Individually expressed SARS-CoV-2 viroporin ORF3a alters inflammatory responses and cellular structure in lung epithelial cells

1 p.-6 fig.The SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus is the causative agent of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The clinical course of this respiratory disease exhibits a broad spectrum of severity and progression patterns, being potentially fatal. It is known that the underlying cause of severe disease is a cytokine dysregulation and hyperinflammation status. The SARS-CoV-2 genome encodes for eleven accessory proteins which, despite being non-essential for viral replication, may play important roles in viral pathogenesis, and even several variants of concern have mutations among them.ORF3a, the largest accessory protein, is a type III transmembrane protein that forms dimers. It is thought to be a viroporin and function as an ion channel, although this is currently under debate. It has been described to activate the NF-kB pathway and NLRP3 inflammasome, upregulate cytokine expression, induce oxidative stress and cell apoptosis, inhibit interferon-activated JAK/STAT pathway and reduce MHC-I levels among other functionsThis research work was funded by the European Commission – NextGenerationEU (Regulation EU 2020/2094), through CSIC's Global Health Platform (PTI+ Salud Global), Junta de Andalucía (CV20-20089) and Spanish Ministry of Science project PID2021-123399OB-I00.Peer reviewe

Intranasal Administration of Undifferentiated Oligodendrocyte Lineage Cells as a Potential Approach to Deliver Oligodendrocyte Precursor Cells into Brain

Oligodendrocyte precursor cell (OPC) migration is a mechanism involved in remyelination; these cells migrate from niches in the adult CNS. However, age and disease reduce the pool of OPCs; as a result, the remyelination capacity of the CNS decreases over time. Several experimental studies have introduced OPCs to the brain via direct injection or intrathecal administration. In this study, we used the nose-to brain pathway to deliver oligodendrocyte lineage cells (human oligodendroglioma (HOG) cells), which behave similarly to OPCs in vitro. To this end, we administered GFP-labelled HOG cells intranasally to experimental animals, which were subsequently euthanised at 30 or 60 days. Our results show that the intranasal route is a viable route to the CNS and that HOG cells administered intranasally migrate preferentially to niches of OPCs (clusters created during embryonic development and adult life). Our study provides evidence, albeit limited, that HOG cells either form clusters or adhere to clusters of OPCs in the brains of experimental animals

Estudio clinicopatológico de ciervos, gamos y jabalíes abatidos en monterías en el suroeste de España.

Presentado a la XXVIII Reunión de la Sociedad Española de Anatomía Patológica Veterinaria celebrada en Córdoba del 8 al 10 de junio de 2016.Peer Reviewe

Urban estuaries and coasts

Rampant global urbanization has led to a drastic reduction in the global extent of many coastal landform habitats as a result of land reclamation, overexploitation of habitats, hard engineering, and/or extension of built infrastructure into the sea. Saltmarshes are dynamic landforms where ecological, geomorphological, and hydrodynamic systems interact to create highly productive and societally valuable intertidal landforms in sediment rich estuaries and open coasts. The diversity of coastal habitat types from rocky shores, beaches, dunes, muddy shores, and wetlands means that these habitats provide a wide spectrum of ecosystem services. Coasts are dynamic transitional zones that are under increasing pressure both from rapid urbanization and from climate related impact, including sea-level rise and more intense storms. On undeveloped or lightly developed coasts allowing coastal landforms to move inland may prove to be the most sustainable and least-cost option in the medium to long term

Short-term neuropsychiatric outcomes and quality of life in COVID-19 survivors

BACKGROUND: The general medical impacts of coronavirus (COVID-19) are increasingly appreciated. However, its impact on neurocognitive, psychiatric health and quality of life (QoL) in survivors after the acute phase is poorly understood. We aimed to evaluate neurocognitive function, psychiatric symptoms and QoL in COVID-19 survivors shortly after hospital discharge. METHODS: This was a cross-sectional analysis of a prospective study of hospitalized COVID-19 survivors followed up for 2 months after discharge. A battery of standardized instruments evaluating neurocognitive function, psychiatric morbidity and QoL (mental and physical components) was administered by telephone. RESULTS: Of the 229 screened patients, 179 were included in the final analysis. Amongst survivors, the prevalence of moderately impaired immediate verbal memory and learning was 38%, delayed verbal memory (11.8%), verbal fluency (34.6%) and working memory (executive function) (6.1%), respectively. Moreover, 58.7% of patients had neurocognitive impairment in at least one function. Rates of positive screening for anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress disorder were 29.6%, 26.8% and 25.1%, respectively. In addition, 39.1% of the patients had psychiatric morbidity. Low QoL for physical and mental components was detected in 44.1% and 39.1% of patients respectively. Delirium and psychiatric morbidity were associated with neurocognitive impairment, and female gender was related with psychiatric morbidity. CONCLUSION: Hospitalized COVID-19 survivors showed a considerable prevalence of neurocognitive impairment, psychiatric morbidity and poor QoL in the short term. It is uncertain if these impacts persist over the long term

SAR interferometry monitoring of subsidence in a detritic basin related to water depletion in the underlying confined carbonate aquifer (Torremolinos, southern Spain)

This research underlines the need to improve water management policies for areas linked to confined karstic aquifers subjected to intensive exploitation, and to develop additional efforts towards monitoring their subsidence evolution. We analyze subsidence related to intensive use of groundwater in a confined karstic aquifer, through the use of the InSAR technique, by the southern coast of Spain (Costa del Sol). Carbonates are overlain by an unconfined detritic aquifer with interlayered high transmissivity rocks, in connection with the Mediterranean Sea, where the water level is rather stable. Despite this, an accumulated deformation in the line-of-sight (LOS) direction greater than -100 mm was observed by means of the ERS-1/2 (1992-2000) and Envisat 2003-2009) satellite SAR sensors. During this period, the Costa del Sol experienced a major population increase due to the expansion of the tourism industry, with the consequent increase in groundwater exploitation. The maximum LOS displacement rates recorded during both time spans are respectively -6 mm/yr and -11 mm/yr, respectively. During the entire period, there was an accumulated descent of the confined water level of 140 m, and several fluctuations of more than 80 m correlating with the subsidence trend observed for the whole area. Main sedimentary depocenters (up to 800 m), revealed by gravity prospecting, partly coincide with areas of subsidence maxima; yet ground deformation is also influenced by other factors, the main ones being the fine-grained facies distribution and rapid urbanization due to high touristic pressure.Web of Science63668767

La universidad paraguaya, hoy

Este capítulo analiza históricamente la evolución en las décadas pasadas de las instituciones de ES y de los desafíos para alcanzar una reforma exitosa de la ES después de una larga dictadura. Esta reforma, según el autor, sería posible con una adecuada armonía entre el Estado y las IES.<br>This chapter analyzes, from a historical perspective, the evolution of higher education institutions in the last decades. The author also discusses the present challenges to achieve a successful reform of higher education after a long-lasting dictatorship. Such a reform, argues the author, would be possible with an adequate harmony between the State and the institutions of higher education