Las bibliotecas públicas en Cataluña (2018-2019)

En aquest capítol es descriuen i s’analitzen les accions i els esdeveniments més rellevants duts  a terme en l’àmbit de les biblioteques públiques de Catalunya durant el bienni 2018-2019. Després d’uns anys en què destacaven l’inici de nous projectes, durant el bienni analitzat observem com es trenca aquesta tendència, si bé es consoliden diverses iniciatives endegades en els anys anteriors i d’altres desapareixen. Veurem com, en l’àmbit institucional, s’han recuperat ajudes i subvencions cap al sector que havien desaparegut amb la crisi econòmica, i també com s’han impulsat diverses accions perquè les administracions que gestionen les biblioteques treballin de forma conjunta i coordinada. També es mostra la vitalitat del col·lectiu que continua participant en esdeveniments i generant coneixement amb les seves contribucions. En definitiva, l’objectiu del capítol és mostrar una visió de conjunt de l’activitat de les biblioteques públiques catalanes per reflectir el moment actual i veure les tendències de futur.This chapter describes and analyses the most important developments in the field of public libraries in Catalonia in 2018 and 2019. After a period of several years characterized by the launch of new projects, we see how this trend has been broken during the two years analysed, although several projects initiated in previous years have become consolidated while others have disappeared. In the institutional sphere, we show how aid and subsidies to the sector that were suspended during the economic crisis have been recovered, and also how several measures have been introduced to enable the bodies responsible for library management to work together in a coordinated way. The article highlights the vitality of a sector that continues to participate in events and to generate knowledge. In short, the aim of the chapter is to provide an overview of the activity of Catalan public libraries, reflecting the current situation and predicting future trends.En este capítulo se describen y analizan las acciones y los acontecimientos más destacados llevados a cabo en el ámbito de las bibliotecas públicas de Cataluña durante el bienio 2018-2019. Después de unos años en los que destacaba el inicio de nuevos proyectos, durante el bienio analizado observamos cómo se rompe esta tendencia y, aunque se consolidan diversas iniciativas iniciadas en los años anteriores, otras desaparecen. Veremos cómo, en el ámbito institucional, se han recuperado ayudas y subvenciones hacia el sector que habían desaparecido con la crisis económica, y también como se han impulsado diversas acciones para que las administraciones que gestionan las bibliotecas trabajen de forma conjunta y coordinada. También se muestra la vitalidad del colectivo que continúa participando en eventos y generando conocimiento con sus contribuciones. En definitiva, el objetivo del capítulo es mostrar una visión de conjunto de la actividad de las bibliotecas públicas catalanas para reflejar el momento actual y ver las tendencias de futuro

Las bibliotecas públicas en Cataluña (2020-2021)

En aquest capítol es descriuen i s’analitzen els esdeveniments i les accions més rellevants duts a terme en l’àmbit de les biblioteques públiques de Catalunya durant el bienni 2020-2021. Sens dubte, el bienni ha estat marcat per la pandèmia de la COVID-19 i hem vist com les biblioteques han hagut de fer front al tancament dels equipaments i a adaptar els serveis i activitats a la nova situació. Després d’estabilitzar el sistema, es van impulsar diverses accions per pal·liar la manca d’obertura física, especialment en format virtual, però també per a persones amb risc de vulnerabilitat. Amb la reobertura, a poc a poc, els serveis es van recuperant, camí d’assolir els nivells anteriors a la pandèmia. Tot i la situació, l’activitat professional en jornades, congressos i esdeveniments no ha desaparegut i s’ha adaptat a formats virtuals o híbrids. En aquests dos anys també hi ha hagut canvis tècnics en processos com ara catalogació i canvis de programari, i s’ha materialitzat la interfície de petició de documents en préstec interbibliotecari de totes les biblioteques del Sistema de Lectura Pública de Catalunya. En definitiva, l’objectiu del capítol és mostrar una visió de conjunt de l’activitat de les biblioteques públiques catalanes per reflectir el moment actual i veure les tendències de futur.This chapter describes and analyses the most important events and activities carried out in public libraries in Catalonia during the years 2020 and 2021. Without a doubt, these two years have been profoundly marked by the COVID19 pandemic. Libraries have had to deal with the closure of their premises and have had to adapt services and activities to the new situation. Once the system had stabilizing, various steps were taken to alleviate the lack of physical interaction, especially in virtual format but also responding to the needs of people at risk of exclusion. With the reopening, services havegradually recovered, and are now on their way to reaching pre-pandemic levels. Despite the difficulties, professional activity at conferences, congresses and events has continued and has been adapted to virtual or hybrid formats. In these two years, there have also been many technical changes in processes such as cataloging and software. One example is the new interface for the interlibrary loan system for requesting documents from all the libraries in the public reading network in Catalonia. Ultimately, the aim of the chapter is to present an overview of the activity of Catalan public libraries in this period, to reflect on the current situation, and to predict future trends.En este capítulo se describen y analizan los eventos y las acciones más relevantes llevados a cabo en el ámbito de las bibliotecas públicas de Cataluña durante el bienio 2020-2021. Sin duda, el bienio ha estado marcado por la pandemia de la COVID-19 y hemos visto cómo las bibliotecas han tenido que afrontar el cierre de los equipamientos adaptando los servicios y actividades a la nueva situación. Tras estabilizar el sistema, se impulsaron diversas acciones para paliar la carencia de servicio presencial, especialmente en formato virtual, pero también para personas con riesgo de vulnerabilidad. Con la reapertura, pocoa poco, los servicios se van recuperando, con la voluntad de alcanzar los niveles anteriores a la pandemia. A pesar de la situación, la actividad profesional en jornadas, congresos y eventos no ha desaparecido y se ha adaptado a formatos virtuales o híbridos. En estos dos años también se han producido cambios técnicos en procesos como catalogación y cambios de software, y se ha materializado la interfaz de petición de documentos en préstamo interbibliotecario de todas las bibliotecas del Sistema de Lectura Pública de Cataluña. En definitiva, el objetivo del capítulo es mostrar una visión de conjunto de la actividad de las bibliotecas públicas catalanas para reflejar el momento actual y ver tendencias de futuro

