Participación en los presupuestos participativos, fortalecimiento y género. Evaluación de la experiencia de Casares.

El presente trabajo recoge los resultados de la evaluación de la experiencia del pre-supuesto participativo de Casares, un municipio de la provincia de Málaga. El obje-tivo de la investigación es examinar las diferencias existentes entre los hombres y las mujeres que participan en el proceso. Para ello, se analizan dichas diferencias en la variable psicosocial de fortalecimiento psicológico, de acuerdo con el modelo de Zimmerman (1995, 2000), y se observan las dinámicas de interacción en las asambleas, que son los espacios de deliberación vecinal de la experiencia. La in-vestigación se ha realizado mediante técnicas cualitativas y cuantitativas, utilizan-do metodologías como la observación con registro narrativo y el cuestionario. La integración de preguntas utilizadas por el CIS en el instrumento cuantitativo ha permitido comparar los resultados del estudio con los datos de la población general española. Los principales resultados muestran que en Casares la mayoría de las personas que participan son mujeres. En cuanto a las dinámicas de participación, se evidencian diferencias entre sexo, siendo las mujeres quienes más participan en los grupos y los hombres quienes suelen asumir el rol de portavoces de estos espacios. En relación a la variable psicosocial de fortalecimiento, la tendencia sigue lo espe-rado, las mujeres que participan presentan un mayor nivel de empowerment. Sin embargo, en la mayoría de los casos, la población general presenta un mayor em-powerment que la población de Casares.Coglobal y Plan Propio UMA Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech

Inside the adaptation process of Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. lactis to bile

Progressive adaptation to bile might render some lactobacilli able to withstand physiological bile salt concentrations. In this work, the adaptation to bile was evaluated on previously isolated dairy strains of Lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp. lactis 200 and L. delbrueckii subsp. lactis 200+, a strain derived thereof with stable bile-resistant phenotype. The adaptation to bile was obtained by comparing cytosolic proteomes of both strains grown in the presence or absence of bile. Proteomics were complemented with physiological studies on both strains focusing on glycolytic end-products, the ability to adhere to the human intestinal epithelial cell line HT29-MTX and survival to simulated gastrointestinal conditions. Protein pattern comparison of strains grown with and without bile allowed us to identify 9 different proteins whose production was regulated by bile in both strains, and 17 proteins that showed differences in their levels between the parental and the bile-resistant derivative. These included general stress response chaperones, proteins involved in transcription and translation, in peptidoglycan/exopolysaccharide biosynthesis, in the lipid and nucleotide metabolism and several glycolytic and pyruvate catabolism enzymes. Differences in the level of metabolic end-products of the sugar catabolism were found between the strains 200 and 200+. A decrease in the adhesion of both strains to the intestinal cell line was detected in the presence of bile. In simulated gastric and intestinal juices, a protective effect was exerted by milk improving the survival of both microorganisms. These results indicate that bile tolerance in L. delbrueckii subsp. lactis involves several mechanisms responding to the deleterious impact of bile salts on bacterial physiology. © 2010 Elsevier B.V.This work was supported by the following funds in Argentina: Programación CAI+D 2006 37-203 (Universidad Nacional del Litoral, Santa Fe, Argentina), Project PICT 2004 No. 09 20358 and PICT Jóvenes 2005 No. 32118 from the Agencia Nacional de Promoción Científica y Tecnológica (ANPCyT), and Project PIP 5321 from CONICET. The following Spanish funds are acknowledged: projects AGL2006-03336 and AGL2007-62736 from the Ministry of Science and Innovation. Patricia Burns received a 6-month grant from the Agencia Española de Cooperación Internacional for a research stay at IPLA (CSIC). Lorena Ruiz and Borja Sánchez were the recipients of a predoctoral I3P fellowship from CSIC and a postdoctoral Juan de la Cierva contract from the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation, respectively. Spanish and Argentinian groups shared a joint collaboration project CSIC–CONICET (reference 2005AR0047).Peer Reviewe

Association of levels of antibodies from patients with inflammatory bowel disease with extracellular proteins of food and probiotic bacteria

