Neutron-induced fission fragment angular distribution and cross section of uranium targets at CERN-n TOF

This thesis work focuses on the measurement of the fission fragment angular distribution (FFAD) and fission cross section of the reactions 234U(n,f) y 235U(n,f) using PPAC (Parallel Plate Avalanche Counter) detectors at the n_ TOF facility (CERN). This faci lity is characterised by a wide neutron spectrum from thermal to 1 GeV with a high energy resolution. This measurement has been performed using the tilted configuration of targets and detectors, which unlike the perpendicular configuration, allows to cover all the emission angles of the fission fragments. Results of the FFAD and the anisotropy parameter have been obtained up to 300 MeV for both reactions, providing for first time data of the 234U(n,f) above 15 MeV and completing the existing measurements of the 235U(n,f). The 235U(n,f) cross section has been obtained up to 100 keV using the neutron flux shape normalised to the IAEA secondary reference. The 234U(n,f) cross section has been calculated in two energy ranges up to 1 GeV using the 235U as reference. The obtained results of the FFAD and the fission cross section are discussed and compared with previous experimental data and with the evaluated librarie

Caracterización de la respuesta inmunitaria en mucosas y su modulación a través de la dieta en trucha arcoíris (Oncorhynchus mykiss)

El impacto de las enfermedades infecciosas en acuicultura continúa siendo uno de los factores limitantes para el crecimiento de este sector productivo. Por este motivo, es necesaria la búsqueda de tratamientos inmunoestimulantes que incrementen la respuesta inmunitaria de los peces y los hagan más resistentes a los patógenos. Así mismo, otra de las grandes demandas del sector es la optimización de vacunas de administración masiva, tanto por baño como por vía oral. En ambos casos, las mucosas (tejidos que se encuentran en contacto directo con el medio externo) juegan un papel principal en la activación de la respuesta inmunitaria, pero por el momento no se han esclarecido los mecanismos de regulación inmune de estos tejidos. En esta Tesis Doctoral hemos caracterizado la distribución del sistema inmunitario en la piel de trucha arcoíris, para posteriormente analizar su regulación en respuesta a una infección viral, comparándola con la respuesta generada en un órgano linfoide secundario central como el bazo. En este estudio, hemos demostrado que la piel es un tejido rico en células T y que éstas no se distribuyen homogéneamente, sino que se encuentran en mayor concentración en la zona adyacente a las branquias, presentando las células B un perfil semejante. Asimismo, hemos visto como, en respuesta a una infección con el virus de la septicemia hemorrágica viral (VHSV), las células T se activan a nivel local sugiriendo que la piel puede actuar en los peces como un órgano linfoide secundario. Posteriormente, hemos analizado como se modula la respuesta inmunitaria tanto en mucosas como en órganos linfoides centrales en peces alimentados con una dieta suplementada con distintos inmunoestimulantes y vitaminas, comparando los efectos producidos tras 15 días de administración con los observados tras 30 días. Este trabajo muestra como la modulación de la respuesta inmunitaria es posible mediante piensos suplementados, obteniéndose no sólo diferencias a nivel transcripcional en los distintos tejidos, sino también incrementando el título de anticuerpos naturales en el suero y disminuyendo la carga viral tras una infección con VHSV. Por último, quisimos profundizar en los mecanismos inmunitarios regulados por una de las sustancias contenidas en la dieta suplementada ProtecTM, la vitamina C. Para ello, estudiamos los efectos de dicha vitamina en una línea celular establecida de monocitos/macrófagos de trucha (RTS11) y en leucocitos de trucha in vitro. Los efectos potenciadores de la vitamina C sobre la producción de radicales de oxígeno, la capacidad fagocítica y la producción de factores pro-inflamatorios y antimicrobianos podría explicar la mejor respuesta antibacteriana que se observa en animales alimentados con dietas suplementadas con esta vitamina

Mini-Review: The Contribution of Intermediate Phenotypes to GxE Effects on Disorders of Body Composition in the New OMICS Era

Abstract: Studies of gene-environment (GxE) interactions describe how genetic and environmental factors influence the risk of developing disease. Intermediate (molecular or clinical) phenotypes (IPs) are traits or metabolic biomarkers that mediate the effects of gene-environment influences on risk behaviors. Functional systems genomics discovery offers mechanistic insights into how DNA variations affect IPs in order to detect genetic causality for a given disease. Disorders of body compositionincludeobesity(OB),Type2diabetes(T2D),andosteoporosis(OSTP).Thesepathologies are examples of how a GxE interaction contributes to their development. IPs as surrogates for inherited genotypes play a key role in models of genetic and environmental interactions in health outcomes. Such predictive models may unravel relevant genomic and molecular pathways for preventive and therapeutic interventions for OB, T2D, and OSTP. Annotation strategies for genomes, in contrast to phenomes, are well advanced. They generally do not measure specific aspects of the environment. Therefore, the concepts of deep phenotyping and the exposome generate new avenues to exploit with high-resolution technologies for analyzing this sophisticated phenome. With the successful characterization of phenomes, exposomes, and genomes, environmental and geneticdeterminantsofchronicdiseasescanbeunitedwithmulti-OMICSstudiesthatbetterexamine GxE interactions. Keywords: GxE interactions; intermediate phenotypes; OMICS; diabetes; obesity; osteoporosis; phenome; exposom

Coping as a moderator of the influence of economic stressors on psychological health

