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Meta-analyses suggest an association between autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and obesity, but the factors underlying this association remain unclear. This study investigated the association between ASD and obesity stratified on intellectual disability (ID). In addition, in order to gain insight into possible shared etiological factors, the potential role of shared familial liability was examined.We studied a cohort of 3,141,696 individuals by linking several Swedish nationwide registers. We identified 35,461 individuals with ASD and 61,784 individuals with obesity. Logistic regression models were used to estimate the association between ASD and obesity separately by ID and sex and by adjusting for parental education, psychiatric comorbidity, and psychotropic medication. Potential shared familial etiologic factors were examined by comparing the risk of obesity in full siblings, maternal and paternal half-siblings, and full- and half-cousins of individuals with ASD to the risk of obesity in relatives of individuals without ASD.Individuals with ASD + ID (OR = 3.76 [95% CI, 3.38-4.19]) and ASD-ID (OR = 3.40 [95% CI, 3.23-3.58]) had an increased risk for obesity compared with individuals without ASD. The associations remained statistically significant when adjusting for parental education, psychiatric comorbidity, and medication. Sex-stratified analyses indicated a higher relative risk for males compared with females, with statistically significant interaction effects for ASD-ID, but not for ASD+ID in the fully adjusted model. First-degree relatives of individuals with ASD+ID and ASD-ID had an increased risk of obesity compared with first-degree relatives of individuals without ASD. The obesity risk was similar in second-degree relatives of individuals with ASD+ID but was lower for and ASD-ID. Full cousins of individuals with ASD+ID had a higher risk compared with half-cousins of individuals with ASD+ID). A similar difference in the obesity risk between full cousins and half-cousins was observed for ASD-ID.Individuals with ASD and their relatives are at increased risk for obesity. The risk might be somewhat higher for males than females. This warrants further studies examining potential common pleiotropic genetic factors and shared family-wide environmental factors for ASD and obesity. Such research might aid in identifying specific risks and underlying mechanisms in common between ASD and obesity.

Background Recurrent head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (rHNSCC) represents a significant global health burden with an unmet medical need. In this study we determined the safety and efficacy of RM-1929 photoimmunotherapy in patients with heavily pretreated rHNSCC. Methods RM-1929 (anti-EGFR-IR700 dye conjugate) was infused, followed by tumor illumination. We evaluated safety, tumor response, and pharmacokinetics. Results Nine patients were enrolled in Part 1 (dose-finding) and 30 patients in Part 2 (safety and efficacy). No dose-limiting toxicities were experienced in Part 1; 640 mg/m2 with fixed light dose (50 J/cm2 or 100 J/cm) was recommended for Part 2. Adverse events (AEs) in Part 2 were mostly mild to moderate but 19 (63.3%) patients had AE ≥Grade 3, including 3 (10.0%) with serious AEs leading to death (not treatment related). Efficacy in Part 2: unconfirmed objective response rate (ORR) 43.3% (95% CI 25.46%-62.57%); confirmed ORR 26.7% (95% CI 12.28%-45.89%); median overall survival 9.30 months (95% CI 5.16-16.92 months). Conclusions Treatment was well tolerated. Responses and survival following RM-1929 photoimmunotherapy in heavily pretreated patients with rHNSCC were clinically meaningful and warrant further investigation. Clinical trial information NCT02422979.

This study examines 102 news items related to collagen as a dietary supplement, written in Spanish and published over a period of 2 years, in both digital and print media. The objective of this study is to evaluate the scientific rigor and consistency of the news information included in the sample. Errors and incorrect uses relative to the current scientific knowledge were identified in the analyzed information, and these errors were classified according to the criteria extracted from previous research. The evidence gathered shows a relevant frequency of errors in the information examined. The results are discussed in light of the role that the media plays in the transmission of beliefs regarding the value of collagen supplements.

