Identificación de la estructura factorial óptima de la escala auto-evaluaciones centrales (CSES) y su relación con el estrés, la afectividad y rasgos de personalidad, en base a las puntuaciones de adolescentes y adultos chilenos

76 p.La presente investigación se enmarca en la identificación de la estructura factorial óptima de la escala Auto-Evaluaciones Centrales (Core Self-Evaluation Scale, CSES; Judge, Erez, Bono y Thoresen, 2003), que mide la valoración de las personas respecto a su valía y a sus habilidades. El constructo nace de la relación entre los rasgos autoestima, autoeficacia generalizada, locus de control y el neuroticismo, y se ha evidenciado su relación con variables fundamentales para el área organizacional y el bienestar de las personas. Según sus autores, la escala presenta una configuración unidimensional. Sin embargo, la presencia de un único factor se ha puesto en duda mediante una investigación de Kennedy (2007), quien encontró un segundo factor subyacente a las Auto-Evaluaciones Centrales que integraba a los ítems negativos. Por lo anterior, se realizaron análisis factoriales exploratorios y confirmatorios para indagar sobre la estructura factorial de la escala, bajo modelos de medida con distintos enfoques (e.g. unidimensionalidad, correlación de las unicidades, presencia de factores latentes), y se determinó el contenido de los factores subyacentes por medio de modelos estructurales, que identificaban la relación con el estrés, la afectividad y rasgos de personalidad. Finalmente, se halló que la CSES contiene un factor específico, adicional al general, con significado sustantivo y aparentemente relacionado con el neuroticismo. Éste se asocia al formato de redacción de los ítems inversos y a la semántica subyacente a ellos. Por lo tanto, debe ser considerado como una faceta fundamental de las Auto-Evaluaciones Centrales y de la escala, a tener en cuenta en futuras investigaciones sobre la definición teórica del constructo. Palabras claves: Auto-Evaluaciones Centrales, Validez, Análisis factorial, Factores de método, Neuroticismo, Estrés, Afectividad

Identidad y competencias interculturales

Nos proponemos los siguientes objetivos: Identificar las circunstancias personales y familiares relacionadas con el proceso de integración social de los inmigrantes en Granada, conocer sus expectativas de promoción personal y social, así como identificar el desarrollo de competencias interculturales como base para la constante reconstrucción de la identidad. Tres han sido los colectivos de estudio: inmigrantes magrebíes, latinoamericanos y europeos del este. La metodología utilizada ha sido la entrevista y el cuestionario. En los resultados aportamos importante información para la caracterización de la inmigración en Granada y las competencias interculturales para una integración social y cultural de los mismos

Identification and Regulation of Interleukin-17 (IL-17) Family Ligands in the Teleost Fish European Sea Bass

Interleukin-17 (IL-17) cytokine comprises a family of six ligands in mammals with proinflammatory functions, having an important role in autoimmune disorders and against bacterial, viral, and fungal pathogens. While IL-17A and IL-17F ligands are mainly produced by Th cells (Th17 cells), the rest of the ligands are expressed by other immune and non-immune cells and have different functions. The identification of IL-17 ligands in fish has revealed the presence of six members, counterparts to mammalian ones, and a teleost-specific form, the fish IL-17N. However, tissue distribution, the regulation of gene expression, and scarce bioactivity assays point to similar functions compared to mammalian ones, though this yet to be investigated and confirmed. Thus, we have identified seven IL-17 ligands in the teleost European sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax), for the first time, corresponding to IL-17A/F1, IL-17A/F2, IL-17A/F3, IL-17C1, IL-17C2, IL-17D, and IL-17N, according to the predicted protein sequences and phylogenetic analysis. They are constitutively and widely transcribed in sea bass tissues, with some of them being mainly expressed in the thymus, brain or intestine. Upon in vitro stimulation of head-kidney leucocytes, the mRNA levels of all sea bass IL-17 ligands were up-regulated by phytohemagglutinin treatment, a well-known T cell mitogen, suggesting a major expression in T lymphocytes. By contrast, the infection of sea bass juveniles with nodavirus (NNV), a very pathogenic virus for this fish species, resulted in the up-regulation of the transcription of IL-17C1 in the head-kidney and of IL-17C1 and IL-17D in the brain, the target tissue for NNV replication. By contrast, NNV infection led to a down-regulated transcription of IL-17A/F1, IL-17A/F2, IL-17C1, IL-17C2, and IL-17D in the head-kidney and of IL-17A/F1 and IL-17A/F3 in the brain. The data are discussed accordingly with the IL-17 ligand expression and the immune response under the different situations testedVersión del editor2,46

