Estat de la població d’oroneta cuablanca (Delichon urbicum) a Almassora (Castelló) l’any 2019 i anàlisi comparativa amb dades de 2012

En aquest treball es recullen les dades del cens de nius d’oroneta cuablanca (Delichon urbicum) realitzat al municipi d’Almassora (Castelló) entre els mesos de maig i juny de 2019. Aprofitant les dades recollides a l’article de Miquel Barberà “La nidificació d’oroneta cuablanca (Delichon urbicum) a la ciutat d’Almassora (Castelló) durant l’any 2012”, s’ha dut a terme una anàlisi comparativa de les dades per observar les tendències poblacionals i de nidificació al municipi. Entre la informació recollida, s’inclou: nombre de nius, estat dels nius, orientació dels nius, ubicació segons l’alçada, i influència del tipus d’edifici en els hàbits de nidificació. S’ha observat que el nombre de nius ocupats no ha variat significativament als punts de mostreig comparats, però s’ha detectat una major quantitat de nius trencats i una tendència cap a la nidificació en colònies. Es discuteix la importància dels edificis singulars i protegits com a zones clau per a la nidificació de l’oroneta cuablanca.This work collects the data obtained in a census of nests of the Common House Martin (Delichon urbicum) in the city of Almassora (Castelló) during May and June 2019. Using the data provided by Miquel Barberà work, “The breeding of Common House Martins (Delichon urbicum) in the city of Almassora (Castelló) during the 2012 season”, a comparative analysis of data has been carried out in order to observe population and nesting trends in the municipality. The information collected includes: number of nests, state of nests, orientation of nests, height of nests, and influence of the building type in nesting habits. The results show that the number of occupied nests has not changed significantly, but a higher number of broken nests together with a tendency to nest in colonies has been detected. Finally, the importance of specific and protected buildings as places for nesting of Common House Martins is discussed

Human Milk Antioxidative Modifications in Mastitis: Further Beneficial Effects of Cranberry Supplementation

Mastitis is the inflammation of one or several mammal lobes which can be accompanied by a mammary gland infection, and is the leading cause of undesired early weaning in humans. However, little information exists regarding the changes that this disease may induce in the biochemical composition of human milk, especially in terms of oxidative status. Given that newborns are subject to a significant increase in total ROS burden in their transition to neonatal life and that their antioxidant defense system is not completely developed, the aim of this study was to evaluate antioxidant defense (glutathione peroxidase (GPx), reduced glutathione (GSH), total polyphenol content (TPP), and total antioxidant capacity (TAC)) in milk samples from mothers suffering from mastitis and controls. We also measured the oxidative damage to lipids (malondyaldehyde (MDA)) and proteins (carbonyl group content (CGC)) in these samples. Finally, we tested whether dietary supplementation with cranberries (a product rich in antioxidants) in these breastfeeding mothers during 21 days could improve the oxidative status of milk. GPx activity, TPP, and TAC were increased in milk samples from mastitis-affected women, providing a protective mechanism to the newborn drinking mastitis milk. MDA concentrations were diminished in the mastitis group, confirming this proposal. Some oxidative damage might occur in the mammary gland since the CGC was increased in mastitis milk. Cranberries supplementation seems to strengthen the antioxidant system, further improving the antioxidative state of milk

Innovative strategies to treat skin wounds with mangiferin: fabrication of transferosomes modified with glycols and mucin

im: The moisturizing properties of glycerol, the penetration enhancing capability of propylene glycol and the bioadhesive properties of mucin were combined to improve the carrier capabilities of transfersomes and the efficacy of mangiferin in the treatment of skin lesions. Materials & methods: Mangiferin was incorporated in transfersomes and glycoltransfersomes, which were also modified with mucin. The physico-chemical features were assessed, along with the efficacy against oxidative stress and skin wounds in vitro and in vivo. Results: Glycoltransfersomes promoted the deposition of mangiferin in epidermis and dermis, protected fibroblasts from oxidative stress and stimulated their proliferation. The wound healing and anti-inflammatory efficacy of glycoltransfersomes were confirmed in vivo. Conclusion: Results confirmed the potential of glycoltransfersomes in preventing/treating of skin lesions

Concurrent Helminthic Infection Protects Schoolchildren with Plasmodium vivax from Anemia

malaria in rural areas in the municipality of Careiro, in the Western Brazilian Amazon. (n = 9). In children without intestinal helminthes, a significant decrease in the hemoglobin during the malarial attack was seen as compared to the baseline concentration. In the survival analysis, no difference was seen in the time (in days) from the baseline cross-sectional to the first malarial infection, between parasitized and non-parasitized children.

