Infectious agents associated with schizophrenia: a meta-analysis

Schizophrenia is a highly disabling and limiting disorder for patients and the possibility that infections by some microorganisms may be associated to its development may allow prevention and recovery. In the current study we have done a meta-analysis of studies that have assessed the possible association between detection of different infectious agents and schizophrenia. We report results that support the idea that there is a statistically significant association between schizophrenia and infection by Human Herpesvirus 2 (OR=1.34; CI 95%: 1.09-1.70; p=0.05), Borna Disease Virus (OR=2.03; CI 95%: 1.35-3.06; p<0.01), Human Endogenous Retrovirus W (OR=19.31; CI 95%: 6.74-55.29; p<0.001), Chlamydophila pneumoniae (OR=6.34; CI 95%: 2.83-14.19; p<0.001), Chlamydophila psittaci (OR=29.05; CI 95%: 8.91-94.70; p<0.001) and Toxoplasma gondii (OR=2.70; CI 95%: 1.34-4.42; p=0.005). The implications of these findings are discussed and further research options are also explicated

Human Endometrial Side Population Cells Exhibit Genotypic, Phenotypic and Functional Features of Somatic Stem Cells

During reproductive life, the human endometrium undergoes around 480 cycles of growth, breakdown and regeneration should pregnancy not be achieved. This outstanding regenerative capacity is the basis for women's cycling and its dysfunction may be involved in the etiology of pathological disorders. Therefore, the human endometrial tissue must rely on a remarkable endometrial somatic stem cells (SSC) population. Here we explore the hypothesis that human endometrial side population (SP) cells correspond to somatic stem cells. We isolated, identified and characterized the SP corresponding to the stromal and epithelial compartments using endometrial SP genes signature, immunophenotyping and characteristic telomerase pattern. We analyzed the clonogenic activity of SP cells under hypoxic conditions and the differentiation capacity in vitro to adipogenic and osteogenic lineages. Finally, we demonstrated the functional capability of endometrial SP to develop human endometrium after subcutaneous injection in NOD-SCID mice. Briefly, SP cells of human endometrium from epithelial and stromal compartments display genotypic, phenotypic and functional features of SSC

Control de la transcripción del bacteriófago GA-1 de Bacillus

Tesis Doctoral inédita leída en la Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Facultad de Medicina, Departamento de Bioquímica. Fecha de lectura: 15-12-200

The switch from early to late transcription in phage GA-1: characterization of the regulatory protein p4G

The transcription program of the Bacillus phage GA-1, a distant relative of phage Φ29, has been studied. Transcription of the GA-1 genome occurred in two stages, early and late. Early genes were expressed from two promoters equivalent to the Φ29 A2b and A2c promoters, whereas late transcription started at a site equivalent to the Φ29 late A3 promoter. The activity of the GA-1 early A2b and A2c promoters diminished 10 minutes after infection, a time at which expression of the late promoter increased significantly. The switch from early to late transcription required protein synthesis, suggesting the need for viral protein(s). An open reading frame was found in the GA-1 genome coding for a protein showing a 53 % similarity to Φ29 regulatory protein p4, and was named p4G. In Φ29, protein p4 represses the early A2b and A2c promoters and activates the late A3 promoter by recruiting RNA polymerase to it. A binding site for protein p4G was localized upstream from the GA-1 late A3 promoter, overlapping with the early A2b promoter. In vitro, protein p4G prevented the binding of RNA polymerase to the GA-1 early A2b promoter but, unlike in Φ29, had no effect on the expression of the late A3 promoter: RNA polymerase could efficiently bind and initiate transcription from the A3 promoter in the absence of protein p4G. Therefore, activation of late transcription occurs differently in GA-1 and Φ29. We propose that protein p4G is an anti-repressor which inhibits the binding to the late promoter of an unknown repressor factor present in the host strain.This investigation has been aided by Research Grant 5R01 GM27242–19 from the National Institutes of Health, by Grant PB93-0173 from Dirección General de Investigación Cientı́fica y Técnica, and by an Institutional Grant from Fundación Ramón Areces to the Centro de Biologı́a Molecular “Severo Ochoa”. J.A.H. and M.M. were holders of pre-doctoral fellowships from Comunidad Autónoma de Madrid.Peer reviewe

The Effect of Copper on Endometrial Receptivity and Induction of Apoptosis on Decidualized Human Endometrial Stromal Cells

