Fabric phase sorptive extraction of selected steroid hormone residues in commercial raw milk followed by ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry

Hormones in edible matrices, such as milk, are a subject of concern because of their adverse effects on the endocrine system and cell signaling and the consequent disruption of homeostasis in human consumers. Therefore, the assessment of the presence of hormones in milk as potential endocrine-disrupting compounds is warranted. However, the complexity of milk as a sample matrix and the ultra-low concentration of hormones pose significant analytical challenges. Fabric phase sorptive extraction (FPSE) has emerged as a powerful analytical technique for the extraction of emerging pollutants from complex aqueous matrices. FPSE allows for substantially simplified sample handling and short extraction and desorption times, as well as the decreased use of organic solvents. It is considered a green alternative to traditional extraction methodologies. In this work, the FPSE technique was evaluated to perform the simultaneous extraction of 15 steroid hormones from raw milk without employing any sample pretreatment steps. Clean and preconcentrated hormone solutions obtained from FPSE of raw milk were analyzed using ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry to achieve low detection limits, which ranged from 0.047 to 1.242 ng·mL−1. Because of the presence of many interferents in milk, such as proteins, lipids, and sugar, the effect of fat content on the extraction procedure was also thoroughly studied. Additionally, for the first time, the effect of lactose on the extraction of steroid hormones was evaluated, and the results showed that the extraction efficiencies were enhanced in lactose-free samples. Finally, the optimized methodology was applied to commercial samples of cow and goat milk, and no measurable concentrations of the studied hormones were detected in these samples

La formación ética de los futuros intérpretes de lengua de signos española

La profesionalización de la interpretación de lengua de signos española (LSE) es relativamente joven y, desde sus inicios, la ética y su regulación mediante códigos de actuación ha sido esencial (De los Santos y Lara Burgos, 2004). A nivel internacional, nuevos modelos de análisis del trabajo de los intérpretes como el Demand-Control Schema (Dean y Pollard, 2011, 2013) y el Role Space (Llewellyn-Jones y Lee, 2014) han tenido un importante impacto académico, replanteando el marco de análisis éticos y, por ende, la formación de estos profesionales está en plena transformación (efsli, 2013). Tales modelos adoptan una perspectiva teleológica de la ética profesional, cuestionando el tradicional enfoque deontológico (Calle-Alberdi, 2015). Este trabajo examina la formación recibida sobre ética profesional en el único programa universitario que forma a intérpretes de LSE en este país: el Grado en Lengua de Signos Española y Comunidad Sorda de la Universidad Rey Juan Carlos. Para ello, se han elaborado unos supuestos prácticos que propician un dilema ético, basado en los pilares fundamentales del código deontológico propuesto por la Federación Española de Intérpretes de Lengua de Signos y Guía-intérpretes (FILSE, 2002), y se han presentado a una muestra de alumnado del último curso de dicho grado. A través de entrevistas semiestructuradas y atendiendo a los patrones de razonamiento que usan en la aplicación de su ética profesional, se han extraído diversas conclusiones que nos indican cómo articulan la toma de decisiones para aplicar el código deontológico. Esta primera aproximación ha permitido concluir que, ante situaciones específicas, el alumnado genera ese dilema entre la deontología y la teleología por el que se aboga en los nuevos modelos de análisis, aunque queda patente la necesidad de ahondar más en los mismos durante el período formativo de los futuros intérpretes de LSE

Benefits of physical activity for children with autism

Physical activity has a positive benefit on the quality and lifestyle of people, which means that its practice and influence on individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder may be essential. The aim of the study was to optimize the relationship between them and the rest of the people with the same age at school, daily life and family and to reduce some of the typical repetitive behaviours of this disorder. We used a case study with a structured observation, the questionnaire was giving over a period of 5 months, from September 2016 to February 2017, to six subjects. The selected sample was school children aged 8 to 17 years old diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder. The students show evident physical and psychologist progress, but unequal due to the big cognitive differences; not all of them reach social advances. Physical exercise seems to improve the individual´s body and social skills, although this conclusion should be confirmed with researches with a higher number of individuals and a longer follow-up