Evaluation of the utility of a rapid test for syphilis at a sexually transmitted disease clinic in Buenos Aires, Argentina

Even though syphilis can be easily diagnosed by simple and low-cost laboratory methods, it continues to be an important health problem. Rapid tests (RT) for the detection of treponemal antibodies can facilitate earlier diagnosis, access to treatment and linkage to care. The aim of this study was to analyse the usefulness of the incorporation of a RT in the detection of patients infected with T. pallidum in a sexually-transmitted disease (STD) clinic. Between March and December 2015, a syphilis RT was offered to patients who spontaneously attended the clinic. Conventional serology testing was additionally indicated to every participant. The RT for syphilis was offered to 1887 patients, of whom 31.1% agreed to get tested. VDRL test was performed in 84.0% of patients that were also tested with syphilis RT, with a significantly higher frequency observed among participants with reactive RT (94.3% vs. 79.8%, p < 0.001). These results showed that 33.7% of the participants were reactive for the RT and 27.0% were reactive for the VDRL test. Both tests were reactive in 24.9% and non-reactive in 64.3%. A high prevalence of active syphilis was detected in patients attending the clinic. The use of a syphilis RT had a positive impact, which in combination with the VDRL test increased the number of patients that were effectively diagnosed.Fil: Gallo Vaulet, Maria Lucia. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica; ArgentinaFil: Morando, Nicolás. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas en Retrovirus y Sida. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Medicina. Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas en Retrovirus y Sida; ArgentinaFil: Casco, Ricardo. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Medicina. Hospital de Clínicas General San Martín; ArgentinaFil: Melgar, Asunta. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Medicina. Hospital de Clínicas General San Martín; ArgentinaFil: Nacher, Silvia. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica; ArgentinaFil: Rodríguez Fermepin, Marcelo. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Farmacia y Bioquímica; ArgentinaFil: Pando, María de los Ángeles. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas en Retrovirus y Sida. Universidad de Buenos Aires. Facultad de Medicina. Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas en Retrovirus y Sida; Argentin

Exploratory study of the long-term footprint of deep brain stimulation on brain metabolism and neuroplasticity in an animal model of obesity.

Deep brain stimulation (DBS) is a powerful neurostimulation therapy proposed for the treatment of several neuropsychiatric disorders. However, DBS mechanism of action remains unclear, being its effects on brain dynamics of particular interest. Specifically, DBS reversibility is a major point of debate. Preclinical studies in obesity showed that the stimulation of the lateral hypothalamus (LH) and nucleus accumbens (NAcc), brain centers involved in satiety and reward circuits, are able to modulate the activity of brain structures impaired in this pathology. Nevertheless, the long-term persistence of this modulation after DBS withdrawal was unexplored. Here we examine the in vivo presence of such changes 1 month after LH- and NAcc-DBS, along with differences in synaptic plasticity, following an exploratory approach. Thus, both stimulated and non-stimulated animals with electrodes in the NAcc showed a common pattern of brain metabolism modulation, presumably derived from the electrodes' presence. In contrast, animals stimulated in the LH showed a relative metabolic invariance, and a reduction of neuroplasticity molecules, evidencing long-lasting neural changes. Our findings suggest that the reversibility or persistence of DBS modulation in the long-term depends on the selected DBS target. Therefore, the DBS footprint would be influenced by the stability achieved in the neural network involved during the stimulation.This research was supported by the Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades, Instituto de Salud Carlos III (projects PI14/00860 and PI17/01766, and grant CPII14/00005), co-financed by European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), “A way of making Europe”, CIBERSAM, Delegación del Gobierno para el Plan Nacional sobre Drogas (2017/085), Fundación Mapfre and Fundación Alicia Koplowitz. MCV was supported by Fundación Tatiana Pérez de Guzmán el Bueno as scholarship holder of this institution. DRM was supported by Consejería de Educación e Investigación, Comunidad de Madrid, co-funded by European Social Fund “Investing in your future” (grant, PEJD-2018-PRE/BMD-7899). NLR was supported by Instituto de Investigación Sanitaria Gregorio Marañón, "Programa Intramural de Impulso a la I+D+I 2019”. The CNIC is supported by the Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII), the Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación (MCIN) and the Pro CNIC Foundation, and is a Severo Ochoa Center of Excellence (SEV‐2015‐0505). Support for Nacher’s lab came from Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (SAF2015-68436-R), Generalitat Valenciana (PROMETEO2013/069) and Fundación Alicia Koplowitz (FAK2012/01).S

L-Ferritin Binding to Scara5 : A New Iron Traffic Pathway Potentially Implicated in Retinopathy

