Variabilidad de la Respuesta de las Células Dendríticas Estimuladas in vitro con Porphyromonas gingivalis y Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans

ResumenLas células dendríticas son células presentadoras de antígeno capaces de inducir la activación y maduración de linfocitos T CD4+ vírgenes hacia un fenotipo efector especifico Th1 o Th2, dependiendo del tipo de antigeno presentado, las senales co-estimuladoras que expresan y el ambiente de citoquinas en el cual se produce la interaccion celula-celula. El objetivo del presente trabajo es analizar la respuesta de las celulas dendriticas estimuladas in vitro con distintas concentraciones de las bacterias periodontopatógenas Pg y Aa. En celulas dendriticas derivadas de monocitos de sangre periferica estimuladas con 101 a 109 bacterias/mL de Pg y Aa se evaluo la expresion del marcador de maduracion CD80 mediante citometria de flujo y de las citoquinas IL1β, IL2, IL5, IL6, IL10, IL12, IL13, IFNγ, TNFα y TNFβ mediante RT-PCR cuantitativa. Aa y Pg indujeron maduracion de las celulas dendriticas, detectandose significativamente mayor expresion de CD80 con la estimulacion de Aa, e indujeron predominantemente la expresion de citoquinas propias de una respuesta Th1. Dependiendo de la carga bacteriana, fueron detectados distintos umbrales de induccion de expresion de citoquinas. Aa indujo la sintesis de IL1β, IL12, IFNγ, TNFα y TNFβ a menor carga bacteriana que Pg. Tomados en conjunto, estos datos nos permiten especular un mayor potencial antigenico y proyectar una mayor capacidad patogenica durante la infeccion periodontal de Aa en comparación a Pg.AbstractDendritic cells are potent antigen-presenting cells able to prime naive T cells and polarize them towards a Th1 or Th2 response, depending on the type of the antigen presented to the TCR, the type of costimulatory signals, and the cytokine pattern in the environment. The aim of this work was to analyze the response of dendritic cells to in vitro stimulation with Pg and Aa. In monocyte-derived dendritic cells stimulated with 101 to 109 bacteria/mL of Pg or Aa were evaluated both the expression of the maturation marker CD80 by flow cytometry and the expression of the cytokines IL1β, IL2, IL5, IL6, IL10, IL12, IL13, IFNγ, TNFα and TNFβ by quantitative RT-PCR. Both Pg and Aa led to dendritic cell maturation, detecting higher CD80 expression upon Aa-stimulation, and induced a Th1 pattern of cytokine expression. Aa-stimulated dendritic cells expressed IL1β, IL12, IFNγ, TNFα and TNFβ mRNAs with lower bacterial charge than with Pg. Furthermore, our data indicated the existence of distinct thresholds for the induction of the different cytokines analyzed. Taken together, these data allow us to speculate a higher antigenic potential and higher pathogenic capacity of Aa than Pg during periodontal infections

Magnetic nanofibers for remotely triggered catalytic activity applied to the degradation of organic pollutants

This work reports on the fabrication and characterization of a novel type of electrospun magnetic nanofibers (MNFs), and their application as a magnetically-activable catalysts for degradation of organic pollutants. The magnetic stimulation capability for the catalytic action is provided by iron-manganese oxide (MnxFe2-xO4) magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) embedded into electrospun polyacrylonitrile (PAN), which provides stability and chemical resistance. The MNPs (average size d = 40 ± 7 nm) were first obtained by a green and fast sonochemical route, and subsequently embedded into electrospun PAN nanofibers. The final MNFs showed an average diameter of 760 ± 150 nm, providing a superhydrophobic surface with contact angle (θc = 165°), as well as a considerable amount ( 50 % wt.) of embedded MNPs (Mn0.5Fe2.5O4), thermally stable up to temperatures of 330 °C. The catalytic Fe2+/3+/Mn2+/3+/4+ active centers on the MNPs of MNF’s surface could be remotely activated by alternating magnetic fields (AMF) to degrade the methyl blue (MB). Remarkable stability of the MNFs during heating under extreme pH conditions (3 80 %, after several cycles of reusing the same sample without any regeneration process. The capacity of these materials as a catalytic material with magnetic remote activation makes them appealing for those catalytic applications under conditions of darkness or restrained access, where photocatalytic reaction cannot be achieved