Numerous age‐related human diseases have been associated with deficiencies in cellular energy production. Moreover, genetic alterations resulting in mitochondrial dysfunction are the cause of inheritable disorders commonly known as mitochondrial diseases. Many of these deficiencies have been directly or indirectly linked to deficits in mitochondrial gene expression. Transcription is an essential step in gene expression and elucidating the molecular mechanisms involved in this process is critical for understanding defects in energy production. For the past five decades, substantial efforts have been invested in the field of mitochondrial transcription. These efforts have led to the discovery of the main protein factors responsible for transcription as well as to a basic mechanistic understanding of the transcription process. They have also revealed various mechanisms of transcriptional regulation as well as the links that exist between the transcription process and downstream processes of RNA maturation. Here, we review the knowledge gathered in early mitochondrial transcription studies and focus on recent findings that shape our current understanding of mitochondrial transcription, posttranscriptional processing, as well as transcriptional regulation in mammalian systems.

Background Psychiatric and somatic problems in young adulthood have been found to be main drivers of costs in individuals with childhood ADHD. However, knowledge of the patterns of healthcare utilization and costs of comorbidities in middle-aged adults with newly diagnosed ADHD is very limited. Method We studied individuals born 1966-1978 (from the Swedish Total Population Register) with newly diagnosed ADHD between the ages of 30-45 years and individuals without ADHD matched on birthdate, birth county, and sex. Healthcare utilization and expenditure for psychiatric and somatic disorders were obtained over four years (two years pre- and post-initial ADHD diagnosis). Results Middle-aged adults with newly diagnosed ADHD showed higher levels of healthcare utilization and costs (outpatient, inpatient, medications) for psychiatric and somatic comorbidities relative to adults without ADHD, both before and after the initial diagnosis. Females showed greater average group differences across the study period for medication prescriptions than males. Total incremental annual costs per capita were €2478.76 in adults with ADHD relative to those without, and costs were mainly driven by inpatient care. Psychiatric outpatient visits were statistically significantly higher the year before the ADHD diagnosis compared to two years before and after the diagnosis. Conclusion This study demonstrates the substantial burden of psychiatric and somatic comorbidities in middle-aged adults newly diagnosed with ADHD. Psychiatric outpatient visits peaked in the year leading up to the ADHD diagnosis. Findings further suggested that females with ADHD may seek more treatment for comorbidities than males, which may reflect a general female tendency.

A facile access to enantiomerically pure derivatives of α-hydroxy-β-amino acids bearing a quaternary center and trifluoromethylated tertiary alcohols which represent highly important building blocks to therapeutically relevant small molecules, was efficiently achieved by developing an asymmetric epoxidation of α-activated ketones by employing chiral sulfur ylides.

Palmitoylethanolamide (PEA) and oleoylethanolamide (OEA) are endogenous lipid mediators that suppress inflammation. Their actions are terminated by the intracellular cysteine amidase, N-acylethanolamine acid amidase (NAAA). Even though NAAA may offer a new target for anti-inflammatory therapy, the lipid-like structures and reactive warheads of current NAAA inhibitors limit the use of these agents as oral drugs. Here, we describe a series of novel benzothiazole-piperazine derivatives that inhibit NAAA in a potent and selective manner via a non-covalent mechanism. A prototype member of this class (8) displays high oral bioavailability, access to the central nervous system (CNS), and strong activity in mouse model of multiple sclerosis (MS). This compound exemplifies a second generation of non-covalent NAAA inhibitors that may be useful in the treatment of MS and other chronic CNS disorders.

