COVID-19 Lockdown and Disney+ strategy on social networks on its launch during the State of alarm in Spain

The launch of Disney+ in Spain in March 2020 coincided with the Covid-19 pandemic and a period of home confinement for many Spaniards. This study examines the advertising and engagement strategy used by Disney+ on Twitter and Instagram, analyzing 2,268 messages. The platform’s social media use is similar to that of its competitors, with Twitter used for user engagement and Instagram used for content promotion. However, the study finds that the platform missed the opportunity to emphasize its unique qualities and appeal to the brand’s values. Despite this, Disney+ generated significant engagement during its launch month, reflecting high levels of user anticipation. Popular original productions such as The Mandalorian and Aladdin, as well as acquired content like The Simpsons, indicate the brand’s focus on a family or broad-spectrum target audience, in contrast to the younger and niche audiences favored by its competitors.La llegada de Disney+ a España en marzo de 2020 estuvo marcada por la pandemia del Covid-19. El periodo de confinamiento domiciliario entre la población española coincidió con la irrupción del nuevo servicio streaming de una de las marcas más conocidas y queridas a nivel mundial. Este estudio analiza la estrategia publicitaria y de engagement empleada por Disney+ en Twitter e Instagram. El análisis de contenido incluye 2.268 mensajes. Se aprecia un uso de las redes sociales similar a marcas competidoras como Netflix con un uso de Twitter para informar y responder a los comentarios de los usuarios; mientras que de Instagram se promueven nuevos contenidos, en especial películas. Se observa que en el intento de destacar sus elementos diferenciales como servicio bajo demanda, se pierde la oportunidad de apelar a los valores propios de la marca del ratón. La plataforma consiguió un mejor engagement durante el mes de lanzamiento, lo que muestra la alta expectativa de los usuarios. Entre las publicaciones más virales se encuentran producciones originales como The Mandalorian o Aladdín, pero también productos adquiridos como Los Simpson, y que apuntan al interés de la marca por un target familiar o de amplio espectro, frente a audiencias más jóvenes y de nicho valoradas por la competencia

Biological effects of contaminants: Stress on Stress (SoS) response in mussels

The SoS biomarker provides evidence of the effects of pollutants at the whole organism response level. It shows a typical dose-response curve, characterized by a continuous decrease of the parameter LT50 (the median survival time or the time (days) in which 50% of mussels have died) with increasing pollutant concentrations. However, in some experiments with low concentrations of contaminants a slight increase in LT50 has beeno bserved, possibly due to a hormetic effect. The method for determining SoS in mussels is being applied routinely to both toxicant-exposed mussels in laboratory studies and to mussels collected in national monitoring programmes from polluted environments and along pollution gradients. The added value of SoS in mussels is that this response measures the overall impact of multiple stressors on an organism. Thus, SoS responses can be quantitatively correlated to contaminant tissue concentrations, providing an integrated biological effect–chemical monitoring tool.Postprin

Gender, albuminuria and chronic kidney disease progression in treated diabetic kidney disease

Background: Women are reported to have a lower incidence of renal replacement therapy, despite a higher prevalence of chronic kidney disease (CKD). Aim: To analyze diabetic kidney disease (DKD) progression in men and women. Methods: Prospective cohort: n = 261, 35% women, new consecutive nephrology DKD referrals. Results: Women smoked less and better complied with the dietary phosphate and sodium restrictions. Despite a less frequent nephrology referral, women had lower baseline albuminuria. Over a 30 + - 10-month follow-up, albuminuria decreased in women and the estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) loss was slower than in men. However, the percentage of rapid progressors was similar in both sexes. The best multivariate model predicting rapid progression in men (area under curve (AUC) = 0.92) and women differed. Albuminuria and fractional excretion of phosphate (FEphosphate) were part of the men multivariable model, but not of women. The AUC for the prediction of rapid progression by albuminuria was higher in men than in women, and the albuminuria cut-off points also differed. In women, there was a higher percentage of rapid progressors who had baseline physiological albuminuria. Conclusions: Female DKD differs from male DKD: albuminuria was milder and better responsive to therapy, the loss of eGFR was slower and the predictors of rapid progression differed from men: albuminuria was a better predictor in men than in women. Lifestyle factors may contribute to the differencesThis work and the APC was funded by FIS grant numbers CP14/00133, PI16/02057, PI18/01366, PI19/00588, PI19/00815, DTS18/00032, ERA-PerMed-JTC2018 (KIDNEY ATTACK AC18/00064 and PERSTIGAN AC18/00071, National Institute of Health (2R01AI063331), ISCIII-RETIC REDinREN RD016/0009 Fondos FEDER, FRIAT, Sociedad Española de Nefrología, Comunidad de Madrid B2017/BMD-3686 CIFRA2-CM, Miguel Servet MS14/00133 to M.D.S.-N. and A.B.S. and Cátedra Mundipharma UAM. IIS-Fundacion Jimenez Diaz Biobank, part of the Spanish Biobanks Platform (PT17/0015/0006)

