Human mitochondrial DNA variability: multidisciplinary applications in the fields of forensic, medical and population genetics

The results of the present project indicate that the analysis of the mtDNA variation can be useful in medical, forensic, and population genetic studies. The particular features of the mtDNA, including high copy number, lack of recombination, and high average mutation rate; also determine its usefulness and limitations in genetic studies. For instance, the reconstruction of the phylogeny is straightforward because the lineages are passed through the matriline with the only changes generated by mutation. However, this is a single marker and only tells the history of female population, which not necessarily match the demography of the whole population. We have applied these principles to the analysis of several human populations, to the forensic field, and to some medical study. All of them have many aspects in common, indicating also the important interplay that should be always needed in all mtDNA studies. For instance, one cannot carry out a forensic or medical genetic study ignoring population variation patterns or the important heterogeneity that exists regarding site specific mutation rates. We have contributed to improve our knowledge of the variation in several African, European, and American populations. In this project we have also focussed our attention in several aspects of forensic interest, concerning the analysis of degraded and low DNA amount samples. And finally, we have tried to establish a necessary bridge between the different fields of research, indicating that proper quality standards can help to avoid false positives of instabilities in cancer studies, erroneous conclusions in forensic casework, or errors in datasets that could have consequences in population studies or indirectly in forensic or medical genetic ones

Evaluación del Programa Remediar : acceso a medicamentos esenciales en el Primer Nivel de Atención (PNA)

Fil: Cerezo, Leticia. Área de Monitoreo y Evaluación del Programa RemediarFil: Fernández Prieto, Anabel. Centro REDES (Centro de Estudios sobre Ciencia, Desarrollo y Educación Superior)Fil: Rezzonico, María Guadalupe. Centro REDES (Centro de Estudios sobre Ciencia, Desarrollo y Educación Superior

Inhibition of VEGF-Induced VEGFR-2 Activation and HUVEC Migration by Melatonin and Other Bioactive Indolic Compounds

Excessive concentrations of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) trigger angiogenesis, which causes complications such as the destabilization of atherosclerotic plaques and increased growth of tumors. This work focuses on the determination of the inhibitory activity of melatonin and other indolic related compounds on VEGF-induced VEGF receptor-2 (VEGFR-2) activation and an approximation to the molecular mechanism underlying the inhibition. Quantification of phosphorylated VEGFR-2 was measured by ELISA. Migration wound-healing assay was used to determine cell migration of human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). This is the first time that melatonin, 3-indolacetic acid, 5-hydroxytryptophol, and serotonin are proved to significantly inhibit VEGF-induced VEGFR-2 activation in human umbilical vein endothelial cells and subsequent angiogenesis. 3-Indolacetic acid showed the highest inhibitory effect (IC50 value of 0.9704 mM), followed by 5-hydroxytryptophol (35% of inhibition at 0.1 mM), melatonin (30% of inhibition at 1 mM), and serotonin (24% of inhibition at 1 mM). An approximation to the molecular mechanism of the inhibition has been proposed, suggesting that indolic compounds might interact with the cell surface components of the endothelial membrane in a way that prevents VEGF from activating the receptor. Additionally, wound-healing assay revealed that exposure of HUVECs to melatonin and 3-indolacetic acid in the presence of VEGF significantly inhibited cell migration by 87% and 99%, respectively, after 24 h. These data demonstrate that melatonin, 3-indolacetic acid, 5-hydroxytryptophol, and serotonin would be good molecules for future exploitation as anti-VEGF signaling agents.España, Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación AGL2013-47300-C3-2-

Time course of l-tryptophan metabolites when fermenting natural grape musts: effect of inoculation treatments and cultivar on the occurrence of melatonin and related indolic compounds

Background and Aims:Tryptophan is involved in the formation of bioactive compounds, such as melatonin (MEL) and3-indoleacetic acid (3-IAA), by yeast. Melatonin is a neurohormone whose occurrence in wine has been widely reported inrecent years. The occurrence, however, of MEL and other indolic compounds related to tryptophan metabolism by wineyeast strains has been scarcely reported in grape musts. This work examined the occurrence of these compounds during thealcoholic fermentation (AF) of musts from seven grape cultivars, Corredera, Chardonnay, Moscatel, Palomino Fino, Sau-vignon Blanc, Tempranillo and Vijiriega.Methods and Results:Must was fermented with threeSaccharomyces cerevisiaestrains and then in two cases an additionalsequential inoculation with the non-SaccharomycesyeastTorulaspora delbrueckiiwas carried out. Fermented must samples wereanalysed by UHPLC/HRMS to determine the concentration of:L-tryptophan, 5-hydroxytryptophan, 5-hydroxytryptamine,N-acetyl-5-hydroxytryptamine, MEL, 3-IAA, tryptamine, tryptophol andL-tryptophan ethyl ester. The profile of indoliccompounds during AF with the Aroma White strain depended on the cultivar. The yeast strain did not influence the profile ofindolic compounds; instead, fermentation time was found to be a more influential factor.Conclusions:The production of indolic compounds during the AF depends largely on the cultivar used and the day of fer-mentation on natural grape musts.Significance of the Study:This is thefirst study that quantifies 5-hydroxytryptophan andN-acetyl-5-hydroxytryptamineduring the AF of grape must. The occurrence of compounds with bioactive potential, for example 3-IAA and ML, during fer-mentation with commercial yeast strains is also described.Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad de España - AGL2013-47300-C3-2-R, 2014–16 y AGL2016-77505-C3-2-R, 2017–1