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) is an autoimmune disease characterized by a chronic inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract mucosa and is related to an abnormal immune response to commensal bacteria. Our aim of the present work has been to explore the levels of antibodies (IgG and IgA) raised against extracellular proteins produced by LAB and its association with IBD. We analyzed, by Western-blot and ELISA, the presence of serum antibodies (IgA and IgG) developed against extracellular protein fractions produced by different food bacteria from the genera Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus. We used a sera collection consisting of healthy individuals (HC, n=50), Crohn's disease patients (CD, n=37), and ulcerative colitis patients (UC, n=15). Levels of IgA antibodies developed against a cell-wall hydrolase from Lactobacillus casei subsp. rhamnosus GG (CWH) were significantly higher in the IBD group (P<0.002; n=52). The specificity of our measurements was confirmed by measuring IgA antibodies developed against the CWH peptide 365-VNTSNQTAAVSAS- 377. IBD patients appeared to have different immune response to food bacteria. This paper sets the basis for developing systems for early detection of IBD, based on the association of high levels of antibodies developed against extracellular proteins from food and probiotic bacteria. © 2014 Arancha Hevia et al.Borja Sánchez and Arancha Hevia were recipients of a Ramón y Cajal postdoctoral contract and a FPI Grant, respectively, from the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness. Research in our group is supported by Grants AGL2010-14952 and RM2010-00012-00-00 from the Spanish Plan Nacional de I+D.Peer Reviewe

Evaluation of the functional potential of Weissella and Lactobacillus isolates obtained from Nigerian traditional fermented foods and cow's intestine

The characterisation of 24 lactic acid bacteria (LAB) isolates from Nigerian traditional fermented dairy foods, including some cow's intestine isolates, was conducted in order to select isolates for potential use as probiotics. LAB isolates were identified by partial sequencing the 16S rRNA gene as belonging to the species Lactobacillus paracasei, Lactobacillus brevis and mainly Weissella confusa. At the end of a characterisation process, 2 L. paracasei and 2 W. confusa isolates were selected, and their resistance to a simulated gastrointestinal digestion and their ability to adhere to eukaryotic cell lines were assessed. The survival to the simulated gastrointestinal passage was higher when bacterial suspensions were made in skimmed milk (2.0 ± 0.8 log units reduction) or at the simulated gastric juice pH 3 (2.7 ± 0.9 log units reduction) than at pH 2.0 (5.5 ± 0.7 log units reduction). Adhesion of LAB to both intestinal and vaginal epithelial models was comparable or higher than that of the reference Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG. However, some of the isolates increased the adhesion of the pathogen Escherichia coli LMG2092 to HT-29 and HeLa monolayers. Overall, isolates L. paracasei UI14 and W. confusa UI7 are good candidates for further studying potential benefits that support their use as probiotics. This is one of the few articles reporting the characterisation and the probiotic potential of Weissella, although more studies are needed in order to establish their safety for potential probiotic applications. © 2011 Elsevier B.V.This work was financed by FEDER funds (European Union) and the Spanish Plan Nacional de I + D+I through the project AGL2009-09445. Borja Sánchez was the recipient of a postdoctoral Juan de la Cierva contract from the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation.Peer Reviewe

Th17 responses and natural IgM antibodies are related to gut microbiota composition in systemic lupus erythematosus patients