Influence of stress and depression on the immune system in patients evaluated in an anti-aging unit

Background: There is compelling evidence pointing out that stress and depression produce a dramatic impact on human well-being mainly through impairing the regular function of the immune system and producing a low-chronic inflammation status that favors the occurrence of infections, metabolic diseases, and even cancer. The present work aims to evaluate the stress/depression levels of some patients treated in an antiaging unit and detect any potential relationship with their immune system status prior of the implementation of a physical/psychological program designed to prevent health deterioration. Methods: We evaluated 48 patients (16 men and 32 women with a mean age of 55.11 ± 10.71 years) from middle-upper class from psychological and immunological points of view. In particular, we analyzed neutrophil chemotaxis and phagocytosis; lymphocyte chemotaxis and proliferation, and natural killer (NK) cell activity. Results: Women showed more depressive symptoms than men. Chemotaxis levels of lymphocytes and neutrophils in women showed a significant reduction compared with those in men. We also found a strong negative correlation between depression and NK cell function. This correlation was also significant independently of gender. Conclusion: We conclude that NK activity is affected at least by depression state, and we propose that a combined treatment consisting of cognitive behavioral therapy and physical activity programs might improve patient health deterioration

Identification of 19-epi-okadaic Acid, a New Diarrhetic Shellfish Poisoning Toxin, by Liquid Chromatography with Mass Spectrometry Detection

Okadaic acid (1) (OA) and its congeners are mainly responsible for diarrhetic shellfish poisoning (DSP) syndrome. The presence of several OA derivatives have already been confirmed in Prorocentrum and Dinophysis spp. In this paper, we report on the detection and identification of a new DSP toxin, the OA isomer 19-epi-okadaic acid (2) (19-epi-OA), isolated from cultures of Prorocentrum belizeanum, by determining its retention time (RT) and fragmentation pattern using liquid chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS).Versión del editor3,471

Towards an integrated approach for monitoring the effects of chemical contaminants in the Spanish coastal Mediterranean waters

Oral communicationIn the past twelve years, chemical monitoring surveys in Spanish Mediterranean coastal waters have developed from the use of native mussels to an integrated sampling of native and caged mussels, fish (red mullet) and sediment. In addition, the application of biological effect measurements (using biomarkers and bioassays) in the same matrices is being gradually arising. So far, biological measurements have comprised a suite of biomarkers in fish (EROD, Ala-D and AChE activities, Metallothionein content, DNA integrity and micronuclei abnormalities) and in mussels (Stress on Stress, lysosomal membrane stability, Metallothionein content, Micronuclei frequency, AChE and antioxidant enzymes) as well as the sea urchin embryotoxicity test with Paracentrotus lividus in sediment elutriates. Most of the driving forces behind these changes came from recommendations and Standard Operation Practices provided by expert organizations as MED POL, ICES, and OSPAR, and these changes have considerably increased the costs of monitoring. However, higher costs of intensive monitoring activities will allow contributing to a more realistic assessment of the quality and health status of the marine ecosystem. For this purpose quality assurance and the development of assessment criteria for the selected methods is a prerequisite. These requirements are necessary to meet national and international obligations (EU-MSFD, EU-WFD). Here, we present and discuss the integrated chemical-biological effect approach that is currently being proposed for implementation in the Spanish Mediterranean monitoring programme 2010-2012. The selected biological measurements, the assessment criteria obtained so far and quality assurance processes are discussed in terms of feasibility.The Spanish Mediterranean Biomonitoring Programs of chemical contamination (BMCW and BMIS programs) are conducted by the Instituto Español de Oceanografía (IEO) under the responsibility of the Ministry of Environment (MEDPOLIEO Project in 2006 and 2-ESMARME Project in 2010-2012)

Reduced Binding of the Endolysin LysTP712 to Lactococcus lactis ΔftsH Contributes to Phage Resistance

