Neuropeptide encapsulation by using co-flux technology

Muchas enfermedades del sistema nervioso central (SNC) pueden ser tratadas dirigiendo fármacos a esta zona del cuerpo. Sin embargo, el camino hacia el encéfalo se ve obstaculizado por una serie de factores, constituyendo la barrera hematoencefálica (BHE) el de mayor importancia y el más difícil de superar. La BHE presenta una estructura que en esencia conforma un gran muro ante el paso de numerosas sustancias. Se trata por tanto de una barrera de una permeabilidad altamente selectiva. Se han desarrollado diversas líneas para penetrar la BHE, entre las cuales destaca la nanotecnología y más concretamente la creación de partículas de muy pequeño tamaño (ya que constituye uno de los principales requisitos a cumplir a la hora de superar la BHE). El objetivo de estas partículas es alojar el fármaco en su interior para así poder transportarlo y liberarlo en su destino correspondiente. Existen varias técnicas para realizar lo que se conoce como encapsulación, aunque en este caso se le prestará especial atención a la técnica del co-flujo. Se realizará una búsqueda bibliográfica previamente sobre el tema y se desarrollarán en laboratorio una serie de experimentos con la finalidad de crear cápsulas capaces de contener estos fármacos en su interior

Welfare Policies and Solidarity Toward the Elderly

In this paper we analyze the effect of welfare policies oriented toward the elderly on solidarity toward the elderly in a sample of European countries. The research question is whether more generous welfare policies crowd out solidarity. For this purpose, we analyze four waves of the SHARE database. We use multilevel analysis to estimate the effect of national variables on transfers toward the elderly, controlling for individual level variables. At the national level we focus on the effect of public spending on policies oriented toward the elderly after controlling for some other relevant variables, such as the proportion of elderly people, female labor force participation and unemployment. Our results indicate that expenditure in social protection toward the elderly has a positive and significant (albeit moderate) effect on the economic support received by the elderly (which is in line with the Crowding-in hypothesis). However, in the case of time transfers, we find that expenditure in social protection toward the elderly has a negative and significant impact on the time transfers received by the elderly (which is consistent with the Crowding-out hypothesis).Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech

Políticas sociales y la solidaridad hacia los mayores

El propósito del presente trabajo es analizar los efectos de las políticas sociales orientadas hacia las personas mayores en una muestra de países europeos. La pregunta de investigación es la siguiente: ¿unas políticas sociales dirigidas a los mayores más generosas limitan la solidaridad hacia las generaciones de más edad? Con tal propósito se analizan cinco oleadas de la Survey of Health Ageing and Retirement in Europe (SHARE). Se ha realizado un análisis multinivel para estimar el efecto de variables a nivel nacional en las transferencias realizadas hacia los mayores controlando por variables a nivel individual. A nivel nacional nos hemos centrado en el efecto del gasto público sobre las políticas orientadas a los mayores controlando por algunas variables relevantes tales como la proporción de personas mayores, la participación femenina en la fuerza de trabajo y desempleo. Los resultados indican que el gasto en políticas de protección social dirigidas a los mayores no tiene un efecto significativo en el soporte económico que los mayores reciben, pero sí en las ayudas relacionadas con el tiempo. En el caso de las transferencias de tiempo se ha observado que el gasto realizado en las políticas de protección social dirigidas a los mayores tiene un impacto negativo y significativo en el tiempo que los mayores reciben por parte de las redes de apoyo informal (ofreciendo consistencia a la hipótesis del Crowding-out).Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech

The TrkB agonist 7,8-dihydroxyflavone changes the structural dynamics of neocortical pyramidal neurons and improves object recognition in mice

