OBESIDAD, ADIPOQUINAS Y LUPUS ERITEMATOSO SISTÉMICO

La obesidad es una estado pro-inflamatorio crónico en el cual participan una serie de procesos celulares incluyendo cambios fenotípicos de macrófagos, alteraciones en el  equilibrio de citoquinas, y un aumento en la expresión de moléculas reguladoras del sistema inmune derivadas de adipocitos y macrófagos residentes de tejido adiposo – también denominadas adipoquinas. Tales adipoquinas como la leptina, la adiponectina, y la resistina, son, entre otras, algunas de las más estudiadas hasta el momento. De igual manera, estas adipoquinas pueden tener un posible rol en la fisiopatología del lupus eritematoso sistémico, al promover diferentes procesos pro-inflamatorios; por lo tanto, representan también posibles dianas terapéuticas para el tratamiento de esta enfermedad.  AbstractObesity is a pro-inflammatory state characterized by phenotypic changes in macrophages, alterations on cytokines balance, and increasing expression of regulatory molecules of the immune system derived from adipocytes and adipose tissue macrophages – also known as adipokines. Currently, leptin, adiponectin and resistin are, among others, one of the most known adipokines. These adipokines might play a possible role in systemic lupus erythematosus pathogenesis, by promoting different pro-inflammatory conditions. Adipokines represent a possible treatment target in patients with lupus. </p

Intermediate monocytes and cytokine production associated with severe forms of chagas disease

Q1Monocytes are classified according to their CD14 and CD16 expression into classical (reparative), intermediate (inflammatory), and non-classical. This study assessed the frequency of monocyte and the relationship between monocyte subset percentages and the levels of blood cytokines in Colombian chagasic patients with different clinical forms. This study included chagasic patients in different clinical stages: indeterminate (IND) n = 14, chronic chagasic cardiomyopathy (CCC) n = 14, and heart transplant chagasic (HTCC) n = 9; controls with non-chagasic cardiopathy (NCC) n = 15, and healthy individuals (HI) n = 15. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were isolated, labeled for CD14, CD16, and HLA-DR, and analyzed by flow cytometry. Cytokines were measured with a bead-based immunoassay. Percentages of total CD14+ CD16+ and CD14+ HLA-DR+ monocytes were higher in patients with heart involvement (CCC, HTCC, and NCC) than controls. Percentages of intermediate monocytes increased in symptomatic chagasic patients (CCC and HTCC) compared to asymptomatic chagasic patients (IND) and controls (HI). Asymptomatic chagasic patients (IND) had higher percentages of classical monocytes, an increased production of CCL17 chemokine compared to chagasic symptomatic patients (CCC), and their levels of CCL17 was positively correlated with the percentage of classical monocyte subset. In CCC, the percentages of intermediate and classical monocytes were positively correlated with IL-6 levels, which were higher in this group compared to HI, and negatively with IL-12p40 concentration, respectively. Remarkably, there also was an important increased of classical monocytes frequency in three chronic chagasic patients who underwent cardiac transplant, of which one received anti-parasitic treatment. Our findings suggest that cardiac chagasic patients have an increased percentage of inflammatory monocytes and produce more IL-6, a biomarker of heart failure and left ventricular dysfunction, whereas asymptomatic chagasic individuals present a higher percentage of reparative monocytes and CCL17.N/

Anticitrullinated peptide antibodies (ACPA) in the serum of heavy smokers without arthritis - a differential role of associated pulmonary disease?

2 páginas, 1 tabla.-- Póster presentado al 5º European Workshop on Immune-Mediated Inflammatory Diseases celebrado en Sitges (Barcelona) del 1 al 3 de Diciembre de 2010.An increased risk of RA has been described in smokers, but only in ACPA-positive RA patients. The frequency of ACPA in serum of heavy smokers is not known.Peer reviewe

Induction of superficial zone protein (SZP)/ lubricin/PRG 4 in muscle-derived mesenchymal stem/progenitor cells by transforming growth factor-b1 and bone morphogenetic protein-7