Since 2008, there has been a decline in the economy of several European countries, including Portugal. In the literature, it is emphasized that periods of economic uncertainty propitiate the appearance of mental health problems and diminish populations? well-being. The aim of the present study, with 729 Portuguese participants, 33.9% (n=247) males and 66.1% (n=482) females with an average age of 37 years old (M=36.99; SD=12.81), was to examine the relationship between economic hardship, financial threat, and financial well-being (i.e., economic stressors) and stress, anxiety, and depression (i.e., psychological health indicators), as well as to test the moderation effect of coping in the aforementioned relationship. To achieve these goals, a cross-sectional design was implemented and structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to analyze the obtained data. Our results underline that coping affects the relationship between economic stressors and psychological health since subjects with lower coping levels are more vulnerable to economic stress factors than those with higher coping levels. The moderation effect was more evident in the relationships between economic hardship and stress, anxiety, and depression. The main implications of this study are presented, as well as its? limitations and suggestions for future research

O papel da enfermagem no controle da tuberculose: uma discussão sob a perspectiva da equidade

This paper aims to analyze nurses role in tuberculosis control from the perspective of equity in the context of Latin American countries. Tuberculosis is frequently associated with poverty, but many other determinants play an important role in its prevalence. Latin American countries fight against the presence of this illness and nursing professionals play a protagonist role in TB control, proposing comprehensive interventions in different spheres - individuals, families and society. The focus of nursing intervention ranges from public policy proposals, based on epidemiological research, through the establishment of multi-sector programs, to direct care and client education at the operative level. Different professional nursing institutions can play a decisive role in this problem integral approach, both in national and international scopes. This requires the establishment of educative, social, technical and politically integrated support networks.El objetivo del presente artículo es analizar el rol de la enfermera en el control de la tuberculosis desde la perspectiva de la equidad, en el ámbito de los países latinoamericanos. La tuberculosis está asociada frecuentemente con la pobreza, pero muchos otros determinantes juegan un rol importante en su prevalencia. Los países latinoamericanos luchan contra la presencia de esta enfermedad y la enfermería juega un rol protagónico en el control de este problema planteando intervenciones integrales en diferentes esferas del individuo, de la familia y de la sociedad. La intervención de enfermería se extiende desde el planteamiento de políticas públicas, basadas en estudios de base epidemiológica, mediante la implementación de programas multisectoriales, hasta la atención directa y la educación de los usuarios en el plan operativo. Las diferentes instituciones profesionales de enfermería pueden desarrollar un papel decisivo en el abordaje integral del problema, no sólo en el ámbito nacional sino también en el internacional, para esto se requiere establecer redes de apoyo con integración educativa, social, técnica y política.O objetivo do presente artigo foi analisar o papel do profissional da enfermagem no controle da tuberculose, sob a perspectiva da equidade, no âmbito dos países da América Latina. A tuberculose está frequentemente associada à pobreza, mas muitos outros determinantes contribuem de modo importante para sua prevalência. Os países sul-americanos lutam contra essa enfermidade e a enfermagem possui papel de protagonista no controle desse problema, reivindicando intervenções integrais, voltadas para as diferentes esferas: individual, familiar e social. A intervenção da enfermagem é enfocada desde o desenho das políticas públicas, com base em estudos epidemiológicos, mediante a implementação de programas multissetoriais, até a assistência direta e a educação dos usuários no plano operativo. Diferentes instituições profissionais da enfermagem podem desenvolver atuação decisiva para a abordagem integral do problema, no âmbito nacional e internacional, devendo, para isso, estabelecer redes de apoio integradas às dimensões educativas, social, técnica e política

Immunometabolism is a key factor for the persistent spontaneous elite control of HIV-1 infection

Approximately 25% of elite controllers (ECs) lose their virological control by mechanisms that are only partially known. Recently, immunovirological and proteomic factors have been associated to the loss of spontaneous control. Our aim was to perform a metabolomic approach to identify the underlying mechanistic pathways and potential biomarkers associated with this loss of control. Methods: Plasma samples from EC who spontaneously lost virological control (Transient Controllers, TC, n=8), at two and one year before the loss of control, were comparedwith a control group of ECwho persistently maintained virological control during the same follow-up period (Persistent Controllers, PC, n=8). The determination of metabolites and plasma lipids was performed by GC-qTOF and LC-qTOF using targeted and untargeted approaches. Metabolite levels were associated with the polyfunctionality of HIV-specific CD8+T-cell response. Findings: Our data suggest that, before the loss of control, TCs showed a specific circulating metabolomic profile characterized by aerobic glycolytic metabolism, deregulated mitochondrial function, oxidative stress and increased immunological activation. In addition, CD8+ T-cell polyfunctionality was strongly associated with metabolite levels. Finally, valine was the main differentiating factor between TCs and PCs. Interpretation: All these metabolomic differences should be considered not only as potential biomarkers but also as therapeutic targets in HIV infection.Instituto Carlos III PI10/02635 PI13/00796 PI16/00503 PI12/02283 PI16/00684 CPII014/00025 FI14/00431 FI17/00186 INT11/240 INT12/282 INT15/226Fondos Europeos para el Desarrollo Regional PI10/02635 PI13/00796 PI16/00503 PI12/02283 PI16/00684 CPII014/00025 FI14/00431 FI17/00186FEDER PI10/02635 PI13/00796 PI16/00503 PI12/02283 PI16/00684 CPII014/00025 FI14/00431 FI17/00186FEDER PI10/02635 PI13/00796 PI16/00503 PI12/02283 PI16/00684 CPII014/00025 FI14/00431 FI17/00186Programa de Suport als Grups de Recerca 2017SGR948 2014SGR250Gilead Fellowship Program GLD14/293 GLD17/00299Red de Investigación en Sida RD12/0017/0005 RD16/0025/0006 RD12/0017/0029 RD16/0025/0020Junta de Andalucía C-0032/17Generalitat de Catalunya PERIS SLT002/16/0010