Die Gerustdiversitat ist ein entscheidendes Merkmal von Verbindungskollektionen, das einen grosen Einfluss auf deren Erfolg beim biologischen Screening hat. Die Synthese hochkomplexer und verschiedenartiger Geruste, die beispielsweise auf Naturstoffen aufbauen konnte, ist eine muhsame Aufgabe, die in einer Reihe von Aspekten der organischen Synthese und Strukturanalyse Fachkompetenz erfordert. Diese Herausforderung wurde mithilfe etlicher Synthesemodelle angegangen, die Naturstoffe als Quelle der Gerustdiversitat einsetzen, passend gestaltete gangige Intermediate in verschiedene Molekulgeruste umwandeln oder zu hochprazisen Synthesewegen fur etliche unterschiedliche und komplexe Geruste fuhren. In diesem Kurzaufsatz stellen wir neue Ansatze zur Synthese verschiedenartiger und komplexer Geruste sowie die Anwendung der resultierenden Verbindungskollektionen bei der Suche nach Wirkstoffen und Sonden vor.

Bacteriophage endolysins are bacterial cell wall degrading enzymes whose potential to fight bacterial infections has been intensively studied. Endolysins from Gram-positive systems are typically described as monomeric and as having a modular structure consisting of one or two N-terminal catalytic domains (CDs) linked to a C-terminal region responsible for cell wall binding (CWB). We show here that expression of the endolysin gene lys170 of the enterococcal phage F170/08 results in two products, the expected full length endolysin (Lys170FL) and a C-terminal fragment corresponding to the CWB domain (CWB170). The latter is produced from an in-frame, alternative translation start site. Both polypeptides interact to form the fully active endolysin. Biochemical data strongly support a model where Lys170 is made of one monomer of Lys170FL associated with up to three CWB170 subunits, which are responsible for efficient endolysin binding to its substrate. Bioinformatics analysis indicates that similar secondary translation start signals may be used to produce and add independent CWB170-like subunits to different enzymatic specificities. The particular configuration of endolysin Lys170 uncovers a new mode of increasing the number of CWB motifs associated to CD modules, as an alternative to the tandem repetition typically found in monomeric cell wall hydrolases.

Dynamic languages are suitable for developing specific applications where runtime adaptability is an important issue. On the contrary, statically typed languages commonly provide better compile-time type error detection and more opportunities for compiler optimizations. Because both approaches offer different benefits, there exist programming languages that support hybrid dynamic and static typing. However, the existing hybrid typing languages commonly do not gather type information of dynamic references at compile time, missing opportunities for improving compile-time error detection and runtime performance. Therefore, we propose some design principles to implement hybrid typing languages that continue gathering type information of dynamically typed references. This type information is used to perform compile-time type checking of the dynamically typed code and improve its runtime performance. As an example, we have implemented a hybrid typing language following the proposed design principles. We have evaluated the runtime performance and memory consumption of the generated code. The average performance of the dynamic and hybrid typing code is at least 2.53× and 4.51× better than the related approaches for the same platform, consuming less memory resources. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

A new class of chiral sulfonium salts, derived from L- and D-methionine, has been designed and successfully employed in our laboratories for the diastereoselective synthesis of glycidic amides. The epoxy amides obtained were converted cleanly into 1,2-difunctionalized products through oxirane ring-opening reactions with different types of nucleophiles. The resulting ring-opened products represent valuable and useful building blocks for the synthesis of different bioactive products. Thus, the expedient synthesis of clavaminol H as well as the synthesis of key precursors for other bioactive compounds, for example, polyketide-derived natural products, have been achieved, demonstrating the synthetic efficiency and utility of this chemistry.

