La telenovela en América Latina: experiencia de la modernidad en la región y su expansión internacional

La producción interna y la difusión transnacional de la telenovela es un fenómeno cultural producto del impacto de la modernidad en América Latina. Este ARI se propone estudiar un fenómeno cultural que es un producto del impacto de la modernidad en América Latina: la producción interna y la difusión transnacional de la telenovela. El objetivo es examinar las razones del éxito popular de la telenovela latinoamericana en cuanto forma televisiva de comunicación de masas, dirigida a todo tipo de público y representativa de los dilemas, problemáticas y costumbres marcadas por las lógicas de comportamiento propias de su lugar y su época. En una revisión de los rasgos peculiares que tiene este género, desarrollado masivamente en la región a partir de la década de los 70, se enfatizará su producción y distribución en las últimas décadas, con la breve mención a algunos casos nacionales específicos (México, Venezuela, Brasil y Argentina). Semejante expansión mundial lleva a una reflexión sobre los mecanismos subyacentes a este fenómeno de transnacionalización del género y deja algunas preguntas abiertas con respecto a posibles evoluciones y transformaciones en sus contenidos, que podrían, en el mejor de los casos, asumir un rasgo más comprometido con el entorno político y social de las sociedades que representan

Indole and p-cresol in feces of healthy subjects: Concentration, kinetics, and correlation with microbiome

Indole and p-cresol are precursors of the most important uremic toxins, generated from the fermentation of amino acids tryptophan and tyrosine by the proteolytic community of intestinal bacteria. The present study focused on the relationship between the microbiome composition, the fecal levels of indole and p-cresol, and their kinetics of generation/degradation in fecal cultures. The concentration of indole and p-cresol, the volatilome, the dry weight, and the amount of ammonium and carbohydrates were analyzed in the feces of 10 healthy adults. Indole and p-cresol widely differed among samples, laying in the range of 1.0–19.5 μg/g and 1.2–173.4 μg/g, respectively. Higher fecal levels of indole and p-cresol were associated with lower carbohydrates and higher ammonium levels, that are markers of a more pronounced intestinal proteolytic metabolism. Positive relationship was observed also with the dry/wet weight ratio, indicator of prolonged intestinal retention of feces. p-cresol and indole presented a statistically significant negative correlation with OTUs of uncultured Bacteroidetes and Firmicutes, the former belonging to Bacteroides and the latter to the families Butyricicoccaceae (genus Butyricicoccus), Monoglobaceae (genus Monoglobus), Lachnospiraceae (genera Faecalibacterium, Roseburia, and Eubacterium ventriosum group). The kinetics of formation and/or degradation of indole and p-cresol was investigated in fecal slurries, supplemented with the precursor amino acids tryptophan and tyrosine in strict anaerobiosis. The presence of the precursors bursted indole production but had a lower effect on the rate of p-cresol formation. On the other hand, supplementation with indole reduced the net rate of formation. The taxa that positively correlated with fecal levels of uremic toxins presented a positive correlation also with p-cresol generation rate in biotransformation experiments. Moreover other bacterial groups were positively correlated with generation rate of p-cresol and indole, further expanding the range of taxa associated to production of p-cresol (Bacteroides, Alistipes, Eubacterium xylanophylum, and Barnesiella) and indole (e.g., Bacteroides, Ruminococcus torques, Balutia, Dialister, Butyricicoccus). The information herein presented contributes to disclose the relationships between microbiota composition and the production of uremic toxins, that could provide the basis for probiotic intervention on the gut microbiota, aimed to prevent the onset, hamper the progression, and alleviate the impact of nephropaties

