Precariedad, exclusión social y modelo de sociedad: lógicas y efectos subjetivos del sufrimiento social contemporáneo (IV). Innovación docente en Filosofía

El PIMCD “Precariedad, exclusión social y modelo de sociedad: lógicas y efectos subjetivos del sufrimiento social contemporáneo (IV). Innovación docente en Filosofía” constituye la cuarta edición de un PIMCD que ha recibido financiación en las últimas convocatorias de PIMCD UCM, de los que se han derivado actividades de formación para estudiantes de Grado, Máster y Doctorado y al menos 3 publicaciones colectivas publicadas por Ediciones Complutense, Siglo XXI y Palgrave McMillan

Plastidial transporters KEA1 and KEA2 at the inner envelope membrane adjust stromal pH in the dark

Photosynthesis and carbon fixation depend critically on the regulation of pH in chloroplast compartments in the daylight and at night. While it is established that an alkaline stroma is required for carbon fixation, it is not known how alkaline stromal pH is formed, maintained or regulated. We tested whether two envelope transporters, AtKEA1 and AtKEA2, directly affected stromal pH in isolated Arabidopsis chloroplasts using the fluorescent probe 2ʹ,7ʹ-bis-(2-carboxyethyl)-5-(and-6)-carboxyfluorescein (BCECF). External K-induced alkalinization of the stroma was observed in chloroplasts from wild-type (WT) plants but not from kea1kea2 mutants, suggesting that KEA1 and KEA2 mediate K uptake/H loss to modulate stromal pH. While light-stimulated alkalinization of the stroma was independent of KEA1 and KEA2, the rate of decay to neutral pH in the dark is delayed in kea1kea2 mutants. However, the dark-induced loss of a pH gradient across the thylakoid membrane was similar in WT and mutant chloroplasts. This indicates that proton influx from the cytosol mediated by envelope K/H antiporters contributes to adjustment of stromal pH upon light to dark transitions.This work was supported by ERDF cofinanced grants from the Spanish Agencia Estatal de Investigación, Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad/Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación (BIO2015-65056-P, PID2019-105260GB-I00 and BIO2016-81957-REDT/AEI to KV and MPRR) and from the Consejería de Conocimiento, Investigación y Universidad, Junta de Andalucía, Spain (CVI-7558 to MPRR), and stimulated by the ERA-CAPS funded project Flux4Lives

Reconocimiento taxonómico de seis especies arbustivas de encinos (Quercus secc. Quercus: Fagaceae)

ABSTRACT: In the genus Quercus there are groups of species with similar morphological characters that complicate their identification. The species Quercus cordifolia Trel., Q. deliquescens C. H. Mull., Q. intricata Trel., Q. microphylla Née, Q. mohriana Buckley y Q. striatula Trel., conform one of those groups, in which species are difficult to recognize among them; all of them have a shrubby habit, stellate trichomes beneath the small leaves, and some of them have a sympatric distribution. Therefore, with the intention to obtain diagnostic data that allow recognition of each species of this group and its corresponding taxonomical status, we performed a critical analysis of the protologues, type images and other specimens available in virtual herbaria, and a review of herbaria; the localities where most of the type specimens were collected, were also visited, and all available morphological characters with emphasis in the foliar trichomes observed by Scanning Electron Microscopy were analyzed. The results allowed the taxonomic recognition of the six species previously described. The trichomes, fruits, leaves (indument, shape, margins, number of secondary veins, and consistency) provide the characters that together allow recognition of each of the species of this group.RESUMEN: En el género Quercus existen grupos de especies con caracteres morfológicos semejantes, que dificultan su identificación. Quercus cordifolia Trel., Q. deliquescens C. H. Mull., Q. intricata Trel., Q. microphylla Née, Q. mohriana Buckley y Q. striatula Trel., integran uno de esos grupos, éstas especies son difíciles de reconocer entre sí, todas presentan hábito arbustivo, tricomas estrellados que recubren el envés de las hojas, y algunas tienen distribución simpátrica. Con la intención de obtener datos diagnósticos que permitan reconocer a cada una de las especies de este grupo y su estatus taxonómico correspondiente, se analizaron críticamente los protólogos, las imágenes de los tipos y de otros especímenes disponibles en herbarios virtuales; se realizó revisión en herbarios y se visitaron las localidades de recolecta de los tipos de la mayoría de las especies incluidas en este estudio, se analizaron todos los caracteres morfológicos disponibles, enfatizando en los tricomas foliares observados al microscopio electrónico de barrido. Los resultados permitieron reconocer taxonómicamente las seis especies referidas. Los tricomas, el fruto y las hojas (indumento, forma, margen, número de venas secundarias y consistencia) aportan los caracteres que en conjunto permiten reconocer a las seis especies de éste grupo