Novel whey-derived peptides with inhibitory effect against angiotensin-converting enzyme: in vitro effect and stability to gastrointestinal enzymes

Whey protein concentrate (WPC) was subjected to enzymatic hydrolysis by proteases from the flowers of Cynara cardunculus, and the resulting angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE)-inhibitory effect was monitored. The whole WPC hydrolysate exhibited an IC50 value of 52.9±2.9ºg/mL, whereas the associated peptide fraction with molecular weight below 3 kDa scored 23.6±1.1ºg/mL. The latter fraction was submitted to RP-HPLC, and 6 fractions were resolved that exhibited ACE-inhibitory effects. Among the various peptides found, a total of 14 were identified via sequencing with an ion-trap mass spectrometer. Eleven of these peptides were synthesized de novo – to validate their ACE-inhibitory effect, and also to ascertain their stability when exposed to simulated gastrointestinal digestion. Among them, three novel, highly potent peptides were found, corresponding to B-lactalbumin f(16–26) – with the sequence KGYGGVSLPEW, B-lactalbumin f(97–104) with DKVGINYW, and B-lactoglobulin f(33–42) with DAQSAPLRVY; their IC50 values were as low as 0.80±0.1, 25.2±1.0 and 13.0±1.0g/mL, respectively. None of them remained stable in the presence of gastrointestinal enzymes: they were partially, or even totally hydrolyzed to smaller peptides – yet the observed ACE-inhibitory effects were not severely affected for two of those peptides.info:eu-repo/semantics/acceptedVersio

Recovery of bioactive compounds from industrial exhausted olive pomace through ultrasound-assisted extraction

ABSTRACT: Simple Summary Exhausted olive pomace (EOP) is the main residue of the pomace oil extraction industry, which is generated in large quantities and has limited applications. Thus, this study aimed to obtain bioactive compounds from EOP using ultrasound-assisted extraction as a potential first valorization step. Two types of devices were tested: bath- and probe-type UAE. The operational parameters were studied and optimized to maximize the antioxidant compounds. In particular, hydroxytyrosol was the main phenolic compound identified and its content was 5.16 mg/g EOP (bath-type UAE) and 4.96 mg/g EOP (probe-type UAE). Mannitol was also detected in the extract, 59.53 mg/g EOP (bath-type UAE) and 69.73 mg/g EOP (probe-type UAE). The results highlight the great potential EOP has as a source of bioactive compounds, with applicability in several sectors. Moreover, the probe-type UAE shows potential to be applied for obtaining these bioactive compounds in a continuous and faster manner. Exhausted olive pomace (EOP) is the main agro-industrial waste of the olive pomace extracting industries. It contains phenolic compounds and mannitol, so the extraction of these bioactive compounds should be considered as a first valorization step, especially if EOP is used as biofuel. Therefore, EOP was subjected to bath-type ultrasound-assisted extraction (UAE), and the effects of the acetone concentration (20-80%, v/v), solid load (2-15%, w/v), and extraction time (10-60 min) on the extraction of antioxidant compounds were evaluated according to a Box-Behnken experimental design. By means of the response surface methodology, the optimum conditions were obtained: 40% acetone, 8.6% solids, and 43 min. For all the extracts, the total phenolic content (TPC), flavonoid content (TFC), and antioxidant activity (DPPH, ABTS, and FRAP) were determined. With the aim of shortening the extraction time, a two-level factorial experiment design was also carried out using a probe-type UAE, keeping the solid load at 8.6% (w/v) and the acetone concentration at 40% (v/v), while the amplitude (30-70%) and the extraction time (2-12 min) were varied to maximize the aforementioned parameters. Finally, a maximum of phenolic compounds was reached (45.41 mg GAE/g EOP) at 12 min and 70% amplitude. It was comparable to that value obtained in the ultrasonic bath (42.05 mg GAE/g EOP), but, remarkably, the extraction time was shortened, which translates into lower costs at industrial scale. Moreover, the bioactive compound hydroxytyrosol was found to be the major phenolic compound in the extract, i.e., 5.16 mg/g EOP (bath-type UAE) and 4.96 mg/g EOP (probe-type UAE). Other minor phenolic compounds could be detected by capillary zone electrophoresis and liquid-chromatography-mass spectrometry. The sugar alcohol mannitol, another bioactive compound, was also found in the extract, and its content was determined. Thus, the use of this technology can support the valorization of this waste to obtain bioactive compounds, including mannitol, hydroxytyrosol, and other derivatives, before being applied for other uses.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Relationship Between Quorum Sensing and Secretion Systems

