Comprender el malestar a través de las relaciones. La teoría sistémica: entre epistemología, dinámicas familiares y clínica

El presente trabajo tiene como objetivo el delinear la evolución de las referencias epistemológicas que subyacen al cambio de los modelos de tipo sistémico-relacional. Tal evolución representa el hilo conductor gracias al cual leer las variaciones de perspectiva que ha experimentado la clínica familiar al observar, significar y tratar el malestar en el ámbito de la teoría y de la escena terapéutica. Son dos los saltos epistemológicos que se revelan como fundamentales. El primero es el paso de un modelo homeostático a un modelo evolutivo, paso que ha conducido a los terapeutas a considerar, además de las tensiones hacia el mantenimiento del equilibrio que caracterizan a los sistemas familiares (sobre todo cuando éstos atraviesan un estado de malestar), también los procesos de desarrollo que se hallan en la base del funcionamiento y de las transformaciones de tales sistemas. El segundo es el paso de la cibernética de primer orden a la de segundo orden, paso que ha permitido concebir la relación terapéutica como un proceso de circularidad constructiva entre el observador y el sistema observado y que ha estimulado una apertura hacia nuevas modalidades de tratamiento terapéutico familiar

The Role of Family Support and Dyadic Adjustment on the Psychological Well-being of Transgender Individuals: An Exploratory Study

Introduction This study aimed to measure dyadic adjustment, social support, and psychological well-being. Methods A research protocol composed of the Dyadic Adjustment Scale, the Outcome Questionnaire 45.2, and the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support was administered to a sample of 109 Italian transgender individuals. Results Higher levels of global psychological distress, symptom severity, and interpersonal relationship distress were associated with lower levels of family support and dyadic adjustment. In addition, transgender women and younger transgender individuals reported higher levels of interpersonal relationship distress. Conclusions The results indicate that the support and acceptance of one’s partner and family of origin play a crucial role in promoting well-being. It represents an important protective factor with respect to negative psychological health outcomes. Policy Implications The findings emphasize the need to develop specific clinical and social practices for transgender individuals and their families. Building family and partner-centered policies and programs is particularly important to enable transgender individuals to avoid paying the emotional and psychological costs associated with rejection and non-acceptance

Influence of bacterial physiology on processing of selenite, biogenesis of nanomaterials and their thermodynamic stability

We explored how Ochrobactrum sp. MPV1 can convert up to 2.5 mM selenite within 120 h, surviving the challenge posed by high oxyanion concentrations. The data show that thiol-based biotic chemical reaction(s) occur upon bacterial exposure to low selenite concentrations, whereas enzymatic systems account for oxyanion removal when 2 mM oxyanion is exceeded. The selenite bioprocessing produces selenium nanomaterials, whose size and morphology depend on the bacterial physiology. Selenium nanoparticles were always produced by MPV1 cells, featuring an average diameter ranging between 90 and 140 nm, which we conclude constitutes the thermodynamic stability range for these nanostructures. Alternatively, selenium nanorods were observed for bacterial cells exposed to high selenite concentration or under controlled metabolism. Biogenic nanomaterials were enclosed by an organic material in part composed of amphiphilic biomolecules, which could form nanosized structures independently. Bacterial physiology influences the surface charge characterizing the organic material, suggesting its diverse biomolecular composition and its involvement in the tuning of the nanomaterial morphology. Finally, the organic material is in thermodynamic equilibrium with nanomaterials and responsible for their electrosteric stabilization, as changes in the temperature slightly influence the stability of biogenic compared to chemogenic nanomaterials

Pseudomonas protegens MP12: A plant growth-promoting endophytic bacterium with broad-spectrum antifungal activity against grapevine phytopathogens

Abstract Pseudomonas sp. MP12 was isolated from a soil sample collected in a typical warm-temperate deciduous forest near Brescia, Northern Italy. Phylogenetic analysis identified the species as Pseudomonas protegens. We evidenced in this strain the presence of the genes phlD, pltB and prnC responsible for the synthesis of the antifungal compounds 2,4-diacetylphloroglucinol (2,4-DAPG), pyoluteorin and pyrrolnitrin, respectively. P. protegens MP12 was also shown to produce siderophores and ammonia, yielded positive results with the indole-3-acetic acid test, and was capable of phosphate solubilization. Moreover, P. protegens MP12 exhibited inhibitory effects on in vitro mycelial growth of prominent grapevine (Vitis vinifera) phytopathogens such as Botrytis cinerea, Alternaria alternata, Aspergillus niger, Penicillium expansum and Neofusicoccum parvum. The strain showed activity even against Phaeomoniella chlamydospora and Phaeoacremonium aleophilum, which cause the devastating tracheomycosis/esca disease of grapevine trunks for which no efficacious control methods have been demonstrated so far. Furthermore, the MP12 strain manifested in vivo antifungal activity against B. cinerea on grapevine leaves. Culture-dependent and culture-independent analysis revealed the ability of P. protegens MP12 to efficiently and permanently colonize inner grapevine tissues. These results suggest that P. protegens MP12 could be worth of exploitation as an antifungal biocontrol agent for applications in viticulture