Isolation of carotenoid-producing yeasts from an alpine glacier

Cold-adapted yeasts are increasingly being isolated from glacial environments, including Artic, Antarctic, and mountain glaciers. Psychrophilic yeast isolates mostly belong to Basidiomycota phylum, such as Cryptococcus, Mrakia, and Rhodotorula, and represent an understudied source of biodiversity for potential biotechnological applications. Since some basidiomycetous yeast genera (e.g. Rhodotorula, Phaffia, etc.) were demonstrated to produce commercially important carotenoids (e.g. β-carotene, torulene, torularhodin and astaxanthin), the present study aimed to obtain psychrophilic yeast isolates from the surface ice of two Italian glaciers to identify new pigment-producers. 23 yeast isolates were obtained. Among them, three isolates giving pigmented colonies was subjected to ITS1/ITS2 sequencing and were attributed to the Basidiomycetous yeasts Dioszegia sp., hodotorula mucilaginosa, and Rhodotorula laryngis. The strains were cultured batchwise in a carbon-rich medium at 15°C until the stationary phase was reached, then the pigments were extracted from freeze-dried biomass using DMSO:acetone mixture. Visible spectrum and HPLC-DAD analysis revealed the presence of carotenoid pigments. In batch cultures of Dioszegia sp., carotenoid production was growth-associated and yielded up to 3.4 mg/L of a molecule exhibiting an m/z ratio (568) consistent with the molecular weight of xanthophylls bearing 2 OH groups

Pectin-based bioinks for 3D models of neural tissue produced by a pH-controlled kinetics

Introduction:In the view of 3D-bioprinting with cell models representative of neural cells, we produced inks to mimic the basic viscoelastic properties of brain tissue. Moving from the concept that rheology provides useful information to predict ink printability, this study improves and expands the potential of the previously published 3D-reactive printing approach by introducing pH as a key parameter to be controlled, together with printing time. Methods:The viscoelastic properties, printability, and microstructure of pectin gels crosslinked with CaCO3 were investigated and their composition was optimized (i.e., by including cell culture medium, HEPES buffer, and collagen). Different cell models representative of the major brain cell populations (i.e., neurons, astrocytes, microglial cells, and oligodendrocytes) were considered. Results and Discussion:The outcomes of this study propose a highly controllable method to optimize the printability of internally crosslinked polysaccharides, without the need for additives or post-printing treatments. By introducing pH as a further parameter to be controlled, it is possible to have multiple (pH-dependent) crosslinking kinetics, without varying hydrogel composition. In addition, the results indicate that not only cells survive and proliferate following 3D-bioprinting, but they can also interact and reorganize hydrogel microstructure. Taken together, the results suggest that pectin-based hydrogels could be successfully applied for neural cell culture

The probiotic Bifidobacterium breve B632 inhibited the growth of Enterobacteriaceae within colicky infant microbiota cultures

Infant colic is a common gastrointestinal disorder of newborns, mostly related to imbalances in the composition of gut microbiota and particularly to the presence of gas-producing coliforms and to lower levels of Bifidobacteria and Lactobacilli. Probiotics could help to contain this disturbance, with formulations consisting of Lactobacillus strains being the most utilized. In this work, the probiotic strain Bifidobacterium breve B632 that was specifically selected for its ability to inhibit gas-producing coliforms, was challenged against the Enterobacteriaceae within continuous cultures of microbiota from a 2-month-old colicky infant. As confirmed by RAPD-PCR fingerprinting, B. breve B632 persisted in probiotic-supplemented microbiota cultures, accounting for the 64% of Bifidobacteria at the steady state. The probiotic succeeded in inhibiting coliforms, since FISH and qPCR revealed that the amount of Enterobacteriaceae after 18 h of cultivation was 0.42 and 0.44 magnitude orders lower (P < 0.05) in probiotic-supplemented microbiota cultures than in the control ones. These results support the possibility to move to another level of study, that is, the administration of B. breve B632 to a cohort of colicky newborns, in order to observe the behavior of this strain in vivo and to validate its effect in colic treatment

