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El Geoparque mundial de la UNESCO Orígens, situado en los Pirineos catalanes, alberga paisajes impresionantes y un rico patrimonio geológico, paleontológico y cultural. Sus paisajes cuentan con el reconocimiento internacional de la comunidad científica, que los consideran un laboratorio al aire libre único para el estudio y la comprensión de los procesos geológicos. En consecuencia, geólogos de todo el mundo, ya sean estudiantes, académicos o profesionales, lo visitan todos los años para aprender o investigar temas de diferentes ramas de la Geología.

Background: Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) antigen (Ag) tests have been widely employed to identify patients for a rapid diagnosis and pandemic control. Rapid lateral-flow techniques are currently the most used, but automated technologies have emerged as another viable alternative to molecular methods. We aimed to evaluate the analytical performance of the DiaSorin Liaison SARS-CoV-2 Ag test in asymptomatic population and close contacts, for its use as a tool in pandemic control efforts. Material and Methods: A retrospective study was conducted. A total of 861 samples were included, 291 (34%) were positive for SARS-CoV-2 with cycle threshold (Ct) 10(6) extrapolated copies/ml were reached a sensitivity of 100% (95% IC 97.0-100.0%). For intermediate viral loads (>10(5) extrapolated copies/ml or

An open natural museum using virtual and augmented reality (VR/AR) methods based on geological reconstructions of the UNESCO Global Geopark Orígens territory is envisaged. The aim is to provide an emotional experience to the public for the understanding of geological and paleoecological systems, as well as their impact on landscape and human activity. To achieve these objectives, scientific reconstructions will be combined with virtual reality production technologies to generate virtual geological, paleontological and historical scenarios of 11 selected sites. The first results on the reconstruction of the virtual reality model of the Boixols-Sant Corneli anticline, catalogued as Global Geosite, are presented here. These also include timelapse 3D models restitutions with their corresponding paleogeographic interpretations, among which those of the Upper Cretaceous inhabited by the last dinosaurs of Europe. Animation production uses technologies that allow the superimposition of virtual images over real images to display on smartphones or VR glasses. These models will help to understand the evolution of the geological landscape both at the university and divulgation level and contribute to positioning the geoheritage as a tool for the sustainable rural development.

Objective: To evaluate the results obtained by a surveillance network on arbovirosis composed by doctors and nurses located at hospitals and Primary Care trained in their identification, diagnostic confirmation and clinical management. Location: North Metropolitan Area of Barcelona (1,400,000 inhabitants; Catalonia; Spain) during a calendar year. Participants: Seven Primary Care and 10 hospital physicians plus 4 Primary Care nurses. Type of study: A prospective observational study. Main measurements: Demographic, epidemiological (autochthonous/imported, sus- pect/probable/confirmed case) and healthcare variables (symptoms, serological profile, viral period) were defined. Results: Of the 34 patients identified, 26 (76.5%) met study criteria. Among them, any arbovirosis was confirmed in 14 (53.8%): 13 dengue plus 1 chikungunya fever. There were no cases of Zika fever. There was a history of travel to endemic areas 23 (88.4%), but not in 3 cases (11.6%) in which the possibility of an indigenous transmission was considered; of them, a case of dengue was confirmed. The estimated incidence of arbovirosis was 0.4 (95% CI: 0.33-0.51) cases x 10,000 hab/year which, when compared to the estimated incidence in the same geographical area during the period 2009.2013 (0.19 cases x 10,000 hab/year; 95% CI: 0.07-0.31), a significant increase was found (P= .044). Patients within viremia period at the time of their first medical visit were 11 (42.3%). Conclusions: An intensified epidemiological surveillance program defined at Primary Care and hospital levels is able to detect significantly more cases of imported and autochthonous arbovirosis. Possibly we are witnessing an increase in the incidence of imported arbovirosis and, thus, measures aimed at their identification and confirmation should be reinforced. (C) 2020 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Espana, S.L.U.

