Natural radiactivity from building materials in Spain

The industrial construction sector is very important in Spain. Building materials used in this industry are sources of radiation from natural radionuclides they contain. The European Commission published some recommendations to facilitate the trade of these materials in the E.U. The studies about this subject have increased notably during last years. This, probably, can be associated with the increase interest from natural radiation radiological risk on indoor exposure.Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech. Consejo de Seguridad Nuclear. CSN-201

Hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) Protein Hydrolysates Promote Anti-Inflammatory Response in Primary Human Monocytes

Hemp seeds have a wide variety of chemical compounds which present biological activity. Specifically, the focus on proteins and bioactive peptides are increasing as alternative sources of nutraceutical uses. In the literature, hemp protein products (HPPs) have reported antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. This study aimed to determine the inflammation-related modulatory effects of HPPs on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-activated primary human monocytes. CD14+ cells were immunomagnetically isolated from buffy coats and the anti-inflammatory activity of hemp protein isolate (HPI) and hydrolysates (HPHs) was evaluated on LPS-stimulated human primary monocytes. The specific markers of inflammation, polarization, and chemoattraction were measured by RT-qPCR and ELISA assays. Our results showed that HPPs decreased the pro-inflammatory mediators (TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6) and increased the anti-inflammatory mediators (IL-10 and IL-4). In addition, M1 polarization marker gene expression (CCR7 and iNOS) was downregulated by HPPs and, M2 polarization marker gene expression (CD200R and MRC1) was upregulated. Finally, the mRNA expression of chemotaxis genes (CCR2 and CCL2) was downregulated by HPPs. In conclusion, this study suggests that HPPs may improve chronic inflammatory states and promote regenerative processes by reprogramming monocytes toward M2 polarization phenotypeMinisterio de Ciencia, innovación y Universidades CYTED-2019 119RT056

Biochemical and structural characterization of a novel thermophilic esterase EstD11 provide catalytic insights for the HSL family

[Abstract]: A novel esterase, EstD11, has been discovered in a hot spring metagenomic library. It is a thermophilic and thermostable esterase with an optimum temperature of 60 C. A detailed substrate preference analysis of EstD11 was done using a library of chromogenic ester substrate that revealed the broad substrate specificity of EstD11 with significant measurable activity against 16 substrates with varied chain length, steric hindrance, aromaticity and flexibility of the linker between the carboxyl and the alcohol moiety of the ester. The tridimensional structures of EstD11 and the inactive mutant have been determined at atomic resolutions. Structural and bioinformatic analysis, confirm that EstD11 belongs to the family IV, the hormone-sensitive lipase (HSL) family, from the α/β-hydrolase superfamily. The canonical a/b hydrolase domain is completed by a cap domain, composed by two subdomains that can unmask of the active site to allow the substrate to enter. Eight crystallographic complexes were solved with different substrates and reaction products that allowed identification of the hot-spots in the active site underlying the specificity of the protein. Crystallization and/or incubation of EstD11 at high temperature provided unique information on cap dynamics and a first glimpse of enzymatic activity in vivo. Very interestingly, we have discovered a unique Met zipper lining the active site and the cap domains that could be essential in pivotal aspects as thermo-stability and substrate promiscuity in EstD11Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación; BFU2017-90030-

IgG4-related disease: results from a multicenter Spanish registry

IgG4-related disease (IgG4-RD) is a rare entity consisting of inflammation and fibrosis that has been described in multiple organs. Concrete diagnostic criteria have been established recently and there is a lack of large series of patients.To describe the clinical presentation, histopathological characteristics, treatment and evolution of a series of IgG4-RD Spanish patients.A retrospective multicenter study was performed. Twelve hospitals across Spain included patients meeting the current 2012 consensus criteria on IgG4-RD diagnosis.Fifty-five patients were included in the study, 38 of whom (69.1%) were male. Median age at diagnosis was 53 years. Thirty (54.5%) patients were included in the Histologically Highly Suggestive IgG4-RD group and 25 (45.5%) in the probable IgG4-RD group. Twenty-six (47.3%) patients had more than 1 organ affected at presentation. The most frequently affected organs were: retroperitoneum, orbital pseudotumor, pancreas, salivary and lachrymal glands, and maxillary sinuses.Corticosteroids were the mainstay of treatment (46 patients, 83.6%). Eighteen patients (32.7%) required additional immunosuppressive agents. Twenty-four (43.6%) patients achieved a complete response and 26 (43.7%) presented a partial response (<50% of regression) after 22 months of follow-up. No deaths were attributed directly to IgG4-RD and malignancy was infrequent.This is the largest IgG4-RD series reported in Europe. Patients were middle-aged males, with histologically probable IgG4-RD. The systemic form of the disease was frequent, involving mainly sites of the head and abdomen. Corticosteroids were an effective first line treatment, sometimes combined with immunosuppressive agents. Neither fatalities nor malignancies were attributed to IgG4-RD

