Papel del sistema L-α-lisofosfatidilinositol/GPR55 en el desarrollo de esteatosis no alcohólica y esteatohepatitis

El receptor acoplado a proteína G 55 (GPR55) es un receptor cannabinoide putativo, y L-α-lisofosfatidilinositol (LPI) es su único ligando endógeno conocido. Aunque GPR55 está implicado en la homeostasis energética en diferentes órganos, su posible papel en el metabolismo lipídico del hígado y su contribución fisiopatológica en la enfermedad de hígado graso no alcohólica (NAFLD) es desconocido. Nosotros medimos 1) la expresión de GPR55 en el hígado de pacientes con NAFLD, comparándolo con los individuos sin la patología, y en diferentes modelos animales de NAFLD; 2) niveles de LPI en suero de pacientes con esteatosis (NAFL) y esteatohepatitis no alcohólica (NASH); 3) los efectos de LPI y la disrupción genética de GPR55 in vivo e in vitro. Encontramos que los niveles de LPI circulante y la expresión de GPR55 hepática están aumentados en pacientes con NASH. LPI induce la activación de la enzima acetil-CoA carboxilasa (ACC) por parte de la proteína kinasa activada por AMP (AMPK), incrementando el contenido lipídico en hepatocitos humanos y en el hígado de ratones por activación de la lipogénesis de novo e inhibición de la beta oxidación. La inhibición de GPR55 y ACCα bloquea los efectos de LPI, y el silenciamiento hepático de GPR55 in vivo es suficiente para mejorar el daño hepático en ratones alimentados con dieta alta en grasa y en ratones alimentados con dieta deficiente en metionina y colina. LPI también es capaz de desencadenar la activación de células estelares hepáticas estimulando GPR55 y ACC. Estos resultados muestran la importancia del sistema LPI/GPR55 en el desarrollo de NAFL y NASH vía ACC

Strategies to mitigate the impact of shifting from a milk and forage regimen to a high-concentrate diet in intensively reared beef cattle

El cebo de terneros en España se lleva a cabo mediante el aporte de dietas con un elevado porcentaje de concentrado en la ración y una mínima parte de forraje, con el fin de lograr un elevado crecimiento diario y acortar el ciclo de producción. Estas dietas son altamente fermentables en el rumen y pueden causar acidosis ruminal. El período de transición de los terneros a las dietas de cebo intensivo es una fase crítica, ya que habitualmente estos animales se destetan de forma abrupta e inmediatamente entran a cebadero. En el contexto de la presente tesis doctoral, se diseñaron tres experimentos con el fin de estudiar la efectividad de algunas estrategias para reducir el riesgo de padecer acidosis ruminal durante el período de transición de terneros de pasteros al cebo intensivo.El Experimento 1 se llevó a cabo para determinar el manejo alimentario previo al destete más adecuado (Leche, Leche+Heno o Leche+Pienso), en términos de desarrollo del rumen, rendimiento animal y rentabilidad económica, para terneros que son destetados de forma abrupta e inmediatamente introducidos al sistema de cebo intensivo.Teniendo en cuenta todo el ciclo de producción, la suplementación previa al destete con concentrado es la opción más interesante para los terneros de carne que van a entrar a cebadero ya que promovió una mayor adapatación del rumen y un mayor margen económico. El objetivo del Experimento 2 fue determinar el efecto de la sustitución parcial de la cebada por maíz y pulpa de remolacha en la dieta de adaptación de los terneros durante la transición a una ración de cebo intensivo sobre la ingestión y el rendimiento de los animales, la fermentación ruminal y la composición microbiana del rumen. El análisis de todas variables registradas denotó una falta de efecto tanto en los rendimientos, como en la fermentación ruminal y poblaciones microbianas. Por lo tanto, El uso de cebada o maíz como cereal predominante, o la inclusión de pulpa de remolacha, no tienen ningún efecto sobre la fermentación ruminal o las poblaciones microbianas en los terneros de engorde, y su uso dependerá del precio o la disponibilidad en el mercado de estos ingredientes.En el Experimento 3 se evaluó el efecto de la inclusión de una mezcla (65:35) de taninos de castaño y quebracho o de ácidos grasos de cadea media, como moduladores de la fermentación ruminal en la dieta de adaptación de terneros de carne, sobre la ingesta de alimento, el rendimiento animal, la fermentación ruminal y la composición microbiana del rumen. A las dosis utilizadas en el presente experimento, los taninos (20g/kg) y los AGCM (6g/kg) no ejercieron ningún efecto sobre la ingesta, el rendimiento animal, la fermentación ruminal y la población microbiana.<br /