La tutorización del TFG en el Grado de Psicología: propuesta de evaluación por rúbrica

Existe la necesidad de definir las competencias de tutorización del profesorado. Este trabajo presenta una propuesta de rúbrica para ayudar al profesorado a dirigir los TFG eficazmente.Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech

Extensión y valoración de los recursos de F@RMACIÓN

Se especifican los objetivos alcanzados en el mismo así como la metodología utilizada para su realización y las actividades llevadas a cabo durante el mismo. También se aportan los datos de las comunicaciones realizadas de todas estas actividades en distintos foros educativos, así como el material presentados en algunos de ellos, que ha sido recogido en los Anexos

Consistencia en los estilos de madres y padres y estrés manifestado en adolescentes

Este estudio tenía por objetivo examinar si la atribución individual y conjunta del estilo de socialización familiar se relacionaba con las manifestaciones emocionales, fisiológicas y conductuales asociadas al estrés. Ochocientos cincuenta y siete estudiantes de educación secundaria obligatoria, con edades com prendidas entre los 12 y los 16 años, participaron en este estudio. Para identificar los diferentes estilos educativos parentales se realizaron dos análisis de clusters por separado (madres y padres) empleando las puntuaciones otorgadas en diferentes dimensiones (afecto, disciplina inductiva, disciplina rígida y disciplina negligente). Los resultados sugieren que la atribución de un estilo de socialización familiar democrático se relaciona con menores índices de manifestaciones emocionales, fisiológicas y conductuales vinculadas al estrés. Asimismo, la presencia de un padre democrático en la familia parece asociada a la reducción de manifestaciones de estrés cuando se compara con la combinación de cualquier otro patrón incongruente e incluso congruente distinto al democrático. Finalmente, los chicos afirmaron exhibir en mayor grado que las chicas manifestaciones conductuales asociadas al estrés.This study was conducted with the goal of evaluating whether individual and joined attributions of parenting styles (authoritative, permissive, affective-authoritarian and neglectful) was related to emotional, physiological and behavioral manifestations of stress. Eight hundred and fifty seven high school students of compulsory secondary education ranging 12 and 16 years old participated in the study. To identify parenting styles, two separate cluster analyses were conducted on the maternal and paternal parenting variables (caring, inductive discipline, severe discipline and indulgent discipline). Results suggested that authoritative parenting style was linked to lower levels of physiological, emotional and behavioral manifestations of stress. Moreover, the presence of an authoritative parent is linked to stress reduction when compared with any other congruent or incongruent parenting style different from the authoritative one. Finally, boys showed behavioral manifestations of stress in a higher degree than girls

¿Por qué el vídeo? Creación de vídeos didácticos

Con esta comunicación pretendemos recordar la importancia del medio vídeo como estrategia de enseñanza-aprendizaje. Aunque nos encontramos en una sociedad en la que la proliferación de las Nuevas Tecnologías de la Información y la Comunicación nos absorben hasta el punto de en ocasiones invertir en tecnologías que supera con creces la formación que tenemos. Por ellos, hablamos del medio vídeo, como un medio de fácil acceso, económico y de fácil utilización.With this communication we seek to remember the importance of the means videotape like teaching-learning strategy, although we are in a society in which the proliferation of the New Technologies of the Information and the Communication absorb us until the point of in occasions to invest in technologies that it overcomes the formation that we have amply. For them, we speak of the means videotape, as a means of easy access, economic and of easy use

Effectiveness of an intervention to increase social support in motor disabled adolescents from volunteering students of secondary education

Esta investigación versa sobre la necesidad de los adolescentes discapacitados motores de incrementar sus relaciones sociales y cómo por medio de un programa de voluntariado inducido, otros adolescentes pueden prestarles esa ayuda. Los participantes fueron treinta adolescentes discapacitados motores (20 mujeres y 10 hombres) y 35 adolescentes no discapacitados voluntarios (27 mujeres y 8 hombres) que cursaban Educación Secundaria. Los análisis compararon la competencia social, el autoconcepto general, el autoconcepto social y el apoyo social percibido por los adolescentes con discapacidad motora antes y después de su participación en el programa, hallándose un incremento de las puntuaciones en todas estas variables. También se analizaron los cambios que el grupo de adolescentes voluntarios experimentaron en autoconcepto social y en valores de amistad y compañerismo tras la intervención, no hallándose diferencias en sus puntuaciones. Adicionalmente, se llevó a cabo una evaluación cualitativa del impacto que el programa tuvo sobre los discapacitados y sus familias, encontrándose que todos estaban satisfechos con su participación en la experiencia. Para finalizar, se discute el valor del voluntariado inducido como herramienta de ayuda para colectivos desfavorecidos, así como su valor educativo para promover valores y comportamientos prosociales en adolescentes