This is a pre-print of an article published in Brain Structure and Function. The final authenticated version is available online at: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00429-018-1637-x.BDNF and its receptor TrkB have important roles in neurodevelopment, neural plasticity, learning, and memory. Alterations in TrkB expression have been described in different CNS disorders. Therefore, drugs interacting with TrkB, specially agonists, are promising therapeutic tools. Among them, the recently described 7,8-dihydroxyflavone (DHF), an orally bioactive compound, has been successfully tested in animal models of these diseases. Recent studies have shown the influence of this drug on the structure of pyramidal neurons, specifically on dendritic spine density. However, there is no information yet on how DHF may alter the structural dynamics of these neurons (i.e., real-time study of the addition/elimination of dendritic spines and axonal boutons). To gain knowledge on these effects of DHF, we have performed a real-time analysis of spine and axonal dynamics in pyramidal neurons of barrel cortex, using cranial windows and 2-photon microscopy during a chronic oral treatment with this drug. After confirming TrkB expression in these neurons, we found that DHF increased the gain rates of spines and axonal boutons, as well as improved object recognition memory. These results help to understand how the activation of the BDNF-TrkB system can improve basic behavioral tasks through changes in the structural dynamics of pyramidal neurons. Moreover, they highlight DHF as a promising therapeutic vector for certain brain disorders in which this system is altered

Alteraciones de la comunicación oral más frecuentes en edad pediátrica

Introduction: the learning of the mother tongue constitutes for many the greatest intellectual feat that man can accomplish. Men express themselves, exchange ideas and are understood in most cases through oral communication. It is necessary that the individual possesses the minimum skills and knowledge to understand and also generate a normal language, through the harmonious work of the three levels of oral communication: language, speech and voice.Objective: to characterize the behavior of oral communication alterations in pediatric age patients in the province of Pinar del Río, attended at the Pepe Portilla Pediatric Hospital, in the period 2017-2021.Methods: an observational, descriptive, longitudinal and retrospective study was carried out, taking data from the logophoniatric clinical history that were processed by means of the statistical system InfStat 1.0. The universe and the sample consisted of 539 patients who met the inclusion criteria.Results: 67,7 % of the sample was male; 52,9 % of the patients were evaluated for the first time between 3 and 5 years of age; secondary delay in language development was the most frequent disorder, followed by dyslalia. Attendance for evaluation at the provincial center varied depending on the municipality of origin.Conclusions: early diagnosis of oral communication disorders, timely treatment and the united work of parents and rehabilitators are fundamental in the success of the development of the child's language skills. Introduction: the learning of the mother tongue constitutes for many the greatest intellectual feat that man can accomplish. Men express themselves, exchange ideas and are understood in most cases through oral communication. It is necessary that the individual possesses the minimum skills and knowledge to understand and also generate a normal language, through the harmonious work of the three levels of oral communication: language, speech and voice.Objective: to characterize the behavior of oral communication alterations in pediatric age patients in the province of Pinar del Río, attended at the Pepe Portilla Pediatric Hospital, in the period 2017-2021.Methods: an observational, descriptive, longitudinal and retrospective study was carried out, taking data from the logophoniatric clinical history that were processed by means of the statistical system InfStat 1.0. The universe and the sample consisted of 539 patients who met the inclusion criteria.Results: 67,7 % of the sample was male; 52,9 % of the patients were evaluated for the first time between 3 and 5 years of age; secondary delay in language development was the most frequent disorder, followed by dyslalia. Attendance for evaluation at the provincial center varied depending on the municipality of origin.Conclusions: early diagnosis of oral communication disorders, timely treatment and the united work of parents and rehabilitators are fundamental in the success of the development of the child's language skills.Introducción: el aprendizaje de la lengua materna constituye para muchos la mayor hazaña intelectual que el hombre realiza. Los hombres se expresan, intercambian ideas y son comprendidos en la mayor parte de los casos a través de la comunicación oral. Es necesario que el individuo posea las capacidades y los conocimientos mínimos para comprender y además, generar un lenguaje normal, mediante el trabajo armónico de los tres niveles.Objetivo: caracterizar el comportamiento de las alteraciones de la comunicación oral de los pacientes en edad pediátrica en la provincia de Pinar del Río, atendidos en el Hospital Pediátrico Provincial Docente “Pepe Portilla”, en el período 2017-2021.Métodos: se realizó un estudio observacional, descriptivo, longitudinal y retrospectivo con los datos de la história  clínica logofoniátrica que fueron procesados mediante el sistema estadístico InfStat 1.0. El universo y la muestra quedaron constituidos por 539 pacientes que cumplieron con los criterios de inclusión.Resultados: en la muestra predominó el sexo masculino en el 67,7 %; el 52,9 % de los pacientes se evaluaron por primera vez entre los tres y cinco años de edad; el retraso secundario del desarrollo del lenguaje fue la alteración más frecuente, seguida de las dislalias. La asistencia a la evaluación al centro provincial varia en dependencia del municipio de procedencia.Conclusiones: el diagnóstico precoz de las alteraciones de la comunicación oral, el tratamiento oportuno y el trabajo unido de padres y rehabilitadores, son fundamentales en el éxito del alcance del desarrollo de las habilidades lingüísticas del niño.