Immune Response to SARS-CoV-2 Third Vaccine in Patients With Rheumatoid Arthritis Who Had No Seroconversion After Primary 2-Dose Regimen With Inactivated or Vector-Based Vaccines

Objective. The aim of this study was to assess the immune response after a third dose of SARS-CoV-2 vaccine in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) with undetectable antibody titers after the primary regimen of 2 doses. Methods. Patients with RA with no seroconversion after 2 doses of SARS-CoV-2 vaccine and who received a third dose of either an mRNA or vector-based vaccine were included. Anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibodies, neutralizing activity, and T cell responses were assessed after the third dose. Results. A total of 21 nonresponder patients were included. At the time of vaccination, 29% were receiving glucocorticoids and 85% biologic disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (including 6 taking abatacept [ABA] and 4 taking rituximab [RTX]). The majority (95%) received the BNT162b2 vaccine and only one of them received the ChAdOx1 nCoV-19 vaccine. After the third dose, 91% of the patients presented detectable anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG and 76% showed neutralizing activity. Compared to other treatments, ABA and RTX were associated with the absence of neutralizing activity in 4 out of 5 (80%) patients and lower titers of neutralizing antibodies (median 3, IQR 0-20 vs 8, IQR 4-128; P = 0.20). Specific T cell response was detected in 41% of all patients after the second dose, increasing to 71% after the third dose. The use of ABA was associated with a lower frequency of T cell response (33% vs 87%, P = 0.03). Conclusion. In this RA cohort, 91% of patients who failed to seroconvert after 2 doses of SARS-CoV-2 vaccine presented detectable anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG after a third dose. The use of ABA was associated with a lower frequency of specific T cell response.Fil: Isnardi, Carolina A.. No especifíca;Fil: Cerda, Osvaldo L.. No especifíca;Fil: Landi, Margarita. Austral University Hospital; LiberiaFil: Cruces, Leonel Hernán. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas en Retrovirus y Sida. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Medicina. Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas en Retrovirus y Sida; ArgentinaFil: Schneeberger, Emilce E.. No especifíca;Fil: Montoro, Claudia Calle. Austral University Hospital; LiberiaFil: Alfaro, María Agustina. No especifíca;Fil: Roldán, Brian M.. No especifíca;Fil: Gómez Vara, Andrea B.. No especifíca;Fil: Giorgis, Pamela. No especifíca;Fil: Ezquer, Roberto Alejandro. No especifíca;Fil: Crespo Rocha, María G. No especifíca;Fil: Reyes Gómez, Camila R.. No especifíca;Fil: de Los Ángeles Correa, Mária. No especifíca;Fil: Rosemffet, Marcos G.. No especifíca;Fil: Abarza, Virginia Carrizo. No especifíca;Fil: Pellet, Santiago Catalan. Austral University Hospital; LiberiaFil: Perandones, Miguel. No especifíca;Fil: Reimundes, Cecilia. Austral University Hospital; LiberiaFil: Longueira, Yesica Soledad. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas en Retrovirus y Sida. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Medicina. Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas en Retrovirus y Sida; ArgentinaFil: Turk, Gabriela Julia Ana. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas en Retrovirus y Sida. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Medicina. Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas en Retrovirus y Sida; ArgentinaFil: Quiroga, María Florencia. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas en Retrovirus y Sida. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Medicina. Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas en Retrovirus y Sida; ArgentinaFil: Laufer, Natalia Lorna. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas en Retrovirus y Sida. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Medicina. Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas en Retrovirus y Sida; ArgentinaFil: Quintana, Rosana Maris. No especifíca;Fil: de la Vega, María Celina. No especifíca;Fil: Kreplak, Nicolás. No especifíca;Fil: Pifano, Marina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Maid, Pablo. Austral University Hospital; LiberiaFil: Pons Estel, Guillermo J.. No especifíca;Fil: Citera, Gustavo. No especifíca

Scientific and Technical Report of the DRAGO 0511 Oceanographic Cruise. Extension of the Spanish Continental Shelf west off Canary Island

