Metal Accumulation by Jatropha curcas L. Adult Plants Grown on Heavy Metal-Contaminated Soil

Jatropha curcas has the ability to phytoextract high amounts of heavy metals during its first months just after seeding. Notwithstanding, there is scarce information about metal uptake by adult J. curcas plants. To shed light on this issue, 4-year-old J. curcas L. plants were planted in a soil mixture of peat moss and mining soil (high metals content), and the biomass growth and metal absorption during 90 days were compared with those of plants growing in peat moss. The main metal found in the mining soil was Fe (31985 mg kg-1) along with high amounts of As (23717 mg kg-1). After the 90-day phytoremediation, the plant removed 29% of Fe and 44% of As from the soil mixture. Results revealed that J. curcas L. translocated high amounts of metals to its aerial parts, so that translocation factors were much higher than 1. Because of the high translocation and bioaccumulation factors obtained, J. curcas L. can be regarded as a hyperaccumulator plant. Despite the great capacity of J. curcas L. to phytoremediate heavy-metal-contaminated soils, the main drawback is the subsequent handling of the metal-contaminated biomass, although some potential applications have been recently highlighted for this biomass.University of Seville (VIPPIT-2019-I.5

Flow cytometry to assess the counts and physiological state of cronobacter sakazakii cells after heat exposure

Producción CientíficaCronobacter sakazakii is an opportunistic pathogen that is associated with outbreaks of neonatal necrotizing enterocolitis, septicaemia, and meningitis. Reconstituted powdered infant formulae is the most common vehicle of infection. The aim of the present study is to gain insight into the physiological states of C. sakazakii cells using flow cytometry to detect the compromised cells, which are viable but non-culturable using plate-based methods, and to evaluate the impact of milk heat treatments on those populations. Dead-cell suspensions as well as heat-treated and non-heat-treated cell suspensions were used. After 60 or 65 °C treatments, the number of compromised cells increased as a result of cells with compromised membranes shifting from the heat-treated suspension. These temperatures were not effective at killing all bacteria but were effective at compromising their membranes. Thus, mild heat treatments are not enough to guarantee the safety of powered infant formulae. Flow cytometry was capable of detecting C. sakazakii’s compromised cells that cannot be detected with classical plate count methods; thus, it could be used as a screening test to decrease the risk derived from the presence of pathogenic viable but non-culturable cells in this food that is intended for newborns’ nutrition.Junta de Castilla y León (projects SAN196/VA07/07, SAN673/VA05/08, and SAN126/09