Introduction Articular cartilage (AC) is an avascular tissue with precise polarity and organization. The three distinct zones are: surface, middle and deep. The production and accumulation of the superficial zone protein (SZP), also known as lubricin, by the surface zone is a characteristic feature of AC. To date, there is a wealth of evidence showing differentiation of AC from mesenchymal stem cells. Most studies that described chondrogenic differentiation did not focus on AC with characteristic surface marker SZP/lubricin. The present investigation was initiated to determine the induction of SZP/lubricin in skeletal muscle-derived mesenchymal stem/progenitor cells (MDMSCs) by transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) and bone morphogenetic protein-7 (BMP-7). Methods MDMSCs were cultured as a monolayer at a density of 1 × 105 cells/well in 12-well tissue culture plates. Cell cultures were treated for 3, 7 and 10 days with TGF-β1 and BMP-7. The medium was analyzed for SZP. The cells were used to isolate RNA for RT-PCR assays for SZP expression. Results The SZP/lubricin increased in a time-dependent manner on Days 3, 7 and 10 in the medium. As early as Day 3, there was a three-fold increase in response to 3 ng/ml of TGF-β1 and 300 ng/ml of BMP-7. This was confirmed by immunochemical localization of SZP as early as Day 3 after treatment with TGF-β1. The expression of SZP mRNA was enhanced by TGF-β1. Conclusions The present investigation demonstrated the efficient and reproducible induction of SZP/lubricin accumulation by TGF-β1 and BMP-7 in skeletal MDMSCs. Optimization of the experimental conditions may permit the utility of MDMSCs in generating surface zone-like cells with phenotypic markers of AC and, therefore, constitute a promising cell source for tissue engineering approaches of superficial zone cartilage

Influence of Abiotic Factors Temperature and Water Content on Bacterial 2-Chlorophenol Biodegradation in Soils

Halogenated compounds are environmental pollutants toxic to humans and wildlife. Certain microorganisms degrade these halogenated compounds. However, little is known about the potential of microorganisms in bioremediation under extreme conditions, specifically in arid and semi-arid soils frequently exposed to high temperatures and desiccation periods. Arid and semi-arid environments and deserts make up vast areas of Earth's landmass. To investigate the degradation of 2-chlorophenol (2-CP) in soils as a function of temperature and water availability, three bacterial species were tested, two soil mesophiles of the genus Rhodococcus, R. opacus and R. erythropolis, and a soil thermophilic isolate, Parageobacillus thermoglucosidasius. Degradation trials in soil samples with these species were performed over a range of water activity from 1 to 0.4. At their optimum growth temperature, R. opacus showed maximum 2-CP degradation at water activity 0.9 sharply decreasing when lowering water activity. Nevertheless, the Parageobacillus isolate (optimum growth temperature 60°C) showed maximum 2-CP degradation rates at water activity 0.5 which represented highly desiccating conditions. Parageobacillus degradation of 2-CP was very low at water activity above 0.9. Thus, biodegradation of 2-CP in soils is possible even under arid conditions although different microbial species might be involved in this task depending on the interactions of abiotic factors and the diversity of microbial communities in soils. These results contribute to understand the potential biodegradation of specific halogenated compounds in the environment which is of great relevance to comprehend the fate of halogenated pollutants (i.e., 2-CP) in deserts, arid and semi-arid soils

Indicators of Good Practices of Service-Learning University

The proliferation of innovative experiences in university education has been confirmed in different forums, as well as the evidence of their impact in research. However, the available tools are limited when trying to address the quality assessment of University Service-Learning (USL) projects. We present a tool for the evaluation of your SL projects. The goal of the Matrix is to specify the essential and secondary indicators needed to develop good practices in USL: IM_USL. A protocol is established to carry out its assessment. Dimensions and phases indicators of a project are specied, as well as the agents or people involved in it. This tool tries to guide the development of USL projects and to specify different points to improve. The application of the IM_USL will allow you to explore, exhaustively, each of the dimensions and indicators that make up a USL project, regarding both the AGENTS involved and the PHASES that make up a programme. In order to gather information on the reality of the projects, the phases and agents involved in a USL project will be reviewed in particular, determining the level of achievement of the indicators that compose it and of the dimensions that specify the particularities of each indicator. Finally, a series of questions are proposed to guide the process of analysis and reflection on the quality of the evaluated project. As a result, we will be able to obtain an X-ray of the quality of the project and the possible aspects for improvement.Funding: Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation. Grant: I+D 2019. REFERENCIA DEL PROYECTO/AEI/10.13039/50110001103

