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En el presente trabajo se evaluó la capacidad aislante de paneles elaborados a base de la Typha Latifolia en diferentes formas. Los resultados muestran una capacidad aislante relevante, catalogando la totora como un elemento de potencial aplicación como aislamiento en edificaciones. El desarrollo de aislantes térmicos basados en residuos de biomasa es una línea de investigación prometedora que permitirá la mejora sustancial de la eficiencia energética, así como el confort térmico del hábitat con soluciones sustentables de bajo coste. El desarrollo de elementos constructivos contemporáneos como paneles o mantas de totora, permitirá la mejora de la sustentabilidad de soluciones industriales, así como la reducción importante del coste de producción de estas. In this paper the insulating capacity of panels made of Typha latifolia in different forms was evaluated. The results show a significant insulating capacity, placing the cattail as a potential isolating element in buildings. The development of thermal insulation elements based on biomass residues is a promising line of research that will provide substantial improvement in energy efficiency and thermal comfort with sustainable habitat solutions at low cost. The development of contemporary construction elements such as panels or blankets of totora, will permit the improvement of industrial solutions sustainability and a significant reduction in the cost of its production.

César Lizán Tudela,1 Irene Cuevas Sáiz,2 Lorenzo Abad de Velasco,2 Laura Gregori Navarro,1 Marta Comellas,3 Francisco Javier Pérez-Sádaba,3 Luis Lizán3,4 1Department of Paediatrics, Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Hospital Clínico Universitario, Valencia, 46010, Spain; 2Department of Paediatrics, Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Consorcio Hospital General Universitario de Valencia, Valencia, 46014, Spain; 3Outcomes 10 SLU, Castellón de la Plana, Spain; 4Department of Medicine, Jaume I University, Castellón de la Plana, SpainCorrespondence: César Lizán Tudela, Department of Paediatrics, Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Hospital Clínico Universitario, Avda. Blasco Ibañez, 17, Valencia, 46010, Spain, Tel +34 654662524, Email cesarlizan@yahoo.esPurpose: To determine the perspective of patients and professionals in Assisted Reproduction Units (ARU) on the importance of assisted reproductive techniques (ART) compared to other elective procedures, to highlight the relevance of ART as an elective procedure and the impact of delayed interventions on patients.Design, Patients and Methods: An observational, descriptive, cross-sectional, online survey-based study was conducted in infertility patients and partners (n=98) and ARU healthcare professionals (n=83). The survey included a best-worst scaling (BWS) experiment and an ad-hoc questionnaire to analyze the pandemic impact on ART management and infertility patients in Spain. In the BWS, each respondent established priorities choosing which patient profile should be rated as the highest and lowest priority profile on a waiting list. To understand the importance that they give to assisted reproduction compared to other procedures, three very common elective procedures involving different patient profiles were selected: cataract surgery, knee arthroplasty, and varicose vein surgery. For each procedure, three hypothetical patient profiles corresponding to three different degrees of severity on a waiting list were designed.Results: Patients attributed greater importance to ART profiles (BWS score: patients 0.14 vs professionals − 0.05; p< 0.01) whereas professionals prioritized cataract surgery (patients 0.06 vs professionals 0.23; p< 0.01). Concerning the profile severity, more severe profiles were prioritized in all procedures by both groups. Patients’ and professionals’ perspectives on the impact of the pandemic were similar, with exceptions: information received for resuming ART; health care provision in crisis situations; and reduction of parenting options. The pandemic affected patients’ ability to conceive a child (70.4% of those surveyed), their psychological well-being (75.5%), and partner, social, and work relationships (69.4%).Conclusion: Preference studies involving patients and professionals can provide important information to define framework criteria for the management of waiting lists for elective procedures, and to prioritize interventions during pandemic periods. The pandemic impact on infertility patients highlights the relevance of developing measures and strategies to cope with similar future situations in the most appropriate way.Keywords: assisted reproduction, coronavirus disease, fertility, patients’ perspective, best-worst scaling