Focal Peripheral Neuropathy Associated with Lymphoma in Dogs

Background: Peripheral neuropathies result in sensory, motor or autonomic dysfunctions due to impairment of peripheral spinal or cranial nerves. Neoplasms such as lymphoma are cited as one of the many aetiological causes and it may affect the nerve directly, by compression, or indirectly, or paraneoplastic, by remote action of the neoplasm located in an extra-neural site. This study aimed to report two cases of cranial nerve neuropathy (trigeminal and facial) associated with canine lymphoma, contributing to a better understanding of its paraneoplastic effects on the nervous system, as well as the diagnosis and treatment of these conditions.Cases: Two cases of canine lymphoma associated with possible signs of paraneoplastic peripheral neuropathy were attended at the Veterinary Hospital from the Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais (HV UFMG). Case 1. A spayed mixed breed bitch, with lethargy and unilateral exophthalmos. Brain computed tomography revealed a retrobulbar mass and cytology was diagnostic for extranodal lymphoma. Subsequent to computed tomography, the dog was presented with hypotrophy of the facial musculature and difficulty in grasping food, consistent with trigeminal nerve palsy, which resolved after institution of the 19-week chemotherapy protocol from the University of Wisconsin. Nevertheless, disease reccurred and a rescue protocol was initiated. Case 2. A female Dalmatian, spayed, was diagnosed with multicentric lymphoma, after cytology of the left mandibular lymph node. Chemotherapy was initiated with the same protocol of the previous case. However, the disease progressed and it was observed facial asymmetry with ptosis of the left eyelid, pina and lips, in addition to difficulty in grasping food, suggesting facial and trigeminal cranial nerve palsy. Clinical signs resolved after institution of a rescue chemotherapy protocol. However, in both cases, disease progression and poor clinical condition resulted in decision of euthanasia and necropsy was not authorized.Discussion: Canine lymphoma is often associated with paraneoplastic syndromes, with neuropathy being one of its possible clinical manifestations. In spite of that its pathogenesis remains unclear, with little information in the veterinary literature. Diagnosis is challenging and must be initially based on recognition of neurological clinical signs and lesion localization, as in the reported cases with lesions located on the fifth and seventh cranial nerves. In the patient from the first case, the absence of clinical signs and laboratory abnormalities suggestive of endocrinopathies, associated with neurological signs restricted to the trigeminal nerve, bilaterally, before starting chemotherapy and without the identification of brain lesions in computed tomography, suggested paraneoplastic involvement as the cause of neuropathy. In the second case described, the absence of clinical signs and laboratory abnormalitiess suggestive of endocrinopathies or nutritional deficiencies, associated with neurological signs restricted to the facial and trigeminal cranial nerves, suggested direct or indirect tumour involvement. Both cases showed improvement of neurological clinical signs after chemotherapy which favored the therapeutic diagnosis. Nevertheless, failure to authorize necropsy of patients made it impossible to confirm that peripheral neuropathy is secondary to the remote effect of lymphoma

IKEA: el minorista de muebles para el mundo

IKEA tuvo un largo recorrido hasta llegar al concepto de tienda minorista de muebles que es tan reconocido y amado en decenas de países. La empresa fue fundada en 1943 por Ingvar Kamprad en su natal Suecia cuando tenía solamente 17 años. El empezó su negocio vendiendo fósforos y bolígrafos mediante pedidos por correo desde su granja familiar. 5 años después Kamprad agregó muebles entre sus productos y comenzó a distribuir su catálogo gratuitamente. El éxito del negocio llevó a IKEA a comprar su primer almacén y a diseñar sus propios muebles. Con el tiempo la visión de Kamprad fue la de democratizar la industria de los muebles en Suecia. Él creía que era posible abaratar el precio de los muebles para que cualquier persona sin muchos recursos pudiera comprarlos, por lo que el objetivo fue diseñar muebles funcionales con líneas minimalistas para que pudieran ser fabricados a bajos costos. Poco después, de igual manera, se desarrolló el concepto de autoensamblaje. IKEA descubrió que enviar los muebles por partes para ser ensamblado por el cliente era más eficiente y rentable, dado que se reducían los costos de transporte y almacén, así como los posibles daños al producto durante el envío. Este concepto fue exitoso, ya que los clientes estaban dispuestos a ensamblar los muebles ellos mismos a cambio de precios más bajos. A finales de la década del 50 IKEA, que fabricaba sus muebles en Suecia, transfirió su producción a Polonia. En ese país IKEA podría fabricar sus diseños a un precio hasta 50% menor que en Suecia, lo que le permitió reducir sus precios aún más. El ejemplo de Polonia se volvería el arquetipo de relaciones con futuros proveedores fuera de Suecia, basadas en la confianza, contratos a largo plazo y apoyo de nuevas tecnologías por parte de IKEA.IKEA had a long journey to come to the concept of the furniture retail store that is so recognized and loved in dozens of countries. The company was founded in 1943 by Ingvar Kamprad in his native Sweden when he was only 17 years old. He started his business selling matches and pens by mail order from his family farm. 5 years later Kamprad added furniture to his products and began distributing his catalog for free. The success of the business led IKEA to buy its first warehouse and design its own furniture. Over time Kamprad's vision was to democratize the furniture industry in Sweden. He believed that it was possible to lower the price of furniture so that anyone without many resources could buy it, so the goal was to design functional furniture with minimalist lines so that it could be manufactured at low costs. Soon after, in the same way, the concept of self-assembly was developed. IKEA found that shipping the furniture in parts to be assembled by the customer was more efficient and cost-effective as shipping and warehousing costs were reduced, as well as potential damage to the product during shipping. This concept was successful, as customers were willing to assemble the furniture themselves in exchange for lower prices. At the end of the 1950s, IKEA, which manufactured its furniture in Sweden, transferred its production to Poland. In that country IKEA could manufacture its designs at a price up to 50% lower than in Sweden, which allowed it to reduce its prices even more. The example of Poland would become the archetype of relationships with future suppliers outside Sweden, based on trust, long-term contracts and support of new technologies by IKEA

