Desarrollo de un sistema de inyección para la caracterización individualizada de núcleos en fibras ópticas de plástico multinúcleo

La transmisión en paralelo de distintas señales por los distintos núcleos de fibras multinúcleo (MC) está siendo aplicada con éxito en fibras de vidrio, aunque aún no se ha explorado en fibras de plástico (POF). Además, en algunos tipos de MC-POF, se ha determinado experimentalmente que la transferencia de potencia óptica entre núcleos es despreciable, lo que convierte estas fibras en potenciales candidatas para la multiplexación espacial. Para analizar en detalle las posibilidades de esta técnica, es necesario caracterizar la fibra a nivel de núcleos individuales, lo que a su vez requiere disponer de un sistema preciso de inyección en cada uno de dichos núcleosEl sistema de inyección está basado en un láser conectorizado a una fibra multimodo de visible y con posibilidad de modulación directa. Este sistema permite medir tanto el efecto sobre las propiedades espaciales de la señal como el efecto sobre sus propiedades temporales (respuesta en frecuencia, BER, etc). Para ajustar la inyección a cada núcleo individual, se pone en marcha un sistema de alineamiento asistido por imagen basado en posicionadores mecánicos con 6 grados de libertad y accionados mediante motores controlados por ordenador mediante una interfaz de usuario programada en Matlab<br /

Association of the Gut Microbiota with the Host's Health through an Analysis of Biochemical Markers, Dietary Estimation, and Microbial Composition

This research was funded by Centro Tecnológico para el Desarrollo Industrial (CDTI) through the program Consorcio de Investigación Empresarial Nacional (Programa CIEN, BIOFOOD Project) and by CIBERobn (Centro de Investigación Biomédica en Red de la Fisiopatología de la Obesidad y Nutrición (CB12/03/30002).This study aims to analyze the relationship between gut microbiota composition and health parameters through specific biochemical markers and food consumption patterns in the Spanish population. This research includes 60 Spanish adults aged 47.3 ± 11.2 years old. Biochemical and anthropometric measurements, and a self-referred dietary survey (food frequency questionnaire), were analyzed and compared with the participant's gut microbiota composition analyzed by 16s rDNA sequencing. Several bacterial strains differed significantly with the biochemical markers analyzed, suggesting an involvement in the participant's metabolic health. Lower levels of Lactobacillaceae and Oscillospiraceae and an increase in Pasteurellaceae, Phascolarctobacterium, and Haemophilus were observed in individuals with higher AST levels. Higher levels of the Christensenellaceae and a decrease in Peptococcaceae were associated with higher levels of HDL-c. High levels of Phascolarctobacterium and Peptococcus and low levels of Butyricicoccus were found in individuals with higher insulin levels. This study also identified associations between bacteria and specific food groups, such as an increase in lactic acid bacteria with the consumption of fermented dairy products or an increase in Verrucomicrobiaceae with the consumption of olive oil. In conclusion, this study reinforces the idea that specific food groups can favorably modulate gut microbiota composition and have an impact on host's health

Phenolic compounds reduce the fat content in caenorhabditis elegans by affecting lipogenesis, lipolysis, and different stress responses

Supplementation with bioactive compounds capable of regulating energy homeostasis is a promising strategy to manage obesity. Here, we have screened the ability of different phenolic compounds (myricetin, kaempferol, naringin, hesperidin, apigenin, luteolin, resveratrol, curcumin, and epicatechin) and phenolic acids (p-coumaric, ellagic, ferulic, gallic, and vanillic acids) regulating C. elegans fat accumulation. Resveratrol exhibited the strongest lipid-reducing activity, which was accompanied by the improvement of lifespan, oxidative stress, and aging, without affecting worm development. Whole-genome expression microarrays demonstrated that resveratrol affected fat mobilization, fatty acid metabolism, and unfolded protein response of the endoplasmic reticulum (UPRER), mimicking the response to calorie restriction. Apigenin induced the oxidative stress response and lipid mobilization, while vanillic acid affected the unfolded-protein response in ER. In summary, our data demonstrates that phenolic compounds exert a lipid-reducing activity in C. elegans through different biological processes and signaling pathways, including those related with lipid mobilization and fatty acid metabolism, oxidative stress, aging, and UPR-ER response. These findings open the door to the possibility of combining them in order to achieve complementary activity against obesity-related disorders

