In vitro activities of natural products against oral Candida isolates from denture wearers

Background: Candida-associated denture stomatitis is a frequent infectious disease. Treatment of this oral condition is difficult because failures and recurrences are common. The aim of this study was to test the in vitro antifungal activity of pure constituents of essentials oils. -- Methods: Eight terpenic derivatives (carvacrol, farnesol, geraniol, linalool, menthol, menthone, terpinen-4-ol, and aterpineol), a phenylpropanoid (eugenol), a phenethyl alcohol (tyrosol) and fluconazole were evaluated against 38 Candida isolated from denture-wearers and 10 collection Candida strains by the CLSI M27-A3 broth microdilution method. -- Results: Almost all the tested compounds showed antifungal activity with MIC ranges of 0.03-0.25% for eugenol and linalool, 0.03-0.12% for geraniol, 0.06-0.5% for menthol, a-terpineol and terpinen-4-ol, 0.03-0.5% for carvacrol, and 0.06-4% for menthone. These compounds, with the exception of farnesol, menthone and tyrosol, showed important in vitro activities against the fluconazole-resistant and susceptible-dose dependent Candida isolates. -- Conclusions: Carvacrol, eugenol, geraniol, linalool and terpinen-4-ol were very active in vitro against oral Candida isolates. Their fungistatic and fungicidal activities might convert them into promising alternatives for the topic treatment of oral candidiasis and denture stomatitis.

Human Papillomavirus (HPV) genotype 18 variants in patients with clinical manifestations of HPV related infections in Bilbao, Spain

Background:Human papillomavirus (HPV) variants differ in their biological and chemical properties, and therefore, may present differences in pathogenicity. Most authors classified variants based on the phylogenetic analysis of L1 region. Nevertheless, recombination in HPV samples is becoming a usual finding and thus, characterizing genetic variability in other regions should be essential. Objectives:We aimed to characterize the genetic variability of HPV 18 in 5 genomic regions: E6, E7, E4, L1 and the Upstream Regulatory Region (URR), working with both single infection and multiple HPV infection samples. Furthermore, we aimed to assess the prevalence of HPV 18 variants in our region and look for possible existence of recombination as well as analyze the relationship between these variants and the type of lesion. Methods: From 2007 to 2010, Clinical Microbiology and Infection Control Department analyzed 44 samples which were positive for HPV 18. Genetic variability was determined in PCR products and variants were assigned to European, Asian-amerindian or African lineage. Recombination and association of variants with different types of lesion was studied. Results: Genetic analysis of the regions revealed a total of 56 nucleotide variations. European, African and Asian-amerindian variants were found in 25/44 (56.8%), 10/44 (22.7%) and 5/44 (11.4%) samples, respectively. We detected the presence of recombinant variants in 2/44 (4.5%) cases. Samples taken from high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (H-SIL) only presented variants with specific-african substitutions. Conclusions: Multiple HPV infection, non-european HPV variants prevalence and existence of recombination are considered risk factors for HPV persistence and progression of intraepithelial abnormalities, and therefore, should be taken into consideration in order to help to design and optimize diagnostics protocols as well as improve epidemiologic studies. Our study is one of the few studies in Spain which analyses the genetic variability of HPV18 and we showed the importance of characterizing more than one genomic region in order to detect recombination and classify HPV variants properly

Estrategias de arranque de biofiltros orgánicos para el tratamiento de corrientes gaseosas contaminadas con compuestos de azufre

[ES]El disulfuro de carbono (CS2) y el sulfuro de hidrógeno (H2S) son gases especialmente tóxicos presentes en una gran cantidad de emisiones gaseosas industriales, principalmente en la producción de fibras de rayón a partir de celulosa en el caso del CS2, y en la industria petroquímica en el caso del H2S. La legislación vigente en cuanto a las emisiones de estos compuestos se refiere hace que su tratamiento sea, en muchos casos, necesario. La biofiltración como tecnología para el tratamiento de corrientes gaseosas contaminadas se ha convertido en los últimos años en una alternativa a los tratamientos físico-químicos empleados hasta la fecha. Sin embargo, uno de los principales obstáculos a la hora de la implantación de este tratamiento biológico a escala industrial es la duración del periodo de aclimatación de la biomasa encargada de degradar los contaminantes, que en función del compuesto a tratar puede resultar demasiado largo para la aplicación comercial de esta tecnología. El presente trabajo se centra en el estudio de estos periodos de arranque y aclimatación, especialmente lentos en el caso del CS2, y propone una estrategia de arranque basada en la reutilización de biomasa capaz de degradar los compuestos de interés, almacenada tras usos anteriores, que permite reducir el tiempo necesario para alcanzar eficacias de eliminación elevadas. Paralelamente, se ha concluido que paradas de corta duración no afectan de manera importante a la operación del sistema.