Guía práctica: Preguntas y respuestas sobre cómo desarrollar los Planes de Orientación y Acción Tutorial (POAT) en la enseñanza universitaria

Esta guía es una aproximación al desarrollo práctico de los planes de Orientación y Acción tutorial (POAT) en la Universidad de La Laguna (ULL), centrando especialmente la atención en el modelo de la tutoría de carrera. En la guía y siguiendo un formato de preguntas frecuentes, tratamos de abordar algunos aspectos básicos para la implantación de los programas POAT y el desarrollo de actividades con el alumnado, incluyendo referencias y ejemplos prácticos. En cualquier caso, son simplemente ideas y sugerencias para la práctica, que requerirán su adaptación, en tanto que cada contexto y cada realidad es diferente, lo que exige respuestas adaptadas a las mismas

Cálculo y diseño de una estructura de hormigón armado para edificio de parking

The objective of this work is to carry out the design and calculation parking use of electric vehicles. This project has been carried out at the academic field in order to complete the Mechanical Engineering Degree. This building is intended to serve as a parking lot for both combustion and electric cars, with the addition of serving as a charging point for electric vehicles. With the idea of facilitating this industrial transition of vehicle types, for the citizens of San Cristobal de La Laguna. To achieve this aim, the structure and foundations of the building have been designed and calculated. For the possible execution of the building, the budget has also been established. Finally, highlight the fact that the different legal provisions concerning each area have been applied and a series of computer programs have been used to carry out this project

Simultaneous Determination of Hormonal Residues in Treated Waters Using Ultrahigh Performance Liquid Chromatography-Tandem Mass Spectrometry

In the last years, hormone consumption has increased exponentially. Because of that, hormone compounds are considered emerging pollutants since several studies have determinted their presence in water influents and effluents of wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). In this study, a quantitative method for the simultaneous determination of oestrogens (estrone, 17β-estradiol, estriol, 17α-ethinylestradiol, and diethylstilbestrol), androgens (testosterone), and progestogens (norgestrel and megestrol acetate) has been developed to determine these compounds in wastewater samples. Due to the very low concentrations of target compounds in the environment, a solid phase extraction procedure has been optimized and developed to extract and preconcentrate the analytes. Determination and quantification were performed by ultrahigh performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS/MS). The method developed presents satisfactory limits of detection (between 0.15 and 9.35 ng·L−1), good recoveries (between 73 and 90% for the most of compounds), and low relative standard deviations (under 8.4%). Samples from influents and effluents of two wastewater treatment plants of Gran Canaria (Spain) were analyzed using the proposed method, finding several hormones with concentrations ranged from 5 to 300 ng·L−1

Seagrass responses to nutrient enrichment depend on clonal integration, but not flow-on effects on associated biota

We determined physiological and morphological responses of the seagrass Cymo - docea nodosa and associated epiphytes and epifauna to water column nutrient enrichment, and investigated whether responses were modulated by the clonal integration of the seagrass. Nutrient levels were elevated, relative to 'ambient' plots, in 'large' (∼10 to 100×) and 'moderate' (∼5 to 10×) enrichment plots, in a seagrass meadow off the south coast of Gran Canaria. Clonal integration was severed in half the plots, isolating them from adjacent shoots. Seagrass shoot density, above-ground biomass and leaf surface were lower in fertilized than ambient plots when clonal integration was severed. In the plots where clonal integration was maintained, no differences in shoot density were observed between fertilized and ambient plots, while differences in aboveground biomass and leaf surface were exclusively observed between 'large' enrichment and 'ambient' plots. Seagrass above-ground tissues accumulated P, but not N, when clonal integration was maintained. The N content, but not P content, of below-ground parts increased with fertilization. The content of soluble sugars in seagrass tissues decreased under nutrient enrichment; this decay was, however, buffered when clonal integration was maintained. Grazing bites on leaves increased with nutrient enrichment regardless of the clonal integration. Epiphytic loads increased at elevated nutrient levels irrespective of the clonal integration. The abundance and richness of epifauna were larger on 'moderate' relative to 'ambient' and 'large' enrichment plots, independently of clonal integration. In conclusion, while the physiological and morphological responses of C. nodosa to nutrient enrichment depended on the maintenance of clonal integration, flow-on effects on epiphytes and epifauna were independent of the clonal integration of the seagrass. © Inter-Research 2013.Peer Reviewe

