Diet at the onset of the Neolithic in northeastern Iberia : an isotope-plant microremain combined study from Cova Bonica (Vallirana, Catalonia)

The emergence of Neolithic societies was transformative, impacting many aspects of life, particularly diet. The process of Neolithization in Iberia is increasingly understood as the arrival of new people from the Central Mediterranean, who dispersed along the Iberian coasts introducing cereal production, herding, and Cardial pottery and associated material culture. Although research has clarified aspects of the cultigen-dominated economy of these new people, questions remain due to the limitations of conventional archaeobotanical and archaeozoological methods that tend to produce indirect evidence. The extent to which these early farmers adopted Mesolithic staples, which are often difficult to detect with other methods, remains unclear. Furthermore, questions surround the nature of methods of food preparation Cardial Neolithic people used when incorporating grains into their diet. In this study, we examined direct evidence of the diet from the Iberian Cardial Neolithic site of Cova Bonica (Vallirana, Baix Llobregat, Catalonia) using CN stable isotopes on bone and plant microremains trapped in dental calculus from six human individuals and associated fauna. Isotopes show a diet based on terrestrial C3 resources, with no isotopic evidence of aquatic or C4 resource consumption. Plant microremains (starches and phytoliths) provide evidence of cereal use, as well as of other plant foods. However, perhaps due to Bonica's early farmers' choice of grain variety, their grain processing methods, or due to specific dental calculus formation factors, the grain assemblages are rather limited and provide scarce information on food preparation

N-Palmitoylphosphatidylethanolamine stabilizes liposomes in the presence of human serum: effect of lipidic composition and system characterization

AbstractLiposomes containing negatively-charged phospholipid, N-palmitoylphosphatidylethanolamine (NPPE) were examined for stability in the presence of human serum, using the release of the entrapped 5,6-carboxyfluorescein as an aqueous marker. Either small unilamellar vesicles (SUV) or large unilamellar vesicles (LUV) were used. Incorporation of NPPE into PC SUV decreases leakage in the presence of serum or phosphate-buffered saline, no strictly related to size increase observed and to the surface negative charge present. The stabilizing effect of NPPE and Chol were synergistic. Inhibition of destabilization induced by serum of PC/Chol liposomes was observed when NPPE concentrations were above 12 mol%. Change in the membrane fluidity or incorporation of a monosialoganglioside into liposomes do not significantly change the half-life of liposomes in the presence of a high NPPE concentration. Incorporation of NPPE into PC/Chol liposomes increases membrane rigidity which does not change after serum incubation. The presence of NPPE in liposomes decreases lipid transfer/exchange between liposomes and lipoproteins although the same amount of serum proteins were incorporated as in PC/Chol liposomes. As expected, these proteins are accessible to trypsin digestion. In accordance with these results, the liposome agglutination assay shows no steric barrier activity. As a whole, the results obtained in this paper suggest a complex mechanism for stabilization of NPPE containing liposomes in human serum

Rapid on-chip apoptosis assay on human carcinoma cells based on annexin-V/quantum dot probes

Despite all the efforts made over years to study the cancer expression and the metastasis event, there is not a clear understanding of its origins and effective treatment. Therefore, more specialized and rapid techniques are required for studying cell behaviour under different drug-based treatments. Here we present a quantum dot signalling-based cell assay carried out in a segmental microfluidic device that allows studying the effect of anti-cancer drugs in cultured cell lines by monitoring phosphatidylserine translocation that occurs in early apoptosis. The developed platform combines the automatic generation of a drug gradient concentration, allowing exposure of cancer cells to different doses, and the immunolabeling of the apoptotic cells using quantum dot reporters. Thereby a complete cell-based assay for efficient drug screening is performed showing a clear correlation between drug dose and amount of cells undergoing apoptosis

ECU: Sistemas electrónicos de inyección en motores de combustión interna

En el presente curso académico, en la Escola Universitària d'Enginyeria Tècnica Industrial de Barcelona, EUETIB, se va a comenzar una intensificación de estudios transversal para las especialidades de Ingeniería Técnica Mecánica, Química, Eléctrica y Electrónica con el objetivo de formar técnicos con actitudes de trabajo en grupo y con aptitudes transdisciplinares. En este marco se proponen proyectos que involucran a estudiantes de las diferentes especialidades. El propósito de la presente comunicación es la descripción de cómo se ha realizado el diseño y desarrollo de una unidad electrónica para el control de inyección en motores de combustión interna.Postprint (published version

Reciprocal Effects of Antiretroviral Drugs Used To Treat HIV Infection on the Fibroblast Growth Factor 21/β-Klotho System

