Bubble bursting jets are driven by the purely inertial collapse of gas cavities

The analysis of numerical simulations describing the collapse of capillary cavities reveals that the jets originated from the bursting of bubbles are driven by the condition that the dimensionless liquid flow rate per unit length directed towards the axis of symmetry, $q_\infty$, remains nearly constant in time. This observation, which is justified in physical terms because liquid inertia prevents appreciable changes in $q_\infty$ during the short time scale characterizing the jet ejection process, together with the fact that bubble bursting jets are produced from the bottom of a conical cavity, justify the purely inertial scalings for the jet width and velocity found here, $r_{jet}\propto\sqrt{q_\infty\tau}$ and $v_{jet}\propto \sqrt{q_\infty/\tau}$, with $\tau$ indicating the dimensionless time after the jet is ejected, a result which notably differs from the common belief that the jet width and velocity follow the inertio-capillary scaling $r_{jet}\propto \tau^{2/3}$ and $v_{jet}\propto \tau^{-1/3}$. Our description reproduces the time evolution of the jet width and velocity for over three decades in time, obtaining good agreement with numerical simulations from the instant of jet inception until the jet width is comparable to that of the initial bubble.Comment: 15 pages, 10 figures. Figures are revised and properly referenced (v100323

Estudio de tumores de la cavidad nasal y senos paranasales del perro mediante tomografía computarizada

En 8 perros se estudiaron imágenes de tomografía computarizada (TC), analizando la extensión de tumores de cavidad nasal y/o senos paranasales. La técnica resultó especialmente útil en animales con descarga nasal crónica, protrusión del globo ocular, ceguera de origen central o signos de disfunción neurológica por afectación de porciones rostrales del encéfalo.

Mitochondrial dysfunction and oxidative stress in rheumatoid arthritis

Review[Abstract] Control of excessive mitochondrial oxidative stress could provide new targets for both preventive and therapeutic interventions in the treatment of chronic inflammation or any pathology that develops under an inflammatory scenario, such as rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Increasing evidence has demonstrated the role of mitochondrial alterations in autoimmune diseases mainly due to the interplay between metabolism and innate immunity, but also in the modulation of inflammatory response of resident cells, such as synoviocytes. Thus, mitochondrial dysfunction derived from several danger signals could activate tricarboxylic acid (TCA) disruption, thereby favoring a vicious cycle of oxidative/mitochondrial stress. Mitochondrial dysfunction can act through modulating innate immunity via redox-sensitive inflammatory pathways or direct activation of the inflammasome. Besides, mitochondria also have a central role in regulating cell death, which is deeply altered in RA. Additionally, multiple evidence suggests that pathological processes in RA can be shaped by epigenetic mechanisms and that in turn, mitochondria are involved in epigenetic regulation. Finally, we will discuss about the involvement of some dietary components in the onset and progression of RA.Instituto de Salud Carlos III; PI17/00404Instituto de Salud Carlos III; PI18/01803Instituto de Salud Carlos III; PI19/01206Instituto de Salud Carlos III; PI20/00793Instituto de Salud Carlos III; PI21/01969Instituto de Salud Carlos III; RICORS RD21/0002/0009Xunta de Galicia; IN607A2017/11Xunta de Galicia; IN607D2020/1

All-trans retinoic acid inhibits migration and invasiveness of rheumatoid fibroblast-like synoviocytes