Radiogenic backgrounds in the NEXT double beta decay experiment

[EN] Natural radioactivity represents one of the main backgrounds in the search for neutrinoless double beta decay. Within the NEXT physics program, the radioactivity- induced backgrounds are measured with the NEXT-White detector. Data from 37.9 days of low-background operations at the Laboratorio Subterraneo de Canfranc with xenon depleted in Xe-136 are analyzed to derive a total background rate of (0.84 +/- 0.02) mHz above 1000 keV. The comparison of data samples with and without the use of the radon abatement system demonstrates that the contribution of airborne-Rn is negligible. A radiogenic background model is built upon the extensive radiopurity screening campaign conducted by the NEXT collaboration. A spectral fit to this model yields the specific contributions of Co-60, K-40, Bi-214 and Tl-208 to the total background rate, as well as their location in the detector volumes. The results are used to evaluate the impact of the radiogenic backgrounds in the double beta decay analyses, after the application of topological cuts that reduce the total rate to (0.25 +/- 0.01) mHz. Based on the best-fit background model, the NEXT-White median sensitivity to the two-neutrino double beta decay is found to be 3.5 sigma after 1 year of data taking. The background measurement in a Q(beta beta)+/- 100 keV energy window validates the best-fit background model also for the neutrinoless double beta decay search with NEXT-100. Only one event is found, while the model expectation is (0.75 +/- 0.12) events.The NEXT collaboration acknowledges support from the following agencies and institutions: the European Research Council (ERC) under the Advanced Grant 339787-NEXT; the European Union's Framework Programme for Research and Innovation Horizon 2020 (2014-2020) under the Marie Sklodowska-Curie Grant Agreements No. 674896, 690575 and 740055; the Ministerio de Economia y Competitividad and the Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovacion y Universidades of Spain under grants FIS2014-53371-C04, RTI2018-095979, the Severo Ochoa Program SEV-2014-0398 and the Maria de Maetzu Program MDM-2016-0692; the GVA of Spain under grants PROMETEO/2016/120 and SEJI/2017/011; the Portuguese FCT under project PTDC/FIS-NUC/2525/2014, under project UID/FIS/04559/2013 to fund the activities of LIBPhys, and under grants PD/BD/105921/2014, SFRH/BPD/109180/2015 and SFRH/BPD/76842/2011; the U.S. Department of Energy under contracts number DE-AC02-06CH11357 (Argonne National Laboratory), DE-AC02-07CH11359 (Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory), DE-FG02-13ER42020 (Texas A&M) and DE-SC0019223/DE-SC0019054 (University of Texas at Arlington); and the University of Texas at Arlington. DGD acknowledges Ramon y Cajal program (Spain) under contract number RYC-2015-18820. We also warmly acknowledge the Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso (LNGS) and the Dark Side collaboration for their help with TPB coating of various parts of the NEXT-White TPC. Finally, we are grateful to the Laboratorio Subterraneo de Canfranc for hosting and supporting the NEXT experiment.Novella, P.; Palmeiro, B.; Sorel, M.; Usón, A.; Ferrario, P.; Gómez-Cadenas, JJ.; Adams, C.... (2019). Radiogenic backgrounds in the NEXT double beta decay experiment. Journal of High Energy Physics (Online). (10):1-26. https://doi.org/10.1007/JHEP10(2019)051S12610KamLAND-Zen collaboration, Search for Majorana Neutrinos near the Inverted Mass Hierarchy Region with KamLAND-Zen, Phys. Rev. Lett.117 (2016) 082503 [arXiv:1605.02889] [INSPIRE].GERDA collaboration, Improved Limit on Neutrinoless Double-β Decay of76Ge from GERDA Phase II, Phys. Rev. Lett.120 (2018) 132503 [arXiv:1803.11100] [INSPIRE].NEXT collaboration, NEXT-100 Technical Design Report (TDR): Executive Summary, 2012JINST7 T06001 [arXiv:1202.0721] [INSPIRE].M. Redshaw, E. Wingfield, J. McDaniel and E.G. Myers, Mass and double-beta-decay Q value of Xe-136, Phys. Rev. Lett.98 (2007) 053003 [INSPIRE].EXO-200 