Spontaneous abortion associated with Zika virus infection and persistent viremia

We report a case of spontaneous abortion associated with Zika virus infection in a pregnant woman who traveled from Spain to the Dominican Republic and developed a rash. Maternal Zika viremia persisted at least 31 days after onset of symptoms and 21 days after uterine evacuation

The role of Xpert MTB/RIF in diagnosing pulmonary tuberculosis in post-mortem tissues

The extent to which the Xpert MTB/RIF (Gene Xpert) contributes to tuberculosis (TB) diagnosis in samples other than sputum and cerebrospinal fluid remains uncertain. We aimed to assess the role of Xpert MTB/RIF for detecting M. tuberculosis in post-mortem tissues. We conducted a study among 30 complete diagnostic autopsies (CDA) performed at the Maputo Central Hospital (Mozambique). Lung tissues were screened for TB in all cases. In addition other tissues were tested when compatible lesions were identified in the histological exam. We used in-house real time PCR and LAMP assays to confirm the presence of M. tuberculosis DNA. The diagnosis of tuberculosis at death was established based on microbiological and histopathological results. Eight out of 30 cases (26.7%) were diagnosed of tuberculosis. Xpert had a sensitivity to detect TB in lung tissue of 87.5% (95% CI 47.3-99.7) and a specificity of 95.7% (95% CI: 78.1-99.9). In-house DNA amplification methods and Xpert showed 93.6% concordance for lung tissue and 100% concordance for brain and liver tissues. The final cause of death was attributable to tuberculosis in four cases. Xpert MTB/RIF may represent a valuable, easy-to perform technique for post-mortem TB diagnosis

Phenolic compounds inhibit 3T3-L1 adipogenesis depending on the stage of differentiation and their binding affinity to PPAR gamma

Phenolic compounds might modulate adiposity. Here, we report our observation that polyphenols and phenolic acids inhibit adipogenesis in 3T3-L1 with different intensity depending on the family and the stage of differentiation. While quercetin and resveratrol inhibited lipid accumulation along the whole process of differentiation, apigenin and myricetin were active during the early and latest stages, but not intermediate, contrary to hesperidin. The activity of phenolic acids was limited to the early stages of the differentiation process, except p-coumaric and ellagic acids. This anti-adipogenic effect was accompanied by down-regulation of Scd1 and Lpl. Molecular docking analysis revealed that the inhibitory activity of these phenolic compounds over the early stages of adipogenesis exhibits a significant correlation (r = 0.7034; p = 0.005) with their binding affinity to the ligand-binding domain of PPAR¿. Results show that polyphenols and phenolic acids would interact with specific residues of the receptor, which could determine their potential anti-adipogenic activity during the early stages of the differentiation. Residues Phe264, His266, Ile281, Cys285 and Met348 are the most frequently involved in these interactions, which might suggest a crucial role for these amino acids modulating the activity of the receptor. These data contribute to elucidate the possible mechanisms of phenolic compounds in the control of adipogenesis