Quorum sensing (QS) is a communication mechanism between bacteria that allows specific processes to be controlled, such as biofilm formation, virulence factor expression, production of secondary metabolites and stress adaptation mechanisms such as bacterial competition systems including secretion systems (SS). These SS have an important role in bacterial communication. SS are ubiquitous; they are present in both Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria and in Mycobacterium sp. To date, 8 types of SS have been described (T1SS, T2SS, T3SS, T4SS, T5SS, T6SS, T7SS, and T9SS). They have global functions such as the transport of proteases, lipases, adhesins, heme-binding proteins, and amidases, and specific functions such as the synthesis of proteins in host cells, adaptation to the environment, the secretion of effectors to establish an infectious niche, transfer, absorption and release of DNA, translocation of effector proteins or DNA and autotransporter secretion. All of these functions can contribute to virulence and pathogenesis. In this review, we describe the known types of SS and discuss the ones that have been shown to be regulated by QS. Due to the large amount of information about this topic in some pathogens, we focus mainly on Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Vibrio spp

Cognitive reserve assessment scale in health (CRASH): its validity and reliability

Background: the cognitive reserve (CR) concept has not been precisely defined in severe mental disorders and has been estimated using heterogeneous methods. This study aims to investigate and develop the psychometric properties of the Cognitive Reserve Assessment Scale in Health (CRASH), an instrument designed to measure CR in people with severe mental illness; (2) Methods: 100 patients with severe mental illness (non-affective psychoses and affective disorders) and 66 healthy controls were included. The internal consistency and convergent validity of CRASH were assessed. Spearman's correlations coefficients were also performed to examine the relationship between CRASH and neuropsychological tests, psychosocial functioning, and clinical course; (3) Results: the internal consistency was high (Cronbach's alpha coefficient = 0.903). The CRASH global score had a large positive correlation with the Cognitive reserve questionnaire total score (r = 0.838, p < 0.001), demonstrating good convergent validity. The correlation coefficients between the CRASH total scores and clinical, functional, and neuropsychological performance were different between groups. In order to provide clinical interpretation, severity classification based on diagnosis (non-affective psychotic disorders, affective disorders, and healthy controls) have been created; (4) Conclusions: CRASH is the first CR measure developed specifically for patients with severe mental illness, facilitating reliable and valid measurement of this construct. The scale may aid in the stratification of patients and the implementation of personalized interventions

Neurogenetics of Dynamic Connectivity Patterns Associated With Obsessive-Compulsive Symptoms in Healthy Children

Obsessive-compulsive symptoms (OCSs) during childhood predispose to obsessive-compulsive disorder and have been associated with changes in brain circuits altered in obsessive-compulsive disorder samples. OCSs may arise from disturbed glutamatergic neurotransmission, impairing cognitive oscillations and promoting overstable functional states. A total of 227 healthy children completed the Obsessive Compulsive Inventory-Child Version and underwent a resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging examination. Genome-wide data were obtained from 149 of them. We used a graph theory-based approach and characterized associations between OCSs and dynamic functional connectivity (dFC). dFC evaluates fluctuations over time in FC between brain regions, which allows characterizing regions with stable connectivity patterns (attractors). We then compared the spatial similarity between OCS-dFC correlation maps and mappings of genetic expression across brain regions to identify genes potentially associated with connectivity changes. In post hoc analyses, we investigated which specific single nucleotide polymorphisms of these genes moderated the association between OCSs and patterns of dFC. OCSs correlated with decreased attractor properties in the left ventral putamen and increased attractor properties in (pre)motor areas and the left hippocampus. At the specific symptom level, increased attractor properties in the right superior parietal cortex correlated with ordering symptoms. In the hippocampus, we identified two single nucleotide polymorphisms in glutamatergic neurotransmission genes (GRM7, GNAQ) that moderated the association between OCSs and attractor features. We provide evidence that in healthy children, the association between dFC changes and OCSs may be mapped onto brain circuits predicted by prevailing neurobiological models of obsessive-compulsive disorder. Moreover, our findings support the involvement of glutamatergic neurotransmission in such brain network changes