TRANSFER OF ANALYTICAL METHODS FOR THE CHARACTERISATION OF NATURAL PRODUCTS TO R&D PROCESSES OF IDOKI

IDOKI SCF Technologies S.L. is a technology-based company, set up on September 2006 in Derio (Biscay) with the main scope of developing extraction and purification processes based on the use of supercritical fluid extraction technology (SFE) in food processing, extraction of natural products and the production of personal care products. IDOKI¿s researchers have been working on many different R&D projects so far, most of them using this technology. However, the optimization of a SFE method for the different matrices cannot be performed unless we have an analytical method for the characterisation of the extracts obtained in each experiment. The analytical methods are also essential for the quality control of the raw materials that are going to be used and also for the final product. This PhD thesis was born to tackle this problem and therefore, it is based on the development of different analytical methods for the characterisation of the extracts and products. The projects that we could include in this thesis were the following: the extraction propolis, the recovery of agroindustrial residues (soy and wine) and the dealcoholisation of wine.On the one hand, for the extraction of propolis, several UV-Vis spectroscopic methods were used in order to measure the antioxidant capacity and the total polyphenol and flavonoid content of the extracts. A SFC method was also developed in order to measure more specific phenolic compounds. On the other hand, for the recovery of agroindustrial residues UV-Vis spectroscopy was used to determine the total polyphenol content and two SFC methods were developed to analyse different phenolic compounds. Extraction methods such as MAE, FUSE and rotary agitation were also evaluated for the characterisation of the raw materials.Finally, for the dealcoholisation of wine, the development of a SBSE-TD-GC-MS and DHS-TD-GC-MS methods for the analysis of aromas and a NIR spectroscopic method for the determination of ethanol content with the help of chemometrics was necessary. Most of these methods are typically used in IDOKI¿s lab as routine analyses apart from others not included in this PhD thesis.

Uncovering the role of free volume in biomaterials and biological matter

134 p.

European Newspapers’ Digital Transition: New Products and New Audiences

The adaptation of traditional newspapers to new digital media and its interface, far from being a mere technical transformation, has contributed to a gradual change in the media themselves and their audiences. With a sample including the top general information pay newspaper in each of the 28 countries of the European Union, this research has carried out an analysis using 17 indicators divided in 4 categories. The aim is to identify the transformations that the implementation of digital media have brought to the top European newspapers. In general terms, the results show that most dailies have managed to keep their leadership also in online environment. Moreover, an emerging group of global media is growing up, based in preexisting national media. Digital and mobile media have contributed to the appearance of new consumption habits as well, where users read more superficially and sporadically. The audience uses several formats at a time, and digital devices already bring the biggest amount of users to many media. The Internet-created new information windows –search engines, social networks, etc. –are also contributing to the change in professional work routines.

Efecto del glifosato en la morfologia del tubo dogestivo y en la actividad acetilcolinesterasa de la lombriz Eisenia fetida

[EUS] Gaur egun produktu kimiko ugari erabiltzen dira nekazaritzaren produktibitatea emendatzeko eta modu honetan nekazaritza-produktuen etekin eta kalitatea hobetzeko asmoz. Hala ere, produktu kimiko hauek ekosisteman izan ditzaketen hilgarriak ez diren eraginak askotan ez dira kontuan hartzen. Azken urteotan osagai aktibo gisa glifosatoa duten herbiziden erabilera emendatu da. Lan honetan, glifosatoak ingurunean sor ditzakeen eraginak ikertu nahi izan dira, lurzoruan oso ugaria den Eisenia fetida zizarea adierazle biologiko gisa erabiliz. Esperimentuan 10 indibiduo helduz osaturiko 4 populazio erabili ziren, zeinak 14 egunez tratamendu desberdinetan ezarri ziren (kontrola, 50, 500 eta 5000 mg glifosato/Kg lur lehor). Glifosato kontzentrazio desberdinek ez zuten zizareen hilkortasunean edo pisuaren aldaketan eraginik izan. Hala ere, digestio-hodiaren epitelioaren morfologian eta azetilkolinesterasaren jardueran aldaketak behatu ziren. Glifosato kontzentrazio baxueneko ontziko zizareetan digestio-hodiko epitelioaren altueraren uniformetasun falta behatu zen, glifosato kontzentrazio ertaineko ontziko zizareetan orokorrean epitelioaren altuera txikiagoa zen, eta glifosato kontzentrazio handieneko ontziko zizareetan digestio-hodien borobiltasuna eta epitelioaren jarraitasuna galdu zen. Azetilkolinesterasaren jardueraren murrizpena behatu zen glifosatodun lurretan egondako zizareetan. Esperimentu honetan erabilitako glifosato kontzentrazioek zizareengan hilgarriak ez diren aldaketak sortzen dituzte, aztertutako biomarkatzaileak etorkizuneko ekotoxikologia testetan erabilgarriak izan daitezkeelarik.