La oferta de la prueba rápida del VIH en la calle dentro del ámbito universitario: ¿una estrategia prioritaria? Street outreach rapid HIV testing in university settings: a priority strategy?

Objetivo: Evaluar un programa que ofertaba la prueba del VIH en el medio universitario, analizando la prevalencia de la infección, las conductas de riesgo, los antecedentes de infecciones de transmisión sexual (ITS) y la realización de la prueba. Métodos: En octubre-noviembre de 2008 y noviembre-diciembre de 2009, 1668 personas se realizaron la prueba rápida en un dispositivo móvil en campus universitarios de Madrid, Málaga y Salamanca, y cumplimentaron un breve cuestionario mientras esperaban el resultado. Resultados: El 15,7% eran hombres que habían tenido relaciones sexuales con hombres, el 28,6% eran hombres exclusivamente heterosexuales y el 55,7% mujeres. El 73,3% eran menores de 25 años, el 8,5% habían nacido en el extranjero y sólo el 4% no tenía estudios secundarios. En los 12 meses previos, el 51% de los hombres heterosexuales, el 42% de las mujeres y el 6,3% de los hombres que habían tenido sexo con hombres tuvieron una pareja ocasional de distinto sexo sin haber usado siempre el preservativo. Un 41,5% de los hombres que habían tenido sexo con hombres refería este tipo de conducta con parejas masculinas. Al 24,7% de los hombres que habían tenido sexo con hombres, al 14,7% de las mujeres y al 5,6% de los hombres heterosexuales les habían diagnosticado alguna ITS. Se encontraron cuatro positivos, todos hombres que habían tenido sexo con hombres con prueba en los últimos 2 años, con una prevalencia entre ellos del 1,6% (intervalo de confianza del 95% [IC95%]: 0,43-3,95) y global del 0,2% (IC95%: 0,07-0,62). Conclusiones: Pese a la alta frecuencia de prácticas de riesgo, la baja prevalencia de la infección y los antecedentes de la prueba hacen pensar que los campus universitarios no son una localización prioritaria para el desarrollo de estos programas, que tendrían un mayor impacto y más eficiencia en otras poblaciones más vulnerables.<br>Objective: To evaluate an HIV testing program in the university environment by analyzing the prevalence of infection, risk behaviors and history of sexually transmitted infections and by performing HIV tests. Methods: During October-November of 2008 and November-December of 2009, 1668 persons received rapid HIV testing in a mobile unit located in university campuses in the cities of Madrid, Málaga and Salamanca (Spain). While waiting for the test results, participants completed a brief questionnaire. Results: A total of 15.7% were men who had sex with men (MSM), 28.6% were exclusively heterosexual men (HTX), and 55.7% were women. Nearly three-quarters (73.3%) were under 25 years of age, 8.5% were born abroad and only 4% had no secondary education. Fifty-one percent of HTX, 42% of women and 6.3% of MSM had casual sexual partners in the past 12 months without always using a condom. This behavior was also reported by 41.5% of MSM with same sex partners. A sexually transmitted infection had previously been diagnosed in 24.7% of MSMs, 14.7% of women and 5.6% of HTX. Four positive results were found, all in MSM who had been tested in the previous 2 years. The prevalence was 1.6% (95% CI: 0.43-3.95) within this group, and 0.2% overall (95% CI: 0.07-0.62). Conclusions: Despite the high frequency of risk behaviors, the low prevalence of HIV infection and the history of HIV testing suggest that university campuses are not a priority location to develop these programs, which would achieve greater impact and efficiency in more vulnerable populations

