Detección precoz de pacientes con degeneración macular asociada a la edad en farmacias comunitarias de la provincia de Pontevedra

OBJETIVOS Detección precoz de pacientes sospechosos de padecer DMAE. Cuantificar la respuesta del paciente en los casos de derivación. Establecer posibles factores de riesgo relacionados con la enfermedad en la población estudiada.MÉTODOS Estudio descriptivo en 25 farmacias de la provincia de Pontevedra, desde marzo a mayo de 2011. Sujetos: mayores de 50 años, no diagnosticados, sin problemas mentales y no dependientes. La muestra, aleatoria, se estratificó por grupos de edad. En caso de encontrar alteraciones visuales sospechosas de DMAE, se recomendaba la consulta al oftalmólogo. Al cabo de un mes se le llamaba por teléfono y se registraba el resultado. En caso de no haberla realizado, se le recordaba la importancia de dicha visita y se le llamaba transcurrido un mes más, registrándose entonces el resultado o la no visita.RESULTADOS Se hicieron 481 pruebas (48,4% hombres y 51,6% mujeres). Media de edad, 67,3 años (DE 9,5). Antecedentes familiares de alteraciones visuales en 125 (27,2%). Se derivaron al oftalmólogo 51 posibles positivos (10,6%), de los que tan sólo en 8 (15,7%) se obtuvo confirmación de su visita al médico. Ninguno resultó positivo. Las rela

Stiff‐Stilbene Ligands Target G‐Quadruplex DNA and Exhibit Selective Anticancer and Antiparasitic Activity

G-quadruplex nucleic acid structures have long been studied as anticancer targets whilst their potential in antiparasitic therapy has only recently been recognized and barely explored. Herein, we report the synthesis, biophysical characterization, and in vitro screening of a series of stiff-stilbene G4 binding ligands featuring different electronics, side-chain chemistries, and molecular geometries. The ligands display selectivity for G4 DNA over duplex DNA and exhibit nanomolar toxicity against Trypasanoma brucei and HeLa cancer cells whilst remaining up to two orders of magnitude less toxic to non-tumoral mammalian cell line MRC-5. Our study demonstrates that stiff-stilbenes show exciting potential as the basis of selective anticancer and antiparasitic therapies. To achieve the most efficient G4 recognition the scaffold must possess the optimal electronics, substitution pattern and correct molecular configuration.M.P.O. thanks the Bristol Chemical Synthesis Centre for Doctoral Training, funded by EPSRC (EP/L015366/1) and the University of Bristol for a PhD studentship. J.C.M./P.P. thank Spanish Ministerio de Ciencia Innovación y Universidades (Grants CTQ2015- 64275-P and RTI2018-099036-B-I00). M.C.G. thanks the European Research Council (ERC-COG: 648239

Cambios de paisaje y de valores ambientales en espacios naturales protegidos

Se estudian los cambios del paisaje y de la calidad ambiental asociada a ellos, de un espacio protegido desde hace casi un siglo, Parque Nacional de la Montaña de Covadonga, que ha sido ampliado en las últimas décadas, configurándose el actual Parque Nacional de los Picos de Europa (PNPE). Los resultados obtenidos permiten conocer los cambios del paisaje del territorio del PNPE, en su conjunto, en él de la zona histórica (PNMC) y en él de la ampliación más reciente (PNPE-PNMC). Los cambios de paisaje, variación espacial de las tramas de relaciones ecosistémicas del territorio, condicionan cambios en los valores ambientales soportados por esos procesos ecológicos. Los valores ambientales se han definido de acuerdo con los objetivos del espacio protegido, definidos en su Ley de declaración. Los tres territorios han sufrido pautas de cambio muy parecidas, predominado la conservación del paisaje en amplias extensiones de ellos. Los cambios de usos más apreciables, si bien no muy cuantiosos, son el aumento en las superficies forestales arboladas y la disminución de las forestales arboladas ralas y de las cultivadas. En los tres territorios han aumentando los valores naturalísticos y sistémicos. Los culturales-antropológicos-educativos disminuyen muy poco, también en los tres ámbitos. Los recreativos disminuyen en PNMC, aumentan en PNMC-PNPE y no cambian en PNPE. Los educativos son los que menos variación presentan en todos los casos, con muy pequeños aumentos o disminuciones. La principal diferencia entre los tres ámbitos estudiados es que en los territorios PNPE y PNMC los cambios de calidad ambiental global responden a variaciones del mismo signo de todos los valores ambientales. En el territorio PNPE-PNMC, por el contrario, hay diferentes combinaciones de aumentos y disminuciones de Jos valores ambientales que conducen a cambios equivalentes de calidad ambiental. Métodos como este pueden ser incorporados en las actividades de planificación y gestión habituales de los parques nacionales para monitorizar sus cambios y ayudar a su gestión, de acuerdo con los objetivos del espacio protegido