Applications of Fabric Phase Sorptive Extraction to the Determination of Micropollutants in Liquid Samples

The occurrence of organic micropollutants (OMPs) in the environment is a global concern due to their potential ecological risks. Several studies have shown that some OMPs are widely detected in environmental matrices such as surface water and sewage. Wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) have received international attention over past decades because they are considered the greatest source of aquatic environmental contamination by anthropogenic micropollutants. Intensive sampling and analysis have been globally made to improve understanding of the occurrence, behavior and fate of OMPs in WWTPs using different types of analytical approach. Recently, special awareness has been devoted to developing new effective strategies to extract the micropollutants of wastewater. In particular, microextraction protocols have gained popularity because of their simplicity, low cost and in-field application for environmental analysis. Among these, fabric phase sorptive extraction (FPSE) is reported as an excellent approach due to its properties, not only reducing the required time but also employing minor solvent volume. In this overview, we summarize the results obtained by the Research Group of Environmental Chemical Analysis of the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria (Spain) using this technique. Its aim is to show the potential of FPSE for the extraction of some micropollutants, such as personal care products (benzotriazole ultraviolet stabilizers (BUVSs)) and pharmaceuticals (steroid hormones and cytostatic compounds) in different liquid samples, prior to their determination by liquid chromatography

Identification and quantification, by NMR and LC-MS, of sterols isolated from the marine sponge Aplysina aerophoba

Aplysterol, several didehydroaplysterols, and their acetylated derivatives were isolated from samples of the marine sponge Aplysina aerophoba, which had been collected on the coast of the Canary Islands, and were identified by chromatography and H-and C-NMR spectroscopy. A quantitative analysis was done, based on the relative intensities of the signals corresponding to the olefinic quaternary carbons from the C-NMR spectrum at 125 MHz. Finally, the results described were confirmed by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS/MS).Grateful acknowledgement is made to the Canary Government (Agencia Canaria de Investigación, Innovación y Sociedad de la Información, ACIISI), and the ICIC (Instituto Canario de Investigación del Cáncer), by financial funding given to this project.Peer Reviewe

Removal of Pharmaceuticals in a Macrophyte Pond-Constructed Wetland System and the Effect of a Low Effluent Recirculation

Waste stabilization ponds and constructed wetlands (CWs) are effective at eliminating pharmaceutical residues, but removals are not usually complete. Their combination is regarded as an efficient, robust wastewater treatment method, but their efficiency in the removal of pharmaceuticals and the effect of a mild effluent recirculation has not been sufficiently studied in full-scale systems. Effluent recirculation can help to improve performance by increasing hydraulic residence time and, eventually, dissolved oxygen concentration. In this work, the presence of pharmaceuticals in wastewater from a university campus, their removal in a macrophyte pond–CW system, and the effect of effluent recirculation on removal and ecological risk were evaluated. Stimulants (caffeine and nicotine) and non-steroidal anti-inflammatories (naproxen and ibuprofen) were the most detected compounds in the influent and showed the highest concentrations, ranging from 0.5 to 300 µg·L−1. The pond–CW combination showed notable elimination for these compounds, achieving 87% on average. The ecological risk was also reduced by between 5.5 and 12.4 times, but it was still over values that indicates high ecological risk, mainly because of the concentrations of nicotine and ibuprofen. The effect of effluent recirculation was not as high as expected since the removals of caffeine, paraxanthine and naproxen were significantly improved, but those of atenolol and ibuprofen were lower. These results suggest that a higher recirculation ratio should be tested