The Strategic Transfer of Intangible Assets via Twitter by Spanish Listed Companies in Times of Crisis

In times of crisis such as the one we have experienced due to COVID-19, listed companies have enhanced the communication of their intangible assets. Thus, the aim of this research is to study how listed companies in Spain have used one of the most popular social channels, such as Twitter, to transfer their intangible assets to their stakeholders. To this end, the communication of IBEX35 companies in Spain with a verified corporate profile on Twitter has been studied during the first phase of the COVID-19 pandemic. Among the main results, it should be noted that the transfer of intangible assets has been based on a strategy where providing added value was the connecting axis of the communication actions implemented and the content provided on Twitter. Hence, this work demonstrates that companies can provide added value in social networks to generate trust, build long-term relationships and strengthen their competitive advantage

Infectious pancreatic necrosis virus triggers antiviral immune response in rainbow trout red blood cells, despite not being infective [version 2; referees: 2 approved]

Background: Some fish viruses, such as piscine orthoreovirus and infectious salmon anemia virus, target red blood cells (RBCs), replicate inside them and induce an immune response. However, the roles of RBCs in the context of infectious pancreatic necrosis virus (IPNV) infection have not been studied yet. Methods: Ex vivo rainbow trout RBCs were obtained from peripheral blood, Ficoll purified and exposed to IPNV in order to analyze infectivity and immune response using RT-qPCR, immune fluorescence imaging, flow cytometry and western-blotting techniques. Results: IPNV could not infect RBCs; however, IPNV increased the expression of the INF1-related genes ifn-1, pkr and mx genes. Moreover, conditioned media from IPNV-exposed RBCs conferred protection against IPNV infection in CHSE-214 fish cell line. Conclusions: Despite not being infected, rainbow trout RBCs could respond to IPNV with increased expression of antiviral genes. Fish RBCs could be considered as mediators of the antiviral response and therefore targets of new strategies against fish viral infections. Further research is ongoing to completely understand the molecular mechanism that triggers this antiviral response in rainbow trout RBCs.This work was supported by the European Research Council (ERC starting grant 2014 GA639249

The self-regulatory German health care system between growing competition and state hierarchy

This article focuses on the changing role of the state in financing, providing and regulating health care services under the German health care system from 1970-2000. While a reduced role of the state can be observed in terms of financing, our analysis of service provision indicates inconsistent developments. Monetary resource flow analyses indicate a decrease in private service provision as a percentage of total health expenditure, but when analysing the development of health employment we see a growth in “private” health care personnel. The most important changes, however, have taken place in terms of regulation. Since the early 1990s, the traditionally self-regulatory German health care system has simultaneously faced growing competition and state hierarchy

Objective metrics for functional evaluation of upper limb during the ADL of drinking: application in SCI

Three-dimensional kinematic analysis provides quantitative assessment of upper limb motion and is used as an outcome measure to evaluate movement disorders. The aim of the present study is to present a set of kinematic metrics for quantifying characteristics of movement performance and the functional status of the subject during the execution of the activity of daily living (ADL) of drinking from a glass. Then, the objective is to apply these metrics in healthy people and a population with cervical spinal cord injury (SCI), and to analyze the metrics ability to discriminate between healthy and pathologic people. 19 people participated in the study: 7 subjects with metameric level C6 tetraplegia, 4 subjects with metameric level C7 tetraplegia and 8 healthy subjects. The movement was recorded with a photogrammetry system. The ADL of drinking was divided into a series of clearly identifiable phases to facilitate analysis. Metrics describing the time of the reaching phase, the range of motion of the joints analyzed, and characteristics of movement performance such as the efficiency, accuracy and smoothness of the distal segment and inter-joint coordination were obtained. The performance of the drinking task was more variable in people with SCI compared to the control group in relation to the metrics measured. Reaching time was longer in SCI groups. The proposed metrics showed capability to discriminate between healthy and pathologic people. Relative deficits in efficiency were larger in SCI people than in controls. These metrics can provide useful information in a clinical setting about the quality of the movement performed by healthy and SCI people during functional activities

Candida albicans: genetics, dimorphism and pathogenicity

Candida albicans is a dimorphic fungus that causes severe opportunistic infections in humans. Recent advances in molecular biology techniques applied to this organism (transformation systems, gene disruption strategies, new reporter systems, regulatable promoters) allow a better knowledge of both the molecular basis of dimorphism and the role of specific genes in Candida morphogenesis. These same molecular approaches together with the development of appropriate experimental animal models to analyze the virulence of particular mutants, may help to understand the molecular basis of Candida virulence

Dating the Anthropocene in deep-sea sediments: a gamma spectrometric approach

1 poster presented at the International meeting of Sedimentology 2017 in Toulouse, France, from October 10th to 13thUtilizando muestras de sedimentos superficiales obtenidas durante la campaña OVIDE/BOCATS 2016 y una innovadora técnica para establecer cronologías absolutas, se ha obtenido una primera estimación cuantitativa de los flujos de carbono hacia sedimentos profundos en la cuenca subpolar de Irminger. La geocronología basada en espectrometría gamma de alta resolución y bajo fondo con dos detectores simultáneos de germanio hiper-puro (HPGe) es una técnica suficientemente precisa y sensible como para datar sedimentos pelágicos profundos. El papel cuantitativo del Irminger como sumidero de carbono durante el Antropoceno se evaluó combinando una cronología basada en el radionúclido natural 210Pb junto a análisis sedimentológicos y de composición elemental. La tasa media de sedimentación para el canal central del Irminger es de 0.83±0.14 mm·yr-1. Los cálculos de flujos de carbono concluyen que durante el Antropoceno 32±14 g·Cinorg·m-2·año-1 y 4.5±3 g·Corg·m-2·año-1 sedimentan en la cuenca del Irminger, suponiendo un considerable sumidero de carbono en el área cuantificado en más de 22 Tg-C·año−1N