Absence of the membrane protease FtsH in Lactococcus lactis hinders release of the bacteriophage TP712. In this work we have analyzed the mechanism responsible for the non-lytic phenotype of L. lactis ΔftsH after phage infection. The lytic cassette of TP712 contains a putative antiholin–pinholin system and a modular endolysin (LysTP712). Inducible expression of the holin gene demonstrated the presence of a dual start motif which is functional in both wildtype and L. lactis ΔftsH cells. Moreover, simulating holin activity with ionophores accelerated lysis of wildtype cells but not L. lactis ΔftsH cells, suggesting inhibition of the endolysin rather than a role of FtsH in holin activation. However, zymograms revealed the synthesis of an active endolysin in both wildtype and L. lactis ΔftsH TP712 lysogens. A reporter protein was generated by fusing the cell wall binding domain of LysTP712 to the fluorescent mCherry protein. Binding of this reporter protein took place at the septa of both wildtype and L. lactis ΔftsH cells as shown by fluorescence microscopy. Nonetheless, fluorescence spectroscopy demonstrated that mutant cells bound 40% less protein. In conclusion, the non-lytic phenotype of L. lactis ΔftsH is not due to direct action of the FtsH protease on the phage lytic proteins but rather to a putative function of FtsH in modulating the architecture of the L. lactis cell envelope that results in a lower affinity of the phage endolysin to its substrate.This work has been supported by grant BIO2013-46266R (MINECO, Spain). BM, PG, and AR also acknowledge funding by GRUPIN14-139 Plan de Ciencia, Tecnología e Innovación 2013-2017 (Principado de Asturias, Spain) and FEDER EU funds.Peer reviewe

Biomonitoring strategy to assess the effects of chemical pollution along the Iberian Mediterranean Coast: Present state and future development

oral presentationSince 2001, the Oceanographic Centre of Murcia (Spanish Institute of Oceanography, IEO) started to include selected biomarkers within the chemical pollution monitoring activities conducted along the Iberian Mediterranean coast. The main objectives of this biomonitoring programme are: (1) the determination of spatial distribution and temporal trends of chemical pollution in coastal and reference areas; (2) to seek evidence of detrimental biological effects and assess them over time. Sediment samples, feral fish (Mullus barbatus) and wild mussels (Mytilus galloprovincialis) are analysed yearly for selected pollutants (trace metals, organochlorinated compounds and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons) and selected biomarkers are measured in fish and/or mussels (EROD activity, metallothionein content, micronuclei frequency, genotoxic damages, acetylcholinesterase, stress on stress and lysosomal membrane stability). An integrated chemical-biological effect assessment approach is being conducted at four selected areas since 2006. Due to its geographical location, Spain contributes to both the CEMP and MEDPOL programmes and our future strategy will be focused to achieve the harmonization of criteria among different programmes and to meet the monitoring requirements in a cost-effective and cost-efficient way. The general strategy and methods of this biomonitoring programme together with some preliminary results and future development (use of caged mussels) are described and discussed.This Biomonitoring Programme was initially funded by the Spanish Institute of Oceanography, IEO (projects BIOMEJIMED I, BIOMEJIMED II and BIOMEJIMED III). Since November 2005 it is funded by Ministry of Environment (MEDPOLIEO project)

Changes in toxin content, biomass and pigments of the dinoflagellate Alexandrium minutum during nitrogen refeeding and growth into nitrogen or phosphorus stress

Two strains oi the paralytic shellfish toxin (PST) producing dinoflagellate Alexandrium minutum Halim (highly toxic ALl V and weakly toxic AL2V) were grown in batch culture with either nitrate or phosphate as the limiting nutrient. In comparison with cells of the strain AL1V, cells of AL2V grew at a similar C-specific Tale, had a higher C/N ratio, and lower ratios of chl a/chl C2and chl a/peridinin. Neither chlorophylls flor carotenoids could be used to estimate C-biomass, N-biomass or toxin content for this organismo The toxin profile for both strains was dominated (up to 95 %) by the gonyautoxin GTX4, with smaller proportions of GTX1, GTX2 and GTX3. The Tale of toxin synthesis for both strains was greatest 1 to 2 d after the N-refeeding of N-deprived cells, with the net Tale of toxin syn- .thesis exceeding that of C-biomass and cell division by a factor of up to 4. Toxin synthesis was not enhanced by short-term P-stress. N-stress alone led to a decrease in toxin cell-I, but P-stress followed by N-stress did not result in such a decline, implicating phosphorus in the regulation of toxin metabolism. Although arginine is a majar precursor for PST synthesis, taurine, glycine, glutamine, and cell N showed similar relations to that observed for arginine with respect to toxin contento Furthermore, the mole ratio of arginine/toxin could vary by a factor of up to 5 between AL1V and AL2V at peak values of toxin cell-1, and by more than 5 within a strain when growing under different conditions. These observations suggest that the relationship between free arginine content and toxin content is complex. No explanation for the higher toxin content of AL1V is apparent, except that AL1V has a higher N-content per cell and this may be conducive to a higher Tale of synthesis of the N-rich toxins.Publicado