Removal of Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals by the Ligninolytic Enzyme Versatile Peroxidase

This thesis proposal is about the application of ligninolytic enzymes and reactive species of Mn3+ in the degradation of recalcitrant compounds, including dyes, pharmaceuticals and personal care products, and endocrine disrupting compounds. These compounds have a polymeric structure which is hard to degrade; therefore, it is necessary to use degradation agents with high oxidizing potential. These studies were conducted in laboratory assays in order to maximize the degradation of these compounds. Subsequently, application arises in enzyme reactors, evaluating the parameters that ensure high operational efficiency and processing capacity

Pregnancy Control in Patients with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus and Antiphospholipid Syndrome. Part 1: Infertility, Ovarian Preservation and Preconception Assessment. Consensus Document of the Spanish Society of Gynaecology and Obstetrics (SEGO), the Spanish Society of Internal Medicine (SEMI) and the Spanish Society of Rheumatology (SER)

Objetivo: El embarazo y el puerperio se consideran una situación de riesgo en mujeres con lupus eritematoso sistémico (LES) y síndrome antifosfolípido (SAF). Es esencial que especialistas en enfermedades autoinmunes y en embarazo de alto riesgo intervengan en su seguimiento de forma coordinada. La Sociedad Española de Ginecología y Obstetricia, la Sociedad Española de Medicina Interna, y la Sociedad Española de Reumatología han constituido un grupo de trabajo paritario para la elaboración de 3 documentos de consenso. Métodos: Las fases del trabajo fueron: distribución del trabajo en grupos correspondientes a los 3 períodos relacionados con la gestación, identificación de áreas clave, revisión de la literatura y formulación de recomendaciones. Resultados: En este primer documento se incluyen las primeras 48 recomendaciones que tratan aspectos relacionados con la infertilidad, la necesidad y los tratamientos de preservación gonadal y la valoración preconcepcional. Conclusiones: Estas recomendaciones multidisciplinares se consideran herramientas en la toma de decisiones para los clínicos involucrados en la asistencia a pacientes con LES/SAF durante el embarazo

Immunogenetic characterization of clonal plasma cells in systemic light-chain amyloidosis

This study was supported by the Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red—Área de Oncología—del Instituto de Salud Carlos III (CIBERONC; CB16/12/00369; and CB16/12/00489), Instituto de Salud Carlos III/Subdirección General de Investigación Sanitaria (FIS No. PI13/02196), Asociación Española Contra el Cáncer (GCB120981SAN and the Accelerator Award), CRIS against Cancer foundation grant 2014/0120, and the Black Swan Research Initiative of the International Myeloma Foundation.Peer reviewe

Efficiency of remote sensing tools for post-fire management along a climatic gradient

P. 553-562Forest managers require reliable tools to evaluate post-fire recovery across different geographic/climatic contexts and define management actions at the landscape scale, which might be highly resource-consuming in terms of data collection. In this sense, remote sensing techniques allow for gathering environmental data over large areas with low collection effort. We aim to assess the applicability of remote sensing tools in post-fire management within and across three mega-fires that occurred in pine fire-prone ecosystems located along an Atlantic-Transition-Mediterranean climatic gradient. Four years after the wildfires, we established 120 2x2m plots in each mega-fire site, where we evaluated: (1) density of pine seedlings, (2) percentage of woody species cover and (3) percentage of dead plant material cover. These variables were modeled following a Bayesian Model Averaging approach on the basis of spectral indices and texture features derived from WorldView-2 satellite imagery at 2 m spatial resolution. We assessed model interpolation and transferability within each mega-fire, as well as model extrapolation between mega-fires along the climatic gradient. Texture features were the predictors that contributed most in all cases. The woody species cover model had the best performance regarding spatial interpolation and transferability within the three study sites, with predictive errors lower than 25% for the two approaches. Model extrapolation between the Transition and Mediterranean sites had low levels of error (from 6% to 19%) for the three field variables, because the landscape in these areas is similar in structure and function and, therefore, in spectral characteristics. However, model extrapolation from the Atlantic site achieved the weakest results (error higher than 30%), due to the large ecological differences between this particular site and the others. This study demonstrates the potential of fine-grained satellite imagery for land managers to conduct post-fire recovery studies with a high degree of generality across different geographic/climatic contexts.S