Overexpression of LeNHX2 and SlSOS2 increases salt tolerance and fruit production in double transgenic tomato plants

Transgenic tomato plants (Solanum lycopersicum L. cv. MicroTom) overexpressing both the K,Na/H antiporter LeNHX2 and the regulatory kinase SlSOS2 were produced by crossing transgenic homozygous lines overexpressing LeNHX2 and SlSOS2. LeNHX2 expression was enhanced in plants overexpressing LeNHX2 but surprisingly even more in plants overexpressing SlSOS2 with and without LeNHX2. All transgenic plants showed better NaCl tolerance than wild type controls and plants overexpressing both LeNHX2 and SlSOS2 grew better under saline conditions than plants overexpressing only one of these genes. Yield related parameters indicated that single and above all double transgenic plants performed significantly better than wild type controls. All transgenic plants produced fruits with a higher K content than wild-type plants and plants overexpressing SlSOS2 accumulated more Na in fruits than the rest of the plants when grown with NaCl. Roots, stems and leaves of transgenic plants overexpressing LeNHX2 showed a higher K content than wild type and single transgenic plants overexpressing SlSOS2. Na content in stems and leaves of NaCl treated plants was higher in SlSOS2 overexpressing plants than in wild type and LeNHX2 single transgenic plants. All transgenic lines showed a higher leaf relative water content and a higher plant water content and water use efficiency than wild type controls when both were grown in the presence of NaCl. Results in this work indicate that the joint overexpression of LeNHX2 and SlSOS2 improves growth and water status under NaCl stress, affects K and Na homeostasis and enhances fruit yield of tomato plants.This work was supported by grants from Consejería de Economía, Innovación, Ciencia y Empresa, Junta de Andalucía, Spain (CVI-7558 to MPRR), Spanish MINECO and Agencia Estatal de Investigación (BIO2015-65056-P and BIO2016-81957-REDT/AEI to KV and MPRR) and Moroccan MESRSFC and CNRST (PPR/2015/21 to MB).Peer Reviewe

Deletion of the N‐terminal domain of the yeast vacuolar (Na +

Cation/proton antiporters play a major role in the control of cytosolic ion concentrations in prokaryotes and eukaryotes organisms. In yeast, we previously demonstrated that Vnx1p is a vacuolar monovalent cation/H exchanger showing Na/H and K/H antiporter activity. We have also shown that disruption of VNX1 results in an almost complete abolishment of vacuolar Na/H exchange, but yeast cells overexpressing the complete protein do not show improved salinity tolerance. In this study, we have identified an autoinhibitory N-terminal domain and have engineered a constitutively activated version of Vnx1p, by removing this domain. Contrary to the wild type protein, the activated protein has a pronounced effect on yeast salt tolerance and vacuolar pH. Expression of this truncated VNX1 gene also improves Arabidopsis salt tolerance and increases Na and K accumulation of salt grown plants thus suggesting a biotechnological potential of activated Vnx1p to improve salt tolerance of crop plants.This work was supported by grants from Spanish MINECO and Agencia Estatal de Investigación (BIO2015‐65056‐P and BIO2016‐81957‐REDT/AEI to K.V. and M.P.R.R.) and from Consejería de Economía, Innovación, Ciencia y Empresa, Junta de Andalucía, Spain (CVI‐7558 to MPRR)

Proton Coupled Ion transport at the chloroplast envelope.

Póster presentado en Plant Biology Europe 2023 (PBE 2023), Jul 2023, Marseille, FranceGrant PID2019-105260GB-I00 funded by MCIN/AEI/ 10.13039/50110001103

Deletion of the N-terminal domain of the yeast vacuolar (Na+,K+)/H+ antiporter Vnx1p improves salt tolerance in yeast and transgenic Arabidopsis