José Ignacio Fernández-Vigo,1 Inés Contreras,2 María José Crespo,3 Carlos Beckford,4 Ignacio Flores-Moreno,5 Rosario Cobo-Soriano,6 Jesús Pareja,7 María Dolores Martín,8 Luis Moreno,9 Luis Arrevola-Velasco10 1Deparment of Ophthalmology, Hospital Clínico San Carlos, Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria San Carlos (IdISSC), Madrid, Spain; 2Deparment of Ophthalmology, Hospital Universitario Ramón y Cajal, Instituto Ramón y Cajal de Investigaciones Sanitarias (IRYCIS) and Clínica Rementería, Madrid, Spain; 3Department of Ophthalmology, Hospital Universitario Infanta Leonor, Madrid, Spain; 4Department of Ophthalmology, Hospital Universitario Príncipe de Asturias, Alcalá de Henares, Madrid, Spain; 5Department of Ophthalmology, Hospital Universitario Puerta de Hierro, Madrid, Spain; 6Department of Ophthalmology, Hospital Universitario Henares, Universidad Francisco de Vitoria, Madrid, Spain; 7Department of Ophthalmology, Hospital General Universitario Gregorio Marañón, Madrid, Spain; 8Department of Ophthalmology, Hospital Infanta Cristina, Madrid, Spain; 9Department of Ophthalmology, Hospital 12 de Octubre, Madrid, Spain; 10Department of Ophthalmology, Clinica Baviera Instituto Oftalmológico Europeo, Madrid, SpainCorrespondence: Luis Arrevola-Velasco, Department of Ophthalmology, Clínica Baviera Instituto Oftalmológico Europeo, P.° de la Castellana, 20, Madrid, 28046, Spain, Tel +34 917 82 03 60, Email larrevola@telefonica.netPurpose: The treatment of diabetic macular edema (DME) has evolved rapidly in the past decade, highlighting the need to address the challenges of routine clinical practice decision-making through expert consensus agreements.Methods: After a literature review and discussion of real-world experience on DME management, a group of ten retina specialists agreed on a consensus of recommendations for the most appropriate management of DME patients using vascular endothelial growth factor inhibitors (anti-VEGF) in Spain.Results: The panel recommended early treatment initiation in DME patients with worse baseline visual acuity (VA) to maintain or improve outcome. For patients with good VA, an observation strategy was recommended, considering the presence of diabetic retinopathy, optical coherence tomography biomarkers, and impact on patient’s quality of life. Based on the available evidence and clinical experience, the panel recommended the use of anti-VEGF intensive loading doses with the objective of achieving anatomic and visual responses as soon as possible, followed by a Treat & Extend (T&E) strategy to maintain VA improvement. Aflibercept was recommended for patients with a baseline decimal VA < 0.5, followed by a T&E strategy, including the possibility to extend frequency of injections up to 16 weeks.Conclusion: An expert panel proposes a consensus for the management of DME in Spain. Early treatment initiation with anti-VEGF in DME patients is recommended to maintain or improve VA; aflibercept is recommended for patients with a poor baseline VA.Keywords: diabetic macular edema, clinical practice patterns, intravitreal injections, consensus

Castor is an industrial oilseed crop with great potential for biorefineries. However, little is known about the variability in the bioactive compounds in castor germplasm. This study evaluated seed weight, oil content, fatty acid profile, tocopherols, and phytosterols in 160 accessions of the USDA-ARS castor germplasm collection. The accessions were grown in Cordoba, Spain, under three different environmental conditions. Environmental and genotype-by-environment interaction effects were predominant for most traits, resulting in moderate to low broad-sense heritabilities, which ranged from 0.12 for total tocopherol content to 0.88 for hundred-seed weight. The genetic variability in the seed quality traits identified in the collection was lower than that reported previously for the germplasm of wild and semi-wild accessions from Spain, which is attributed to the lower genetic diversity in cultivated than in wild forms. The variation in seed quality traits in castor germplasm can be exploited to improve the concentration of bioactive compounds in castor cultivars. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]