Intestinal dysbiosis, characterized by a reduced Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes ratio, has been reported in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients. In this study, in vitro cultures revealed that microbiota isolated from SLE patient stool samples (SLE-M) promoted lymphocyte activation and Th17 differentiation from naïve CD4+ lymphocytes to a greater extent than healthy control-microbiota. Enrichment of SLE-M with Treg-inducing bacteria showed that a mixture of two Clostridia strains significantly reduced the Th17/Th1 balance, whereas Bifidobacterium bifidum supplementation prevented CD4+ lymphocyte over-activation, thus supporting a possible therapeutic benefit of probiotics containing Treg-inducer strains in order to restore the Treg/Th17/Th1 imbalance present in SLE. In fact, ex vivo analyses of patient samples showed enlarged Th17 and Foxp3+ IL-17+ populations, suggesting a possible Treg-Th17 trans-differentiation. Moreover, analyses of fecal microbiota revealed a negative correlation between IL-17+ populations and Firmicutes in healthy controls, whereas in SLE this phylum correlated directly with serum levels of IFNγ, a Th1 cytokine slightly reduced in patients. Finally, the frequency of Synergistetes, positively correlated with the Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes ratio in healthy controls, tended to be reduced in patients when anti-dsDNA titers were increased and showed a strong negative correlation with IL-6 serum levels and correlated positively with protective natural IgM antibodies against phosphorylcholine.This work was supported by European Union FEDER funds, Fondo de Investigación Sanitaria (PI12/00523), Spanish Plan Nacional de I+D (AGL2010-14952 and AGL2013-44039-R) and Fundación para el Fomento en Asturias de la Investigación Científica Aplicada y la Tecnología (EQUIP09-19). J.R.-C. is a recipient of a FPU grant from the Spanish Ministerio de Educación, Cultura y Deporte. B.J. and A.H. are recipients of a Ramón y Cajal postdoctoral contract and a FPI grant, respectively, both from the Spanish Ministerio deEconomía y Competitividad. We thank SLE patients and ALAS (Asociación Lúpicos de Asturias) for their continuous encouragement.Peer reviewe

Allergic patients with long-term asthma display low levels of bifidobacterium adolescentis

Accumulated evidence suggests a relationship between specific allergic processes, such as atopic eczema in children, and an aberrant fecal microbiota. However, little is known about the complete microbiota profile of adult individuals suffering from asthma. We determined the fecal microbiota in 21 adult patients suffering allergic asthma (age 39.43 ± 10.98 years old) and compare it with the fecal microbiota of 22 healthy controls (age 39.29 ± 9.21 years old) using culture independent techniques. An Ion-Torrent 16S rRNA gene-based amplification and sequencing protocol was used to determine the fecal microbiota profile of the individuals. Sequence microbiota analysis showed that the microbial alpha-diversity was not significantly different between healthy and allergic individuals and no clear clustering of the samples was obtained using an unsupervised principal component analysis. However, the analysis of specific bacterial groups allowed us to detect significantly lower levels of bifidobacteria in patients with long-term asthma. Also, in allergic individuals the Bifidobacterium adolescentis species prevailed within the bifidobacterial population. The reduction in the levels on bifidobacteria in patients with long-term asthma suggests a new target in allergy research and opens possibilities for the therapeutic modulation of the gut microbiota in this group of patients

Comparative toxicological assessment of three soils polluted with different levels of hydrocarbons and heavy metals using in vitro and in vivo approaches

The biological effects induced by the pollutants present in soils, together with the chemical and physical characterizations, are good indicators to provide a general overview of their quality. However, the existence of studies where the toxicity associated to soils contaminated with mixtures of pollutants applying both in vitro and in vivo models are scarce. In this work, three soils (namely, Soil 001, Soil 002 and Soil 013) polluted with different concentrations of hydrocarbons and heavy metals were evaluated using different organisms representative of human (HepG2 human cell line) and environmental exposure (the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, the Gram-negative bacterium Pseudomonas putida and, for the in vivo evaluation, the annelid Enchytraeus crypticus). In vitro assays showed that the soluble fraction of the Soil 001, which presented the highest levels of heavy metals, represented a great impact in the viability of the HepG2 cells and S. cerevisiae, while organic extracts from Soils 002 and 013 caused a slight decrease in the viability of HepG2 cells. In addition, in vivo experiments showed that Soils 001 and 013 affected the survival and the reproduction of E. crypticus. Altogether, these results provide a general overview of the potential hazards associated to three specific contaminated sites in a variety of organisms, showing how different concentrations of similar pollutants affect them, and highlights the relevance of testing both organic and soluble extracts when in vitro safety assays of soils are performed.This work received funding from the GREENER project of the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program (Grant Agreement No. 826312). S. Curiel-Alegre was granted with a predoctoral contract by Junta de Castilla y León and the European Social Fund (ORDEN EDU/1508/2020, de 15 de diciembre). We thank Mireya Pedrero and Andrea Martínez for their technical support. We also thank Institute of Technology Carlow and Shandong Academy of Sciences for kindly providing us with soil samples