Cation/proton antiporters play a major role in the control of cytosolic ion concentrations in prokaryotes and eukaryotes organisms. In yeast, we previously demonstrated that Vnx1p is a vacuolar monovalent cation/H exchanger showing Na/H and K/H antiporter activity. We have also shown that disruption of VNX1 results in an almost complete abolishment of vacuolar Na/H exchange, but yeast cells overexpressing the complete protein do not show improved salinity tolerance. In this study, we have identified an autoinhibitory N-terminal domain and have engineered a constitutively activated version of Vnx1p, by removing this domain. Contrary to the wild type protein, the activated protein has a pronounced effect on yeast salt tolerance and vacuolar pH. Expression of this truncated VNX1 gene also improves Arabidopsis salt tolerance and increases Na and K accumulation of salt grown plants thus suggesting a biotechnological potential of activated Vnx1p to improve salt tolerance of crop plants.This work was supported by grants from Spanish MINECO and Agencia Estatal de Investigación (BIO2015‐65056‐P and BIO2016‐81957‐REDT/AEI to K.V. and M.P.R.R.) and from Consejería de Economía, Innovación, Ciencia y Empresa, Junta de Andalucía, Spain (CVI‐7558 to MPRR)

Study of the dependency of the specific power absorption rate on several characteristics of the excitation magnetic signal when irradiating a SPION-containing ferrofluid

[EN] Magnetic hyperthermia mediated by superparamagnetic particles is mainly based in sinusoidal waveforms as excitation signals. Temperature changes are conventionally explained by rotation of the particles in the surrounding medium. This is a hypothesis quite questionable since habitual experimental setups only produce changes in the magnetic module, not in the field lines trajectories. Theoretical results were tested by changing the waveform of the exciting signal in order to compare non-sinusoidal signals against sinusoidal signals. Experiments were done at different frequencies: 200 KHz, 400 KHz, 600 KHz, 800 KHz and 1 MHz. Super paramagnetic Iron Oxide samples (SPION), made of magnetite (Fe3O4) and suspended in water (100 mg/ml), were used. Magnetic field strength varies from 0.1 +/- 0.015 KA/m to 0.6 +/- 0.015 KA/m. In this study was observed that the power loss depends on the applied frequency: for 1 to 2.5 RMS current the responses for each signal are part of the higher section of the exponential function, and for 3.5 to 8 RMS current the response is clearly the decrement exponential function's tale (under 1 x 10(3) LER/gr).Rosales, A.; Aznar, E.; Coll Merino, MC.; García Mendoza, R.; Urbano Bojorge, AL.; González, N.; Martínez-Máñez, R.... (2016). Study of the dependency of the specific power absorption rate on several characteristics of the excitation magnetic signal when irradiating a SPION-containing ferrofluid. Journal of Magnetics. 21(3):460-467. https://doi.org/10.4283/JMAG.2016.21.3.460S46046721

Prevalence of reduced lung diffusing capacity and CT scan findings in smokers without airflow limitation: a population-based study

Background Population distribution of reduced diffusing capacity of the lungs for carbon monoxide (DLCO) in smokers and main consequences are not properly recognised. The objectives of this study were to describe the prevalence of reduced DLCO in a population-based sample of current and former smoker subjects without airflow limitation and to describe its morphological, functional and clinical implications.Methods A sample of 405 subjects aged 40 years or older with postbronchodilator forced expiratory volume in 1 s/forced vital capacity (FVC) &gt;0.70 was obtained from a random population-based sample of 9092 subjects evaluated in the EPISCAN II study. Baseline evaluation included clinical questionnaires, exhaled carbon monoxide (CO) measurement, spirometry, DLCO determination, 6 min walk test, routine blood analysis and low-dose CT scan with evaluation of lung density and airway wall thickness.Results In never, former and current smokers, prevalence of reduced DLCO was 6.7%, 14.4% and 26.7%, respectively. Current and former smokers with reduced DLCO without airflow limitation were younger than the subjects with normal DLCO, and they had greater levels of dyspnoea and exhaled CO, greater pulmonary artery diameter and lower spirometric parameters, 6 min walk distance, daily physical activity and plasma albumin levels (all p&lt;0.05), with no significant differences in other chronic respiratory symptoms or CT findings. FVC and exhaled CO were identified as independent risk factors for low DLCO.Conclusion Reduced DLCO is a frequent disorder among smokers without airflow limitation, associated with decreased exercise capacity and with CT findings suggesting that it may be a marker of smoking-induced early vascular damage.Trial registration number NCT03028207