Jardins per a la salut

Facultat de Farmàcia, Universitat de Barcelona. Ensenyament: Grau de Farmàcia. Assignatura: Botànica farmacèutica. Curs: 2014-2015. Coordinadors: Joan Simon, Cèsar Blanché i Maria Bosch.Els materials que aquí es presenten són el recull de les fitxes botàniques de 128 espècies presents en el Jardí Ferran Soldevila de l’Edifici Històric de la UB. Els treballs han estat realitzats manera individual per part dels estudiants dels grups M-3 i T-1 de l’assignatura Botànica Farmacèutica durant els mesos de febrer a maig del curs 2014-15 com a resultat final del Projecte d’Innovació Docent «Jardins per a la salut: aprenentatge servei a Botànica farmacèutica» (codi 2014PID-UB/054). Tots els treballs s’han dut a terme a través de la plataforma de GoogleDocs i han estat tutoritzats pels professors de l’assignatura. L’objectiu principal de l’activitat ha estat fomentar l’aprenentatge autònom i col·laboratiu en Botànica farmacèutica. També s’ha pretès motivar els estudiants a través del retorn de part del seu esforç a la societat a través d’una experiència d’Aprenentatge-Servei, deixant disponible finalment el treball dels estudiants per a poder ser consultable a través d’una Web pública amb la possibilitat de poder-ho fer in-situ en el propi jardí mitjançant codis QR amb un smartphone

The evolution of the ventilatory ratio is a prognostic factor in mechanically ventilated COVID-19 ARDS patients

Background: Mortality due to COVID-19 is high, especially in patients requiring mechanical ventilation. The purpose of the study is to investigate associations between mortality and variables measured during the first three days of mechanical ventilation in patients with COVID-19 intubated at ICU admission. Methods: Multicenter, observational, cohort study includes consecutive patients with COVID-19 admitted to 44 Spanish ICUs between February 25 and July 31, 2020, who required intubation at ICU admission and mechanical ventilation for more than three days. We collected demographic and clinical data prior to admission; information about clinical evolution at days 1 and 3 of mechanical ventilation; and outcomes. Results: Of the 2,095 patients with COVID-19 admitted to the ICU, 1,118 (53.3%) were intubated at day 1 and remained under mechanical ventilation at day three. From days 1 to 3, PaO2/FiO2 increased from 115.6 [80.0-171.2] to 180.0 [135.4-227.9] mmHg and the ventilatory ratio from 1.73 [1.33-2.25] to 1.96 [1.61-2.40]. In-hospital mortality was 38.7%. A higher increase between ICU admission and day 3 in the ventilatory ratio (OR 1.04 [CI 1.01-1.07], p = 0.030) and creatinine levels (OR 1.05 [CI 1.01-1.09], p = 0.005) and a lower increase in platelet counts (OR 0.96 [CI 0.93-1.00], p = 0.037) were independently associated with a higher risk of death. No association between mortality and the PaO2/FiO2 variation was observed (OR 0.99 [CI 0.95 to 1.02], p = 0.47). Conclusions: Higher ventilatory ratio and its increase at day 3 is associated with mortality in patients with COVID-19 receiving mechanical ventilation at ICU admission. No association was found in the PaO2/FiO2 variation

Optimasi Portofolio Resiko Menggunakan Model Markowitz MVO Dikaitkan dengan Keterbatasan Manusia dalam Memprediksi Masa Depan dalam Perspektif Al-Qur`an

Risk portfolio on modern finance has become increasingly technical, requiring the use of sophisticated mathematical tools in both research and practice. Since companies cannot insure themselves completely against risk, as human incompetence in predicting the future precisely that written in Al-Quran surah Luqman verse 34, they have to manage it to yield an optimal portfolio. The objective here is to minimize the variance among all portfolios, or alternatively, to maximize expected return among all portfolios that has at least a certain expected return. Furthermore, this study focuses on optimizing risk portfolio so called Markowitz MVO (Mean-Variance Optimization). Some theoretical frameworks for analysis are arithmetic mean, geometric mean, variance, covariance, linear programming, and quadratic programming. Moreover, finding a minimum variance portfolio produces a convex quadratic programming, that is minimizing the objective function ðð¥with constraintsð ð 𥠥 ðandð´ð¥ = ð. The outcome of this research is the solution of optimal risk portofolio in some investments that could be finished smoothly using MATLAB R2007b software together with its graphic analysis