Pregnancy Control in Patients with Systemic Lupus Erythematosus and Antiphospholipid Syndrome. Part 1: Infertility, Ovarian Preservation and Preconception Assessment. Consensus Document of the Spanish Society of Gynaecology and Obstetrics (SEGO), the Spanish Society of Internal Medicine (SEMI) and the Spanish Society of Rheumatology (SER)

Objetivo: El embarazo y el puerperio se consideran una situación de riesgo en mujeres con lupus eritematoso sistémico (LES) y síndrome antifosfolípido (SAF). Es esencial que especialistas en enfermedades autoinmunes y en embarazo de alto riesgo intervengan en su seguimiento de forma coordinada. La Sociedad Española de Ginecología y Obstetricia, la Sociedad Española de Medicina Interna, y la Sociedad Española de Reumatología han constituido un grupo de trabajo paritario para la elaboración de 3 documentos de consenso. Métodos: Las fases del trabajo fueron: distribución del trabajo en grupos correspondientes a los 3 períodos relacionados con la gestación, identificación de áreas clave, revisión de la literatura y formulación de recomendaciones. Resultados: En este primer documento se incluyen las primeras 48 recomendaciones que tratan aspectos relacionados con la infertilidad, la necesidad y los tratamientos de preservación gonadal y la valoración preconcepcional. Conclusiones: Estas recomendaciones multidisciplinares se consideran herramientas en la toma de decisiones para los clínicos involucrados en la asistencia a pacientes con LES/SAF durante el embarazo

Theoretical and perceived balance of power inside Spanish public hospitals

BACKGROUND: The hierarchical pyramid inside Spanish public hospitals was radically changed by the Health Reform Law promulgated in 1986. According to it, the manpower of the hospitals was divided into three divisions (Medical, Nursing, General Services/Administration), which from then on occupied the same level, only subject to the general manager. Ten years after the implementation of the law, the present study was designed in order to investigate if the legal changes had indeed produced a real change in the balance of power inside the hospitals, as perceived by the different workers within them. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A questionnaire was administered to 1,027 workers from four different public hospitals (two university-based and two district hospitals). The participants belonged to all divisions, and to all three operative levels (staff, supervisory and managerial) within them. The questionnaire inquired about the perceived power inside each division and hierarchical level, as well as about that of the other divisions and hierarchical levels. RESULTS: Every division attributed the least power to itself. The Nursing and the Administrative division attributed the highest power to the physicians, and these attributed the highest power to the General Services/Administrative division. All hierarchical levels (including the formal top of the pyramid) attributed significantly more power to the other than to them. CONCLUSIONS: More than ten years after the implementation of the new law, the majority of workers still perceive that the real power within the hospitals is held by the physicians (whereas these feel that it has shifted to the administrators). No division or hierarchical level believes it holds any significant degree of power, and this carries with it the danger of also not accepting any responsibility

The synthetic molecule stauprimide impairs cell growth and migration in triple-negative breast cancer

