C Alonso-Andicoberry’s research while affiliated with University of Ulster and other places

Risk-benefit assessment is the comparison of the risk of a situation to its related benefits, i.e. a comparison of scenarios estimating the overall health impact. The risk-benefit analysis paradigm mirrors the classical risk analysis one: risk-benefit assessment goes hand-in-hand with risk-benefit management and risk-benefit communication. The various health effects associated with food consumption, together with the increasing demand for advice on healthy and safe diets, have led to the development of different research disciplines in food safety and nutrition. In this sense, there is a clear need for a holistic approach, including and comparing all of the relevant health risks and benefits. The risk-benefit assessment of foods is a valuable approach to estimate the overall impact of food on health. It aims to assess together the negative and positive health effects associated with food intake by integrating chemical and microbiological risk assessment with risk and benefit assessment in food safety and nutrition. The 2019 Summer School on risk-benefit in food safety and nutrition had the objective was to provide an opportunity to learn from experts in the field of risk-benefit approach in food safety and nutrition, including theory, case studies, and communication of risk-benefit assessments plus identify challenges for the future. It was evident that whereas tools and approaches have been developed, more and more case studies have been performed which can form an inherent validation of the risk-benefit approach. Executed risk-benefit assessment case studies apply the steps and characteristics developed: a problem formulation (with at least 2 scenarios), a tiered approach until a decision can be made, one common currency to describe both beneficial and adverse effects (DALYs in most instances). It was concluded that risk-benefit assessment in food safety and nutrition is gaining more and more momentum, while also many challenges remain for the future. Risk-benefit is on the verge of really enrolling into the risk assessment and risk analysis paradigm. The interaction between risk-benefit assessors and risk-benefit managers is pivotal in this, as is the interaction with risk-benefit communicators.

Microcystis aeruginosa (Cyanobacteria) is known to be the main source of toxic blooms affecting humans and animals in inland water systems. Usually, this toxic species occurs in dense blooms with patches of high and low toxin concentrations at the same time. Environmental causes have usually been suggested to explain this heterogeneity, but genetic differences also play an important role. We measured variability in toxin production (toxin concentration and toxin quota) both within and between populations of M. aeruginosa. Twenty-six clonal cultures of M. aeruginosa, isolated from two water-supply reservoirs in Andalusia (southern Spain) and three lagoons from Donana National Park, were grown under the same environmental conditions and their toxin production was measured. Statistically significant variation in the production of microcystin was found both within and between populations, but was greater within than between populations. These results suggest that interstrain variability could be the main cause of observed spatial-temporal heterogeneity in toxin production. This raises uncertainty in water-supply management early-warning systems based on cell abundance.

Our aim in this cross-sectional study was to investigate the seroprevalence of Leptospira spp. infection in herds and cattle and the relationships between seroprevalence and beef versus dairy, size, replacement policy and grazing management in a representative area of beef- and dairy-cattle production in Spain. Herds were the initial sampling unit. Blood samples were collected from 762 dairy cattle belonging to 81 herds and 1238 beef cattle from 134 herds; sera were tested for antibodies against 11 serovars of Leptospira (autumnalis, ballum, bratislava, canicola, castellonis, copenhagheni, grippotyphosa, hardjo, louisiana, pomona and tarassovi) using the microagglutination test. Forty-three percent (36.2-49.5%) of the herds and 8% (6.4-8.8%) of the individuals were seropositive against one or more of the serovars studied. Bratislava was the most-prevalent serovar (24% of the herds and 4% of the individuals) followed by hardjo (11 and 1%, respectively). Grippotyphosa, copenhagheni and tarassovi were more prevalent in dairy than in beef herds (P<0.001, P<0.05, P<0.05, respectively) -- but no significant association was found between herd-size and Leptospira seroprevalence for any of the serovars considered.

La transformación de cspcrnatogonias inditcrenciadas empieza a ser un sistema alternativo para la modifi-cación <le la línea germinal animal y obtención de animales genéticamente modificados a raíz (lo la posibilidad de trasplante de estas células al testículo de un macho receptor de la misma o diferente especie. El desarrollo de esta metodología implica lit necesidad de optimizar un sistema de cultivo in raro que pcrnita cl mantenimiento a largo plazo de esta estirpe celular de ¡orna indiferenciada, y también la consecución de un sistema de transfcc-ción eficiente. Este trabajo explora cl segundo aspecto comparando la capacidad de transtccción de tres diferen-tes liposomas utilizando una construcción basada en la expresión de proteína fluorescente verde (GFP) como marcador de expresión. Nuestro estudio demuestra que es posible transfectar una población celular enriquecida en cspermatogonias tipo A mediante diferentes fórmulas lipidicas (lipofcctina, lipotcctamina y ccllfcctina) con un rango bajo de citotoxicidad. Se han detectado diferencias en cl nivel de expresión de GFP en las espcrmato-gonias transfectadas dependientes del liposoma utilizado y del tiempo post-transfección. Los porcentajes de cé-lulas transfectadas más elevados se obtuvieron con lipofcctamina 48 horas después de la transfección.