Cytogenetic effects of irradiation on somatic and germ cells

This paper summarizes the results obtained in two of the research projects carried out in our laboratory within the radiation protection programs of the Consejo de Seguridad Nuclear and the European Union. These two research lines are fundamentally interconnected, since the analysis of the cytogenetic effects of radiation on somatic cells studies the consequences of occupational or accidental exposure to radiation for the individual, especially from the point of view of developing some type of malignancy, while the studies carried out in germ cells evaluate the risk of exposure for future generations, through the transmission of chromosome abnormalities via affected spermatozoa. In both cases these studies, which were mainly carried out during the last six years, in addition to providing basic data for the assessment of the consequences of radiation exposure and defining the steps to be taken to prevent the transmission of chromosome anomalies to the offspring in cases of therapeutic exposure, have also been fundamental in developing more effective techniques for the evaluation of the cytogenetic consequences of exposure to radiation

Estudio de la accesibilidad de la documentación científica en soporte digital (Informe final)

El estudio analiza, a partir de una prueba experimental, los problemas de accesibilidad que actualmente presenta la información científica en formato digital, más concretamente los artículos científicos en soporte digital que actualmente se pueden consultar a través de los portales de acceso a las revistas electrónicas y en los repositorios abiertos ("open access") de literatura científica. El estudio se centra en los aspectos de facilidad de uso del contenido de los documentos, sin entrar en la observación de los distintos sistemas de recuperación. Se han analizado los dos formatos más utilizados para la publicación de artículos científicos en soporte digital: HTML y PDF, estudiando la variabilidad interna que representa la presencia de sumarios o de tablas de datos internas o vinculadas. Esta investigación se ha realizado a partir del trabajo experimental con dos colectivos: sujetos ciegos y sujetos no ciegos. El primer grupo se ha concretado en 30 sujetos ciegos que han colaborado de forma voluntaria y que han sido contactados gracias a la mediación de la Fundación ONCE. El segundo grupo se ha concretado en 30 profesores del Departamento de Biblioteconomía y Documentación de la Universidad de Barcelona.Estudio subvencionado por Programa de Estudios y Análisis, convocatoria 2006. Ref: EA2006-0049 Ministerio de Educación, Cultura y Deporte Secretaría de Estado de Universidades e Investigació

Reutilizar purines de tambo como oportunidad para reciclar nitrógeno y reducir su impacto ambiental

