A Comprehensive Study of Dog Bites in Spain, 1995-2004

Dog bites in humans are a complex problem embracing public health and animal welfare. To prevent dog bites it is necessary to have comprehensive epidemiological data that allow the identification of associated risk patterns. This study was aimed at investigating the problem posed by dog bites in Spain. The epidemiology of medically attended dog bite-related incidents reported in Aragón was analysed from 1995 to 2004. Bite incidents were mostly associated with: (1) low-population areas (71.3/100,000 inhabitants); (2) males and children, particularly those aged 5–9; (3) single injuries directed to the head and neck area in children and to the extremities in adults; (4) young, male, medium to large, owned dogs that were known to the victim; (5) summer months, and (6) specific circumstances such as human interference with knocked down and fighting dogs. In the light of these risk patterns, a wide range of specific preventive measures could be proposed

Economic analysis of the renewable energy policies in the European Union

The European energy sector is undergoing a major transformation and is facing a series of difficult challenges. These include a high and increasing dependence on external energy resources; dramatically reduce the need for the emissions of greenhouse gases to meet environmental objectives and the difficulties related to the promotion of energy market effectively integrated and competitive. Some of the policies associated with the various objectives are sometimes in conflict with each other, while in other cases are mutually reinforcing.The aim of this paper is to do a scienti?c analysis of the developments so far and the expectations for the coming period focusing on the pillars of energy policy in the EU in terms of security of supply, environment, climate change and promoting a competitive and integrated market. The use of renewable energy sources is seen as a key element of European energy policy and should help to: reduce dependence on fuel from non-member countries; reduce emissions from carbon-based energy sources, and; decouple energy costs from oil prices

Psicopatologia de tipo internalizante e recursos de resiliência em adolescentes

Dissertação de mestrado, Psicologia Clínica e da Saúde, Faculdade de Ciências Humanas e Sociais, Universidade do Algarve, 2016O presente estudo tem por objetivo principal investigar eventuais relações entre problemas psicopatológicos do tipo internalizante (Perturbação de Ansiedade Generalizada, Perturbação de Pós-Stress Traumático, Depressão Major, Suicídio, Problemas de Autoconceito e Problemas Interpessoais) e a presença ou ausência de recursos de resiliência (externos e internos) numa amostra de 620 adolescentes da população geral, de modo a compreender quais os recursos protetores ou de resiliência com maior impacto na presença de problemas psicopatológicos. Do mesmo modo, foi objetivo analisar quais os fatores individuais (e.g., sexo, idade, sucesso académico) e contextuais (e.g., família, escola, pares e comunidade) que poderiam influenciar a presença ou ausência de problemas psicopatológicos, estando estes associados ao bem-estar e adaptação psicossocial dos adolescentes. Para recolha de informação utilizámos a escala California Healthy Kids Resilience Assessment Module – versão 6.0 (Benard, 1995), o Inventário de Sintomas Psicopatológicos – BSI (Derogatis, 1977), e a Escala de Psicopatologia do Adolescente - APS-SF (Reynolds, 2000). Relativamente aos principais resultados obtidos, as raparigas reportavam mais psicopatologia do tipo internalizante do que os rapazes e os adolescentes mais velhos (15-19 anos) apresentavam mais sintomas psicopatológicos. Os resultados sugerem ainda que os adolescentes que apresentavam sintomatologia do tipo internalizante relataram menos recursos de resiliência internos e externos para lidar com a adversidade. Por último, a resiliência surgiu como um fator preditor dos problemas de autoconceito

Ki-67 mayor de 20% como factor de riesgo para recurrencia en mujeres con carcinoma mamario triple negativo

INTRODUCCIÓN: El carcinoma mamario es la tumoración maligna con mayor frecuencia en las mujeres de todo el mundo. No hay una sola categorización de carcinoma mamario capaz de abarcar todas las fases de la patología. El Ki-67 como factor de predisposición y pronóstico de gran importancia en carcinoma mamario, es de mucha ayuda para poder dirigir los casos que precisan ser tratados con quimioterapia adyuvante, los estudios para establecer el proceder de este marcador mayor de 20% como factor de asociación en la recurrencia de carcinoma mamario triple negativo, es muy escasa y limitada. OBJETIVO: Analizar el Ki-67 mayor a 20% como factor de riesgo para recurrencia en mujeres con Carcinoma Mamario Triple Negativo del Instituto de Enfermedades Neoplásicas “Dr. Luis Pinillos Ganoza” IREN NORTE entre los años Enero 2012 a Noviembre 2023. METODOLOGÍA: Estudio aplicado, de Cohorte analítica retrospectiva. Se contó con una muestra de 121 pacientes las cuales fueron triple negativo obtenidas de una población de 2418 mujeres con carcinoma mamario. Se obtuvo la información mediante la revisión de historias clínicas, la base de datos y el uso de una ficha de recolección de datos. Se utilizó estadística descriptiva, análisis bivariado y multivariado de las variables de estudio. RESULTADOS: El grado de instrucción y procedencia, no presenta asociaciones significativas con la recurrencia (p = 0.297) y (p=0.388), respectivamente. La comorbilidad, no presento una asociación significativa con la recurrencia (p=0.181), los hijos tampoco presentan una asociación significativa con respecto a la recurrencia (p= 0.061); de la misma manera, la cirugía y el tipo de tratamiento tampoco presentan una asociación significativa, presentando valores de (p=0.326) y (p=0.371) respectivamente. Sin embargo, el estado clínico si presenta una asociación significativa en la recurrencia (p=0.045), al igual que la ki-67 (p=0.002). CONCLUSIONES: Se encontró una asociación entre el ki-67>20% y la recurrencia en pacientes con CMTN, así que el ki-67 es un factor determinante en la recaída de esta enfermedad