A novel Island Model based on Coral Reefs Optimization algorithm for solving the unequal area facility layout problem

This paper proposes a novel approach to address the Unequal Area Facility Layout Problem (UA-FLP), based on the combination of both an Island Model and a Coral Reefs Optimization (CRO) algorithm. Two different versions of this Island Model based on Coral Reefs Optimization Algorithm (IMCRO) are proposed and applied to the UA-FLP. The structure of flexible bays has been selected as effective encoding to represent the facility layouts within the algorithm. The two versions of the proposed approach have been tested in 22 UA-FLP cases, considering small, medium and large size categories. The empirical results obtained are compared with previous state of the art algorithms, in order to show the performance of the IMCRO. From this comparison, it can be extracted that both versions of the proposed IMCRO algorithm show an excellent performance, accurately solving the UA-FLP instances in all the size categories

Single polarized Tm3+ laser in Zn-diffused LiNbO3 channel waveguides

Copyright (2005) American Institute of Physics. This article may be downloaded for personal use only. Any other use requires prior permission of the author and the American Institute of Physics. The following article appeared in Applied Physics Letters 86 (2005): 161119 and may be found at http://apl.aip.org

Red, green, and blue simultaneous generation in aperiodically poled Zn-diffused LiNbO3:Er3+/Yb3+ nonlinear channel waveguides

Copyright (2003) American Institute of Physics. This article may be downloaded for personal use only. Any other use requires prior permission of the author and the American Institute of Physics. The following article appeared in Applied Physics Letters 83.15 (2003): 2991-2993 and may be found at http://apl.aip.org

Mycobacterial aminoglycoside acetyltransferases: a little of drug resistance, and a lot of other roles

Aminoglycoside acetyltransferases are important determinants of resistance to aminoglycoside antibiotics in most bacterial genera. In mycobacteria, however, aminoglycoside acetyltransferases contribute only partially to aminoglycoside susceptibility since they are related with low level resistance to these antibiotics (while high level aminoglycoside resistance is due to mutations in the ribosome). Instead, aminoglycoside acetyltransferases contribute to other bacterial functions, and this can explain its widespread presence along species of genus Mycobacterium. This review is focused on two mycobacterial aminoglycoside acetyltransferase enzymes. First, the aminoglycoside 2'-N-acetyltransferase [AAC(2')], which was identified as a determinant of weak aminoglycoside resistance in M. fortuitum, and later found to be widespread in most mycobacterial species; AAC(2') enzymes have been associated with resistance to cell wall degradative enzymes, and bactericidal mode of action of aminoglycosides. Second, the Eis aminoglycoside acetyltransferase, which was identified originally as a virulence determinant in M. tuberculosis (enhanced intracellular survival); Eis protein in fact controls production of pro-inflammatory cytokines and other pathways. The relation of Eis with aminoglycoside susceptibility was found after the years, and reaches clinical significance only in M. tuberculosis isolates resistant to the second-line drug kanamycin. Given the role of AAC(2') and Eis proteins in mycobacterial biology, inhibitory molecules have been identified, more abundantly in case of Eis. In conclusion, AAC(2') and Eis have evolved from a marginal role as potential drug resistance mechanisms into a promising future as drug targets

In situ Raman characterization of minerals and degradation processes in a variety of cultural and geological heritage sites