Informe científico de la campaña y de los resultados preliminaresLa campaña DRAGO 0511 forma parte de los trabajos para la extensión de la plataforma continental española al oeste de las islas Canarias conforme a la Convención de Naciones Unidas sobre Derecho del Mar (CONVEMAR). Han participado un total de 19 científicos y técnicos, 4 investigadores del Instituto Español de Oceanografía (IEO) y 4 investigadores del Instituto Geológico y Minero de España (IGME) del Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación, 2 investigadores de TRAGSA (para la Secretaría General del Mar) del Ministerio de Medio Ambiente, Medio Rural y Marino, y 6 hidrógrafos del Instituto Hidrográfico de la Marina (IHM) del Ministerio de Defensa, así como 5 estudiantes (2 de grado y 3 de postgrado) de la Facultad de Ciencias del Mar y Ambientales de la Universidad de Cádiz, y de la Facultad de Ciencias Geológicas (Titulación de Ingeniería Geológica) de la Universidad Complutense. El objetivo de esta campaña es la adquisición de los datos científicos necesarios para preparar la propuesta de ampliación de la plataforma continental española más allá de las 200 millas marinas del área situada al oeste de las Islas Canarias, conforme al artículo 76 de CONVEMAR. La información que se ha obtenido es fundamentalmente de batimetría multihaz y monohaz, perfiles de la velocidad del sonido, perfiles sísmicos de alta resolución, y muestreo de fondos principalmente mediante dragas de roca. Estos datos permitirán definir desde un punto de vista morfográfico, morfosedimentario y geológico, la región de la base del talud, así como llevar a cabo la localización de los posibles pies de talud (FOS) en esta región,y demostrar la estrecha relación existente entre la zona estudiada y el archipiélago de las Islas Canarias. En este sentido se han estudiado de forma preferente un conjunto de montes submarinos presentes al suroeste de las islas Canarias cuya génesis, de origen magmático, se debe encontrar en los mismos procesos de “punto caliente” que probablemente han debido generar los edificios volcánicos que constituyen las propias islas Canarias. Por otro lado, se ha localizado la presencia de grandes cuerpos sedimentarios constituidos por materiales procedentes de estos montes submarinos y generados por movimientos en masa de tipo gravitacional a favor de la pendiente del talud continental. La presencia tanto de estos montes submarinos, como de las grandes masas de sedimentos gravitacionales y, además la localización de escarpes en el talud, serán puntos clave de gran interés en esta región, siendo argumentos científicos válidos para demostrar la prolongación natural del territorio emergido del archipiélago canario así como para localizar los puntos del pie del talud continental. Durante la campaña DRAGO 0511 se han adquirido un total de 10895.4 km de registros con sonda multihaz EM302, sonda monohaz EA 600 y sonda paramétrica TOPAS PS 18. De dichas líneas, 9647.3 km se han realizado en las dos zonas de trabajo planificadas, 5603.2 km en la zona A y 4044.3 km en la zona B. En la zona A se ha cubierto un área total de 19996 km2 mientras que en la zona B la extensión ha sido de 13545 km2. En total se ha cubierto una extensión de 17795 km2 en el área de posible ampliación de la plataforma continental española. Por otra parte, cabe señalar que además 16471 km2 de líneas se han realizado dentro de la ZEE española del archipiélago canario, que se utilizarán, en algún caso, para demostrar la continuidad de estos cuerpos sedimentarios con las islas Canarias, y más adelante para la cartografía de este sector de la ZEE española. El resto de registros, 1151.5 km. corresponden a los tránsitos. En el total del tiempo de la campaña DRAGO 0511, un 70.5 % se ha trabajado sobre las zonas planificadas A y B localizadas sobre las áreas de ampliación de la plataforma continental española o sobre puntos concretos de la ZEE española que pueden ser utilizados para establecer los FOS, un 16.7 % en tránsitos sobre la ZEE española de las islas Canarias y un 7.1% de recalada en los puertos de Santa Cruz de Tenerife y de La Estaca de la Iila de El Hierro. Los datos obtenidos en la campaña DRAGO 0511 serán usados para elaborar la presentación del trazado del límite exterior de la plataforma continental de España más allá de las 200 millas marinas en el polígono del archipiélago de las islas Canarias conforme a la parte VI y el anexo II de CONVEMAR. Dicha presentación de datos e información científica se deberá realizar ante la Comisión de límites de la plataforma continental de la Organización de las Naciones Unidas en Nueva York, de conformidad con la CONVEMAR y con las directrices científico-técnicas de dicha Comisión, con anterioridad al 9 de mayo del año 2014.Ministerio de Asuntos Exteriores y Cooperación (MAEC), Instituto Español de Oceanografía (IEO) e Instituto Geológico y Minero de España (IGME) ambos del Ministerio de Investigación, Ciencia e Industria (MICINN), Instituo Hidrográfico de la Marina (IHM) del Ministerio de Defensa (MDEF) y Secretaria General del Mar del Ministerio de Medio Ambiente, Medio Rural y Marino (MARM). Acción Complementaria del Plan Nacional de I+D+i CTM2010-09496-