Trabajo Fin de Máster., La dorada (Sparus aurata) es una especie de suma importancia para la acuicultura a nivel nacional, mediterránea y europea. El objetivo del presente trabajo fue estudiar la influencia de dos frecuencias de alimentación diaria, compuesta por 3 y 5 comidas diarias, en el crecimiento y procesos circadiano de diversos parámetros relacionados con la alimentación y/o el metabolismo intermediario de juveniles de esta especie (~23 g de masa corporal inicial). Para esto, se determinaron los índices biométricos, la tasa de crecimiento específico (SGR) y el índice de conversión del alimento (FCR) durante varios periodos de experimentación y al final del mismo (142 días). Además, se determinó durante un ciclo diario de 24 h el patrón de diferentes parámetros fisiológicos, incluyendo (i) la expresión de genes relacionados con el sistema circadiano (bmal1, clock, per3 y cry1), el apetito y la ingesta de alimentos (lep, ghsr1b y nr3c1), (ii) hormonales y bioquímicos en plasma (cortisol, glucosa, lactato y triglicéridos) e hígado (glucógeno y triglicéridos), y iii) la actividad de las enzimas proteolíticas alcalinas (tripsina y quimotripsina). Ambas frecuencias de alimentación produjeron un rendimiento de crecimiento apropiado, aunque no mostraron diferencias significativas entre ambos. Sin embargo, el FCR ligeramente más bajo observado durante el último período experimental en el grupo alimentado con 5 comidas diarias, sugiere la posibilidad de obtener mejores resultados de rendimiento y crecimiento en periodos de alimentación más prolongados. Si bien el protocolo de alimentación solo afectó el valor diario promedio de los triglicéridos plasmáticos, el tiempo de muestreo tuvo una influencia significativa en la mayoría de los parámetros estudiados, lo que demuestra la existencia de cambios circadianos. Un ritmo circadiano significativo en la mayoría de los genes reloj indicó el papel de las frecuencias de alimentación probadas en la sincronización del oscilador hepático.

Item does not contain fulltext BNAIC'20: 32nd Benelux Conference on AI (Leiden, the Netherlands, 19-20 November 2020)

A large number of cannabinoids have been discovered that could play a role in mitigating cardiac affections. However, none of them has been as widely studied as cannabidiol (CBD), most likely because, individually, the others offer only partial effects or can activate potential harmful pathways. In this regard, CBD has proven to be of great value as a cardioprotective agent since it is a potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory molecule. Thus, we conducted a review to condensate the currently available knowledge on CBD as a therapy for different experimental models of cardiomyopathies and heart failure to detect the molecular pathways involved in cardiac protection. CBD therapy can greatly limit the production of oxygen/nitrogen reactive species, thereby limiting cellular damage, protecting mitochondria, avoiding caspase activation, and regulating ionic homeostasis. Hence, it can affect myocardial contraction by restricting the activation of inflammatory pathways and cytokine secretion, lowering tissular infiltration by immune cells, and reducing the area of infarct and fibrosis formation. These effects are mediated by the activation or inhibition of different receptors and target molecules of the endocannabinoid system. In the final part of this review, we explore the current state of CBD in clinical trials as a treatment for cardiovascular diseases and provide evidence of its potential benefits in humans.

Mycoplasma pneumoniae (MP) causes community-acquired pneumonia affecting mainly children, and tends to produce cyclic outbreaks. The widespread use of macrolides is increasing resistance rates to these antibiotics. Molecular tools can help in diagnosis, typing and resistance detection, leading to better patient management.

In most bacteria, the early step of septum formation implies the association of soluble FtsZ polymers with the cytoplasmic membrane. ZipA, together with FtsA, provides membrane tethering to FtsZ in Escherichia coli, forming a dynamic proto-ring that serves as an assembly scaffold for the remaining elements of the divisome. Despite their importance for bacterial cell division, multivalent interactions between proto-ring elements at membrane surfaces remain poorly characterized in quantitative terms. We measured the binding of FtsZ to ZipA incorporated in supported lipid bilayers at controlled densities by using a combination of biophysical surface-sensitive techniques (quartz crystal microbalance and spectroscopic ellipsometry) and analyzed how ZipA density and FtsZ concentration control the state of assembly of FtsZ. We found that ZipA attachment enables FtsZ-GMPCPP (where GMPCPP is a GTP analogue with a reduced level of hydrolysis) to assemble in several distinct ways: (i) two-dimensional polymerization at the membrane and (ii) three-dimensional polymerization from the membrane into the solution phase where this may be associated with the formation of higher-order complexes. In these processes, ZipA is required to enrich FtsZ at the surface but the FtsZ bulk concentration defines which morphology is being formed. Moreover, we report a strong effect of the nucleotide (GDP vs GMPCPP/GTP) on the kinetics of ZipA association/dissociation of FtsZ. These results provide insights into the mode of interaction of proto-ring elements in minimal membrane systems and contribute to the completion of our understanding of the initial events of bacterial division.

