Potenciación de la respuesta inmune humoral sistémica en ratas lactantes por el ácido linoleico conjugado (CLA)

Cis-9, trans-11 (c9, t11) and trans-10, cis-12 (t10, c12) are the predominating molecules in the positional and geometrical isomers mixture termed CLA. Although CLA has shown positive effects on human health and seems to be associated with immunomodulatory activities, its effect in the developing immune system has not been studied. Thus, the present study was designed to establish the effect of CLA supplementation during gestation and/or lactation on humoral immune response, i.e. by analysing sera Ig levels during the suckling period. Wistar rats were allocated to four groups (A, B, C and W) on day 7 of pregnancy. From day 7 and throughout the study period group C and W gestating mothers were fed standard pellet chow. Group A and B dams were fed 10 g CLA (80% cis-9, trans-11, 20% trans-10, cis-12; Lipid Nutrition B. V. Wormerveer, The Netherlands)/kg pellet chow during gestation. Moreover, group A mothers were also fed the CLA-supplemented chow until the litters were 21 d old, the end of suckling period. Group B and C litters received the CLA mixture of isomers by daily oral administration while their respective dams were fed standard pellet chow during lactation. In all cases litters were equalised to ten rats per lactating mother. Pups from each experimental group were killed at the end of the second week of life (day 14) and at the end of the suckling period (day 21), and blood samples were collected. Serum IgA, IgG and IgM levels were quantified by the ELISA sandwich technique. ANOVA and post hoc comparisons (LSD test) were performed. Differences were considered to be significant at P<0.05. Animals receiving CLA passively from their mothers (group A) during gestation and the suckling period exhibited the highest concentrations of IgG and IgM at 14 d old (P<0.05; see Table). At the end of suckling period the serum IgG concentration in this group was also increased, up to three times more than in the other groups (P<0.05). Those animals supplemented with CLA only during suckling period (group C) showed no difference in relation to those receiving no supplement. Thus, these results demonstrate that CLA supplementation during gestation and lactation promotes systemic humoral immune response

Diferenciación y desarrollo postnatal de los tipos de fibras musculares en el cerdo chato murciano

Mediante la técnica que detecta la actividad de la enzima ATPasa miosínica se analiza el tamaño y porcentajes de los distintos tipos de fibras que integran el músculo longísimo lumbar del cerdo “Chato Murciano”, desde el nacimiento hasta los 120 días de edad. Al nacimiento, el músculo longísimo está conformado por un 5,5% de fibras tipo I, de gran tamaño y un 94,5% de fibras tipo II, de menor tamaño. Durante el primer mes de vida postnatal las fibras tipo II se irán diferenciando en nuevas fibras tipo I y subtipos IIA y IIX. A partir de los dos meses tiene lugar un aumento del diámetro fibrilar (hipertrofia) y una distribución fibrilar que recuerda a la de animales adultos. Aunque la hipertrofia observada afecta a los tres tipos de fibras evaluados, parece claro que el crecimiento y conformación muscular en el cerdo chato murciano está muy asociado al notable incremento en diámetro que experimentan las fibras IIX, ya que éstas crecen más rápidamente que las tipo I y IIA

Correlación existente entre los tipos de fibras musculares, el ph y la capacidad de retención de agua de la carne en el cerdo chato murciano.

Mediante análisis de correlación se valora la influencia que los tipos de fibras I, IIA y IIX tienen sobre el pH y la capacidad de retención de agua en el músculo longísimo lumbar del cerdo “Chato Murciano”. Los resultados demuestran que los tipos de fibras no influyen sobre el pH a los 45’, pero sí durante la caída del mismo a las 24 h del sacrificio. Por otra parte, nuestros resultados indican que la capacidad de retención de agua está relacionada negativamente con el tamaño de las fibras tipo IIA

The epidemiological situation of tuberculosis in Spain according to surveillance and hospitalization data, 2012-2020

