The cannabinoid ligand LH-21 reduces anxiety and improves glucose handling in diet-induced obese pre-diabetic mice

LH-21 is a triazol derivative that has been described as a low-permeant neutral CB1 antagonist, though its pharmacology is still unclear. It has been associated with anti-obesity actions in obese rats. However, its role in preventing type 2 diabetes (T2D) onset have not been studied yet. Given CB1 receptors remain as potential pharmacological targets to fight against obesity and T2D, we wanted to explore the metabolic impact of this compound in an animal model of obesity and pre-diabetes as well as the lack of relevant actions in related central processes such as anxiety. C57BL/6J mice were rendered obese and pre-diabetic by feeding a high-fat diet for 15 weeks and then treated with LH-21 or vehicle for two weeks. Food intake, body weight and glucose handling were assessed, together with other relevant parameters. Behavioural performance was evaluated by the open field test and the elevated plus maze. LH-21 did not affect food intake nor body weight but it improved glucose handling, displaying tissue-specific beneficial actions. Unexpectedly, LH-21 induced anxiolysis and reverted obesity-induced anxiety, apparently through GPR55 receptor. These results suggest that LH-21 can be a new candidate to fight against diabetes onset. Indeed, this compound shows potential in counteracting obesity-related anxiety.España, Ministerio de Sanidad 13/00309 to F.J.B.S. and PI13/00593 to B.R.GConsejería de Salud Junta de Andalucía C-0070-201

Lanthanides in granulometric fractions of Mediterranean soils. Can they be used as fingerprints of provenance?

Highlights Are lanthanides from fine sand and clay genetically related to the geological materials? Lanthanide concentrations of fine sand and clay fit chronofunctions Pearson's r of lanthanide couples decreases when separation increases in the periodic table Free forms of clay are scavengers of lanthanides and concentrate HREE and ceriumSample preparation and chemical analysis were conducted by Emma Humphreys-Williams and Stanislav Strekopytov (Imaging and Analysis Centre, Natural History Museum, London, UK). This work was supported by a grant from Ministerio de Economía, Industria y Competitividad de España (‘Tipologías de Suelos Mediterráneos versus Cuarzo. En la frontera del conocimiento edafogenético’; Ref. CGL2016-80308-P). The authors thank Professor Margaret A. Oliver, an anonymous editor and two anonymous reviewers for helpful comments and suggestions that improved the final manuscript. We also thank Robert Abrahams (Bsc) for revising the English language.There is geochemical interest in the lanthanides because they behave like a group that is closely related to the parent materials during surface processes, although they also undergo fractionation as a result of supergene dynamics. We analysed lanthanide concentrations (ICPms) in the granulometric fractions fine sand, clay and free forms of clay (FFclay‐CDB and FFclay‐Ox: extracted with citrate‐dithionite‐sodium bicarbonate and with ammonium oxalate, respectively) from a soil chronosequence of Mediterranean soils. There was a relative enrichment of heavy rare earth elements (HREE) in the clay fraction and its free forms with respect to fine sand. The clay free forms behaved as scavengers of lanthanides, and oxidative scavenging of cerium (Ce) in FFclay‐CDB was also detected. Lanthanide concentrations (lanthanum to gadolinium in fine sand; terbium to lutetium in clay) varied with soil age, and chronofunctions were established. There was a strong positive collinearity between most of the lanthanide concentrations. Furthermore, the value of the correlation index (Pearson's r ) of the concentrations between couples of lanthanides (r CLC) decreased significantly with increasing separation between the elements in the periodic table; this has never been described in soils. Several geochemical properties and indices in the fine sand and clay soil fractions and in the geological materials of the Guadalquivir catchment showed, on the one hand, a genetic relation between them all, enabling the lanthanides to be used as fingerprints of provenance; on the other hand, fractionation between fine sand and clay showed these are actively involved in soil lanthanide dynamics.Secretaría de Estado de Investigación, Desarrollo e Innovación. Grant Number: CGL2016‐80308‐

Prospective study of urinary tract infection surveillance after kidney transplantation