As the knowledge base and importance of mitochondrial physiology to human health expands, the necessity for harmonizing the terminologyconcerning mitochondrial respiratory states and rates has become increasingly apparent. Thechemiosmotic theoryestablishes the mechanism of energy transformationandcoupling in oxidative phosphorylation. Theunifying concept of the protonmotive force providestheframeworkfordeveloping a consistent theoretical foundation ofmitochondrial physiology and bioenergetics.We followguidelines of the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry(IUPAC)onterminology inphysical chemistry, extended by considerationsofopen systems and thermodynamicsof irreversible processes.Theconcept-driven constructive terminology incorporates the meaning of each quantity and alignsconcepts and symbols withthe nomenclature of classicalbioenergetics. We endeavour to provide a balanced view ofmitochondrial respiratory control and a critical discussion on reporting data of mitochondrial respiration in terms of metabolic flows and fluxes.Uniform standards for evaluation of respiratory states and rates will ultimatelycontribute to reproducibility between laboratories and thussupport the development of databases of mitochondrial respiratory function in species, tissues, and cells.Clarity of concept and consistency of nomenclature facilitate effective transdisciplinary communication, education, and ultimately further discovery.

Background: Chagas disease is endemic in Latin America and affects 8 million people worldwide. In 2010, Catalonia introduced systematic public health surveillance to detect and treat congenital Chagas disease. Aim: The objective was to evaluate the health outcomes of the congenital Chagas disease screening programme during the first 6 years (2010-2015) after its introduction in Catalonia. Methods: In a surveillance system, we screened pregnant women and newborns and other children of positive mothers, and treated Chagas-positive newborns and children. Diagnosis was confirmed for pregnant women and children with two positive serological tests and for newborns with microhaematocrit and/or PCR at birth or serology at age 9 months. Results: From 2010 to 2015, the estimated screening coverage rate increased from 68.4% to 88.6%. In this period, 33,469 pregnant women were tested for Trypanosoma cruzi and 937 positive cases were diagnosed. The overall prevalence was 2.8 cases per loo pregnancies per year (15.8 in Bolivian women). We followed 82.8% of newborns until serological testing at age 9-12 months and 28 were diagnosed with Chagas disease (congenital transmission rate: 4.17%). Of 518 siblings, 178 (34.3%) were tested and 14 (7.8%) were positive for T. cruzi. Having other children with Chagas disease and the heart clinical form of Chagas disease were maternal risk factors associated with congenital T. cruzi infection (p < 0.05). Conclusion: The increased screening coverage rate indicates consolidation of the programme in Catalonia. The rate of Chagas disease congenital transmission in Catalonia is in accordance with the range in non-endemic countries.

Trabajo presentado en Aquaculture Europe 19 (Our future, growing from water), celebrado en Berlín del 7 al 10 de octubre de 2019., Feeding efficiencyrequires an adequate nutrient composition and an efficientdigestive process. Feed formulation has been the target of many studies; however, the actual digestive capacity of farmed fish, with pre- and post-prandial responses, is largely unknown. Besides, few studies have focused on designing optimized feeding schedules. Therefore, the aim of the present work was to evaluate the effect of two daily feeding frequencies on growth and daily fluctuations of parameters related to the circadian and digestive physiology in gilthead seabream (Sparus aurata) juveniles., Grants AGL2014-52888-R from MINECO (Spain) with FEDER/ERDF contribution, and WISEFEED funded by the European Union’s H2020 programme (Marie Skłodocwska-Curie grant No 691150). NG supported by BES-2015-071662 from MINECO. This work is a part of GBR’s Master Thesis.