Iron is essential in the retina because the heme-containing enzyme guanylate cyclase modulates phototransduction in rods and cones. Transferrin endocytosis is the classical pathway for obtaining iron from the blood circulation in the retina. However, the iron storage protein ferritin has been also recently proposed as an iron carrier. In this study, the presence of Scara5 and its binding to L-ferritin was investigated in the retina. Our results showed that Scara5, the specific receptor for L-ferritin, was expressed in mouse and human retinas in many cell types, including endothelial cells. Furthermore, we showed that intravenously injected ferritin crossed the blood retinal barrier through L-ferritin binding to Scara5 in endothelial cells. Thus, suggesting the existence of a new pathway for iron delivery and trafficking in the retina. In a murine model of photoreceptor degeneration, Scara5 was downregulated, pointing out this receptor as a potential player implicated in retinopathy and also as a possible therapeutic target

The Poly I:C maternal immune stimulation model shows unique patterns of brain metabolism, morphometry, and plasticity in female rats

Introduction: Prenatal infections are associated with an increased risk of the onset of schizophrenia. Rodent models of maternal immune stimulation (MIS) have been extensively used in preclinical studies. However, many of these studies only include males, omitting pathophysiological features unique to females. The aim of this study is to characterize the MIS model in female rats using positron emission tomography (PET), structural magnetic resonance imaging (MR), and neuroplasticiy studies.Methods: In gestational day 15, Poly I:C (or Saline) was injected into pregnant Wistar rats to induce the MIS model. Imaging studies: [18F]-fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose-PET scans of female-offspring were acquired at post-natal day (PND) 35 and PND100. Furthermore, T2-MR brain images were acquired in adulthood. Differences in FDG uptake and morphometry between groups were assessed with SPM12 and Regions of Interest (ROI) analyses. Ex vivo study: The density of parvalbumin expressing interneurons (PV), perineuronal nets (PNN), and parvalbumin expressing interneurons surrounded by perineuronal nets (PV-PNN) were evaluated in the prelimbic cortex and basolateral amygdala using confocal microscopy. ROIs and neuroplasticity data were analyzed by 2-sample T-test and 2-way-ANOVA analyses, respectively.Results: A significant increase in brain metabolism was found in all animals at adulthood compared to adolescence. MIS hardly modified brain glucose metabolism in females, highlighting a significant hypometabolism in the thalamus at adulthood. In addition, MIS induced gray matter (GM) enlargements in the pituitary, hippocampus, substantia nigra, and cingulate cortex, and GM shrinkages in some thalamic nuclei, cerebelar areas, and brainstem. Moreover, MIS induced white matter shrinkages in the cerebellum, brainstem and corpus callosum, along with cerebrospinal fluid enlargements in the lateral and 4th ventricles. Finally, MIS reduced the density of PV, PNN, and PV-PNN in the basolateral amygdala.Conclusion: Our work showed in vivo the differential pattern of functional and morphometric affectation in the MIS model in females, as well as the deficits caused at the synaptic level according to sex. The differences obtained highlight the relevance of including both sexes in psychiatric research in order to consider their pathophysiological particularities and successfully extend the benefits obtained to the entire patient population

Nasal mask for the sleep apnea

[EN] GASMEDI, who supplies home delivered respiratory therapies, has developed in collaboration with Biomechanics Institute of Valencia a new nasal mask for the treatment of the sleep apnea disease. To this end, the person oriented innovation model has been adopted, specially focused on the elderly population. The application of such innovation model has made possible the development of a nasal mask that overcomes the usability and injury drawbacks of current masks. Besides, the nasal mask has been designed in such a way that can be easily used by the aged people.[ES] La empresa GASMEDI, proveedora asal para la apnea del sueño de terapias respiratorias a domicilio, ha desarrollado, en colaboración con el Instituto de Biomecánica (IBV), una nueva mascarilla para el tratamiento de la apnea del sueño. Para su desarrollo se ha seguido el modelo de innovación orientada por las personas, prestando especial atención a las personas de edad avanzada. La aplicación de dicho modelo de innovación perseguía superar los problemas de usabilidad y lesiones que presentan las mascarillas nasales actuales. Asimismo, la mascarilla se ha diseñado de forma que sea fácilmente utilizable por personas mayores.Proyecot desarrollado a través del II Plan de Competitividad de la Empresa Valenciana (PCEV) de IMPIVA, cofinanciado por los fondos FEDER, dentro del Programa Operativo FEDER de la Comunitat Valenciana 2007-2013.Morales Martín, I.; Atienza Vicente, CM.; Villuendas Ros, A.; Carmona Gutiérrez, C.; Vidal Calvo, L.; Nacher Fernandez, B.; Navarro Garcia, FJ.... (2013). Mascarilla nasal para la apnea del sueño. Revista de biomecánica. 59:51-53. http://hdl.handle.net/10251/38678S51535

Family Environment and the Metabolic Syndrome: Results from the Hispanic Community Health Study/Study of Latinos (HCHS/SOL) Sociocultural Ancillary Study (SCAS)

Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Very limited work has evaluated associations of sociocultural processes with prevalence of the MetS