Question Hurricanes are a major factor influencing forest structure and have been linked to higher incidences of multiple-stemmed trees in Caribbean dry forests relative to the continent. In Sept 1998, category 3 Hurricane Georges passed over Mona Island. This island, unlike others in the Caribbean, has had feral goats for five centuries. In this study we addressed the following questions: (i) what are the short-term (4 mo) and long-term (10 yr) responses of Mona Island's dry forests to hurricane disturbance in terms of forest structure and tree mortality; and (ii) is there any effect of goat exclusion on the recovery process and forest structure after the hurricane? Location Dry forest of Mona Island, Puerto Rico. Methods Permanent fenced and unfenced plots established in 1997 and monitored annually until 2008 were used to evaluate the interplay between goat herbivory and hurricane effects on structural dynamics of the tree community. Within these plots, vegetation data collected include species identity, DBH, successional status and hurricane-related tree mortality. Results We found that vegetation responses to hurricane disturbances may have been influenced by the presence of feral goats through at least two mechanisms. First, goats may have led to changes in forest structure and composition that feed back into the recovery dynamics that follow hurricane events. Second, goat herbivory limits the production of multiple stems, a trait that could be an adaptive response in hurricane-prone areas. Feral goats may lead to alternate successional pathways by keeping this dry forest at early-successional stages much longer than expected, and shifting vegetation communities to an alternate state where smaller, shrubbier and perhaps less palatable species dominate. Conclusions Differences in structure between Mona Island's dry forest and other tropical dry forests are related to changes in species composition that may have been triggered by introduced goats. Our results highlight the potential complexities that may arise when setting management goals within the context of novel ecosystems. Ultimately, implementation of management goals requires knowing what changes are linked to the ecological integrity of the ecosystem and what cultural values are placed on the current state of the tree community vs its historical condition.