Retinotopy of emotion: Perception of negatively valenced stimuli presented at different spatial locations as revealed by event-related potentials

Scarce previous data on how the location where an emotional stimulus appears in the visual scene modulates its perception suggest that, for functional reasons, a perceptual advantage may exist, vertically, for stimuli presented at the lower visual field (LoVF) and, horizontally, for stimuli presented at the left visual field (LeVF). However, this issue has been explored through a limited number of spatial locations, usually in a single spatial dimension (e.g., horizontal) and invariant eccentricities. Event-related potentials (ERPs) were recorded from 39 participants perceiving brief neutral (wheels) and emotional stimuli (spiders) presented at 17 different locations, one foveal and 16 at different peripheral coordinates. As a secondary scope, we explored the role of the magnocellular (M) and the parvocellular (P) visual pathways by presenting an isoluminant/heterochromatic (P-biased) and a heteroluminant/isochromatic version (M-biased) of each stimulus. Emo > Neu effects were observed in PN1 (120 ms) for stimuli located at fovea, and in PN2 (215 ms) for stimuli located both at fovea and diverse peripheral regions. A factorial approach to these effects further revealed that: (a) emotional stimuli presented in the periphery are efficiently perceived, without evident decrease from para- to perifovea; (b) peripheral Emo > Neu effects are reflected 95 ms later than foveal Emo > Neu effects in ERPs; (c) LoVF is more involved than UVF in these effects; (d) our data fail to support the LeVF advantage previously reported, and (e) Emo > Neu effects were significant for both M and P stimuliComunidad de Madrid, Grant/Award Number: HUM19-HUM5705; Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades, Grant/Award Number: PGC2018-093570-B-IO

Nefropatía congénita en Schnauzer miniatura

Un Schnauzer miniatura, macho, de 13 meses de edad, presenta un cuadro de vómitos crónicos con historia clínica de gastritis. El examen físico y las pruebas complementarias permiten diagnosticar un cuadro compatible con la nefropatía familiar del Schnauzer miniatura. Se instauró dieta y tratamiento médico hasta que el animal empeoró a los dos meses y medio

Prejudice drives exogenous attention to outgroups

Exogenous attention allows the automatic detection of relevant stimuli and the reorientation of our current focus of attention towards them. Faces from an ethnic outgroup tend to capture exogenous attention to a greater extent than faces from an ethnic ingroup. We explored whether prejudice toward the outgroup, rather than lack of familiarity, is driving this effect. Participants (N= 76) performed a digit categorization task while distractor faces were presented. Faces belonged to (i) a prejudiced outgroup, (ii) a non-prejudiced outgroup and (iii) their ingroup. Half of the faces were previously habituated in order to increase their familiarity. Reaction times, accuracy and event-related potentials (ERPs) were recorded to index exogenous attention to distractor faces. Additionally, different indexes of explicit and implicit prejudice were measured, the latter being significantly greater towards prejudiced outgroup. N170 amplitude was greater to prejudiced outgroup—regardless of their habituation status—than to both non-prejudiced outgroup and ingroup faces and was associated with implicit prejudice measures. No effects were observed at the behavioral level. Our results show that implicit prejudice, rather than familiarity, is under the observed attention-related N170 effects and that this ERP component may be more sensitive to prejudice than behavioral measures under certain circumstances.This work was supported by the Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación, Spain (PGC2018-093570-B-I00); the Universidad Autónoma de Madrid/Comunidad de Madrid, Spain (2017- T2/SOC-5569); the Comunidad de Madrid (HUM19-HUM5705, SI1-PJI-2019-00011); and by the Ministerio de Educación, Cultura y Deporte, Spain (FPU13/0651

Pancreatic metastases from renal cell carcinoma: postoperative outcome after surgical treatment in a Spanish multicenter study (PANMEKID)

