Tratamiento de efluentes contaminados con priones. Diseño de un reactor químico

The control and elimination of prionic infective agents that may be present in the effluents, turns out to be a complicated mechanism inside a High Containment bological Facility. There are two ways to carry out this neutralization: Installation of thermal systems to ensure achieve a minimum temperature of 134 ° C sterilization plateau for a residence time of 18 minutes, and the use of chemical reactors based on the addition of sodium hypochlorite so the mixture maintained 2% of free chlorine during the reaction period. This study presents the design phases, elements and benefits, of a chemical reactor that allows the treatment of prion effluents in order to serve as a model to biocontainment facilities with areas of animal experimentation, who want to develop their work with prions.El control e inactivación de priones que pueden estar presentes en los efluentes, resulta ser un mecanismo complicado dentro de una Instalación de Alta Contención Biológica. Existen dos alternativas para llevar a cabo esta inactivación: la Instalación de sistemas de tratamiento térmico de efluentes que garanticen alcanzar una temperatura mínima de 134ºC en meseta de esterilización durante un tiempo de residencia de 18 minutos, y el uso de reactores químicos basados en la adición de hipoclorito sódico de forma que la mezcla mantenga un 2% de cloro libre durante el periodo de reacción. El presente estudio, expone el diseño con sus fases, elementos y sus ventajas, de un reactor químico que permita el tratamiento de efluentes priónicos con el fin de que sirva de modelo a instalaciones biocontenidas que dispongan de áreas de experimentación animal y que pretendan desarrollar sus trabajos con priones

Monitoring of Transplanted Liver Health by Quantification of Organ-Specific Genomic Marker in Circulating DNA from Receptor

Background: Health assessment of the transplanted organ is very important due to the relationship of long-term survival of organ transplant recipients and health organ maintenance. Nowadays, the measurement of cell-free DNA from grafts in the circulation of transplant recipients has been considered a potential biomarker of organ rejection or transplant associated complications in an attempt to replace or reduce liver biopsy. However, methods developed to date are expensive and extremely time-consuming. Our approach was to measure the SRY gene, as a male organ biomarker, in a setting of sex-mismatched female recipients of male donor organs. Methods: Cell-free DNA quantization of the SRY gene was performed by real-time quantitative PCR beforehand, at the moment of transplantation during reperfusion (day 0) and during the stay at the intensive care unit. Beta-globin cell-free DNA levels, a general cellular damage marker, were also quantified. Results: Beta-globin mean values of patients, who accepted the graft without any complications during the first week after surgery, diminished from day 0 until patient stabilization. This decrease was not so evident in patients who suffered some kind of post-transplantation complications. All patients showed an increase in SRY levels at day 0, which decreased during hospitalization. Different complications that did not compromise donated organs showed increased beta-globin levels but no SRY gene levels. However, when a donated organ was damaged the patients exhibited high levels of both genes. Conclusion: Determination of a SRY gene in a female recipient's serum is a clear and specific biomarker of donated organs and may give us important information about graft health in a short period of time by a non-expensive technique. This approach may permit clinicians to maintain a close follow up of the transplanted patient

Si l@s estudiantes universitari@s no eligen ingenierías que las ingenierías vayan al colegio

La pandemia provocada por el virus SARS-CoV-2 ha puesto de manifiesto la imperiosa necesidad de construir una sociedad basada en el conocimiento. Otros grandes retos sociales como son revertir el cambio climático y la conservación y/o recuperación del entorno natural hacen énfasis en la necesidad de un desarrollo sostenible e igualitario. En este sentido es necesario concienciar a las nuevas generaciones del papel primordial que deben jugar las ingenieras e ingenieros en el desarrollo futuro como motores de ese cambio necesario. Sin embargo, el número de estudiantes de ingenierías disminuye paulatinamente, siendo además profesiones copadas mayoritariamente por hombres. En el presente proyecto se plantea ir a colegios e institutos de la Comunidad de Madrid a realizar actividades que pongan de manifiesto lo que la ingeniería puede hacer por la sociedad, presentado por los y las estudiantes de ingeniería química de la UCM que servirán de referentes tanto femeninos como masculinos para las generaciones venideras

