Consulting Service on Methodology for Biomedical Research

The objective of the Consulting Service on Methodology for Biomedical Research (AMIB) is to offer support on methodology and statistics applied to biomedical research to investigators of Parc de Salut Mar (PSMAR) health care centers and IMIM.

The services offered are:

• Consultation regarding protocol design

• Sample size estimation

• Creation of randomization lists

• Design, management and quality control of data bases

• Statistical analysis

• Report writing

• Consulting on presentations and publications

Activity 2018

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Consultation by IMIM research programme 2018

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Consultations by PSMAR centers 2018

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Publications

• Curto-Barredo L, Spertino J, Figueras-Nart I, Expósito-Serrano V, Guilabert A, Melé-Ninot G, Cubiró X, Bonfill-Ortí M, Garcias-Ladaria J, Villar M, García-Navarro X, Bielsa-Marsol I, Vilavella M, Aparicio G, Baliu-Piqué C, Álvarez A, Lamas-Domenech N, Duran-Jordà X, Serra-Baldrich E, Giménez-Arnau A. Omalizumab updosing allows disease activity control in patients with refractory chronic spontaneous urticaria. Br J Dermatol. 2018 Jul;179(1):210-212. IF 6.129. Q1

• Palanca A, Castelblanco E, Perpiñán H, Betriu À, Soldevila B, Valdivielso JM, Bermúdez M, Duran X, Fernández E, Puig-Domingo M, Groop PH, Alonso N, Mauricio D. Prevalence and progression of subclinical atherosclerosis in patients with chronic kidney disease and diabetes. Atherosclerosis. 2018;276:50-57. IF 4.467. Q1

• Vallecillo G, Robles MJ, Duran X, Lerma E, Horcajada JP, Torrens M. Trends in AIDS Mortality, Retention in Opioid Agonist Therapy, and HIV RNA Suppression in HIV-Infected People Who Injected Drugs from 2000 to 2015. AIDS Behav. 2018; 22(9):2766-2772. IF 3.017. Q1

• Dalfó-Pibernat A, Dalfó Baqué A, Pelegrina Rodríguez FJ, Garin O, Duran X, Cladellas Capdevila M, Comín Colet J. Improving ambulatory blood pressure monitoring knowledge in nurses and doctors: impact of a training intervention. Eur J Cardiovasc Nurs. 2018;17(8):742-750. IF 2.651. Q1

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Freezers and Cryopreservation

This service is dedicated to the maintenance and supervision of the centralized -20°C and -80°C large freezers area as well as the liquid nitrogen area.

Services

• Monitoring of the process of supplying liquid nitrogen to the tanks

• Monitoring of the process of refilling the nitrogen tanks

• Process of supplying liquid nitrogen to portable containers

• Monitoring of proper freezer operation with a system of alarms connected to the IMIM Maintenance Service

• Assignment of space in the -80ºC freezers and LN2 containers

• Temperature control of all refrigeration units and issuing of reports

• Storage and distribution of dry ice

• Technical support and scientific consultancy and advisement

Equipment

• 64 freezers of -80ºC ultra-low temperature

• 4 temperature-controlled rooms (Temp and O2 control in one room)

• 3 chambers of -20ºC

• 4 chambers of 4ºC

• 3 combined refrigerator/freezers (double sensor)

• 3 refrigerators

• 8 freezers of -20ºC

All the equipment has sensors to monitor the different parameters of the units.

Every week, the temperature records are sent to the different research groups that use the equipment. A total of 12 new requests for cryopreservation space were processed in 2018.

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Cell Culture Service

Services

• Preparation of cell culture media on demand. A total of 1,847 culture media were prepared under request.

• Mycoplasma test. A total of 269 applications for the mycoplasma test were received.

Cell line maintenance service

The bank has more than 140 tumor and normal cell lines, kept frozen in liquid nitrogen.

The service includes maintenance of cell lines, replacement of stocks and distribution of frozen vials to internal users under request.

Number of requests in 2018: 97

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Sterilization and Cleaning

The Sterilization and Cleaning Service provides support for the research laboratories in keeping the facilities clean (lab tables, fume-cupboard glass, cabinets), as well as taking care of fungible material.

The service carries out daily sterilization controls and all records and reports are filed for examination.

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