Proteomic and physiological characterization of copper effect on quorum sensing regulation in Pseudomonas capeferrum

Copper has largely been used for the control of phytopathogen fungi in agriculture, even though to its non-degradability, it tends to accumulate in soils reaching prejudicial levels for soil microorganisms, including rhizomicroorganisms. The rhizosphere is characterized by intense and complex interactions that take place in it. Many of these intra- and interspecies interactions occur through quorum sensing (QS) systems. QS is a cell-to-cell signaling mechanism that control the microbial physiology in a population density manner. Several soil bacteria use QS circuits to regulate important phenotypes. In this work we studied the influence of copper on QS regulation in the plant growth-promoting rhizobacterium (PGPR) Pseudomonas capeferrum WCS358. Firstly, the QS system of the bacterium was inactivated using a quorum quenching strategy. Secondly, intracellular proteins of Ps. capeferrum WCS358 QS+ and QS-, cultured in the presence or absence of copper, were analyzed using liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry. Furthermore, the effects of copper and QS on other activities such us motility, biofilm production and oxidative stress response were also evaluated in Ps. capeferrum WCS358. The QS activity and the presence of metal modified the relative abundance of proteins involved in amino acid and carbohydrate metabolism, oxidative stress defense and nutrient absorption. Besides, results indicated that QS system is implicated in the regulation of motility, biofilm production and oxidative stress response in Ps. capeferrum WCS358 and that copper had a negative effect on these activities. The results presented in this work indicate that QS regulates important traits in Ps. capeferrum WCS358 and that contamination with copper could be detrimental for the QS-dependent phenotypes in this rhizobacterium. Since the modifications observed are related to activities that are significant for the survival and fitness of bacteria, they suggest that QS may confer a competitive advantage to Ps. capeferrum WCS358 and that copper could alter the competence of this PGPR in its natural niche.Fil: Leguina, Ana Carolina del Valle. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Tucumán. Planta Piloto de Procesos Industriales Microbiológicos; ArgentinaFil: Lacosegliaz, Mariano José. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Tucumán. Planta Piloto de Procesos Industriales Microbiológicos; ArgentinaFil: Fernández, Pablo Marcelo. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Tucumán. Planta Piloto de Procesos Industriales Microbiológicos; ArgentinaFil: Castellanos, Lucia Ines. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Tucumán. Planta Piloto de Procesos Industriales Microbiológicos; ArgentinaFil: Nieto Peñalver, Carlos Gabriel. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Tucumán. Planta Piloto de Procesos Industriales Microbiológicos; ArgentinaLVI Annual Meeting Argentine Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and XV Annual Meeting Argentinean Society for General MicrobiologyCiudad Autónoma de Buenos AiresArgentinaSociedad Argentina de Investigación Bioquímica y BiologíaSociedad Argentina de Microbiología Genera

The Use of Video-Gaming Devices as a Motivation for Learning Embedded Systems Programming

As embedded systems are becoming prevalent in everyday life, many universities are incorporating embedded systems-related courses in their undergraduate curricula. However, it is not easy to motivate students in such courses, since they conceive of embedded systems as bizarre computing elements, different from the personal computers with which they are familiar. This problem has been overcome at the University of Granada, Spain, by taking advantage of the connection many students have with video games.Spanish CICYT Project SAF2010-20558University of Granada Innovative Teaching Project 04-03-0

Dynamics of microbial Inactivation and acrylamide production in high-temperature heat treatments

In food processes, optimizing processing parameters is crucial to ensure food safety, maximize food quality, and minimize the formation of potentially toxigenic compounds. This research focuses on the simultaneous impacts that severe heat treatments applied to food may have on the formation of harmful chemicals and on microbiological safety. The case studies analysed consider the appearance/synthesis of acrylamide after a sterilization heat treatment for two different foods: pureed potato and prune juice, using Geobacillus stearothermophilus as an indicator. It presents two contradictory situations: on the one hand, the application of a high-temperature treatment to a low acid food with G. stearothermophilus spores causes their inactivation, reaching food safety and stability from a microbiological point of view. On the other hand, high temperatures favour the appearance of acrylamide. In this way, the two objectives (microbiological safety and acrylamide production) are opposed. In this work, we analyse the effects of high-temperature thermal treatments (isothermal conditions between 120 and 135 _C) in food from two perspectives: microbiological safety/stability and acrylamide production. After analysing both objectives simultaneously, it is concluded that, contrary to what is expected, heat treatments at higher temperatures result in lower acrylamide production for the same level of microbial inactivation. This is due to the different dynamics and sensitivities of the processes at high temperatures. These results, as well as the presented methodology, can be a basis of analysis for decision makers to design heat treatments that ensure food safety while minimizing the amount of acrylamide (or other harmful substances) produced.The financial support of this research work was provided by the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities of the Spanish Government and European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) through project AGL2017-86840-C2-1-R. J.L.P.-S. is grateful to the JAE-INTRO program from CSIC (Grant no JAEINT19_EX_0797). A.G. was supported by a postdoctoral grant from the Fundación Séneca (20900/PD/18)