Metastases; Pancreatectomy; Renal cell carcinomaMetástasis; Pancreatectomía; Carcinoma de células renalesMetàstasis; Pancreatectomia; Carcinoma de cèl·lules renalsBackground: Renal Cell Carcinoma (RCC) occasionally spreads to the pancreas. The purpose of our study is to evaluate the short and long-term results of a multicenter series in order to determine the effect of surgical treatment on the prognosis of these patients. Methods: Multicenter retrospective study of patients undergoing surgery for RCC pancreatic metastases, from January 2010 to May 2020. Variables related to the primary tumor, demographics, clinical characteristics of metastasis, location in the pancreas, type of pancreatic resection performed and data on short and long-term evolution after pancreatic resection were collected. Results: The study included 116 patients. The mean time between nephrectomy and pancreatic metastases' resection was 87.35 months (ICR: 1.51-332.55). Distal pancreatectomy was the most performed technique employed (50 %). Postoperative morbidity was observed in 60.9 % of cases (Clavien-Dindo greater than IIIa in 14 %). The median follow-up time was 43 months (13-78). Overall survival (OS) rates at 1, 3, and 5 years were 96 %, 88 %, and 83 %, respectively. The disease-free survival (DFS) rate at 1, 3, and 5 years was 73 %, 49 %, and 35 %, respectively. Significant prognostic factors of relapse were a disease free interval of less than 10 years (2.05 [1.13-3.72], p 0.02) and a history of previous extrapancreatic metastasis (2.44 [1.22-4.86], p 0.01). Conclusions: Pancreatic resection if metastatic RCC is found in the pancreas is warranted to achieve higher overall survival and disease-free survival, even if extrapancreatic metastases were previously removed. The existence of intrapancreatic multifocal compromise does not always warrant the performance of a total pancreatectomy in order to improve survival

Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy Induces Misfolding of Alleged Prion-Resistant Species Cellular Prion Protein without Altering Its Pathobiological Features

Bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE) prions were responsible for an unforeseen epizootic in cattle which had a vast social, economic, and public health impact. This was primarily because BSE prions were found to be transmissible to humans. Other species were also susceptible to BSE either by natural infection (e.g., felids, caprids) or in experimental settings (e.g., sheep, mice). However, certain species closely related to humans, such as canids and leporids, were apparently resistant to BSE. In vitro prion amplification techniques (saPMCA) were used to successfully misfold the cellular prion protein (PrPc) of these allegedly resistant species into a BSE-type prion protein. The biochemical and biological properties of the new prions generated in vitro after seeding rabbit and dog brain homogenates with classical BSE were studied. Pathobiological features of the resultant prion strains were determined after their inoculation into transgenic mice expressing bovine andhumanPrPC. Strain characteristics of the in vitro-adapted rabbit and dog BSE agent remained invariable with respect to the original cattle BSE prion, suggesting that the naturally low susceptibility of rabbits and dogs to prion infections should not alter their zoonotic potential if these animals became infected with BSE. This study provides a sound basis for risk assessment regarding prion diseases in purportedly resistant species

Event-related potentials associated to N-back test performance in schizophrenia

Producción CientíficaMapping of Event-Related Potentials (ERP) associated with auditory and visual odd-ball paradigms has shown consistent differences between healthy controls and schizophrenia patients. It may be hypothesized that higher task attentional/cognitive demand will result in larger differences in these paradigms, which may help understanding the substrates of cognitive deficits in this syndrome. To this aim, we performed an EEG study comparing the effects of increasing the attentional/cognitive load of an auditory N-back task on the Event-Related Potential in 50 subjects with schizophrenia (11 first episodes) and 35 healthy controls. We considered a post-target window of 1000 ms to explore possible between groups differences in N100, P300, and Late Slow Wave (LSW), and compared these components between 0-back (‘lower attentional/cognitive load) and 1-back (‘higher attentional/cognitive load’) conditions. Our results showed that N100 and LSW amplitude increase from 0- to 1-back condition was significantly larger in healthy controls compared to schizophrenia patients. Furthermore, LSW amplitude difference between 0- and 1-back conditions positively correlated with performance in the behavioral cognitive assessment. Taken together, these results support that higher task attentional/cognitive load (0-back vs. 1-back condition) increase N100 amplitude differences and reveal new findings related to the LSW component in schizophrenia.Junta de Castilla y León (project VA057P17)Instituto de Salud Carlos III (project PI18/00178

El fenómeno blog en España : análisis sectorial de hipertextualidad, multimedia e interactividad