Profiling of Protein Degraders in Cultures of Human Gut Microbiota

Unabsorbed proteins reach the colon and are fermented by the microbiota, yielding a variety of harmful metabolites. In the present study, a 16S rRNA gene survey identified the bacterial taxa flourishing in 11 batch fermentations with proteins and peptones as the sole fermentable substrates, inoculated with the feces of six healthy adults. Organic acids, ammonia, and indole resulting from protein breakdown and fermentation accumulated in all of the cultures. Analysis of differential abundances among time-points identified Enterobacteriaceae, Burkholderiaceae, and Desulfovibrionaceae (including Esherichia-Shigella, Sutterella, Parasutterella, and Bilophila) among the bacteria that especially in the cultures with low inoculation load. Lachnospiraceae and Ruminococcaceae also encompassed many taxa that significantly expanded, mainly in cultures inoculated with high inoculation load, and showed the strongest correlation with the production of ammonium, indole, and p-cresol. Anaerotruncus, Dorea, Oscillibacter, Eubacterium oxidoreducens, Lachnoclostridium, Paeniclostridium, and Rombutsia were among them. Other Firmicutes (e.g., Roseburia, Ruminococcus, Lachnospira, Dialister, Erysipelotrichaceae, and Streptococcaceae) and many Bacteroidetes (e.g., Barnesiellaceae, Prevotellaceae, and Rickenelliaceae) decreased. Sequences attributed to Bacteroides, unresolved at the level of species, presented opposite contributions, resulting in no significant changes in the genus. This study sheds light on the multitude of bacterial taxa putatively participating in protein catabolism in the colon. Protein fermentation was confirmed as unfavorable to health, due to both the production of toxic metabolites and the blooming of opportunistic pathogens and pro-inflammatory bacteria

Influence of the static magnetic field on cell response in a miniaturized optically accessible bioreactor for 3D cell culture

Hydraulic sealing is a crucial condition for the maintenance of sterility during long term operation of microfluidic bioreactors. We developed a miniaturized optically accessible bioreactor (MOAB) allowing perfused culture of 3D cellularised constructs. In the MOAB, the culture chambers are sealed by magnets that generate a weak static magnetic field (SMF). Here, we predicted computationally the exact level of SMF to which cells are subjected during culture in the MOAB and we assessed its influence on the viability, metabolic activity and gene expression of neuroblastoma-derived cells cultured up to seven days. The predicted SMF ranged from 0.32 to 0.57 T using an axial-symmetric model of a single chamber, whereas it ranged from 0.35 to 0.62 T using a 3D model of the complete device. Cell function was evaluated in SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells at 2 and 7 days of culture in the MOAB, compared to 2D monolayer, 3D non-perfused constructs, and 3D perfused constructs cultured in a modified MOAB with magnet-free sealing. We measured the cell metabolic activity normalized by the DNA content and the expression levels of heat-shock protein 70 (Hsp-70), Bcl-2 and Bax. We found that the level of SMF applied to cells in the MOAB did not influence their metabolic activity and exerted a stressful effect in 2D monolayer, not confirmed in 3D conditions, neither static not perfused. Instead, the magnets provided a significantly greater hydraulic sealing in long-term culture, thus the MOAB might be potentially exploitable for the development of reliable in vitro models of neurodegeneration

Optic Atrophy 1 Is Epistatic to the Core MICOS Component MIC60 in Mitochondrial Cristae Shape Control

The mitochondrial contact site and cristae organizing system (MICOS) and Optic atrophy 1 (OPA1) control cristae shape, thus affecting mitochondrial function and apoptosis. Whether and how they physically and functionally interact is unclear. Here, we provide evidence that OPA1 is epistatic to MICOS in the regulation of cristae shape. Proteomic analysis identifies multiple MICOS components in native OPA1-containing high molecular weight complexes disrupted during cristae remodeling. MIC60, a core MICOS protein, physically interacts with OPA1, and together, they control cristae junction number and stability, OPA1 being epistatic to MIC60. OPA1 defines cristae width and junction diameter independently of MIC60. Our combination of proteomics, biochemistry, genetics, and electron tomography provides a unifying model for mammalian cristae biogenesis by OPA1 and MICOS.We thank Drs. F. Caicci and F. Boldrin (EM Facility, Department of Biology, University of Padova) for EM and ALEMBIC, San Raffaele Scientific Institute, for tomography. L.S. is a senior scientist of the Dulbecco-Telethon Institute. Support was provided by Telethon-Italy (GGP15091 and GGP14187), AIRC Italy (ERC FP7-282280), FP7 CIG (PCIG13-GA-2013-618697), the Italian Ministry of Research (FIRB RBAP11Z3YA\_005), the Italian Ministry of Health (GR-2009-1600051 to L.S.), a University of Padua grant for a postdoctoral fellowship (2015 to M.E.S.), and an International Brain Research Organization-International Society for Neurochemistry research fellowship (2016 to A.M.).S