The effect of l-thymidine, acyclic thymine and 8-bromoguanine on the stability of model G-quadruplex structures

Background Guanine-rich oligonucleotides are capable of forming tetrahelical structures known as G-quadruplexes with interesting biological properties. We have investigated the effects of site-specific substitution in the loops and in the tetrads model G-quadruplexes using thymine glycol nucleic acid (GNA) units, l-thymidine and 8-Br-2′-deoxyguanosine. Methods Modified oligonucleotides were chemically synthesized and spectroscopic techniques were used to determine the relative stability of the modified G-quadruplex. The double 8-BrdG-modified quadruplexes were further characterized by Nuclear Magnetic Resonance. Binding to thrombin of selected quadruplex was analyzed by gel electrophoresis retention assay. Results The most interesting results were found with a 8-bromoG substitution that had the larger stabilization of the quadruplex. NMR studies indicate a tight relationship between the loops and the tetrads to accommodate 8-bromoG modifications within the TBA. Conclusions The substitutions of loop positions with GNA T affect the TBA stability except for single modification in T7 position. Single l-thymidine substitutions produced destabilization of TBA. Larger changes on quadruplex stability are observed with the use of 8-bromoG finding a single substitution with the highest thermal stabilization found in thrombin binding aptamers modified at the guanine residues and having good affinity for thrombin. Double 8-BrdG modification in anti positions of different tetrads produce a conformational flip from syn to anti conformation of 8-Br-dG to favor loop-tetrad interaction and preserve the overall TBA stability

Una herramienta para la generación y visualización de triangulaciones y pseudotriangulaciones

En este artículo se presenta una herramienta para la generación y visualización de triangulaciones y pseudotriangulaciones de conjuntos de puntos en el plano. La misma permite generar diferentes tipos de dichas estructuras geométricas, realizar operaciones sobre ellas y describir sus propiedades más importantes.Presentado en el VIII Workshop Computación Gráfica, Imágenes y Visualización (WCGIV)Red de Universidades con Carreras en Informática (RedUNCI

Una herramienta para la generación y visualización de triangulaciones y pseudotriangulaciones

En este artículo se presenta una herramienta para la generación y visualización de triangulaciones y pseudotriangulaciones de conjuntos de puntos en el plano. La misma permite generar diferentes tipos de dichas estructuras geométricas, realizar operaciones sobre ellas y describir sus propiedades más importantes.Presentado en el VIII Workshop Computación Gráfica, Imágenes y Visualización (WCGIV)Red de Universidades con Carreras en Informática (RedUNCI

Geology and paleontology of Tresjuncos (Cuenca, Spain), a new diatomaceous deposit with Konservat-Lagerstätte characteristics from the European late Miocene.

Purpose A new Iberian Konservat-Lagersta¨tte discovered in Tresjuncos (Cuenca, Spain) is described and interpreted based on geological and paleontological information. Methods The samples were studied using conventional mineralogical (powder X-ray diffraction), petrographic (optical and scanning electron microscopy) and geochemical (X-ray energy-dispersive spectrometry) techniques. Results Based upon geological context, stratigraphy, lithology, sedimentology and origin of the rocks, we describe and interpret the new fossil site as originated in a lacustrine environment. The micromammals found in the Tresjuncos 1 outcrop suggest that the main site is Turolian in age (uppermost Miocene), continental chronological unit MN13. The fossils are preserved in laminates comprising rhythmic, millimeterscale alternations of diatomites and calcareous diatomites. An analysis of the lake paleobiota includes amphibians, crustaceans, insects, plants, and diatoms. The diatoms are dominated by Cyclotella iris. The whole assemblage is indicative of a planktic community developed in somewhat alkaline waters. An extremely well preserved premetamorphic Pelobates (Pelobatidae) tadpole was discovered; it is remarkable because of its gigantic size. Its digestive tract predominantly contains the rare diatom Navicula halionata var directa, likely associated with the shore vegetation in which it presumably lived and fed. The arthropods form a typical lacustrine aquatic assemblage, lacking fish. This assemblage is made up of small filtering crustaceans and of both predator and nonpredator insects of diverse sizes. Conclusions The available evidence on Tresjuncos shows the extraordinary potential for paleontological information that can be expected from this new Konservat-Lagersta¨tte, which constitutes a significant finding that improves our understanding of continental late Miocene Mediterranean environments