Toxic elements and trace elements in Macrolepiota procera mushrooms from southern Spain and northern Morocco

Anthropogenic activities, such as mining and fossil fuel combustion, produce large amounts of pollutants that affect environmental homeostasis. Wild edible mushrooms fructify exposed to environmental conditions, proving to be efficient accumulators of trace elements and toxic and potentially toxic elements. Due to the increasing consumption of mushrooms worldwide, this is of public health concern. In this work, the total content of chromium (Cr), arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), mercury (Hg), lead (Pb), copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), and selenium (Se) was determined by ICP-MS in the caps and stipes of the high valued wild edible mushroom Macrolepiota procera collected in several locations of the South of Spain and the North of Morocco. The results obtained have indicated that the cap of M. procera contains a broad spectrum of both toxic elements and trace elements, occurring in higher contents in this part of the fruiting body with respect to the stipe. Moreover, Cu was the predominant element found in the samples studied, followed by Zn in most of the cases. The one-way ANOVA/Kruskal-Wallis test indicated that there were no significant differences in metal and metalloid content between the geographical areas studied. In addition, the results obtained through Hierarchical Cluster Analysis (HCA) and Principal Component Analysis (PCA) support the conclusions drawn through univariate statistical studies, indicating that there is no obvious clustering trend for the M. procera cap samples based on the sampling area. The health risk assessment for M. procera caps showed a cause for concern related to Cr, Cd, As, and Hg due to frequent consumption of around 300 g of fresh caps per day during the mushrooming season. © 2022 The Author(s

Exposure to Essential and Toxic Elements via Consumption of Agaricaceae, Amanitaceae, Boletaceae, and Russulaceae Mushrooms from Southern Spain and Northern Morocco

The demand and interest in mushrooms, both cultivated and wild, has increased among consumers in recent years due to a better understanding of the benefits of this food. However, the ability of wild edible mushrooms to accumulate essential and toxic elements is well documented. In this study, a total of eight metallic elements and metalloids (chromium (Cr), arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), mercury (Hg), lead (Pb), copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), and selenium (Se)) were determined by ICP-MS in five wild edible mushroom species (Agaricus silvicola, Amanita caesarea, Boletus aereus, Boletus edulis, and Russula cyanoxantha) collected in southern Spain and northern Morocco. Overall, Zn was found to be the predominant element among the studied species, followed by Cu and Se. The multivariate analysis suggested that considerable differences exist in the uptake of the essential and toxic elements determined, linked to species-intrinsic factors. Furthermore, the highest Estimated Daily Intake of Metals (EDIM) values obtained were observed for Zn. The Health Risk Index (HRI) assessment for all the mushroom species studied showed a Hg-related cause of concern due to the frequent consumption of around 300 g of fresh mushrooms per day during the mushrooming season

