El Ribosoma de Leishmania y su interacción con el sistema inmunológico del hospedador

Tesis doctoral inédita leída en la Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Facultad de Ciencias, Departamento de Biología Molecular. Fecha de lectura: 11-07-2014La leishmaniosis es una zoonosis provocada por protozoos del género Leishmania. Hoy en día todavía no existe una vacuna disponible para su uso en seres humanos. En este trabajo se ha estudiado el posible uso de los ribosomas como herramientas inmuno-profilácticas frente a las infecciones por Leishmania. Primero, se analizó la antigenicidad de las proteínas ribosómicas de Leishmania (LRP) usando muestras obtenidas a partir de perros infectados de forma natural que mostraban diferentes síntomas clínicos, desde animales asintomáticos hasta sintomáticos. Los resultados demostraron que la mayoría de los perros infectados tienen anticuerpos circulantes contra los ribosomas y que la mayoría de las proteínas que constituyen el ribosoma son antigénicas. En este sentido, el LRP ha demostrado ser mejor candidato para el diagnóstico de la leishmaniosis canina que el Antígeno Soluble de Leishmania (SLA), ya que los ensayos de ELISA basados en LRP presentan valores con mayor sensibilidad y especificidad que los que emplean SLA. En segundo lugar, este trabajo se centró en el estudio de la capacidad de las partículas ribosómicas, así como alguno de sus componentes, de generar protección frente a infecciones producidas por varias especies de Leishmania. Usando diferentes modelos de infección basados en el empleo de ratones BALB/c se observó que la vacunación combinada de LRP junto con un adjuvante estimulador de respuestas celulares era capaz de producir respuestas inmunes protectoras contra el desarrollo de leishmaniosis cutáneas y viscerales (causadas por la infección con Leishmania major y Leishmania amazonensis o Leishmania chagasi, respectivamente). Además, los ratones protegidos frente al desarrollo de leishmaniosis cutánea (LC) causada por L. major por su vacunación con LRP + CpG-ODN (oligodeoxirribonucleótidos con motivos CpG no metilados), fueron capaces de resistir una segunda infección. Estos efectos protectores se deben principalmente a la inducción de respuestas mediadas por IFN-y acompañadas con el control de la producción de las citoquinas IL-10 e IL-4 en respuesta a antígenos del parásito. Por otra parte, se caracterizaron y clonaron cuatro de las proteínas que forman parte del ribosoma. Sus versiones recombinantes LmS4, LmS6, LmL5 y LmL3 demostraron ser reconocidas por el suero tanto de pacientes humanos infectados como caninos. Entre ellas LmL3 y LmL5 fueron capaces de generar una mayor respuesta protectora cuando fueron ensayadas como vacunas en presencia de CpG-ODN, en el modelo BALB/c-L. major. Por este motivo, el análisis de su potencial profiláctico se extendió a otros modelos de infección empleando la misma cepa de ratones y tres especies diferentes de parásitos Leishmania braziliensis, L. amazonensis y L. chagasi. En todos los casos se observó una respuesta protectora asociada a la administración de las vacunas basadas en LmL3, LmL5 y CpG-ODN. Los ratones vacunados mostraron cargas parasitarias más bajas en los órganos infectados, así como una reducción de las lesiones cutáneas (cuando se infectan con las especies cutáneas L. braziliensis y L. amazonensis) en comparación con los grupos control inmunizados con el adyuvante o diluyente de la vacuna. La protección se relacionó principalmente con la producción específica de IFN- γ por parte de LmL3 