Video otoscopy is a valuable tool for the diagnosis and treatment of otitis externa (OE) and otitis media (OM) in dogs. Procedures performed by video otoscopy often are painful and it can be challenging to maintain steady anaesthetic depth and provide smooth anaesthetic recovery. A multimodal approach to analgesia and anaesthesia is ideal to minimize complications associated with high doses of anaesthetic drugs while providing the patient with adequate analgesia.To describe a technique for regional anaesthesia of the canine ear.One canine cadaver, obtained as part of a teaching laboratory class for other clinical techniques, with institutional approval, was used for illustration purposes.Clinical technique for regional anaesthesia of the canine ear.Nerve blocks for regional anaesthesia are an important aspect of a multimodal anaesthetic approach. A technique for blocking the two major sensory nerves to the canine ear is described.La vidéo-otoscopie est un outil efficace pour le diagnostic et le traitement de l'otite externe (OE) et moyenne (OM) du chien. Les procédures effectuées par vidéo-otoscopie sont souvent douloureuses et il peut être difficile de maintenir une anesthésie profonde stable puis d'obtenir un réveil paisible. Une approche anesthésique et analgésique multimodale est idéale pour minimiser les complications associées à de hautes doses d'anesthésiques et une analgésie adéquate pour le patient. HYPOTHÈSE/OBJECTIF: Décrire la technique pour une anesthésie régionale de l'oreille canine.Un cadavre de chien, obtenu d'un laboratoire d'enseignement d'autres techniques cliniques, avec approbation institutionnelle, a été utilisé pour illustration. RÉSULTATS: Technique clinique d'anesthésie régionale de l'oreille de chien.Les blocs nerveux d'anesthésie régionale sont un aspect important d'une approche anesthésique multimodale. Une technique de bloc de deux nerfs sensoriels majeurs de l'oreille canine est décrite.INTRODUCCIÓN: la video otoscopia es una herramienta valiosa para el diagnóstico y el tratamiento de la otitis externa (OE) y la otitis media (OM) en perros. Los procedimientos realizados por video otoscopia a menudo son dolorosos y puede ser difícil mantener una anestesia profunda constante y proporcionar una recuperación anestésica suave. Un enfoque multimodal para la analgesia y la anestesia es ideal para minimizar las complicaciones asociadas con altas dosis de fármacos anestésicos mientras se proporciona al paciente una analgesia adecuada. HIPÓTESIS/OBJETIVO: describir una técnica para la anestesia regional del oído canino. ANIMALES: se utilizó con fines ilustrativos un cadáver de perro, obtenido como parte de una clase de laboratorio de enseñanza para otras técnicas clínicas, con aprobación institucional. RESULTADOS: Técnica clínica para anestesia regional del oído canino. CONCLUSIONES E IMPORTANCIA CLÍNICA: los bloqueos nerviosos para la anestesia regional son un aspecto importante de un enfoque anestésico multimodal. Se describe una técnica para bloquear los dos nervios sensoriales principales del oído canino.Die Videootoskopie ist ein wichtiges Werkzeug zur Diagnose und zur Behandlung einer Otitis externa (OE) und einer Otitis media (OM) bei Hunden. Untersuchungen mit Videootoskopie sind häufig schmerzhaft und es kann eine Herausforderung sein, eine konstante Anästhesietiefe zu halten und eine sanfte Aufwachphase zu ermöglichen. Eine multimodale Herangehensweise zu Analgesie und Anästhesie ist ideal, um Komplikationen, die mit hohen Dosen von Anästhetika einhergehen können, zu minimieren während für den Patienten eine adäquate Analgesie gewährleistet ist.Die Beschreibung einer Technik für eine regionale Anästhesie des Hundeohrs.Ein Hundekadaver, welcher mit der Zustimmung der Institution aus einer Laborschulungsklasse für andere klinische Techniken genommen werden konnte, wurde zu Illustrationszwecken verwendet.Eine klinische Technik zur regionalen Anästhesie des Hundeohrs.Nervenblockaden für eine regionale Anästhesie sind ein wichtiger Aspekt einer multimodalen anästhetischen Herangehensweise. Eine Technik zur Blockierung der zwei wichtigsten sensorischen Nerven am Hundeohr werden beschrieben.背景: ビデオオトスコープ検査は、犬の外耳炎(OE)および中耳炎(OM)の診断および治療の貴重なツールの一つである。ビデオオトスコープ検査によって行われる手順は、しばしば疼痛を伴い、安定した麻酔深度を維持し、スムーズな麻酔回復を提供することは困難な場合がある。鎮痛と麻酔へのマルチモーダルなアプローチは、患畜に適切な鎮痛を提供しながら、高用量の麻酔薬に関連する合併症を最小限に抑えるのに理想的である。 仮説/目的: 本研究の目的は、犬の耳の局所麻酔のテクニックを説明することである。 被験動物: 施設の承認を得て、他の臨床技術の教育研究授業の一部として得られた1頭の犬の死体を解説目的で使用した。 結果: 犬の耳の局所麻酔の臨床的手法。 結論と臨床的重要性: 局所麻酔薬による神経ブロックは、マルチモーダルな麻酔アプローチの重要な側面の一つである。犬の耳への2つの主要な感覚神経をブロックする技術が記述されている。.背景: 视频耳镜是诊断与治疗犬外耳炎和中耳炎的得力工具,视频耳镜的操作过程通常很疼痛,而保持稳定的麻醉深度和提供平缓的麻醉苏醒,是一项很有挑战性的工作。多模式的镇痛和麻醉方法最理想,可减少高剂量麻醉药引起的并发症,同时为患畜提供充分的镇痛效果。 假设/目的: 阐述犬耳道局部麻醉技术 动物: 在相关部门批准的其他临床技术的教学实验课上,获取一部分犬尸体。 结果: 犬耳道局部麻醉的临床技术 结论和临床意义: 局部麻醉的神经阻滞,是多模式麻醉法的一个重要分支。阐述犬耳道两个主要感觉神经的阻断技术。.A vídeo otoscopia é uma ferramenta diagnóstica valiosa no diagnóstico e tratamento da otite externa (OE) e otite média (OM) em cães. Procedimentos realizados por vídeo otoscopia são frequentemente dolorosos e pode ser complicado de se manter um plano anestésico estável e de fornecer recuperação anestésica suave. Uma abordagem multimodal para analgesia e anestesia é ideal para minimizar as complicações associadas com altas doses de drogas anestésicas enquanto proporciona ao paciente analgesia adequada. HIPÓTESE/OBJETIVOS: Descrever a técnica de anestesia regional da orelha canina.Um cadáver canino, obtido como parte de uma aula laboratorial de outras técnicas clínicas, com aprovação institucional, foi utilizado para ilustração.Técnica clínica para anestesia regional da orelha canina. CONCLUSÕES E IMPORTÂNCIA CLÍNICA: Bloqueios de nervos para anestesia regional são aspectos importantes na abordagem anestésica multimodal. Uma técnica para o bloqueio dos dois principais nervos sensoriais da orelha canina foi descrita.

Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) can be conceptualized as a genetic dysfunction that disrupts development and function of brain circuits mediating social cognition and language. At least some forms of ASD may be associated with high level of excitation in neural circuits, and gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) has been implicated in its etiology. Single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) located within the GABA receptor (GABAR) subunit genes GABRA1, GABRG2, GABRB3, and GABRD were screened. A hundred and thirty-six Argentinean ASD patients and 150 controls were studied, and the contribution of the SNPs in the etiology of ASD was evaluated independently and/or through gene–gene interaction using multifactor dimensionality reduction (MDR) method. From the 18 SNP studied, 11 were not present in our Argentinean population (patients and controls) and 1 SNP had minor allele frequency

Chronic wounds that fail to heal are a common complication of diabetes mellitus and the most common precipitating reason for nontraumatic lower limb amputation. Unfortunately, the bacterial species that cause these infections are becoming more resistant to antibiotics, making them increasingly difficult to treat. We assessed the feasibility of combating chronic bacterial infections with a topically delivered bacteriophage cocktail in two animal models of diabetes mellitus. Microbiological, planimetric, and histological parameters were compared in debrided infected wounds with or without topical bacteriophage treatment. We determined that bacteriophage treatment effectively decreased bacterial colony counts and improved wound healing, as indicated by smaller epithelial and dermal gaps, in Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa infections but was not as effective against Acinetobacter baumannii. Although the improvements were more significant in the rodent model than in the porcine model, our results suggest that topically administered bacteriophage treatment may be effective in resolving chronic infections, especially when applied in conjunction with wound debridement. These findings have important implications for the feasibility of using topical antimicrobial therapies to safely treat chronic infections in diabetes mellitus patients.

One of the key benefits of using intrusion-tolerant systems is the possibility of ensuring correct behavior in the presence of attacks and intrusions. These security gains are directly dependent on the components exhibiting failure diversity. To what extent failure diversity is observed in practical deployment depends on how diverse are the components that constitute the system. In this paper, we present a study with operating system's OS's vulnerability data from the NIST National Vulnerability Database NVD. We have analyzed the vulnerabilities of 11 different OSs over a period of 18years, to check how many of these vulnerabilities occur in more than one OS. We found this number to be low for several combinations of OSs. Hence, although there are a few caveats on the use of NVD data to support definitive conclusions, our analysis shows that by selecting appropriate OSs, one can preclude or reduce substantially common vulnerabilities from occurring in the replicas of the intrusion-tolerant system. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Catalytic addition of chiral phosphine, that is, (R)- or (S)-SITCP, to an α-substituted allene ester generated a zwitterionic dipole. Under optimized reaction conditions, this dipole could engage isatine-derived N-Boc-ketimines in a novel mode of [3+2] annulation reaction. Pyrrolinyl spirooxindoles are thus afforded in high yields and with excellent enantioselectivities. The unprecedented annulation reaction successfully facilitated the construction of sp(3) -rich and highly substituted 3,2'-pyrrolidinyl spirooxindoles supporting many chiral centers.

affording a wide range of dihydropyrrolyl spirooxindoles with excellent enantioselectivities

Scaffold diversity is a crucial feature of compound collections that has a huge impact on their success in biological screenings. The synthesis of highly complex and diverse scaffolds, which could be based on natural products, for example, is an arduous task that requires expertise in various aspects of organic synthesis and structural analysis. This challenge has been addressed by a number of synthesis designs, which employ natural products as a source of scaffold diversity, transform suitably designed common intermediates into various molecular frameworks, or entail highly concise synthetic routes to a number of distinct and complex scaffolds. In this Minireview, we highlight recent synthetic developments towards the construction of diverse and complex scaffolds and the application of the resulting compound collections in drug and probe discovery.