Los purines de tambo (excretas mezcladas con agua de las instalaciones de ordeñe) se pueden reutilizar en la producción agrícola como reemplazo de los fertilizantes sintéticos. Sin embargo, su alta concentración nitrogenada podría estimular la volatilización de amoníaco (NH3 ) y la emisión de óxido nitroso (N2 O), con consecuencias sobre el calentamiento global. Nuestros objetivos fueron cuantificar las salidas de NH3 y N2 O en un cultivo de maíz fertilizado con purín o urea aplicados superficialmente y relacionar las emisiones de N2 O con los cambios en el contenido de amonio, nitrato y agua del suelo. Se realizó un experimento manipulativo a campo en el que se midieron ambas salidas gaseosas durante una campaña agrícola. El purín estimuló la volatilización de NH3 al día siguiente de la aplicación (2.7±0.25 vs. 1.1±0.25 y 0.6±0.25 kg N-NH3 .ha-1.dia-1 para purín, urea y control, respectivamente), y la emisión directa de N2 O durante los tres días siguientes a la aplicación (75±13 vs. 28±5 y 26±6 µg N-N2 O. m-2.h-1 para purín, urea y control, respectivamente). A partir del cuarto día, la volatilización de NH3 fue mayor con urea y las emisiones de N2 O se equipararon entre tratamientos. La volatilización acumulada durante el ciclo de maíz fue mayor con urea, y la emisión directa de N2 O acumulada fue similar para ambos fertilizantes. Las emisiones de N2 O estuvieron asociadas a la humedad del suelo, que aumentó inicialmente por el agua del purín y luego por las lluvias. Las salidas de NH3 +N2 O de los fertilizantes luego de descontar el control fueron mayores con urea que con purín (10.8±1.2 y 3.1±0.7 kg N/ha o 0.53±0.06 y 0.18±0.04 kg N/t MS), y el rendimiento de maíz fue similar entre tratamientos (19.0±0.7 t MS/ha). Estos resultados muestran que el uso de purines es una práctica promisoria para reducir el impacto ambiental de los fertilizantes sintéticos.Dairy cattle slurry (liquid mixture of manure and water from the milking operation) can be reused for agricultural production in replacement for synthetic fertilizers. However, its high nitrogen (N) concentration could stimulate the volatilization of ammonia (NH3) and nitrous oxide (N2O) emission, with consequences for global warming. Our objectives were: to quantify NH3 and N2O loss in maize fertilized with surface-applied dairy cattle slurry or urea, and to relate N2O emission with soil ammonium, nitrate and water contents. We performed a manipulative field experiment where we measured both gaseous losses during an agricultural campaign. Slurry enhanced NH3 volatilization the day after the application (2.7±0.25 vs. 1.1±0.25 and 0.6±0.25 kg N-NH3 .ha-1 .day-1 for slurry, urea and the control, respectively) and direct N2O emission during three days after the application (75±13 vs. 28±5 y 26±6 μg N-N2O .m-2 .h-1 for slurry, urea and the control, respectively). Four days after application, volatilization was higher with urea and N2O emissions were similar between treatments. The loss of NH3 accumulated throughout the maize growing season was higher for urea than for slurry, and the accumulated N2O emission was similar for both fertilizers. Nitrous oxide emissions were related to soil water content, initially introduced with slurry and then with rainfall. The loss of NH3+N2O from the fertilizers after subtracting that of the control, was higher after the application of urea than slurry (10.8±1.2 and 3.1±0.7 kg N/ha or 0.53±0.06 and 0.18±0.04 kg N/t MS), and maize yield was similar for both fertilization treatments (19.0±0.7 t MS/ha). These results show that fertilization with dairy cattle slurry is a promising practice because it has a lower environmental footprint compared to synthetic fertilizers.EEA PergaminoFil: Portela, Silvina Isabel. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Pergamino. Laboratorio de Suelos; ArgentinaFil: Araujo, Patricia Inés. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Pergamino. Laboratorio de Suelo; ArgentinaFil: Araujo, Patricia Inés. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Restovich, Silvina B. Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria (INTA). Estación Experimental Agropecuaria Pergamino. Laboratorio de Suelos; ArgentinaFil: Della Chiesa, Tomas. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Instituto de Investigaciones Fisiológicas y Ecológicas Vinculadas a la Agricultura; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Instituto de Investigaciones Fisiológicas y Ecológicas Vinculadas a la Agricultura; ArgentinaFil: Della Chiesa, Tomas. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Agronomía. Catedra de Climatología y Fenología Agrícolas; ArgentinaFil: Ponsa, Juliana M. Universidad Nacional del Noroeste de la Provincia de Buenos Aires. Escuela de Ciencias Agrarias, Naturales y Ambientales; ArgentinaFil: Peña Ballesteros, Andrea. Universidad Nacional del Noroeste de la Provincia de Buenos Aires. Escuela de Ciencias Agrarias, Naturales y Ambientales; Argentin

El treball social sanitari en l'atenció del risc social i la disfunció social durant l'edat pediàtrica

Treball social; Risc social; Disfunció social; PediatriaTrabajo social; Riesgo social; Disfunción social; PediatríaSocial work; Social risk; Social dysfunction; PediatricsDocument que defineix els continguts disciplinaris del treball social en pediatria i sistematitza la intervenció del treball social sanitari amb els pacients pediàtrics i les seves famílies.Documento que define los contenidos disciplinarios del trabajo social en pediatría y sistematiza la intervención del trabajo social sanitario con los pacientes pediátricos y sus familias.Document that defines the disciplinary contents of social work in pediatrics and systematizes the intervention of health social work with pediatric patients and their families

Exploration of cannabis use and polygenic risk scores on the psychotic symptom progression of a FEP cohort