Stauprimide, a semi-synthetic derivative of staurosporine, is known mainly for its potent differentiation-enhancing properties in embryonic stem cells. Here, we studied the effects of stauprimide in cell growth and migration of triple-negative breast cancer cells in vitro, evaluating its potential antitumoral activity in an orthotopic mouse model of breast cancer in vivo. Our results from survival curves, EdU incorporation, cell cycle analysis and annexin-V detection in MDA-MB-231 cells indicated that stauprimide inhibited cell proliferation, arresting cell cycle in G2/M without induction of apoptosis. A decrease in the migratory capability of MDA-MB-231 was also assessed in response to stauprimide. In this work we pointed to a mechanism of action of stauprimide involving the modulation of ERK1/2, Akt and p38 MAPK signalling pathways, and the downregulation of MYC in MDA-MB-231 cells. In addition, orthotopic MDA-MB-231 xenograft and 4T1 syngeneic models suggested an effect of stauprimide in vivo, increasing the necrotic core of tumors and reducing metastasis in lung and liver of mice. Together, our results point to the promising role of stauprimide as a putative therapeutic agent in triple-negative breast cancer.MRI experiments were performed in the ICTS “NANBIOSIS”, more specifically in the U28 Unit at the Andalusian Centre for Nanomedicine & Biotechnology (BIONAND). Cell cultures were performed in the Cell Culture Service at the Central Support Services of Research (SCAI) of the University of Málaga. // Partial funding for open access charge: Universidad de Málaga / CBUA

A disposable electrochemical immunosensor for the determination of leptin in serum and breast milk

The preparation of a disposable electrochemical immunosensor for the quantification of the hormone leptin is described in this work. The preparation approach involved immobilization of a specific biotinylated anti-leptin antibody on the surface of streptavidin-functionalized magnetic beads (StreptMBs) and a sandwich-type immunoassay involving the target analyte, monoclonal anti-leptin, and IgG labeled with alkaline phosphatase (AP-IgG). The electrochemical transduction step was accomplished by trapping the MBs bearing the immunoconjugates onto screen-printed carbon electrodes (SPCEs) by means of an Nd magnet and measuring the electrochemical oxidation of the 1-naphthol generated in the AP enzyme reaction upon 1-naphthyl phosphate (1-NPP) additions by differential pulse voltammetry (DPV). A calibration plot with a linear range between 5 and 100 pg mL 1 as well as a detection limit of 0.5 pg mL 1 (3sb/m) were achieved. This value is more than 27 times lower than that reported in the only voltammetric immunosensor for leptin described in the literature until now. The usefulness of the immunosensor was demonstrated by analyzing different types of real samples: human serum, infant powdered milk, and breast milk from a nursing mother with two months of breastfeeding

Randomised controlled study in the primary healthcare sector to investigate the effectiveness and safety of auriculotherapy for the treatment of uncomplicated chronic rachialgia: a study protocol

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Uncomplicated chronic rachialgia is a highly prevalent complaint, and one for which therapeutic results are contradictory. The aim of the present study is to evaluate the effectiveness and safety of treatment with auriculopressure, in the primary healthcare sector, carried out by trained healthcare professionals via a 30-hour course.</p> <p>Methods/Design</p> <p>The design consists of a multi-centre randomized controlled trial, with placebo, with two parallel groups, and including an economic evaluation. Patients with chronic uncomplicated rachialgia, whose GP is considering referral for auriculopressure sensory stimulation, are eligible for inclusion. Sampling will be by consecutive selection, and randomised allocation to one of the two study arms will be determined using a centralised method, following a 1:1 plan (true auriculopressure; placebo auriculopressure). The implants (true and placebo) will be replaced once weekly, and the treatment will have a duration of 8 weeks. The primary outcome measure will be the change in pain intensity, measured on a visual analogue scale (VAS) of 100 mm, at 9 weeks after beginning the treatment. A follow up study will be performed at 6 months after beginning treatment. An assessment will also be made of the changes measured in the Spanish version of the McGill Pain Questionnaire, of the changes in the Lattinen test, and of the changes in quality of life (SF-12). Also planned is an analysis of cost-effectiveness and also, if necessary, a cost-benefit analysis.</p> <p>Discussion</p> <p>This study will contribute to developing evidence on the use of auriculotherapy using Semen vaccariae [wang bu liu xing] for the treatment of uncomplicated chronic rachialgia.</p> <p>Trial registration</p> <p>Current Controlled Trials ISRCTN01897462.</p