In vivo endophytic, rhizospheric and epiphytic colonization of vitis vinifera by the plant-growth promoting and antifungal strain pseudomonas protegens MP12

An evaluation was conducted of the colonization of Pseudomonas protegens MP12, a plantgrowth promoting and antagonistic strain, inoculated in vine plants during a standard process of grapevine nursery propagation. Three in vivo inoculation protocols (endophytic, rhizospheric, and epiphytic) were implemented and monitored by means of both culture-dependent and independent techniques. Endophytic treatment resulted in the colonization of the bacterium inside the vine cuttings, which spread to young leaves during the forcing period. Microscopy analysis performed on transformed dsRed-tagged P. protegens MP12 cells confirmed the bacterium’s ability to penetrate the inner part of the roots. However, endophytic MP12 strain was no longer detected once the plant materials had been placed in the vine nursery field. The bacterium also displayed an ability to colonize the rhizosphere and, when the plants were uprooted at the end of the vegetative season, its persistence was confirmed. Epiphytic inoculation, performed by foliar spraying of cell suspension, was effective in controlling artificially-induced Botrytis cinerea infection in detached leaves. The success of rhizospheric and leaf colonization in vine plants suggests potential for the future exploitation of P. protegens MP12 as biofertilizer and biopesticide. Further investigation is required into the stability of the bacterium’s colonization of vine plants under real-world conditions in vineyards

Microbial-Based Bioremediation of Selenium and Tellurium Compounds

The chalcogens selenium (Se) and tellurium (Te) are rare earth elements, which are mainly present in the environment as toxic oxyanions, due to the anthropogenic activities. Thus, the increased presence of these chalcogen-species in the environment and the contamination of wastewaters nearby processing facilities led to the necessity in developing remediation strategies aimed to detoxify waters, soils and sediments. Among the different decontamination approaches, those based on the ability of microorganisms to bioaccumulate, biomethylate or bioconvert Se- and/or Te-oxyanions are considered the leading strategy for achieving a safe and eco-friendly bioremediation of polluted sites. Recently, several technologies based on the use of bacterial pure cultures, bacterial biofilms or microbial consortia grown in reactors with different configurations have been explored for Se- and Te-decontamination purposes. Further, the majority of microorganisms able to process chalcogen-oxyanions have been described to generate valuable Se- and/or Te-nanomaterials as end-products of their bioconversion, whose potential applications in biomedicine, optoelectronics and environmental engineering are still under investigation. Here, the occurrence, the use and the toxicity of Se- and Te-compounds will be briefly overviewed, while the microbial mechanisms of chalcogen-oxyanions bioprocessing, as well as the microbial-based strategies used for bioremediation approaches will be extensively described

Treatment of food processing wastes for the production of medium chain fatty acids via chain elongation

The production of medium chain fatty acids (MCFAs) through reverse β-oxidation was investigated both on synthetic and real substrates. From preliminary batch tests emerged that caproic acid was maximized under an acetate/ethanol molar ratio of 5:1 at neutral pH. This ratio was then adopted in different semi-continuous tests operating with different amounts of the two reactants. It emerged that the MCFAs yield reached the maximum level of 6.7% when the total molar substrate amount was around 40–45 mmol/d, while the process was inhibited for values higher than 400 mmol/d. Semi-continuous tests using real waste as substrates, namely food waste condensate, cheese whey, and winery wastewater, confirmed the results obtained with the synthetic substrates. Better performances were obtained when an adequate molar ratio of the acetate and the electron-donor compound was naturally present. Therefore, a MCFAs yield of 25% and 10.5% was obtained for condensate of food waste and acidic cheese whey, respectively. Regarding MCFAs composition, caproic acid was the dominant form but small concentrations of octanoic acid were also found in the tests where ethanol was the electron donor (synthetic substrates and food waste condensate). Octanoic acid was not produced in test where lactic acid represented the electron donor molecules (cheese whey). Condensate and synthetic samples were dominated by Pseudoclavibacter caeni with an abundance of 38.19% and 33.38% respectively, while Thomasclavelia (24.13%) and Caproiciproducens (11.68%) was the most representative genus in acidic cheese whey sample