Spatial distribution and risk factors of Brucellosis in Iberian wild ungulates

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The role of wildlife as a brucellosis reservoir for humans and domestic livestock remains to be properly established. The aim of this work was to determine the aetiology, apparent prevalence, spatial distribution and risk factors for brucellosis transmission in several Iberian wild ungulates.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>A multi-species indirect immunosorbent assay (iELISA) using <it>Brucella </it>S-LPS antigen was developed. In several regions having brucellosis in livestock, individual serum samples were taken between 1999 and 2009 from 2,579 wild bovids, 6,448 wild cervids and4,454 Eurasian wild boar (<it>Sus scrofa</it>), and tested to assess brucellosis apparent prevalence. Strains isolated from wild boar were characterized to identify the presence of markers shared with the strains isolated from domestic pigs.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Mean apparent prevalence below 0.5% was identified in chamois (<it>Rupicapra pyrenaica</it>), Iberian wild goat (<it>Capra pyrenaica</it>), and red deer (<it>Cervus elaphus</it>). Roe deer (<it>Capreolus capreolus</it>), fallow deer (<it>Dama dama</it>), mouflon (<it>Ovis aries</it>) and Barbary sheep (<it>Ammotragus lervia</it>) tested were seronegative. Only one red deer and one Iberian wild goat resulted positive in culture, isolating <it>B. abortus </it>biovar 1 and <it>B. melitensis </it>biovar 1, respectively. Apparent prevalence in wild boar ranged from 25% to 46% in the different regions studied, with the highest figures detected in South-Central Spain. The probability of wild boar being positive in the iELISA was also affected by age, age-by-sex interaction, sampling month, and the density of outdoor domestic pigs. A total of 104 bacterial isolates were obtained from wild boar, being all identified as <it>B. suis </it>biovar 2. DNA polymorphisms were similar to those found in domestic pigs.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>In conclusion, brucellosis in wild boar is widespread in the Iberian Peninsula, thus representing an important threat for domestic pigs. By contrast, wild ruminants were not identified as a significant brucellosis reservoir for livestock.</p

Role of cardiotrophin-1 on adipocyte liposysis and adipokine production, intestinal sugar uptake and the regulation of circadians clocks

In the last years, several studies have pointed out that CT-1 might play a key role in the regulation of body weight and fat and glucose metabolism, with potential applications for treatment of obesity and insulin resistance. In the present work, we demonstrated that CT-1 stimulates lipolysis in vitro and in vivo through the activation of the main lipases and lipid droplet associated proteins. CT-1 treatment stimulated basal glycerol and free fatty acid release in a concentration and time-dependent manner in 3T3-L1 adipocytes. This lipolytic action of CT-1 is mainly mediated by activation of HSL through the PKA pathway. In ob/ob mice, acute rCT-1 treatment also promoted PKA-mediated phosphorylation of perilipin and HSL at Ser660 and Ser563, and increased ATGL content in adipose tissue. Our results suggest that the ability of CT-1 to regulate the activity of the main lipases underlies the lipolytic action of this cytokine in vitro and in vivo, and could contribute to CT-1 antiobesity effects. In addition we observed that CT-1 inhibits the production of adipocyte-secreted hormones implicated in obesity and insulin resistance with pro-inflammatory properties such as leptin, resistin and visfatin in cultured adipocytes, whereas promotes the gene expression and secretion of apelin. Moreover, acute CT-1 administration to obese mice reduced leptin and resistin expression in WAT. Thus, the present study demonstrates the ability of rCT-1 to modulate the production of adipokines in vitro and in vivo, suggesting that the regulation of the secretory function of adipocytes could be also involved in the metabolic actions of this cytokine. Furthermore, the present investigation has revealed the ability of CT-1 to inhibit intestinal sugar absorption in vitro and in vivo. Mechanistic studies performed in Caco-2 cells showed that the reduction of &#945;-Methyl-D-glucoside uptake induced by CT-1 is accompanied by the downregulation of the expression of the SGLT-1 co-transporter at the apical membrane of the cells. These effects of CT-1 on intestinal sugar absorption could contribute to the hypoglycemic and anti-obesity properties of this cytokine. Finally, the present study aimed to characterize the potential role of CT-1 in the regulation of metabolic rhythms. Interestingly, the circadian rhythmicity of oxygen consumption rate (VO2) was totally disrupted in old CT-1 deficient (CT-1-/-) obese mice (12 months). Moreover, the lack of CT-1 also induced remarkable alterations in Bmal1 and Cry mRNA levels in young CT-1 null mice, which become also evident for Clock and Per2 in CT-1-/- 12-month-old mice. Moreover, treatment with CT-1 attenuated the drop in adipose Clock mRNA observed in ob/ob mice. Furthermore, in humans the 24-h profile of CT-1 plasma levels showed daytime variations characterized by a pronounced rise during the night period (from 2:00 to 8:00 am), with the acrophase at 8:00 am. Interestingly, the circadian rhythmicity of CT-1 observed in normal weight subjects was lost in overweight/obese individuals. All these observations suggest a potential role of CT-1 as a peripheral regulator of metabolic circadian rhythms