y LmL5 (mayor en magnitud para la proteína LmL5) y el control de la respuesta específica de IL -10 inducida por la LmL3 en los ratones infectados no vacunados. En conjunto, los resultados aquí descritos indican que los constituyentes del ribosoma de Leishmania pueden ser un componente relevante de una vacuna profiláctica contra la leishmaniosis humanaLeishmaniasis is a zoonotic disease caused by protozoa of the genus Leishmania. Nowadays there is still no vaccine available for use in humans. In this work, the possible use of ribosomes as immuno-prophylactic tools against the development of disease after infection with Leishmania has been studied. First, we have analyzed the antigenicity of the Leishmania ribosomal proteins (LRP) using samples obtained from naturally infected dogs showing different clinical symptoms ranging from asymptomatic to symptomatic forms. The results demonstrated that most of the infected animals possess circulating antibodies against ribosomes and that most of the ribosomal protein constituents are antigenic. In this sense, the LRP have been proved to be a better candidate than Soluble Leishmania Antigen (SLA) for diagnosis of canine leishmaniasis, since ELISA assays based on LRP show higher sensitivity and specificity values than SLA based assays. Second, this work has focused on the study of the ability of the ribosome particles, and some of its components, to generate protection against infections caused by several species of Leishmania. Using different models of infection based on the BALB/c mice, it was observed that vaccination with the combination of LRP and adjuvants that stimulate cellular responses was able to induce immune responses that protects against the development of dermal and visceral leishmaniasis (caused by infection with L. major and L. amazonensis or L. chagasi, respectively). Moreover, mice protected against cutaneous leishmaniasis due to L. major infection by vaccination with LRP + CpG-ODN were able to resist a secondary infection. These protective effects are mainly due to the induction of IFN- γ mediated responses accompanied by the control of production of IL-10 and IL-4 cytokines in response to parasite antigens. In addition, four ribosomal antigenic proteins have been characterized and cloned. Their recombinant versions, LmS4, LmS6, LmL3, LmL5, were recognized by sera from Leishmania infected humans and dogs. Among them, LmL3 and LmL5 were able to generate a stronger protective response when tested as vaccines in the L. major-BALB/c model in the presence of CpG-ODN. For this reason the analysis of their prophylactic properties was extended to other models of infection using the same mice strain and three different parasites species: L. braziliensis, L. amazonensis and L. chagasi. In all tested models a protective response of the LmL3, LmL5 and CpG-ODN based vaccine was observed. Vaccinated mice showed lower parasite burdens in the infected organs as well as reduced cutaneous lesions (when infected with the cutaneotropic species L. braziliensis and L. amazonensis) when compared with control groups immunized with the vaccine adjuvant or diluent. The immune correlate to protection was mainly related with the LmL3 and LmL5 specific IFN- γ production (higher in magnitude for the LmL5 protein) and control of the LmL3-induced IL-10 specific response observed in non-vaccinated infected mice. Altogether, results here depicted indicate that Leishmania ribosomal constituents may be relevant components of a protective prophylactic vaccine against human leishmaniasis