Physical–chemical properties of biogenic selenium nanostructures produced by Stenotrophomonas maltophilia SeITE02 and Ochrobactrum sp. MPV1

Stenotrophomonas maltophilia SeITE02 and Ochrobactrum sp. MPV1 were isolated from the rhizosphere soil of the selenium-hyperaccumulator legume Astragalus bisulcatus and waste material from a dumping site for roasted pyrites, respectively. Here, these bacterial strains were studied as cell factories to generate selenium-nanostructures (SeNS) under metabolically controlled growth conditions. Thus, a defined medium (DM) containing either glucose or pyruvate as carbon and energy source along with selenite (www.frontiersin.org) was tested to evaluate bacterial growth, oxyanion bioconversion and changes occurring in SeNS features with respect to those generated by these strains grown on rich media. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) images show extra- or intra-cellular emergence of SeNS in SeITE02 or MPV1 respectively, revealing the presence of two distinct biological routes of SeNS biogenesis. Indeed, the stress exerted by www.frontiersin.org upon SeITE02 cells triggered the production of membrane vesicles (MVs), which surrounded Se-nanoparticles (SeNPsSeITE02-G_e and SeNPsSeITE02-P_e with average diameter of 179 ± 56 and 208 ± 60 nm, respectively), as highlighted by TEM and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), strongly suggesting that MVs might play a crucial role in the excreting mechanism of the SeNPs in the extracellular environment. On the other hand, MPV1 strain biosynthesized intracellular inclusions likely containing hydrophobic storage compounds and SeNPs (123 ± 32 nm) under pyruvate conditioning, while the growth on glucose as the only source of carbon and energy led to the production of a mixed population of intracellular SeNPs (118 ± 36 nm) and nanorods (SeNRs; average length of 324 ± 89). SEM, fluorescence spectroscopy, and confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) revealed that the biogenic SeNS were enclosed in an organic material containing proteins and amphiphilic molecules, possibly responsible for the high thermodynamic stability of these nanomaterials. Finally, the biogenic SeNS extracts were photoluminescent upon excitation ranging from 380 to 530 nm, whose degree of fluorescence emission (λem = 416–640 nm) was comparable to that from chemically synthesized SeNPs with L-cysteine (L-cys SeNPs). This study offers novel insights into the formation, localization, and release of biogenic SeNS generated by two different Gram-negative bacterial strains under aerobic and metabolically controlled growth conditions. The work strengthens the possibility of using these bacterial isolates as eco-friendly biocatalysts to produce high quality SeNS targeted to possible biomedical applications and other biotechnological purposes

Efficacy and Comparison of Different Strategies for Selenium Biofortification of Tomatoes

At appropriate concentrations, selenium (Se) is beneficial for humans. Tomato appears to be one of the best commodities for producing Se-biofortified fruit for dietary supplementation. To assess the efficacy of different enrichment protocols, a total of four on-plant and off-plant trials were conducted. Hydroponically grown tomato plants were sprayed with: (i) chemically synthesized Se nanoparticles (SeNPs) at 0, 1, and 1.5 mg Se L−1 at blooming; (ii) sodium selenate (Na2SeO4) or SeNPs solution at 0, 5, and 10 mg Se L−1 when the fruit entered the immature green stage. With regard to the off-plant trials, harvested mature green fruit were immersed in Na2SeO4 solution: (iii) at 0, 5, 10, and 20 mg Se L−1 for 15 s under a vacuum; (iv) at 0, 40, and 80 mg Se L−1 for 1 h. Spraying Na2SeO4 induced higher Se accumulation in plant tissue than SeNPs: both protocols were effective in enriching tomatoes. Postharvest Se enrichment via vacuum infiltration caused textural damage, whereas passive immersion in solution induced fruit Se accumulation without causing any damage. SeNPs appear to be quantitatively less effective than Na2SeO4, but might be environmentally safer. Elemental Se carried by NPs may be more easily incorporated into organic forms, which are more bioavailable for humans. Passive immersion may represent an alternative Se-enrichment strategy, allowing for the biofortification of harvested tomato fruit directly, with lower risks of environmental pollution