Following antiretroviral therapy, HIV-infected patients show increased circulating levels of the antidiabetic hormone fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21). In contrast, the expression of the FGF21-obligatory coreceptor β-Klotho (KLB) is reduced in target tissues. This situation is comparable to the FGF21 resistance status observed in obesity and type 2 diabetes. Here, we performed the first systematic study of the effects of distinct members of different antiretroviral drug classes on the FGF21/KLB system in human hepatic, adipose, and skeletal muscle cells. Most protease inhibitors and the nonnucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor efavirenz induced FGF21 gene expression. Neither nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors nor the viral entry inhibitor maraviroc had any effect. Among the integrase inhibitors, elvitegravir significantly induced FGF21 expression, whereas raltegravir had minor effects only in adipose cells. In human hepatocytes and adipocytes, known target cells of FGF21 action, efavirenz, elvitegravir, and the lopinavir-ritonavir combination exerted inhibitory effects on KLB gene expression. Drug treatments that elicited FGF21 induction/KLB repression were those found to induce endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress and oxidative stress. Notably, the pharmacological agents thapsigargin and tunicamycin, which induce these stress pathways, mimicked the effects of drug treatments. Moreover, pharmacological inhibitors of either ER or oxidative stress significantly impaired lopinavir-ritonavir-induced regulation of FGF21, but not KLB. In conclusion, the present in vitro screen study identifies the antiretroviral drugs that affect FGF21/KLB expression in human cells. The present results could have important implications for the management of comorbidities resulting from side effects of specific antiretroviral drugs for the treatment of HIV-infected patients

Impaired expression of mitochondrial and adipogenic genes in adipose tissue from a patient with acquired partial lipodystrophy (Barraquer-Simons syndrome): a case report

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Introduction</p> <p>Acquired partial lipodystrophy or Barraquer-Simons syndrome is a rare form of progressive lipodystrophy. The etiopathogenesis of adipose tissue atrophy in these patients is unknown.</p> <p>Case presentation</p> <p>This is a case report of a 44-year-old woman with acquired partial lipodystrophy. To obtain insight into the molecular basis of lipoatrophy in acquired partial lipodystrophy, we examined gene expression in adipose tissue from this patient newly diagnosed with acquired partial lipodystrophy. A biopsy of subcutaneous adipose tissue was obtained from the patient, and DNA and RNA were extracted in order to evaluate mitochondrial DNA abundance and mRNA expression levels.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The expression of marker genes of adipogenesis and adipocyte metabolism, including the master regulator <it>PPARγ</it>, was down-regulated in subcutaneous adipose tissue from this patient. Adiponectin mRNA expression was also reduced but leptin mRNA levels were unaltered. Markers of local inflammatory status were unaltered. Expression of genes related to mitochondrial function was reduced despite unaltered levels of mitochondrial DNA. It is concluded that adipogenic and mitochondrial gene expression is impaired in adipose tissue in this patient with acquired partial lipodystrophy.</p

Triglyceride Form of Docosahexaenoic Acid Mediates Neuroprotection in Experimental Parkinsonism

Parkinson’s disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disorder of unknown etiology. The main treatment of PD consists of medication with dopamine-based drugs, which palliate the symptoms but may produce adverse effects after chronic administration. Accordingly, there is a need to develop novel neuroprotective therapies. Several studies suggest that omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 PUFA) might provide protection against brain damage. Here, we studied several experimental models of PD, using striatal neuronal cultures, striatal slices, and mice, to assess the neuroprotective effects of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), the main n-3 PUFA in the brain, administered in its triglyceride form (TG-DHA). Hence, we determined the beneficial effects of TG-DHA on neural viability following 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA)-induced neurotoxicity, a well-established PD model. We also implemented a novel mouse behavioral test, the beam walking test, to finely assess mouse motor skills following dopaminergic denervation. This test showed potential as a useful behavioral tool to assess novel PD treatments. Our results indicated that TG-DHA-mediated neuroprotection was independent of the net incorporation of PUFA into the striatum, thus suggesting a tight control of brain lipid homeostasis both in normal and pathological conditions

Quality-of-Life Impact of an Investigational Subunit-Adjuvanted Herpes Zoster Vaccine in Adults ≥50 Years of Age

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A Common Genetic Origin for Early Farmers from Mediterranean Cardial and Central European LBK Cultures

The spread of farming out of the Balkans and into the rest of Europe followed two distinct routes: An initial expansión represented by the Impressa and Cardial traditions, which followed the Northern Mediterranean coastline; and another expansion represented by the LBK (Linearbandkeramik) tradition, which followed the Danube River into Central Europe. Although genomic data now exist from samples representing the second migration, such data have yet to be successfully generated from the initial Mediterranean migration. To address this, we generated the complete genome of a 7,400-yearold Cardial individual (CB13) from Cova Bonica in Vallirana (Barcelona), as well as partial nuclear data from five others excavated from different sites in Spain and Portugal. CB13 clusters with all previously sequenced early European farmers and modern-day Sardinians. Furthermore, our analyses suggest that both Cardial and LBK peoples derived from a common ancient population located in or around the Balkan Peninsula. The Iberian Cardial genome also carries a discernible huntergatherer genetic signature that likely was not acquired by admixture with local Iberian foragers. Our results indicate that retrieving ancient genomes from similarly warm Mediterranean environments such as the Near East is technically feasible