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Urinary tract infection (UTI) remains one of the main complications after kidney transplantation and it has serious consequences.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Fifty-two patients with kidney transplantation were evaluated for UTI at 3-145 days (mean 40.0 days) after surgery.. Forty-two received a graft from a live donor and 10 from a deceased donor. There were 22 female and 30 male patients, aged 11-47 years. Microscopic examinations, leukocyte esterase stick, and urinary culture were performed every third day and weekly after hospitalization. A positive culture was consider when patients presented bacterial counts up to 10⁵ counts.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>UTI developed in 19/52 (37%) patients at 3-75 days (mean 19.5 days after transplantation. Recurrent infection was observed in 7/52 (13.4%) patients at days 17-65. UTI was more frequent in patients who received deceased grafts compared with live grafts (7/10, 70% <it>vs</it>. 12/42, 28%; p < 0.007). Female patients were more susceptible than male (11/22, 50% <it>vs</it>. 8/22, 36.35%; p < 0.042). Five-year survival rate was 94.5% (49/52 patients). Kidney Graft exit update is 47/52 (90.2%), and there were no significant differences between graft rejection and UTI (p = 0.2518). Isolated bacteria were <it>Escherichia coli </it>(31.5%), <it>Candida albicans </it>(21.0%) and <it>Enterococcus </it>spp. (10.5%), followed by <it>Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Morganella </it><it>morganii, Enterobacter cloacae </it>and <it>Micrococcus </it>spp. Secondary infections were produced by (7/19, 36.8%). <it>Enterococcus </it>spp. (57%), <it>E. coli </it>(28%) and <it>Micrococcus </it>spp. (14.2%). Antibiotic resistance was 22% for ciprofloxacin and 33% for ampicillin. Therapeutic alternatives were aztreonam, trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, netilmicin and fosfomycin.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Surveillance of UTI for the first 3 months is a good option for improving quality of life of kidney transplantation patients and the exit of graft function especially for female patients and those receiving deceased grafts. Antibiograms provided a good therapeutic alternative to patients who presented with UTIs after receiving a kidney allograft.</p

Modelo hidrodinámico en el Sistema Lagunar Navachiste, Guasave, Sinaloa, México

The Navachiste Lagoon System is connected to the Gulf of California (GC) via 3 tidal channels. The system has an area of approximately 301 km2, with an average depth of 2.5 m and an average tide height of 1.5 m. In order to simulate tidal currents and the effect of wind, a numerical hydrodynamic model was applied, integrated in the vertical and in finite differences; to calibrate the model, lagrangean measurements were made and compared with simulated currents in the tidal channels of the system. The model simulates the hydrodynamic behavior of the lagoon system and has a correlation higher than 85% with the trajectories traced by the drift bodies and with the maximum Eulerian velocities measured in the internal channels and in the mouths of the system.El Sistema Lagunar Navachiste se encuentra conectado con el Golfo de California (GC) a través de 3 canales de marea. El sistema cuenta con un área de 301 km2 aproximadamente, con una profundidad promedio de 2,5 m y una altura de mareas promedio de 1,5 m. Para simular las corrientes de mareas y el efecto del viento se aplicó un modelo hidrodinámico numérico barótropico, integrado en la vertical y en diferencias finitas; para calibrar el modelo se hicieron mediciones lagrangeanas y se compararon con las corrientes simuladas en los canales de marea del sistema. El modelo simula el comportamiento hidrodinámico del sistema lagunar y presenta una correlación superior al 85% con las trayectorias trazadas por los cuerpos de deriva y con las velocidades máximas eulerianas medidas en los canales internos y en las bocas del sistema

Stress induced by the socially evaluated cold-pressor test cause equivalent deficiencies of sensory gating in male subjects with schizophrenia and healthy controls

It is known that patients with schizophrenia show a deficiency in the prepulse inhibition reflex (PPI). These patients display abnormalities in autonomic nervous system and hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal function and may have an altered sensitivity to stress. To date, no studies have been carried out to determine the effect of acute stress on the PPI. We investigated whether there was a differential response in reactivity to acute stress caused by the socially evaluated cold-pressor test (SECPT) in a sample of 58 chronic male patients with schizophrenia and 28 healthy control subjects. PPI, salivary cortisol and heart rate (HR) were measured. The patients were evaluated in two sessions (with and without the SECPT) 72h apart and basal measurements were carried out and 30min post-startle probe. We found an increase in salivary cortisol levels and the HR with SECPT condition in both groups and a significantly lower PPI% in patients with schizophrenia. The most relevant findings of this study are that the impairment of the PPI is increased by stress. Stress-induced increase in cortisol in both groups, mainly in healthy control group which allows us to hypothesize that at least such deterioration may be due to the hypercortisolemia caused by the SECPT. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved

Protic Ionic Liquids Used as Metal-Forming Green Lubricants for Aluminum: Effect of Anion Chain Length

Among the applications for protic ionic liquids (PILs), lubrication is one of the newest and the most promising. In this work, ammonium-based protic ionic liquids were tested as lubricant fluids for aluminum-steel contacts. PILs were synthesized with 2-hydroxyethylamine (2HEA) and a carboxylic acid (formic and pentanoic), aiming to understand the effect of two different anion chain lengths on the lubricant behavior. The synthesized PILs were characterized by RMN, FTIR and TGA. Wear tests, conducted using a ball-on-plate configuration, showed that the increase of the anion carbon chain length in the PIL structure reduced significantly the coefficient of friction value. Besides, after the wear tests, the PILs structural integrity was not affected. In the same way, bending under tension (BUT) tests evidenced that the performance for stamping conditions of the PIL with the longest anion carbon chain was similar to that of the commercial lubricant. Since, both formed a uniform tribofilm, developed the same lubrication regime and the drawing forces values were close and constant. Hence, the ionic liquid obtained with 2HEA and pentanoic acid (2HEAPe) is as suitable as the commercial lubricant for metal forming processes