Cannabis use is highly prevalent in first-episode psychosis (FEP) and plays a critical role in its onset and prognosis, but the genetic underpinnings promoting both conditions are poorly understood. Current treatment strategies for cannabis cessation in FEP are clearly inefficacious. Here, we aimed to characterize the association between cannabis-related polygenic risk scores (PRS) on cannabis use and clinical course after a FEP. A cohort of 249 FEP individuals were evaluated during 12 months. Symptom severity was measured with the Positive and Negative Severity Scale and cannabis use with the EuropASI scale. Individual PRS for lifetime cannabis initiation (PRS) and cannabis use disorder (PRS) were constructed. Current cannabis use was associated with increased positive symptoms. Cannabis initiation at younger ages conditioned the 12-month symptom progression. FEP patients with higher cannabis PRS reported increased baseline cannabis use. PRS was associated with the course of negative and general symptomatology over follow-up. Cannabis use and symptom progression after a FEP were modulated by cannabis PRS, suggesting that lifetime initiation and use disorders may have partially independent genetic factors. These exploratory results may be the first step to identify those FEP patients more vulnerable to cannabis use and worse outcomes to ultimately develop tailored treatments

Centrosome clustering and Cyclin D1 gene amplification in double minutes are common events in chromosomal unstable bladder tumors

Background: Aneuploidy, centrosome abnormalities and gene amplification are hallmarks of chromosome instability (CIN) in cancer. Yet there are no studies of the in vivo behavior of these phenomena within the same bladder tumor. Methods: Twenty-one paraffin-embedded bladder tumors were analyzed by conventional comparative genome hybridization and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) with a cyclin D1 gene (CCND1)/centromere 11 dual-color probe. Immunofluorescent staining of α, β and γ tubulin was also performed. Results: Based on the CIN index, defined as the percentage of cells not displaying the modal number for chromosome 11, tumors were classified as CIN-negative and CIN-positive. Fourteen out of 21 tumors were considered CIN-positive. All T1G3 tumors were included in the CIN-positive group whereas the majority of Ta samples were classified as CIN-negative tumors. Centrosome clustering was observed in six out of 12 CIN-positive tumors analyzed. CCND1 amplification in homogeneously staining regions was present in six out of 14 CIN-positive tumors; three of them also showed amplification of this gene in double minutes. Conclusions: Complex in vivo behavior of CCND1 amplicon in bladder tumor cells has been demonstrated by accurate FISH analysis on paraffin-embedded tumors. Positive correlation between high heterogeneity, centrosome abnormalities and CCND1 amplification was found in T1G3 bladder carcinomas. This is the first study to provide insights into the coexistence of CCND1 amplification in homogeneously staining regions and double minutes in primary bladder tumors. It is noteworthy that those patients whose tumors showed double minutes had a significantly shorter overall survival rate (p < 0.001)

The role of anti-malarial drugs in eliminating malaria

Effective anti-malarial drug treatment reduces malaria transmission. This alone can reduce the incidence and prevalence of malaria, although the effects are greater in areas of low transmission where a greater proportion of the infectious reservoir is symptomatic and receives anti-malarial treatment. Effective treatment has greater effects on the transmission of falciparum malaria, where gametocytogenesis is delayed, compared with the other human malarias in which peak gametocytaemia and transmissibility coincides with peak asexual parasite densities. Mature Plasmodium falciparum gametocytes are more drug resistant and affected only by artemisinins and 8-aminoquinolines. The key operational question now is whether primaquine should be added to artemisinin combination treatments for the treatment of falciparum malaria to reduce further the transmissibility of the treated infection. Radical treatment with primaquine plays a key role in the eradication of vivax and ovale malaria. More evidence is needed on the safety of primaquine when administered without screening for G6PD deficiency to inform individual and mass treatment approaches in the context of malaria elimination programmes

Advances in understanding and treating ADHD

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a neurocognitive behavioral developmental disorder most commonly seen in childhood and adolescence, which often extends to the adult years. Relative to a decade ago, there has been extensive research into understanding the factors underlying ADHD, leading to far more treatment options available for both adolescents and adults with this disorder. Novel stimulant formulations have made it possible to tailor treatment to the duration of efficacy required by patients, and to help mitigate the potential for abuse, misuse and diversion. Several new non-stimulant options have also emerged in the past few years. Among these, cognitive behavioral interventions have proven popular in the treatment of adult ADHD, especially within the adult population who cannot or will not use medications, along with the many medication-treated patients who continue to show residual disability