SUMMARY The development of service robots has gained more attention over the last years. Advanced robots have to cope with many different situations emerging at runtime, while executing complex tasks. They should be programmed as dynamically adaptive systems, capable of adapting themselves to the execution environment, including the computing, user, and physical environment. Recently, dynamic languages are becoming widely used because of the high runtime adaptability they offer. Therefore, we have analyzed the suitability of these languages to implement robotic systems with high runtime adaptability requirements, using Python as case study because of its maturity. To evaluate their suitability, we have implemented a reflective robotics framework that can be programmed in both Java and any dynamic language supported by the standard Java Scripting API. An example scenario has been developed using Python to show how its distinguishing meta-programming features have facilitated the development of runtime-adaptable robotics services. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

The data of the ISAAC project in Spain show a prevalence of childhood asthma ranging from 7.1% to 15.3%, with regional differences; a higher prevalence, 22.6% to 35.8%, is described for rhinitis, and atopic dermatitis is found in 4.1% to 7.6% of children. The prevalence of food allergy is 3%. All children in Spain have the right to be visited in the National Health System. The medical care at the primary level is provided by pediatricians, who have obtained their titles through a 4-yr medical residency training program. The education on pediatric allergy during that period is not compulsory and thus very variable. There are currently 112 certified European pediatric allergists in Spain, who have obtained the accreditation of the European Union of Medical Specialist for proven skills and experience in pediatric allergy. Future specialists in pediatric allergy should obtain their titles through a specific education program to be developed in one of the four accredited training units on pediatric allergy, after obtaining the title on pediatrics. The Spanish Society of Pediatric Allergy and Clinical Immunology (SEICAP) gathers over 350 pediatric allergists and pediatricians working in this field. SEICAP has a growing activity including yearly congresses, continued education courses, elaboration of technical clinical documents and protocols, education of patients, and collaboration with other scientific societies and associations of patients. The official journal of SEICAP is Allergologia et Immunophatologia, published every 2 months since 1972. The web site of SEICAP, http://www.seicap.es, open since 2004, offers information for professionals and extensive information on pediatric allergic and immunologic disorders for the lay public; the web site is receiving 750 daily visits during 2011. The pediatric allergy units are very active in clinical work, procedures as immunotherapy or induction of oral tolerance in food allergy, contribution to scientific literature, and collaboration in international projects.

One of the biggest problems of the IPTV providers is to offer enough quality of experience (QoE) to their customers. The minimum bandwidth in the access network required to provide IPTV services, jointly with the necessity to guarantee the QoE to the customers, creates the need for new type of algorithms to satisfy the network requirements. Apart from the parameters that depend on the application aspect and design, the user's QoE mainly depends on the video quality (VQ), which can be affected by the network parameters (jitter, delay, lost packets, etc.), and on other parameters, such as zapping time and synchronization time. In this paper, we implement several benches to know how each measurable parameter affects the user's QoE. Taking into account these parameters, we propose an analytical expression for the QoE calculation. Then, the paper presents a network management algorithm that takes into account the information received by the user to take the appropriate actions and vary some features of the IP network to provide enough IPTV QoE to the customer. Finally, we measure how one of the actions taken by our system affects the network performance and the VQ. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. (The user's QoE mainly depends on the video quality, which can be affected by parameters such as jitter, delay, packets lost, synchronization time, etc. In this paper, we analyze how each one of them affects the QoE and we propose an analytical expression for its calculation. Then, we present a network management algorithm that takes into account the information received from the customer and vary some features in the IP network in order to provide enough QoE to the customer. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.)