Evaluation of the antioxidant activity from bovine serum albumin protein fractions

Objective:&nbsp; Evaluate the antioxidant activity of protein fractions obtained from (bovine serum albumin) BSA protein hydrolysates. Design / methodology / approach: Bioinformatics tools, such as the NCBI database, were used to search for primary sequences of BSA proteins. The methodology included a prediction of peptides with antioxidant activity through various bioinformatics servers. The antioxidant activity was determined by different methods. Statistical analysis was performed to evaluate possible significant differences using the Student Newman Keulls test for group comparison. Results: Through in silica hydrolysis the following peptides were found: valine-alanine-phenylalanine (VAF), lysine-tryptophan (KW), phenylalanine-tyrosine (FY), alanine-proline (AP), among others that may have antioxidant activity. The results showed that the fraction &lt;1 kDa hydrolyzed with chymotrypsin, this fraction showed 84% copper chelation, 61% iron chelation, while 75% inhibition of the DPPH radical. In the case of the fraction &lt;1 kDa hydrolyzed with pepsin, it only showed 16% iron chelation, while in the other methods no value was detected. Study limitations / implications: The enzyme used for enzymatic hydrolysis generates low degrees of hydrolysis and generates oligopeptide dipeptides that may not be as like some of the tested methods, in addition to the protein concentration in the fraction &lt;1 kDa with pepsin it had very low values that could not be detected by some antioxidant methods. Findings / conclusions: The antioxidant activity of the &lt;1 kDa fraction obtained with chymotrypsin showed greater antioxidant and chelating activity, compared to the &lt;1 kDa fraction obtained with pepsin. However, at the concentration of 2% and 5% fluctuations are observed in both fractions, because probably the composition of amino acids that is present in both fractions determines the activity in each of the tested method

Diseases of Iberian ibex (Capra pyrenaica)

Iberian ibex (Capra pyrenaica) is an ecologically and economically relevant medium-sized emblematic mountain ungulate. Diseases participate in the population dynamics of the species as a regulating agent, but can also threaten the conservation and viability of vulnerable population units. Moreover, Iberian ibex can also be a carrier or even a reservoir of pathogens shared with domestic animals and/or humans, being therefore a concern for livestock and public health. The objective of this review is to compile the currently available knowledge on (1) diseases of Iberian ibex, presented according to their relevance on the health and demography of free-ranging populations; (2) diseases subjected to heath surveillance plans; (3) other diseases reported in the species; and (4) diseases with particular relevance in captive Iberian ibex populations. The systematic review of all the information on diseases affecting the species unveils unpublished reports, scientific communications in meetings, and scientific articles, allowing the first comprehensive compilation of Iberian ibex diseases. This review identifies the gaps in knowledge regarding pathogenesis, immune response, diagnostic methods, treatment, and management of diseases in Iberian ibex, providing a base for future research. Moreover, this challenges wildlife and livestock disease and wildlife population managers to assess the priorities and policies currently implemented in Iberian ibex health surveillance and monitoring and disease management

Effective Higgs-quark-quark couplings from a heavy SUSY spectrum

In this paper we study the Yukawa Higgs-quark-quark interactions that are generated from radiative corrections of squarks and gluinos, in the Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model. We compute the corrections to the effective action for Higgs and quark fields that are produced by explicit integration, in the path integral formalism, of all the squarks and gluinos, at the one-loop level and order $\alpha_s$. In addition, we consider the limit of nearly degenerate heavy squarks and gluinos, with masses much larger than the electroweak scale, and derive the effective Lagrangian containing all the relevant new local Higgs-quark-quark interactions. We show that these new interactions do remain non-vanishing, even in the case of infinitely heavy supersymmetric particles and, therefore, we demonstrate explicitly the non-decoupling behavior of squarks and gluinos in Higgs bosons physics. We present the set of new Yukawa couplings and finally derive the corresponding one-loop, order $\alpha_s$, corrections to the Higgs bosons partial decay widths into quarks.Comment: 21 pages, 1 ps figure. Version to appear in Phys. Rev,

Perspectivas de la empresa y la economía mexicana frente a la reestructuración productiva

1 archivo PDF (404 páginas)Este texto se presenta una reflexión de investigadores de la UAM, así como de otras Instituciones de Educación Superior respecto al marco en el que se han desenvuelto las empresas mexicanas en los últimos años, así como del desarrollo en algunos de sus sistemas organizacionales. PALABRAS CLAVE: Mexico Economic policy 1970-1994