Los estucos romanos de Carmona

Este capítulo presenta los fragmentos de estucos encontrados pertenecen a cuatro excavaciones realizadas en distintos solares situados en la parte alta de Carmona. La denominación de la excavación corresponde a la calle donde se encuentra el solar y el número correspondiente de la calle

El retrato de García Ruiz: una mirada personal del Renacimiento

Vivimos una época difícil para el arte, donde las normas se han roto e impera la innovación llevada a su más alto extremo. Pero no se puede decir que hoy día todos los pintores hayan seguido ese camino, hay escuelas que aun perduran y sus seguidores siguen fieles a sus principios. Uno de ellos es nuestro personaje García Ruiz, del cual quiero mostrar una faceta de su pintura, quizás una de las menos conocidas: los retratos

Tejiendo vida y memoria

El presente trabajo es resultado de la sistematización del proceso de acompañamiento psicosocial en el marco del proyecto Costurero de la Memoria: Kilómetros de Vida y de Memoria , y se orientó a indagar cómo este proceso contribuyó a que las participantes del espacio pudieran resignificar su experiencia de ser víctimas de la violencia sociopolítica y/o del conflicto armado, en nuestro país. Es una investigación cualitativa, de carácter inductivo, dado que a partir del proceso de sistematización de la experiencia, de lo socializado en talleres y actividades realizadas, se fue identificando una serie de indicadores, que permitieron formular de forma progresiva las categorías de análisis, a saber: potencial terapéutico, redes de apoyo y afrontamiento. A partir de esta identificación preliminar se indagó por referentes teóricos que fortalecieran las mencionadas categorías de análisis. Seguido a esto, con el fin de profundizar en la experiencia, se realizó una entrevista semiestructurada a tres mujeres participantes con edades entre los 45 y los 65 años. Por otro lado, se utilizaron medios visuales y audiovisuales para enriquecer el proceso de sistematización de la experiencia."The work shown here is the result of the systemized process of social and psychological support in the frame of the project entitled ""Sewing box of memories: kilometers of life and memory"". Then oriented to inquire on how this process contributed to the participants, allowing them to find new meaning to their experiences as victims of social and political violence result of the conflict in our country. It is a qualitative research of inductive nature un which the proyect systemized experience and started adding the social interaction carried out in sessions and activities. A series of indicators were identified, which enable to formulate in the progressive manner the main cathegories of analysis such as: therapeutic potential, supporting networks and coping estrategies. Once we identified the cathegories of analysis, in order to enhance ofstrengthen more theoric references were inquired. Follow to this, in order to deepen the experience, an interview was performed to three female participants between the ages of 45 and 65 years old. On the other hand the use of audio and video was applied to enrich the process of systemized experience."Psicólogo (a)Pregrad

Premenstrual and menstrual changes reported after COVID-19 vaccination: The EVA project

Background: Menstrual disorders were not reported as a possible secondary effect in any of the clinical trials for the SARS-CoV-2 vaccines. Aim: To describe the prevalence of perceived premenstrual and menstrual changes after COVID-19 vaccine administration. Design: Cross-sectional study. Methods: A total of 14,153 women (mean age 31.5 ± 9.3 years old) who had received the full course of vaccination at least three months earlier were included in this cross-sectional study. Data including the type of vaccine administered, perceived changes in the amount and duration of menstrual bleeding, presence of clots, cycle length, and premenstrual symptoms were collected through a retrospective online survey from June to September 2021. Results: Of the women who participated in this study, 3136 reported no menstrual changes and 11,017 (78% of the study sample) reported experiencing menstrual cycle changes after vaccination. In summary, women who reported menstrual changes after vaccination were older (overall p < 0.001) and slightly more smokers (p = 0.05) than women who did not report any changes. The most prevalent changes in relation to premenstrual symptoms were increased fatigue (43%), abdominal bloating (37%), irritability (29%), sadness (28%), and headaches (28%). The most predominant menstrual changes were more menstrual bleeding (43%), more menstrual pain (41%), delayed menstruation (38%), fewer days of menstrual bleeding (34.5%), and shorter cycle length (32%). Conclusion: Women vaccinated against COVID-19 usually perceive mild menstrual and premenstrual changes. Future studies are warranted to clarify the physiological mechanisms behind these widely reported changes.Antonio Chamorro-Alejandro Otero Research Chair, University of Granad

Aproximación a la orientación futura de la personalidad en esquizofrénicos jóvenes rehabilitados

Introducción: El proyecto de vida es una importante formación psicológica cuya realización repercute en la salud y el bienestar de la persona. Ha sido estudiado en Cuba en jóvenes supuestamente sanos, no siendo así en aquellos cuya salud mental se encuentra afectada. Objetivo: Caracterizar los posibles proyectos de vida asumidos por jóvenes con esquizofrenia rehabilitados. Métodos: Se realizó un estudio exploratorio en el que se utilizaron métodos cualitativos y cuantitativos de investigación. La muestra fue de 19 pacientes esquizofrénicos jóvenes que habían ingresado al menos una vez para ser rehabilitados en los servicios de agudos del Hospital Psiquiátrico de La Habana desde el año 2013 hasta enero del 2015. Se emplearon los estadígrafos Ji cuadrado y Coeficiente de correlación por rangos de Spearman para identificar asociaciones entre variables. Resultados: Los proyectos futuros principales se vinculan a la profesión, las necesidades materiales, la familia y la salud; los que coinciden con los principales motivos actuales. Entre las principales características de los proyectos futuros figuran: ausencia de vínculo afectivo, en primer nivel de la jerarquía la profesión, la temporalidad de plazo no definido, estrategias parcialmente estructuradas y obstáculos externos. Existió relación entre la percepción de la convivencia familiar y la cantidad de proyectos que tienen los pacientes (p = 0.013). Conclusiones: Se identificó la presencia de proyectos futuros en esta muestra de jóvenes esquizofrénicos rehabilitados. Los resultados pueden orientar futuras intervenciones desde un punto de vista psicosocial, puesto que al parecer además de los condicionantes psicopatológicos están los sociales limitando la autorrealización de los pacientes.Medicin

Ophiuroidea of the Avilés Canyons System (INDEMARES + LIFE Project).