[Abstract] Fibroblast-like synoviocytes (FLSs) are pivotal in inflammation and joint damage of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). They acquire an active and aggressive phenotype, displaying increased migration and invasiveness and contributing to perpetuate synovial inflammation and destruction of cartilage and bone. The main current therapies of RA are focused against inflammatory factors and immune cells; however, a significant percentage of patients do not successfully respond. Combined treatments with drugs that control inflammation and that reverse the pathogenic phenotype of FLS could improve the prognosis of these patients. An unexplored area includes the retinoic acid, the main biologic retinoid, which is a candidate drug for many diseases but has reached clinical use only for a few. Here, we explored the effect of all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) on the aggressive phenotype of FLS from patients with RA. RA FLSs were treated with ATRA, tumor necrosis factor (TNF), or TNF+ATRA, and cell migration and invasion were analyzed. In addition, a microarray analysis of expression, followed by gene-set analysis and quantitative polymerase chain reaction validation, was performed. We showed that ATRA induced a notable decrease in FLS migration and invasion that was accompanied by complex changes in gene expression. At supraphysiological doses, many of these effects were overridden or reverted by the concomitant presence of TNF. In conclusion, these results have demonstrated the therapeutic potential of retinoic acid on RA FLS provided TNF could be counterbalanced, either with high ATRA doses or with TNF inhibitors. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT All-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) reduced the rheumatoid arthritis (RA) fibroblast-like synoviocyte migration and invasiveness and down-regulated gene expression of cell motility and migration genes. At supraphysiological doses, some of these effects were reverted by tumor necrosis factor. Therefore, ATRA could be an RA drug candidate that would require high doses or combined treatment with anti-inflammatory drugs.Instituto de Salud Carlos III; PI1701660Instituto de Salud Carlos III; PI1401153Instituto de Salud Carlos III (RETICS); RD16/0012/001

Laboratory of computational analysis in vibratory systems

Las vibraciones en sistemas mecánicos constituyen un problema clave en Ingeniería Mecánica por lo que resulta primordial su estudio en cualquier asignatura relacionada con Ingeniería Mecánica. Las ecuaciones que describen el movimiento de las vibraciones mecánicas son de sobra conocidas. Sin embargo, su solución puede ser muy compleja en función de las suposiciones del modelo empleado y las condiciones de contorno del sistema mecánico. La comprensión del significado físico de los parámetros involucrados en las ecuaciones y su influencia relativa es importante para los estudiantes. Se propone así el desarrollo de una interfaz gráfica bilingüe (español-inglés) para una mejor comprensión de los conceptos físicos y matemáticos implicados en teoría de vibraciones. Dicha herramienta serviría para la resolución de diferentes casos de estudio en función del nivel de complejidad requerido y se podría utilizar como laboratorio virtual de cara al análisis de la influencia de las distintas variables y parámetros implicados en el movimiento. Así, se potencia el enfoque autónomo del aprendizaje y por tanto se promueven el desarrollo de habilidades personales por parte del alumnado. La herramienta fue compilada en MatLab© y se ha utilizado por primera vez en la Universidad de Córdoba en el curso académico 2017-2018.Vibrations in mechanical systems is a key topic in mechanical engineering and its proper understanding is paramount for students of any course related to Mechanical Engineering. The equations of movement describing mechanical vibrations are well-known. The solutions of these equations can be very complex in terms of the assumptions of the models and the boundary conditions to which they are subjected. The understanding of the physical meaning of the parameters involved in the equations and their relative influence is important for students. This paper presents the development of a bilingual graphical interface (Spanish-English) for a better understanding of the physical and mathematical concepts related to discrete vibrations with multiple degrees of freedom in mechanical systems. The tool here developed constitutes a virtual lab for the analysis of the variables and parameters involved in the equations of movement in a step-by-step way, allowing to easily change the input parameter values so as to understand the importance of the different variables. Thus, the autonomous apprenticeship and the development of personal skills of students is enhanced and promoted. This lab was coded in MatLab© and is being used for the first time at the University of Cordoba during the academic year 2017-2018

The Intragenesis and Synthetic Biology Approach towards Accelerating Genetic Gains on Strawberry: Development of New Tools to Improve Fruit Quality and Resistance to Pathogens