Posicionamento estratégico genérico e configuração organizacional em microclínicas privadas

By linking concepts and ideas from the private health services (PHS) and Knowledge-Intensive Business Services (KIBS) literature with Porter\u27s generic framework, this paper aims to identify the competitive positioning at a micro-clinic level in the private health services industry and to examine the perceived role of the institutions and intellectual capital associated with each one. A Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA) was used.The results show that organizational configurations are associated with proactivity when competing via differentiation. In contrast, cost leadership is linked to firms that compete with low tariffs and a defensivearchetype. Our work can serve as a basis to recommend specific competitive strategies for thehigh number of firms still following a stuck-in-the-middle positioning strategy.  Al vincular conceptos e ideas de la literatura sobre servicios sanitarios privados (PHS por sus siglas en inglés) y servicios empresariales intensivos en conocimiento (KIBS por sus siglas en inglés) con el marco genérico de Porter, este artículo pretende identificar el posicionamiento competitivo de las microclínicas en el sector de servicios de salud privados y examinar el papel de las instituciones y el capital intelectual asociado a cada una de ellas. Se utilizó una técnica estadística de Análisis Cualitativo Comparativo (QCA).Los resultados muestran que las configuraciones organizacionales están asociadas a la proactividad cuando se compite mediante la diferenciación. Por el contrario, el liderazgo en costos está vinculado a empresas que compiten con tarifas bajas y un arquetipo defensivo. Nuestro trabajo puede servir de base para recomendar estrategias competitivas específicas al elevado número de empresas que aún siguen una estrategia de posicionamiento estancada en el medio.Ao vincular conceitos e ideias da literatura de Serviços Privados de Saúde (PHS) e Knowledge Intensive Business Services (KIBS) à estrutura genérica de Porter, este artigo tem como objetivo identificar o posicionamento competitivo das microclínicas no setor de serviços privados de saúde e examinar o papel das instituições e o capital intelectual associado a cada um deles. Para isso, usou-se a técnica estatística de análise qualitativa comparativa (QCA).Os resultados mostram que as configurações organizacionais estão associadas à proatividade ao competir por diferenciação. Em vez disso, a liderança de custo está ligada a empresas que competem com taxas baixas e um arquétipo defensivo. Nosso trabalho pode servir de base para recomendar estratégias competitivas específicas para o alto número de empresas que ainda seguem uma estratégia de posicionamento estagnada no meio

The impact of endocrine-disrupting chemicals on the environment and their potential biotransformation by white-rot fungi and their oxidative enzymes.

e search of new technologies suitable for the treatment of wastewater containing endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) such as bisphenol A (BPA), triclosan (TCS), estrone (E1), 17β-estradiol (E2) and 17α-ethinylestradiol (EE2) is a challenge since existing traditional wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) are not able to eliminate them completely. Even at concentrations of ng/L, EDCs have an impact in the endocrine system of the fauna producing morphological deformities, reduced overall growth, reduced sperm quality and delayed ovulation, sex reversal male to female, among others. Efforts have been put in the study of different post-treatments to remove the residual concentration of EDCs present in WWTP effluents. The most frequently used technologies are advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) such as photocatalysis, photodegradation, sonolysis, ozonolysis, amongst others. In general, these processes have high degradation rate but they have low selectivity and high costs. In addition, AOPs can be a cause of concern itself since they may render harmful by-products or transformation products which can have similar or increased estrogenicity of that of the parent compound. A biological alternative may be use of white-rot fungi (WRF) or their lignin modifying enzymes (LMEs) to treat wastewater containing EDCs. From an operational point of view, the use of LMEs in in vitro systems, compared to the use of WRF in in vivo systems, is easier and cheaper since no aseptic conditions are needed. Among the LMEs, laccase is the most extensively studied enzyme for the degradation of BPA, TCS, E1, E2 and EE2 whereas peroxidases (LiP, MnP and VP) have not been studied in such level of detail