collaboration, Improved measurement of the 2νββ half-life of136Xe with the EXO-200 detector, Phys. Rev.C 89 (2014) 015502 [arXiv:1306.6106] [INSPIRE].KamLAND-Zen collaboration, Measurement of the double-β decay half-life of136Xe with the KamLAND-Zen experiment, Phys. Rev.C 85 (2012) 045504 [arXiv:1201.4664] [INSPIRE].NEXT collaboration, Initial results on energy resolution of the NEXT-White detector, 2018JINST13 P10020 [arXiv:1808.01804] [INSPIRE].NEXT collaboration, Energy Calibration of the NEXT-White Detector with 1% Resolution Near Qββof136Xe, arXiv:1905.13110 [INSPIRE].NEXT collaboration, Near-Intrinsic Energy Resolution for 30 to 662 keV Gamma Rays in a High Pressure Xenon Electroluminescent TPC, Nucl. Instrum. Meth.A 708 (2013) 101 [arXiv:1211.4474] [INSPIRE].NEXT collaboration, Characterisation of NEXT-DEMO using xenon KαX-rays, 2014JINST9 P10007 [arXiv:1407.3966] [INSPIRE].NEXT collaboration, First proof of topological signature in the high pressure xenon gas TPC with electroluminescence amplification for the NEXT experiment, JHEP01 (2016) 104 [arXiv:1507.05902] [INSPIRE].NEXT collaboration, Demonstration of the event identification capabilities of the NEXT-White detector, arXiv:1905.13141 [INSPIRE].A.D. McDonald et al., Demonstration of Single Barium Ion Sensitivity for Neutrinoless Double Beta Decay using Single Molecule Fluorescence Imaging, Phys. Rev. Lett.120 (2018) 132504 [arXiv:1711.04782] [INSPIRE].P. Thapa et al., Barium Chemosensors with Dry-Phase Fluorescence for Neutrinoless Double Beta Decay, arXiv:1904.05901 [INSPIRE].NEXT collaboration, Ionization and scintillation response of high-pressure xenon gas to alpha particles, 2013 JINST8 P05025 [arXiv:1211.4508] [INSPIRE].NEXT collaboration, Initial results of NEXT-DEMO, a large-scale prototype of the NEXT-100 experiment, 2013 JINST8 P04002 [arXiv:1211.4838] [INSPIRE].NEXT collaboration, Operation and first results of the NEXT-DEMO prototype using a silicon photomultiplier tracking array, 2013 JINST8 P09011 [arXiv:1306.0471] [INSPIRE].NEXT collaboration, Description and commissioning of NEXT-MM prototype: first results from operation in a Xenon-Trimethylamine gas mixture, 2014 JINST9 P03010 [arXiv:1311.3242] [INSPIRE].NEXT collaboration, Ionization and scintillation of nuclear recoils in gaseous xenon, Nucl. Instrum. Meth.A 793 (2015) 62 [arXiv:1409.2853] [INSPIRE].NEXT collaboration, An improved measurement of electron-ion recombination in high-pressure xenon gas, 2015 JINST10 P03025 [arXiv:1412.3573] [INSPIRE].NEXT collaboration, Accurate γ and MeV-electron track reconstruction with an ultra-low diffusion Xenon/TMA TPC at 10 atm, Nucl. Instrum. Meth.A 804 (2015) 8 [arXiv:1504.03678] [INSPIRE].NEXT collaboration, The Next White (NEW) Detector, 2018 JINST13 P12010 [arXiv:1804.02409] [INSPIRE].NEXT collaboration, Sensitivity of NEXT-100 to Neutrinoless Double Beta Decay, JHEP05 (2016) 159 [arXiv:1511.09246] [INSPIRE].V. Alvarez et al., Radiopurity control in the NEXT-100 double beta decay experiment: procedures and initial measurements, 2013 JINST8 T01002 [arXiv:1211.3961] [INSPIRE].NEXT collaboration, Radiopurity assessment of the tracking readout for the NEXT double beta decay experiment, 2015 JINST10 P05006 [arXiv:1411.1433] [INSPIRE].NEXT collaboration, Radiopurity assessment of the energy readout for the NEXT double beta decay experiment, 2017 JINST12 T08003 [arXiv:1706.06012] [INSPIRE].NEXT collaboration, Measurement of radon-induced backgrounds in the NEXT double beta decay experiment, JHEP10 (2018) 112 [arXiv:1804.00471] [INSPIRE].NEXT collaboration, Electron drift properties in high pressure gaseous xenon, 2018 JINST13 P07013 [arXiv:1804.01680] [INSPIRE].NEXT collaboration, Calibration of the NEXT-White detector using83m Kr decays, 2018JINST13 P10014 [arXiv:1804.01780] [INSPIRE].NEXT collaboration, Background rejection in NEXT using deep neural networks, 2017JINST12 T01004 [arXiv:1609.06202] [INSPIRE].NEXT collaboration, Application and performance of an ML-EM algorithm in NEXT, 2017JINST12 P08009 [arXiv:1705.10270] [INSPIRE]