Ultrasound-Assisted Extraction of Total Phenolic Compounds and Antioxidant Activity in Mushrooms

The consumption of mushrooms has considerably increased in recent years because of their beneficial nutritional properties due to their essential amino acids, proteins, and dietary fiber content. Recent research has shown that they are also rich in polysaccharides and phenolic compounds. These compounds exhibit decisive free radical and ROS scavenging power with potential application to the treatment of neurodegenerative disorders. In addition, they present important properties like antioxidant, antiaging, and immune modulation. In the present research, the optimization for the extraction of total phenolic compounds and the antioxidant activity (DPPH and ABTS), based on ultrasound-assisted techniques has been carried out. Five variables (% MeOH in solvent, extraction temperature, amplitude, cycle, and sample:solvent ratio have been selected; both the total phenolic compounds content as well as the antioxidant activity (DPPH and ABTS)) have been considered as the response variables. The optimal conditions, determined by means of a multiresponse optimization method, were established at 0.2 g of sample extracted with 15.3 mL of solvent (93.6% MeOH) at 60 degrees C for 5 min and using 16.86% amplitude and 0.71 s(-1) cycles. A precision study of the optimized method has been performed with deviations lower than 5%, which proves the repeatability and precision of the extraction method. Finally, the extraction method has been applied to wild and commercial mushrooms from Andalusia and Northern Morocco, which has confirmed its suitability for the extraction of the phenolic compounds from mushroom samples, while ensuring maximum antioxidant activity

Virtual Reference in Seville University Library: A shared experience.

Los servicios de referencia en las bibliotecas universitarias están lejos de desaparecer y las tecnologías, en este caso las de la web social, están facilitando e impulsando una cada vez más demandada referencia virtual, con aplicaciones al alcance de todos. LibraryH3lp es un software en código abierto, que ha permitido a la Biblioteca de la Universidad de Sevilla establecer un servicio de referencia virtual que comparten sus 19 bibliotecas de área, para atender preguntas generales o especializadas temáticas , así como las dudas sobre el uso de su catálogo Fama. Se presenta una primera valoración del servicio que se pondrá en completa explotación en este curso académico 2009‐2010. Palabras clave: Referencia virtual, Bibliotecas universitarias, software en cóigo abierto, LibraryH3lp, Biblioteca de la Universidad de SevillaReference services in academic libraries are far from dead and technologies of the social web are facilitating and encouraging an ever-increasing demand for virtual reference with applications available to everyone. The open source software LibraryH3lp has enabled the Library of the University of Seville to establish a virtual reference service shared among 19 libraries to answer common and specialized questions and explain the use of the Fama library catalog. We present a first assessment of the service that will go live in the academic year 2009-2010

Essential Mineral Content (Fe, Mg, P, Mn, K, Ca, and Na) in Five Wild Edible Species of Lactarius Mushrooms from Southern Spain and Northern Morocco: Reference to Daily Intake

Mushroom consumption has increased in recent years due to their beneficial properties to the proper functioning of the body. Within this framework, the high potential of mushrooms as a source of essential elements has been reported. Therefore, the present study aims to determine the mineral content of seven essential metals, Fe, Mg, Mn, P, K, Ca, and Na, in twenty samples of mushrooms of the genus Lactarius collected from various locations in southern Spain and northern Morocco, by FAAS, UV-Vis spectroscopy, and ICP-OES after acid digestion. Statistics showed that K was the macronutrient found at the highest levels in all mushrooms studied. ANOVA showed that there were statistically significant differences among the species for K, P, and Na. The multivariate study suggested that there were differences between the accumulation of the elements according to the geographic location and species. Furthermore, the intake of 300 g of fresh mushrooms of each sample covers a high percentage of the RDI, but does not meet the recommended daily intake (RDI) for any of the metals studied, except for Fe. Even considering these benefits, the consumption of mushrooms should be moderated due to the presence of toxic metals, which may pose health risks.16 página