Sexual Relationships in Hispanic Countries: a Literature Review

This is a pre-print of an article published in Current Sexual Health Reports. The final authenticated version is available online at: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11930-020-00272-6Purpose of Review: Sexuality is a complex dimension for which culture seems to play an important role, particularly in countries that are more traditional. This review summarizes the knowledge about sexual relationships in Hispanic countries, considering sexual debut, attitudes, behaviors, and satisfaction. Recent Findings: In line with the literature reviewed, the sexual double standard seems to be continuing to influence sexual relationships. Some countries show more open expressions of sexuality based on the level of gender inequality or sexualized context, and within countries, variables such as religious commitment, family characteristics, and access to resources may play important roles in sexuality. Summary: Future research, policies, and interventions should consider these specific characteristics, including these forms of expression of sexuality, in the adjustment of cross-cultural and cross-national strategies

Characterization of human PA2.26 antigen (T1α-2, podoplanin), a small membrane mucin induced in oral squamous cell carcinomas

El pdf del artículo es la versión post-print.We report the full cDNA sequence encoding the human homologue of murine PA2.26 (T1α-2, podoplanin), a small mucin-type trans-membrane glycoprotein originally identified as a cell-surface antigen induced in keratinocytes during mouse skin carcinogenesis. The human PA2.26 gene is expressed as 2 transcripts of 0.9 and 2.7 kb in several normal tissues, such as the placenta, skeletal muscle, heart and lung. Using a specific polyclonal antibody raised against a synthetic peptide of the protein ectodomain, PA2.26 was immunohistochemically detected in about 25% (15/61) of human early oral squamous cell carcinomas. PA2.26 distribution in the tumours was heterogeneous and often restricted to the invasive front. Double immunofluorescence and confocal microscopy analysis showed that PA2.26 colocalized with the membrane cytoskeleton linker ezrin at the surface of tumour cells and that its presence in vivo was associated with downregulation of membrane E-cadherin protein expression. Ectopic expression of human PA2.26 in HeLa carcinoma cells and immortalized HaCaT keratinocytes promoted a redistribution of ezrin to the cell edges, the formation of cell-surface protrusions and reduced Ca2+-dependent cell-cell adhesiveness. These results point to PA2.26 as a novel biomarker for oral squamous cell carcinomas that might be involved in migration/invasion. © 2004 Wiley-Liss, Inc.Funded by: Fondo de Investigaciones Sanitarias. Grant Numbers: FIS-01/1125, FIS-02/1025; Ministerio de Ciencia y Tecnología. Grant Number: SAF2001-2361; FIS and Fundación Carolina.Peer Reviewe

Dietary fatty acids in postprandial triglyceride-rich lipoproteins modulate human monocyte-derived dendritic cell maturation and activation

Dietary fatty acids have been demonstrated to modulate systemic inflammation and induce the postprandial inflammatory response of circulating immune cells. We hypothesized that postprandial triglyceride-rich lipoproteins (TRLs) may have acute effects on immunometabolic homeostasis by modulating dendritic cells (DCs), sentinels of the immunity that link innate and adaptive immune systems. In healthy volunteers, saturated fatty acid (SFA)-enriched meal raised serum levels of granulocyte/macrophage colony-stimulating factor GM-CSF (SFAs > monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs) = polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs)) in the postprandial period. Autologous TRL-SFAs upregulated the gene expression of DC maturation (CD123 and CCR7) and DC pro-inflammatory activation (CD80 and CD86) genes while downregulating tolerogenic genes (PD-L1 and PD-L2) in human monocyte-derived DCs (moDCs). These effects were reversed with oleic acid-enriched TRLs. Moreover, postprandial SFAs raised IL-12p70 levels, while TRL-MUFAs and TRL-PUFAs increased IL-10 levels in serum of healthy volunteers and in the medium of TRL-treated moDCs. In conclusion, postprandial TRLs are metabolic entities with DC-related tolerogenic activity, and this function is linked to the type of dietary fat in the meal. This study shows that the intake of meals enriched in MUFAs from olive oil, when compared with meals enriched in SFAs, prevents the postprandial production and priming of circulating pro-inflammatory DCs, and promotes tolerogenic response in healthy subjects. However, functional assays with moDCs generated in the presence of different fatty acids and T cells could increase the knowledge of postprandial TRLs’ effects on DC differentiation and function.Consejería de Economía, Conocimiento, Empresas y Universidad, Junta de Andalucía US-1263458Fede