Cannabinoids induce functional Tregs by promoting tolerogenic DCs via autophagy and metabolic reprograming

The generation of functional regulatory T cells (Tregs) is essential to keep tissue homeostasis and restore healthy immune responses in many biological and inflammatory contexts. Cannabinoids have been pointed out as potential therapeutic tools for several diseases. Dendritic cells (DCs) express the endocannabinoid system, including the cannabinoid receptors CB1 and CB2. However, how cannabinoids might regulate functional properties of DCs is not completely understood. We uncover that the triggering of cannabinoid receptors promote human tolerogenic DCs that are able to prime functional FOXP3+ Tregs in the context of different inflammatory diseases. Mechanistically, cannabinoids imprint tolerogenicity in human DCs by inhibiting NF-κB, MAPK and mTOR signalling pathways while inducing AMPK and functional autophagy flux via CB1- and PPARα-mediated activation, which drives metabolic rewiring towards increased mitochondrial activity and oxidative phosphorylation. Cannabinoids exhibit in vivo protective and anti-inflammatory effects in LPS-induced sepsis and also promote the generation of FOXP3+ Tregs. In addition, immediate anaphylactic reactions are decreased in peanut allergic mice and the generation of allergen-specific FOXP3+ Tregs are promoted, demonstrating that these immunomodulatory effects take place in both type 1- and type 2-mediated inflammatory diseases. Our findings might open new avenues for novel cannabinoid-based interventions in different inflammatory and immune-mediated diseases

Potential Role of Rainbow Trout Erythrocytes as Mediators in the Immune Response Induced by a DNA Vaccine in Fish

In recent years, fish nucleated red blood cells (RBCs) have been implicated in the response against viral infections. We have demonstrated that rainbow trout RBCs can express the antigen encoded by a DNA vaccine against viral hemorrhagic septicemia virus (VHSV) and mount an immune response to the antigen in vitro. In this manuscript, we show, for the first time, the role of RBCs in the immune response triggered by DNA immunization of rainbow trout with glycoprotein G of VHSV (GVHSV). Transcriptomic and proteomic profiles of RBCs revealed genes and proteins involved in antigen processing and presentation of exogenous peptide antigen via MHC class I, the Fc receptor signaling pathway, the autophagy pathway, and the activation of the innate immune response, among others. On the other hand, GVHSV-transfected RBCs induce specific antibodies against VHSV in the serum of rainbow trout which shows that RBCs expressing a DNA vaccine are able to elicit a humoral response. These results open a new direction in the research of vaccination strategies for fish since rainbow trout RBCs actively participate in the innate and adaptive immune response in DNA vaccination. Based on our findings, we suggest the use of RBCs as target cells or carriers for the future design of novel vaccine strategiesThis research was funded by the European Research Council, grant number GA639249 (ERC Starting Grant)We would like to thank The Spanish National Center for Biotechnology (CNB-CSIC) of ProteoRed, PRB3-ISCIII for the proteomic analysis supported by grant PT17/001

Description of an experimental set up for the culture of benthic foraminifera in controlled pH conditions

10 páginas, 4 figuras, 1 tabla[EN] Acidification of the oceans is one of the consequences of ongoing increasing atmospheric CO2 concentrations. The effects on organisms that build their shells of calcium carbonate are not sufficiently studied and might be detrimental. Simulating ocean acidification scenarios in the laboratory is a reasonable way to study their response to decreased pH and carbonate ion concentrations. In this study we describe in detail an experimental system to carry out ocean acidification experiments with non-symbiotic benthic foraminifera. We test the performance of the designed experimental set up by running a long-term experiment (90 days) using a potentially suitable benthic foraminiferal species for culturing (Miliolinella spp.). Although foraminifera did not survive the experimental period likely due to ciliates infestation, seawater pH measurement results indicate that the design is suitable for carrying out ocean acidification experiments[ES] La acidificación oceánica es una de las consecuencias del aumento progresivo de la concentración de CO2 en la atmósfera. Los efectos en los organismos que construyen sus conchas con carbonato cálcico no están suficientemente estudiados, pero podrían ser perjudiciales. La simulación en laboratorio de diferentes escenarios de acidificación oceánica es una forma de estudiar la respuesta de esos organismos al descenso de pH y de la concentración del ion carbonato. En este estudio se describe minuciosamente un sistema experimental diseñado para realizar experimentos de acidificación oceánica con foraminíferos bentónicos sin simbiontes. La viabilidad del diseño experimental se ha probado con un experimento de larga duración (90 días) utilizando una especie de foraminífero bentónico potencialmente apta para ser cultivada (Miliolinella spp.). Aunque los foraminíferos no sobrevivieron durante todo el experimento debido a contaminación por ciliados, los resultados de las medidas del pH marino ponen de manifiesto que el diseño es adecuado para llevar a cabo experimentos de acidificación oceánicaThis research leading to these results was supported by the Spanish Ministry of Sciences and Innovation and co-founded by the Fondo Europeo de Desarrollo Regional 2007-2012 (FEDER) through the CATARINA Project (CTM2010-17141/MAR) and GRACCIEPeer reviewe