Analysis of the mechanical properties of wood attacked by Xylotrechus arvicola (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) larvae, and its influence on the structural properties of the plant

Xylotrechus arvicola is an invasive insect on Vitis vinifera in the main wine-producing regions of the Iberian Peninsula. X. arvicola larvae bore into the grapevine wood and make galleries, which cause structural damages to the plant. The aim of this study was to investigate how grapevine wood infested by larvae affects the mechanical properties of the plant in comparation with those of uninfested wood. Samples of grapevine wood uninfested and infested by larvae were collected from vineyards. Compression and flexural strengths as well as simulated structures of grapevine wood in field, in relation to harvest weight by variety, were used to quantify the wood mechanical properties. Infested wood endured a lower strength and normal tension, and exhibited a reduction in the structural capacities in the simulation of harvest weight of 'Cabernet-Sauvignon' variety (up to 62.0 %). 'Tempranillo' (despite its high mechanical slenderness values) and 'Cabernet-Sauvignon', were the varieties that showed a higher resistance on trunks and branches, respectively. A lower bending moment was observed on the infested branches of all varieties. Changes in the mechanical properties of infested wood suggest a decrease in mechanical resistance of wood attacked by larvae that could contribute to the rupture of the infested grapevine over time. Grapevine wood attacked by X. arvicola larvae could be more sensitive to mechanical external factors in vineyards such as strong winds, harvest weight and vibration exerted by harvesting machines

Heterozygous deficiency of endoglin decreases insulin and hepatic triglyceride levels during high fat diet

Endoglin is a transmembrane auxiliary receptor for transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta) that is predominantly expressed on proliferating endothelial cells. It plays a wide range of physiological roles but its importance on energy balance or insulin sensitivity has been unexplored. Endoglin deficient mice die during midgestation due to cardiovascular defects. Here we report for first time that heterozygous endoglin deficiency in mice decreases high fat diet-induced hepatic triglyceride content and insulin levels. Importantly, these effects are independent of changes in body weight or adiposity. At molecular level, we failed to detect relevant changes in the insulin signalling pathway at basal levels in liver, muscle or adipose tissues that could explain the insulin-dependent effect. However, we found decreased triglyceride content in the liver of endoglin heterozygous mice fed a high fat diet in comparison to their wild type littermates. Overall, our findings indicate that endoglin is a potentially important physiological mediator of insulin levels and hepatic lipid metabolism

Mechanical behaviour of grapevine wood affected by Xylotrechus arvicola

The cerambycid insect Xylotrechus arvicola is considered a pest that affects the wood of the grapevine (Vitis vinifera) in the major wine areas of the Iberian Peninsula. The larva of this insect perforates the grapevine wood, resulting in structural and biomechanical failure of the vine plants. Vine samples from wood damaged by Xylotrechus arvicola larvae were picked up from different vineyards and grape varieties. Compressive and flexural tests were performed in order to assess the mechanical behaviour of the wood samples. Total length of the cracks in wood samples (TLCWS) that appeared on the surface of the grapevine wood samples after the mechanical tests was measured. Compressive strength (CS) and flexural strength (FS) decreased with the increase of the cross-sectional area (CSA) of both branches and trunks, regardless of damage condition or water content. Moreover, the resistance was lower in damaged wood. In addition, this was verified through the linear regression coefficients of the interaction CS x CSA and FS x CSA. TLCWS in branches and trunks of damaged samples was greater that in undamaged samples. Also, TLCWS within the same damage condition and part of the plant was higher in dry samples than in fresh samples. The damaged wood would show a higher vulnerability to common mechanical stress suffered by the grapevines in the field including heavy winds, fruit overweight or harvesting machines shaking (when mechanically collected). Larvae of this insect altered the mechanical behaviour of the trunk and branches of grapevine wood. The mechanical strength of wood was more negatively affected when the CSA of the branches and trunks increased. Longer TLCWS was found in affected wood.of an emerging grape pest, Xylotrechus arvicola (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae

Hypothalamic mTOR signaling mediates the orexigenic action of ghrelin

Current evidence suggests that ghrelin, a stomach derived peptide, exerts its orexigenic action through specific modulation of Sirtuin1 (SIRT1)/p53 and AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) pathways, which ultimately increase the expression of agouti-related protein (AgRP) and neuropeptide Y (NPY) in the arcuate nucleus of the hypothalamus (ARC). However, there is a paucity of data about the possible action of ghrelin on alternative metabolic pathways at this level. Here, we demonstrate that ghrelin elicits a marked upregulation of the hypothalamic mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling pathway. Of note, central inhibition of mTOR signaling with rapamycin decreased ghrelin's orexigenic action and normalized the mRNA expression of AgRP and NPY, as well as their key downstream transcription factors, namely cAMP response-element binding protein (pCREB) and forkhead box O1 (FoxO1, total and phosphorylated). Taken together, these data indicate that, in addition to previous reported mechanisms, ghrelin also promotes feeding through modulation of hypothalamic mTOR pathway

Severe Natural Outbreak of Cryptocaryon irritans in Gilthead Seabream Produces Leukocyte Mobilization and Innate Immunity at the Gill Tissue

The protozoan parasite Cryptocaryon irritans causes marine white spot disease in a wide range of fish hosts, including gilthead seabream, a very sensitive species with great economic importance in the Mediterranean area. Thus, we aimed to evaluate the immunity of gilthead seabream after a severe natural outbreak of C. irritans. Morphological alterations and immune cell appearance in the gills were studied by light microscopy and immunohistochemical staining. The expression of several immune-related genes in the gills and head kidney were studied by qPCR, including inflammatory and immune cell markers, antimicrobial peptides (AMP), and cell-mediated cytotoxicity (CMC) molecules. Serum humoral innate immune activities were also assayed. Fish mortality reached 100% 8 days after the appearance of the C. irritans episode. Gill filaments were engrossed and packed without any space between filaments and included parasites and large numbers of undifferentiated and immune cells, namely acidophilic granulocytes. Our data suggest leukocyte mobilization from the head kidney, while the gills show the up-regulated transcription of inflammatory, AMPs, and CMC-related molecules. Meanwhile, only serum bactericidal activity was increased upon infection. A potent local innate immune response in the gills, probably orchestrated by AMPs and CMC, is triggered by a severe natural outbreak of C. irritans.Versión del editor2,46

A scientific approach in wind energy courses for electrical engineers

Teaching and research are joint activities at University level, but in many cases it is found that both activities have a poor connection. While the scientific method based on well-known steps is commonly applied at research level, this methodology and the associated know-how are rarely integrated in degree courses. This work describes the integration of theory, simulation, lab-scale experiments and industrial developments in wind energy courses for electric engineers. The proposed methodology reuses the knowledge from the research that is performed at University level to bring the students the latest industry developments and scientific trends with a scientific approach in multidisciplinary wind energy courses

Alteration of Gene Expression Profile in Niemann-Pick Type C Mice Correlates with Tissue Damage and Oxidative Stress

Background: Niemann-Pick type C disease (NPC) is a neurovisceral lipid storage disorder mainly characterized by unesterified cholesterol accumulation in lysosomal/late endosomal compartments, although there is also an important storage for several other kind of lipids. The main tissues affected by the disease are the liver and the cerebellum. Oxidative stress has been described in various NPC cells and tissues, such as liver and cerebellum. Although considerable alterations occur in the liver, the pathological mechanisms involved in hepatocyte damage and death have not been clearly defined. Here, we assessed hepatic tissue integrity, biochemical and oxidative stress parameters of wild-type control (Npc1 +/+; WT) and homozygous-mutant (Npc1 -/-; NPC) mice. In addition, the mRNA abundance of genes encoding proteins associated with oxidative stress, copper metabolism, fibrosis, inflammation and cholesterol metabolism were analyzed in livers and cerebella of WT and NPC mice. Methodology/P