El uso de internet y de las redes sociales influye en las decisiones de los turistas a la hora de consumir cualquier tipo de producto o servicio. De hecho, una estrategia eficiente en herramientas de marketing digital por parte de las empresas turísticas y los destinos aumenta su visibilidad de cara a la audiencia y, por tanto, sus ventas. Esta investigación pretende analizar algunos de los blogs más conocidos en lengua española mediante el análisis de contenido de sus webs. Así, se utiliza una metodología cualitativa (entrevistas en profundidad con profesionales del marketing y con lectores y creadores de blogs) y cuantitativa (una encuesta al público en general para valorar el perfil de los visitantes de los blogs, lo que capta más la atención de estas páginas web). Se establece una ficha técnica de cada blog que agrupa 22 variables que analizan cuatro partes principales (la cabecera como puerta de entrada, el artículo, la barra lateral y el pie de página). Se concluye que los blogs de viajes y sus redes sociales son herramientas de marketing muy relevantes en la actualidad y que la mayor parte de los mileniales los usan como primera opción a la hora de buscar información para viajar.L'ús d'internet i de les xarxes socials influeix en les decisions dels turistes a l'hora de consumir qualsevol tipus de producte o servei. De fet, una estratègia eficient en eines de màrqueting digital per part de les empreses turístiques i les destinacions augmenta la seva visibilitat de cara a l'audiència i, per tant, les seves vendes. Aquesta recerca pretén analitzar alguns dels blogs més coneguts en llengua espanyola mitjançant l'anàlisi de contingut dels seus webs. Així, s'utilitza una metodologia qualitativa (entrevistes en profunditat amb professionals del màrqueting i amb lectors i creadors de blogs) i quantitativa (una enquesta al públic en general per valorar el perfil dels visitants dels blogs, la qual cosa capta més l'atenció d'aquestes pàgines web). S'estableix una fitxa tècnica de cada blog que agrupa 22 variables que analitzen quatre parts principals (la capçalera com a porta d'entrada, l'article, la barra lateral i el peu de pàgina). Es conclou que els blogs de viatges i les seves xarxes socials són eines de màrqueting molt rellevants en l'actualitat i que la major part dels mil·lennistes els utilitzen com a primera opció a l'hora de buscar informació per viatjar.The use of the internet and social networks influences the decisions of tourists when it comes to consuming any type of tourist product or service. In fact, an efficient strategy in digital marketing tools by tourism companies and destinations increases their visibility to the audience and, therefore, their sales. This research aims to analyse some of the bestknown blogs in the Spanish language through content analysis of their websites. Both qualitative methodology (in-depth interviews with marketing professionals, blog readers and blog creators) and quantitative methodology (a survey of the general public to assess the profile of blog visitors; what attracts most attention on these web pages) are used. A technical sheet is established, which uses 22 variables to analyse four main sections of each blog (the header as entry point, the post, the sidebar and the footer). The study concludes that travel blogs and their social networks are very important marketing tools today, and that most millennials use travel blogs as the first option when looking for information for travel

Personality, psychopathology, life attitudes and neuropsychological performance among ritual users of ayahuasca: a longitudinal study

Ayahuasca is an Amazonian psychoactive plant beverage containing the serotonergic 5-HT2A agonist N,N-dimethyltryptamine (DMT) and monoamine oxidase-inhibiting alkaloids (harmine, harmaline and tetrahydroharmine) that render it orally active. Ayahuasca ingestion is a central feature in several Brazilian syncretic churches that have expanded their activities to urban Brazil, Europe and North America. Members of these groups typically ingest ayahuasca at least twice per month. Prior research has shown that acute ayahuasca increases blood flow in prefrontal and temporal brain regions and that it elicits intense modifications in thought processes, perception and emotion. However, regular ayahuasca use does not seem to induce the pattern of addiction-related problems that characterize drugs of abuse. To study the impact of repeated ayahuasca use on general psychological well-being, mental health and cognition, here we assessed personality, psychopathology, life attitudes and neuropsychological performance in regular ayahuasca users (n = 127) and controls (n = 115) at baseline and 1 year later. Controls were actively participating in non-ayahuasca religions. Users showed higher Reward Dependence and Self-Transcendence and lower Harm Avoidance and Self-Directedness. They scored significantly lower on all psychopathology measures, showed better performance on the Stroop test, the Wisconsin Card Sorting Test and the Letter-Number Sequencing task from the WAIS-III, and better scores on the Frontal Systems Behavior Scale. Analysis of life attitudes showed higher scores on the Spiritual Orientation Inventory, the Purpose in Life Test and the Psychosocial Well-Being test. Despite the lower number of participants available at follow-up, overall differences with controls were maintained one year later. In conclusion, we found no evidence of psychological maladjustment, mental health deterioration or cognitive impairment in the ayahuasca-using group