Using multiplexed regulation of luciferase activity and GFP translocation to screen for FOXO modulators

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Independent luciferase reporter assays and fluorescent translocation assays have been successfully used in drug discovery for several molecular targets. We developed U2transLUC, an assay system in which luciferase and fluorescent read-outs can be multiplexed to provide a powerful cell-based high content screening method.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The U2transLUC system is based on a stable cell line expressing a GFP-tagged FOXO transcription factor and a luciferase reporter gene under the control of human FOXO-responsive enhancers. The U2transLUC assay measures nuclear-cytoplasmic FOXO shuttling and FOXO-driven transcription, providing a means to analyze these two key features of FOXO regulation in the same experiment. We challenged the U2transLUC system with chemical probes with known biological activities and we were able to identify compounds with translocation and/or transactivation capacity.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>Combining different biological read-outs in a single cell line offers significant advantages over conventional cell-based assays. The U2transLUC assay facilitates the maintenance and monitoring of homogeneous FOXO transcription factor expression and allows the reporter gene activity measured to be normalized with respect to cell viability. U2transLUC is suitable for high throughput screening and can identify small molecules that interfere with FOXO signaling at different levels.</p

The effect of the Fluorescence Yield selection on the energy scales of Auger, HiRes and TA

The fluorescence yield data used for shower reconstruction in the Auger, HiRes and TA experiments are different, not only in the overall absolute value but also in the wavelength spectrum and the various atmospheric dependencies. The effect on the energy reconstruction of using different fluorescence yield parameterizations is discussed. In addition, the impact of a change in the fluorescence spectrum depends on the optical efficiency of the telescopes. A simple analytical procedure allows us to evaluate the combined effect of fluorescence yield and optical efficiency showing a non-negligible deviation between the energy scales of TA and Auger. However no relevant effect is found in the comparison between HiRes and Auger. Finally we show that a similar procedure could also be applied with real data.Comment: 11 pages, 2 figures, presented in the UHECR 2012 conferenc

Transcriptional profile and serological studies of the European sea bass immune response against betanodavirus infections

European sea bass is highly affected by outbreaks of viral nervous necrosis disease, provoked by the nervous necrosis virus (NNV). This virus displays a positive-sense RNA genome composed of two segments, RNA1, encoding the viral polymerase; and RNA2, encoding the capsid protein. Two genotypes of NNV have been detected in sea bass, although showing different virulence: RGNNV is highly virulent, whereas SJNNV replicates in sea bass brain without causing clinical signs. In the present work, the comparative analysis of the European sea bass immune response against both genotypes has been performed. The immune response has been evaluated in brain and head kidney of infected sea bass by relative real-time PCR of genes involved in the type I interferon system, and genes related to inflammatory and adaptive responses. In addition, a serological study, consisting of the ELISA quantification of IgM in sera, was also performed. The transcription analyses point out the importance of IFN system to control betanodavirus infections. The results obtained showed a strong induction of ifn-I, mxA, isg15 and isg12 in both organs analysed, especially in response to RGNNV. However, the response was quicker in head kidney of SJNNV inoculated sea bass, suggesting that this genotype induces a more rapid systemic response. Regarding the inflammatory response, RGNNV triggered a strong transcription of proinflammatory genes in brain, which provides evidences about the importance of the inflammatory process in NNV infection. Thus, the massive inflammatory process may be responsible for the eventual damage in nervous tissues, which would lead to fish dead. Finally, the high values of tr-g and mhc-b mRNA recorded in brain and the high IgM titer in sera, which was higher in SJNNV-inoculated fish, suggest that the adaptive response constitutes another important factor in the sea bass immune response against betanodaviruses, both at systemic and at local level.Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech. This study has been supported by the project AGL2017-84644-R (MINECO/ AEI/FEDER, UE). P. Moreno was supported by a fellowship from Ministerio de Educacio n, Cultura y Deporte (FPU12/00265, Spanish Government)

Surfactant-free purification of membrane protein complexes from bacteria: application to the staphylococcal penicillin-binding protein complex PBP2/PBP2a

Surfactant-mediated removal of proteins from biomembranes invariably results in partial or complete loss of function and disassembly of multi-protein complexes. We determined the capacity of styrene-co-maleic acid (SMA) co-polymer to remove components of the cell division machinery from the membrane of drug-resistant staphylococcal cells. SMA-lipid nanoparticles solubilized FtsZ-PBP2-PBP2a complexes from intact cells, demonstrating the close physical proximity of these proteins within the lipid bilayer. Exposure of bacteria to (-)-epicatechin gallate, a polyphenolic agent that abolishes β-lactam resistance in staphylococci, disrupted the association between PBP2 and PBP2a. Thus, SMA purification provides a means to remove native integral membrane protein assemblages with minimal physical disruption and shows promise as a tool for the interrogation of molecular aspects of bacterial membrane protein structure and function