Bísaro Sensory evaluation of Bísaro pork meat products

O objectivo deste trabalho foi a caracterização sensorial da carne e produtos transformados de porco Bísaro. Esta caracterização foi feita por um painel de provadores treinado que avaliou através de uma análise descritiva quantitativa atributos objectivos dos produtos em análise, e por um painel de consumidores que avaliou o nível de agrado por cada um dos produtos. Os procedimentos foram feitos de acordo com as Normas Portuguesas. Os resultados da avaliação pelo painel de provadores indicaram que a carne de porco Bísaro tem excelentes qualidades organolépticas. É uma carne clara, com sabores e odores moderadamente intensos, bastante tenra e suculenta. Os consumidores consideraram os produtos avaliados agradáveis a bastante agradáveis. Destacaram o cachaço, considerando- o muito agradável. O cachaço, produto curado, foi pontuado pelo painel de provadores como tenro e suculento.Os resultados apresentados são relativos ao projecto PRODER SI I&DT Medida 4.1 Cooperação para a inovação – Projetos em Co -promoção, n.º21511; BISIPORC, realizado por Bísaro Salsicharia Tradicional e Laboratório de Tecnologia e Qualidade da Carne e da Carcaça, Escola Superior Agrária, Instituto Politécnico de Bragança.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Intestinal dysbiosis associated with systemic lupus erythematosus

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is the prototypical systemic autoimmune disease in humans and is characterized by the presence of hyperactive immune cells and aberrant antibody responses to nuclear and cytoplasmic antigens, including characteristic anti-double-stranded DNA antibodies. We performed a cross-sectional study in order to determine if an SLE-associated gut dysbiosis exists in patients without active disease. A group of 20 SLE patients in remission, for which there was strict inclusion and exclusion criteria, was recruited, and we used an optimized Ion Torrent 16S rRNA gene-based analysis protocol to decipher the fecal microbial profiles of these patients and compare them with those of 20 age- and sex-matched healthy control subjects. We found diversity to be comparable based on Shannon's index. However, we saw a significantly lower Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes ratio in SLE individuals (median ratio, 1.97) than in healthy subjects (median ratio, 4.86; P < 0.002). A lower Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes ratio in SLE individuals was corroborated by quantitative PCR analysis. Notably, a decrease of some Firmicutes families was also detected. This dysbiosis is reflected, based on in silico functional inference, in an overrepresentation of oxidative phosphorylation and glycan utilization pathways in SLE patient microbiota. IMPORTANCE: Growing evidence suggests that the gut microbiota might impact symptoms and progression of some autoimmune diseases. However, how and why this microbial community influences SLE remains to be elucidated. This is the first report describing an SLE-associated intestinal dysbiosis, and it contributes to the understanding of the interplay between the intestinal microbiota and the host in autoimmune disorders

Predictors of Response to Exclusive Enteral Nutrition in Newly Diagnosed Crohn´s Disease in Children: PRESENCE Study from SEGHNP

Exclusive enteral nutrition (EEN) has been shown to be more effective than corticosteroids in achieving mucosal healing in children with Crohn´s disease (CD) without the adverse effects of these drugs. The aims of this study were to determine the efficacy of EEN in terms of inducing clinical remission in children newly diagnosed with CD, to describe the predictive factors of response to EEN and the need for treatment with biological agents during the first 12 months of the disease. We conducted an observational retrospective multicentre study that included paediatric patients newly diagnosed with CD between 2014–2016 who underwent EEN. Two hundred and twenty-two patients (140 males) from 35 paediatric centres were included, with a mean age at diagnosis of 11.6 ± 2.5 years. The median EEN duration was 8 weeks (IQR 6.6–8.5), and 184 of the patients (83%) achieved clinical remission (weighted paediatric Crohn’s Disease activity index [wPCDAI] 15 mg/L and ileal involvement tended to respond better to EEN. EEN administered for 6–8 weeks is effective for inducing clinical remission. Due to the high response rate in our series, EEN should be used as the first-line therapy in luminal paediatric Crohn’s disease regardless of the location of disease and disease activityS