Background: Before the COVID-19 pandemic, tuberculosis (TB) was the leading cause of death from a single infectious agent. In Spain, TB notifications are registered through the National Epidemiological Surveillance Network (RENAVE). The Minimum Basic Data Set (CMBD) provides information on TB hospital discharges. This study aims to assess both registries to complete the picture of TB in order to improve national control strategies and make further progress toward its elimination. Methods: A retrospective study was performed considering CMBD´s hospital discharges with TB as first diagnosis and notifications to RENAVE between 2012 and 2020. After describing the records of both systems and their differences by using descriptive and multivariate analysis, annual incidences rates were calculated in order to evaluate temporal trends and geographical patters. Results: According to the CMBD database, there were 29,942 hospitalizations due to TB (65% pulmonary forms and 66% male) during the study period. RENAVE collected 44,520 reported cases, mostly males (62%) with pulmonary forms (72%). Young children were similar in both groups, showing the high frequency of hospitalization in this group. Almost all autonomous communities showed a downward trend, especially Asturias. Hospitalizations in 2020 were analyzed by month separately, and comparing with previous years, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic can be seen. Conclusions: A decreasing trend on TB incidence was observed in Spain since 2012, although this trend might change after COVID-19 pandemic. The analysis of both databases, CMBD and RENAVE, has contributed to improve our knowledge of TB in Spain and will help improve the control of this disease.This research was supported by CIBER-Consorcio Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación and Unión Europea- European Regional Development Fund received by LH, RC and ZH.S

Propiedades de durabilidad en concreto y análisis microestructural en pastas de cemento con adición de mucílago de nopal como aditivo natural

The present study evaluated the addition of a 3% nopal cactus mucilage solution to cement pastes, in its effects on setting times, flow, hydration, and microstructure, as well as on capillary water absorption and chloride diffusion in concrete. Hydration was characterized through XRD and microstructure was characterized with SEM. The mucilage solution/cement and water/cement ratios tested were 0.30, 0.45, and 0.60. The results in cement pastes indicate that the addition of mucilage increases setting times, reduces flow, slows cement hydration, and inhibits the formation of calcium hydroxide crystals in comparison with the control. Capillary absorption was significantly reduced in concrete containing mucilage, and chloride diffusion coefficients dropped up to 20% in the mixture with a mucilage/cement ratio = 0.30. The mixture with a mucilage/cement ratio = 0.45 displayed marginal reduction, and the mixture with mucilage/cement ratio = 0.60 exhibited a diffusion coefficient that was greater than the control for the specimens without moist curing.En esta investigación se evaluó el efecto de una solución de mucílago de nopal al 3% en los tiempos de fraguado, fluidez, hidratación y microestructura de pastas de cemento, y absorción capilar de agua y difusión de cloruros en concreto. La hidratación fue caracterizada por XRD y la microestructura por medio de SEM. Las relaciones solución de mucílago/cemento y agua/cemento fueron 0,30; 0,45 y 0,60. Los resultados en las pastas de cemento indican que el mucílago retarda los tiempos de fraguado, reduce la fluidez, retarda la hidratación del cemento, e inhibe la formación de cristales de hidróxido de calcio, comparados con los controles. La absorción capilar en concreto conteniendo mucílago se redujo significativamente y los coeficientes de difusión de cloruros disminuyeron hasta 20% en la mezcla mucílago/cemento = 0.30. En la relación mucílago/cemento = 0.45 la reducción fue marginal y en la relación mucílago/cemento = 0,60 el coeficiente de difusión fue mayor que el control para los especímenes sin curado en húmedo

GRB 140606B/iPTF14bfu: Detection of shock-breakout emission from a cosmological γ -ray burst?

We present optical and near-infrared photometry of GRB 140606B (z = 0.384), and optical photometry and spectroscopy of its associated supernova (SN). The results of our modelling indicate that the bolometric properties of the SN (MNi = 0.4 ± 0.2 M·, Mej = 5 ± 2 M·, and EK = 2 ± 1 × 1052 erg) are fully consistent with the statistical averages determined for other γ -ray burst (GRB)-SNe. However, in terms of its γ -ray emission, GRB 140606B is an outlier of the Amati relation, and occupies the same region as low luminosity (ll) and short GRBs. The γ -ray emission in llGRBs is thought to arise in some or all events from a shock breakout (SBO), rather than from a jet. The measured peak photon energy (Ep ≈ 800 keV) is close to that expected for γ -rays created by an SBO (≳ 1 MeV). Moreover, based on its position in theMV ,p-Liso,γ plane and the EK-Γβ plane, GRB 140606B has properties similar to both SBO-GRBs and jetted-GRBs. Additionally, we searched for correlations between the isotropic γ -ray emission and the bolometric properties of a sample of GRB-SNe, finding that no statistically significant correlation is present. The average kinetic energy of the sample is ĒK = 2.1 × 1052 erg. All of the GRB-SNe in our sample, with the exception of SN 2006aj, are within this range, which has implications for the total energy budget available to power both the relativistic and non-relativistic components in a GRB-SN event. © 2015 The Authors