Intrauterine devices (IUDs) have been widely used to prevent pregnancies with great efficacy during decades. It has been demonstrated that IUD alters the endometrial gene expression, but there is no scientific data about how copper, a metal commonly used in these devices, by itself, is able to influence the processes of endometrial receptivity and apoptosis in decidualized human endometrial stromal cells. Five endometrial samples were obtained from fertile women and processed by a standard protocol to obtain human endometrial stromal cells for in vitro studies. Stromal cells were cultured in vitro and decidualized for 8 days. At day 6, copper was added to the treatment group or camptothecin as positive control for apoptosis until day 8. Five endometrial samples were used in each group. The aim of this study was to analyze the effect of copper in apoptosis and necrosis by flow cytometry, to visualize the apoptotic microtubule network during apoptosis by immunofluorescence, and finally to determine the gene expression profile of a panel of 192 genes related to endometrial receptivity and immune system by quantitative reverse transcription PCR (RT-qPCR). Copper, compared to the decidualized group, induced changes in the gene expression by an order of magnitude in 49 genes (42 up- and 9 downregulated). This alteration in the decidualization gene signature by copper includes 19 genes involved in the endometriosis pathology and others related to other gynecological disorders such as preeclampsia and infertility. Our results indicate that copper does not increase the apoptosis level induced by the decidualization treatment. However, copper alters the gene expression of some biomarkers of endometrial receptivity and immune response

Máster Universitario en Profesorado de Enseñanza Secundaria Obligatoria, Bachillerato, Formación Profesional y Enseñanza de Idiomas (MAES) : Hostelería y Turismo

716 páginasLa educación secundaria ha experimentado cambios notables en los últimos años. La Ley Orgánica 8/2013, de 9 de diciembre, para la mejora de la calidad educativa, supuso una reestructuración de las etapas educativas, sobre todo a partir de la figura del “consejo orientador”, que adelanta la elección entre el itinerario académico y el de formación profesional a los 15 años, introduciendo la Formación Profesional Básica. Asimismo, la Ley Orgánica 3/2022, de 31 de marzo, de ordenación e integración de la Formación Profesional, supone una profunda reorganización de la formación profesional, para contribuir a eliminar el elevado desempleo estructural y dar respuesta a las necesidades del sistema productivo, con la intención de cubrir algunas de sus ofertas de empleo, sobre todo en niveles intermedios de cualificación –vinculados a la formación profesional- y, más en concreto, en aquellas actividades directamente relacionas con la modernización del sistema económico exigida por el cambio tecnológico y la nueva economía verde. Así lo indica el preámbulo de la Ley al señalar que “El escaso desarrollo de las cualificaciones intermedias en la estructura formativa española exige duplicar, con rapidez, el número de personas con formación intermedia para poder responder a las necesidades del sistema productivo”. Por otra parte, los docentes profesionales de la actual sociedad digital deben poseer una serie de conocimientos y destrezas profesionales que les permitan comprender y tratar de superar las dificultades de aprendizaje de su alumnado, diseñar materiales educativos y actividades motivadoras, fomentar la convivencia y la participación del alumnado, utilizar las nuevas tecnologías, el aprendizaje activo y significativo, mejorar el proceso de evaluación, orientar y tutorizar al alumnado, implicarse en el funcionamiento colectivo de los centros educativos, etc. Es en este marco en el que cobra más sentido aún la exigencia de profesionalización docente, que se introdujera ya con el Real Decreto 1393/2007, de 29 de octubre, por el que se establece la ordenación de las enseñanzas universitarias oficiales, en el marco del Espacio Europeo de Educación Superior. Asimismo, con independencia del nivel educativo o la especialidad en que imparte el profesorado, su formación debe ser académica y multidisciplinar. En este contexto es en el que se ha diseñado este Título de Máster de Profesorado en la UNIA, que atiende a la demanda de estudiantes que se orientan profesionalmente hacia la docencia en niveles de Educación Secundaria Profesional, respondiendo a la obligatoriedad de cursar estudios de Máster para ejercer la docencia en estos ámbitos dispuesta en la Ley Orgánica de Educación 2/2006 de 24 de mayo, y según la regulación establecida para estos Másteres en la Orden 3858/2007 de 27 de diciembre, que ahora se refuerza con la Ley Orgánica de Ordenación e Integración de la Formación Profesional en trámite parlamentario