Soluciones terapéuticas para la reconstrucción de la dermis y la epidermis. Oportunidades en el medio antioqueño

En Antioquia, es necesario buscar una solución disponible, efectiva y económicamente viable para afrontar los problemas de la piel de los pacientes que, por accidentes o enfermedades, han disminuido su calidad de vida y se encuentran aislados a la espera de tratamientos que les permitan recuperar la funcionalidad de su cuerpo y les reduzcan los riesgos por la exposición de los tejidos internos. Las diferentes soluciones existentes en el mercado todavía no han llegado a superar algunos obstáculos tales como el cubrimiento de todas las extensiones, los altos costos, la funcionalidad de los tejidos restaurados, los rechazos de tipo inmune y la escasez de los sitios donantes. Este artículo presenta una revisión literaria que busca mostrar las diferentes alternativas de solución para pacientes con problemas de piel, dando énfasis en las soluciones clásicas aplicables y económicamente viables desde la ingeniería de tejidos en el sector antioqueño.In Antioquia (Colombia), there are many patients who suffer dermal injuries caused by accident or disease. Therefore, it is necessary to pursue available, effective and affordable solutions to overcome dermal problems. Physicians and patients are both expecting corrective treatments that can reduce inner tissue exposition and allow the possibility of recovering skin functionality. Although there are many solutions for skin replacement, some obstacles remain, such as: high costs, limited availability of skin for implantation in extended areas, adequate functionality of the restored tissue and immunological rejection. Due to these issues, this article presents some of the existing alternative solutions for patients with skin injuries, considering the histology and physiology of the skin, and regarding the classical and economically attainable solutions to be used in Antioquia

Digital inclusion and participation of people with intellectual disabilities during COVID-19: A rapid review and international bricolage

The COVID-19 pandemic has meant a rapid transfer of everyday activities to the online world. Information and communication technologies (ICTs) have become more embedded than ever in people's lives. This investigation addresses how this change has affected the lives of people with intellectual disabilities (ID). A two-step design was used. A rapid review was conducted on empirical studies published between January 2019 and June 2021. Search terms related to ID, ICT use and COVID-19. A qualitative international bricolage was also conducted corresponding to author nationalities. Data gathered from the review and bricolage were analysed separately using thematic analysis and relationally synthesised. Digital solutions to provide access to COVID-19 information and guidance seemed inadequate but were seldom empirically studied. Digital poverty, literacy and exclusion remain significant issues for people with ID internationally. People and their carers experienced reduced and removed service provision, loneliness and impoverished daily lives during the pandemic; amelioration of which was facilitated by digital solutions. One solution often used was videoconferencing. Prior experience of digital participation, adequate finances, connection, support and digital literacy mentoring for both people with ID and those providing services and support facilitated digital inclusion. Digital exclusion during COVID-19 was exacerbated by sociopolitical, structural, individual and support-related barriers. Although awareness of digital exclusion appears to have been raised, the extent to which this has led to action and change remains unclear. Despite digital exclusion and digital participation benefitting continuation of life, social and emotional well-being and autonomy, COVID-19 has not provided the impetus to eradicate digital poverty for people with ID. Governmental support, digital education, creativity and problem solving are required to enable people with ID the human right to be included in the digital world at this essential time and into the future