Under climate change, the spread of pests and pathogens into new environments has a dramatic effect on crop protection control. Strawberry (Fragaria spp.) is one the most profitable crops of the Rosaceae family worldwide, but more than 50 different genera of pathogens affect this species. Therefore, accelerating the improvement of fruit quality and pathogen resistance in strawberry represents an important objective for breeding and reducing the usage of pesticides. New genome sequencing data and bioinformatics tools has provided important resources to expand the use of synthetic biology-assisted intragenesis strategies as a powerful tool to accelerate genetic gains in strawberry. In this paper, we took advantage of these innovative approaches to create four RNAi intragenic silencing cassettes by combining specific strawberry new promoters and pathogen defense-related candidate DNA sequences to increase strawberry fruit quality and resistance by silencing their corresponding endogenous genes, mainly during fruit ripening stages, thus avoiding any unwanted effect on plant growth and development. Using a fruit transient assay, GUS expression was detected by the two synthetic FvAAT2 and FvDOF2 promoters, both by histochemical assay and qPCR analysis of GUS transcript levels, thus ensuring the ability of the same to drive the expression of the silencing cassettes in this strawberry tissue. The approaches described here represent valuable new tools for the rapid development of improved strawberry lines

Lamin A Deregulation in Human Mesenchymal Stem Cells Promotes an Impairment in their Chondrogenic Potential and Imbalance in their Response to Oxidative Stress

[Abstract] In the present study, we examined the effect of the over-expression of LMNA, or its mutant form progerin (PG), on the mesoderm differentiation potential of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) from human umbilical cord (UC) stroma using a recently described differentiation model employing spheroid formation. Accumulation of lamin A (LMNA) was previously associated with the osteoarthritis (OA) chondrocyte phenotype. Mutations of this protein are linked to laminopathies and specifically to Hutchinson–Gilford Progeria Syndrome (HGPS), an accelerated aging disease. Some authors have proposed that a deregulation of LMNA affects the differentiation potential of stem cells. The chondrogenic potential is defective in PG-MSCs, although both PG and LMNA transduced MSCs, have an increase in hypertrophy markers during chondrogenic differentiation. Furthermore, both PG and LMNA-MSCs showed a decrease in manganese superoxide dismutase (MnSODM), an increase of mitochondrial MnSODM-dependent reactive oxygen species (ROS) and alterations in their migration capacity. Finally, defects in chondrogenesis are partially reversed by periodic incubation with ROS-scavenger agent that mimics MnSODM effect. Our results indicate that over-expression of LMNA or PG by lentiviral gene delivery leads to defects in chondrogenic differentiation potential partially due to an imbalance in oxidative stress.Servizo Galego de Saúde; PS07/86Instituto de Salud Carlos III; CIBER BBNCB06-01-0040Instituto de Salud Carlos III; PI-11/0279

Validación de un nuevo método de extracción proteica de tejidos fijados en formalina e incluidos en bloques de parafina

Comunicaciones a congreso

Generation of a human control iPS cell line (ESi080‐A) from a donor with no rheumatic diseases

[Abstract] Here, we report the establishment of the human iPS cell line N1-FiPS4F#7 generated from skin cells of a patient with no rheumatic diseases, thus obtaining an appropriate control iPS cell line for researchers working in the field of rheumatic diseases. The reprogramming factors Oct4, Sox2, Klf4 and c-Myc were introduced using a non-integrating reprogramming strategy involving Sendai Virus.Instituto de Salud Carlos III; PI17/0219

A Comprehensive Study of the WRKY Transcription Factor Family in Strawberry

WRKY transcription factors play critical roles in plant growth and development or stress responses. Using up-to-date genomic data, a total of 64 and 257 WRKY genes have been identified in the diploid woodland strawberry, Fragaria vesca, and the more complex allo-octoploid commercial strawberry, Fragaria × ananassa cv. Camarosa, respectively. The completeness of the new genomes and annotations has enabled us to perform a more detailed evolutionary and functional study of the strawberry WRKY family members, particularly in the case of the cultivated hybrid, in which homoeologous and paralogous FaWRKY genes have been characterized. Analysis of the available expression profiles has revealed that many strawberry WRKY genes show preferential or tissue-specific expression. Furthermore, significant differential expression of several FaWRKY genes has been clearly detected in fruit receptacles and achenes during the ripening process and pathogen challenged, supporting a precise functional role of these strawberry genes in such processes. Further, an extensive analysis of predicted development, stress and hormone-responsive cis-acting elements in the strawberry WRKY family is shown. Our results provide a deeper and more comprehensive knowledge of the WRKY gene family in strawberry