Wetest the capabilities of in situ Raman spectroscopy for non-destructive analysis of degradation processes in invaluable masterpieces, as well as for the characterization of minerals and prehistoric rock-art in caves. To this end, we have studied the mechanism of decay suffered by the 15th-century limestone sculptures that decorate the retro-choir of Burgos Cathedral (N Spain). In situ Raman probe detected hydrated sulfate and nitrateminerals on the sculptures, which are responsible for the decay of the original limestone. In addition, in situ Raman analyses were performed on unique speleothems in El Soplao Cave (Cantabria, N Spain) and in the Gruta de las Maravillas (Aracena, SWSpain). Unusual cavemineralswere detected in El Soplao Cave, such as hydromagnesite (Mg5(CO3)4(OH)2·4H2O), as well as ferromanganese oxides in the black biogenic speleothems recently discovered in this cavern. In the Gruta de las Maravillas, gypsum (CaSO4·2H2O) was identified for the first time, as part of the oldest cave materials, so providing additional evidence of hypogenic mechanisms that occurred in this cave during earlier stages of its formation. Finally, we present preliminary analyses of several cave paintings in the renowned “Polychrome Hall” of Altamira Cave (Cantabria, N. Spain). Hematite (Fe2O3) is the most abundant mineral phase, which provides the characteristic ochre-reddish color to the Altamira bison and deer paintings. Thus, portable Raman spectroscopy is demonstrated to be an analytical technique compatible with preserving our cultural and natural heritage, since the analysis does not require physical contact between the Raman head and the analyzed items

Checklist for the Multidisciplinary Approach to United Airway in Patients with Chronic Rhinosinusitis with Nasal Polyps (CRSwNP) and asthma

Dear Editor, The united airways concept calls for a multidisciplinary approach to asthma and/or chronic rhinitis/rhinosinusitis (CRS), aimed at integral airway treatment1, 2 and better coordination among specialists.3 Failure to treat rhinitis/rhinosinusitis is associated with poor asthma control, especially of severe asthma.4, 5 Biological treatments targeting type 2 (T2) inflammatory mediators in severe respiratory diseases offer a new therapeutic option directed against the pathophysiological mechanism of these difficult-to-control united airways diseases (UAD)..

The British Influence in the Birth of Spanish Sport

Sports started to gain relevance in Spain around the end of the nineteenth century and the beginning of the twentieth century as a leisure and health option of the upper classes imported from Britain. Its early development was intertwined with the spread of other kinds of physical activities with much more tradition on the continent: gymnastics and physical education. First played by the ruling classes – aristocracy and high bourgeoisie – sports permeated towards petty bourgeoisie and middle classes in urban areas such as Madrid, Barcelona, San Sebastián and Santander. This pattern meant that the expansion of sports was unavoidably tied to the degree of industrialisation and cultural modernisation of the country. Since 1910, and mainly during the 1920s, sport grew in popularity as a spectacle and, toa much lesser degree, as a practice among the Spanish population

Influence of the oceanographic conditions during spring 2003 on the transport of the Prestige tanker fuel oil to the Galician coast

Hydrographic data collected during the cruise HIDROPRESTIGE were combined with meteorological and dynamic data provided by remote sensors and drifting/moored buoys, to describe the surface circulation of the Northern Iberian basin in March–April 2003. Sea surface winds transported the floating Prestige oil slicks from the sinking area to the continental slope off the Rías Baixas in 1/2 month: the surface current intensity was 2% of the wind intensity and it was rotated clockwise 5 from the wind direction. Mesoscale cyclonic and anticyclonic structures west of 10º W increased the residence time of oil patches in the Northern Iberian basin, as compared with the expected southwards flow of the Iberian current (IC). On the other hand, the Iberian poleward current (IPC) formed a marked surface front with coastal waters, preventing the entry of fuel oil into the rías. PAHs in the surface layer during the cruise were <0.5 ug L- 1, except in the Galicia bank ( 1 ug L- 1; where the Prestige tanker was still leaking) and the vicinity of Cape Fisterra ( 1.5 ug L -1; where the convergence front between the IPC and coastal waters vanished)