The Avilés Canyons System (ACS) is located in the Cantabrian Sea (Bay of Biscay) and is composed of three canyons. It was declared Site of Community Importance (SCI: C ESZZ12003) within the Natura 2000 Network (Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Environment, 2014) due to their diversity of species and vulnerable habitats (Sánchez et.al., 2014). During the years 2010 - 2012 several campaigns of the INDEMARES LIFE - ACS project were carried out. This study includes the zone that goes from the beginning of the continental slope to the maximum depth sampled in the bathyal zone (depth range between 266 and 2291 m). A total of 7413 specimens which correspond to 48 species, were collected from 50 stations. The most abundant species were Ophiocten affinis (Lütken, 1858) with 4092 specimens and Ophiothamnus affinis Ljungman, 1872 with 1842. The most frequent ones were Ophiactis abyssicola (M. Sars, 1861) and Ophiacantha bidentata (Bruzelius, 1805) present in 48% and 26% of stations respectively. Comparing our species with public databases (OBIS, GBIF) and the bibliography, five potential new records have been found for the Cantabrian Sea, part of the North-Atlantic Marine Subdivision (Lavín et. al., 2012).Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tec

Improving Institutional Repositories through User-Centered Design: Indicators from a Focus Group

User experience with intuitive and flexible digital platforms can be enjoyable and satisfying. A strategy to deliver such an experience is to place the users at the center of the design process and analyze their beliefs and perceptions to add appropriate platform features. This study conducted with focus groups as a qualitative method of data collection to investigate users’ preferences and develop a new landing page for institutional repositories with attractive functionalities based on their information-structural rules. The research question was: What are the motivations and experiences of users in an academic community when publishing scientific information in an institutional repository? The focus group technique used in this study had three sessions. Results showed that 50% of the participants did not know the functionalities of the institutional repository nor its benefits. Users’ perceptions of platforms such as ResearchGate or Google Scholar that provide academic production were also identified. The findings showed that motivating an academic community to use an institutional repository requires technological functions, user guidelines that identify what can or cannot be published in open access, and training programs for open access publication practices and institutional repository use. These measures align with global strategies to strengthen the digital identities of scientific communities and thus benefit open science

Evaluation of Physiotherapy students' knowledge about professional identity in two Spanish public universities.

Introduction: Physiotherapy is an autonomous and regulated profession. However, pseudo-health professions treat patients despite lacking formal training and certificates. This fact provokes confusion between patients, professionals, and students, which can represent a decrease in the quality of care practice and a risk to patient safety. The objective was to analyze the prior knowledge and beliefs of first-year students of the Degree in Physiotherapy to identify the identity aspects of the profession associated with knowledge gaps. Methodology: This study recruited students from 2 Spanish public universities. In the first session, the students anonymously completed a digital questionnaire, which included questions related to professional identity, its scope of application, its therapeutic instruments, and its legal and scientific basis. Additionally, potential confounding factors were identified, such as the existence of medical relatives, to improve the interpretation of the results. Results: 245 students participated. Physiotherapy is identified as a health profession (99.6%), although the criteria that define health professions are not known by 32.7% of the students. Physiotherapists are distinguished by students compared to other professionals such as massage therapists or osteopaths. However, there are doubts about whether or not other pseudo-healthcare professions are categorized as health disciplines. It is largely considered that Physiotherapy, as a profession, should be guided by scientific evidence. Likewise, there are doubts regarding the competencies and some physiotherapy techniques. Conclusions: Although physiotherapy students access university training with certain knowledge, there are still some deficiencies especially related to the competencies, the differences between Physiotherapy and pseudo-health professions, and the requirements to consider a profession as health. Informative content that addresses these deficiencies should be promoted.Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech