The authors are grateful to the team members of the Proteomics Unit at the Centre for Genomic Regulation, the Biomedical Research Group in Gynecology at the Vall d’Hebron Institute, the Gynecological Oncology Unit at the Vall d’Hebron Hospital and the Biomedical Research Group in Urology at the Vall d’Hebron Institute for their assistance

Effectiveness of the Epley’s maneuver performed in primary care to treat posterior canal benign paroxysmal positional vertigo: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial

BACKGROUND: Vertigo is a common medical condition with a broad spectrum of diagnoses which requires an integrated approach to patients through a structured clinical interview and physical examination. The main cause of vertigo in primary care is benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV), which should be confirmed by a positive D-H positional test and treated with repositioning maneuvers. The objective of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of Epley’s maneuver performed by general practitioners (GPs) in the treatment of BPPV. METHODS/DESIGN: This study is a randomized clinical trial conducted in the primary care setting. The study’s scope will include two urban primary care centers which provide care for approximately 49,400 patients. All patients attending these two primary care centers, who are newly diagnosed with benign paroxysmal positional vertigo, will be invited to participate in the study and will be randomly assigned either to the treatment group (Epley’s maneuver) or to the control group (a sham maneuver). Both groups will receive betahistine. Outcome variables will be: response to the D-H test, patients’ report on presence or absence of vertigo during the previous week (dichotomous variable: yes/no), intensity of vertigo symptoms on a Likert-type scale in the previous week, total score on the Dizziness Handicap Inventory (DHI) and quantity of betahistine taken. We will use descriptive statistics of all variables collected. Groups will be compared using the intent-to-treat approach and either parametric or nonparametric tests, depending on the nature and distribution of the variables. Chi-square test or Fisher’s exact test will be conducted to compare categorical measures and Student’s t-test or Mann–Whitney U-test will be used for intergroup comparison variables. DISCUSSION: Positive results from our study will highlight that treatment of benign paroxysmal positional vertigo can be performed by trained general practitioners (GPs) and, therefore, its widespread practice may contribute to improve the quality of life of BPPV patients. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT01969513

Cytogenetic and molecular characterization in gonadal tissue of patients with ovotesticular syndrome and gonadal dysgenesis 46,XY and 46,XX

Objetivos: La etiología de la disgenesia gonadal y el síndrome ovotesticular se desconoce en la mayoría de los casos. Para realizar la caracterización citogenética y molecular de un grupo de pacientes con síndrome ovotesticular y disgenesia gonadal completa a partir de muestras de sangre periférica y tejido gonadal. Material y métodos: Se incluyeron un total de 6 pacientes, 3 con diagnóstico de síndrome ovotesticular 46, XX, uno diagnosticado con 46, XY síndrome ovotesticular; uno con sospecha de disgenesia gonadal 46, XX y otro con disgenesia gonadal completa 46, XY. Resultados Todos los pacientes fueron evaluados con cariotipo, hibridación in situ fluorescente (FISH) para SRY, amplificación de sonda dependiente de ligación múltiple (MLPA) e hibridación genómica comparativa (aCGH) en muestras de sangre periférica. En los casos con tejido gonadal disponible, los niveles de expresión genética de SOX3, SRY y SOX9 se determinaron mediante PCR en tiempo real e inmunofluorescencia. Se descartaron reordenamientos relacionados con el gen SRY. No se detectaron deleciones/duplicaciones o variaciones en el número de copias (NVC) como etiología del trastorno del desarrollo sexual en ninguno de los pacientes estudiados. En un caso de síndrome ovotesticular 46, XX, el cariotipo gonadal era diferente del cariotipo en sangre periférica. Se observó expresión aberrante de SOX3 y SOX9 en tejido gonadal de un caso con síndrome ovotesticular 46, XX. Conclusiones: Se documentaron niveles más bajos de expresión de SRY y SOX9 en comparación con los niveles en líneas celulares humanas de testículo embrionario y Sertoli en el tejido gonadal de un caso con síndrome ovotesticular 46, XY. Los estudios citogenéticos y moleculares de las gónadas como complemento del estudio de sangre periférica tienen el potencial de enriquecer la comprensión de los trastornos del desarrollo sexual en pacientes que son XX o XY en sangre periférica.Q4Objectives: The etiology of gonadal dysgenesis and the ovotesticular syndrome is unknown in most cases. The aim of the study was to perform cytogenetic and molecular characterization of a group of patients with ovotesticular syndrome and complete gonadal dysgenesis from peripheral blood and gonadal tissue samples.Materials and methods: A total of 6 patients were included, 3 with 46,XX ovotesticular syndrome diagnosis, 1 diagnosed with 46,XY ovotesticular syn-drome; 1 suspected with 46,XX gonadal dysgenesis, and 1 with 46,XY complete gonadal dysgenesis. Results: All patients were evaluated with karyotype, fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) for SRY, multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification (MLPA) and comparative genomic hybridization (aCGH) in peripheral blood samples. In cases with available gonadal tissue, the levels of genetic expression of SOX3, SRY, and SOX9 were determined by real-time PCR and immunofluo-rescence. Rearrangements involving SRY gene were ruled out. No deletions/duplications or copy-number variations (CNVs) were identified as the etiology for the sexual development disorder in any of the studied patients. In one case of 46,XX ovotesticular syndrome, the gonadal karyotype was different from the karyotype in peripheral blood. Aberrant expression of SOX3 and SOX9 in gonadal tissue was observed in one case of 46,XX ovotesticular syndrome. Conclusions: Lower levels of SRY and SOX9 expression were documented in the gonadal tissue of a case of 46,XY ovotesticular syndrome, in commparison with the levels in human cellular lines of embryonic testicle and Sertoli cells. Cytogenetic and molecular studies of gonads complementary to peripheral blood studies have the potential of enhancing the understanding of sexual development disorders in patients who are XX or XY in peripheral blood.https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4900-4948https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7109-3342https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8225-4394https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1555-6661https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3463-3565https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0826-6191https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6336-5347https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7856-7213https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2241-7854https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2231-4321https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8528-4433Revista Internacional - IndexadaCN

Effectiveness of the Epley's maneuver performed in primary care to treat posterior canal benign paroxysmal positional vertigo: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial

Background: Vertigo is a common medical condition with a broad spectrum of diagnoses which requires an integrated approach to patients through a structured clinical interview and physical examination. The main cause of vertigo in primary care is benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV), which should be confirmed by a positive D-H positional test and treated with repositioning maneuvers. The objective of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of Epley's maneuver performed by general practitioners (GPs) in the treatment of BPPV. Methods/Design: This study is a randomized clinical trial conducted in the primary care setting. The study's scope will include two urban primary care centers which provide care for approximately 49,400 patients. All patients attending these two primary care centers, who are newly diagnosed with benign paroxysmal positional vertigo, will be invited to participate in the study and will be randomly assigned either to the treatment group (Epley's maneuver) or to the control group (a sham maneuver). Both groups will receive betahistine. Outcome variables will be: response to the D-H test, patients' report on presence or absence of vertigo during the previous week (dichotomous variable: yes/no), intensity of vertigo symptoms on a Likert-type scale in the previous week, total score on the Dizziness Handicap Inventory (DHI) and quantity of betahistine taken. We will use descriptive statistics of all variables collected. Groups will be compared using the intent-to-treat approach and either parametric or nonparametric tests, depending on the nature and distribution of the variables. Chi-square test or Fisher's exact test will be conducted to compare categorical measures and Student's t-test or Mann-Whitney U-test will be used for intergroup comparison variables. Discussion: Positive results from our study will highlight that treatment of benign paroxysmal positional vertigo can be performed by trained general practitioners (GPs) and, therefore, its widespread practice may contribute to improve the quality of life of BPPV patients