Mutational spectrum of the SPG4 (SPAST) and SPG3A (ATL1) genes in Spanish patients with hereditary spastic paraplegia

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Hereditary Spastic Paraplegias (HSP) are characterized by progressive spasticity and weakness of the lower limbs. At least 45 loci have been identified in families with autosomal dominant (AD), autosomal recessive (AR), or X-linked hereditary patterns. Mutations in the <it>SPAST </it>(<it>SPG4</it>) and <it>ATL1 </it>(<it>SPG3A</it>) genes would account for about 50% of the ADHSP cases.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>We defined the <it>SPAST </it>and <it>ATL1 </it>mutational spectrum in a total of 370 unrelated HSP index cases from Spain (83% with a pure phenotype).</p> <p>Results</p> <p>We found 50 <it>SPAST </it>mutations (including two large deletions) in 54 patients and 7 <it>ATL1 </it>mutations in 11 patients. A total of 33 of the <it>SPAST </it>and 3 of the <it>ATL1 </it>were new mutations. A total of 141 (31%) were familial cases, and we found a higher frequency of mutation carriers among these compared to apparently sporadic cases (38% vs. 5%). Five of the <it>SPAST </it>mutations were predicted to affect the pre-mRNA splicing, and in 4 of them we demonstrated this effect at the cDNA level. In addition to large deletions, splicing, frameshifting, and missense mutations, we also found a nucleotide change in the stop codon that would result in a larger ORF.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>In a large cohort of Spanish patients with spastic paraplegia, <it>SPAST </it>and <it>ATL1 </it>mutations were found in 15% of the cases. These mutations were more frequent in familial cases (compared to sporadic), and were associated with heterogeneous clinical manifestations.</p

Practicando Ingeniería Química: Prácticas colaborativas de bajo coste para grupos numerosos

Elaboración de un catálogo de prácticas de laboratorio de bajo coste para trabajar los fundamentos de ingeniería química con grupos numerosos, usando metodologías activas de aprendizaje para incrementar la motivación de los estudiantes.Depto. de Ingeniería Química y de MaterialesFac. de Ciencias QuímicasFALSEsubmitte

Prácticas virtuales de fisiología

El presente proyecto de innovación educativa ha servido para generar material audiovisual compatible con dispositivos electrónicos para el aprendizaje de fisiología de una manera sencilla y accesible. Es la continuación de un proyecto del curso 2020-21, en el que se generó un material con las prácticas que se realizan con un programa de registros fisiológicos. En esta ocasión, se procedió a la grabación de los procedimientos experimentales de las asignaturas de Fisiología del Grado en Veterinaria y del Grado en CyTA y se han incluido en un formato presentación, en el que se exponen los conocimientos básicos de la práctica, los objetivos, el material y métodos, el procedimiento experimental en vídeo con explicaciones y finalmente la recogida de datos y la interpretación de los resultados. Así, se reduce el número de animales a utilizar en las prácticas porque no es necesario volver a hacer el procedimiento en el animal y el estudiante puede aprender a su ritmo y visualizar la presentación tantas veces como necesite para su aprendizaje, antes, durante y después de la práctica. Se ha contado con un amplio equipo en el que han participado PDI del departamento de Fisiología y de Producción Animal, PAS y estudiantes de grado y posgrado, de modo que la experiencia de todos ellos ha aportado un enfoque multidisciplinar, muy adecuado para la viabilidad del proyecto. El producto generado es un material duradero en el tiempo, que seguirá poniéndose a disposición de los estudiantes en cursos venideros

Effect of remote ischaemic conditioning on clinical outcomes in patients with acute myocardial infarction (CONDI-2/ERIC-PPCI): a single-blind randomised controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Remote ischaemic conditioning with transient ischaemia and reperfusion applied to the arm has been shown to reduce myocardial infarct size in patients with ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) undergoing primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PPCI). We investigated whether remote ischaemic conditioning could reduce the incidence of cardiac death and hospitalisation for heart failure at 12 months. METHODS: We did an international investigator-initiated, prospective, single-blind, randomised controlled trial (CONDI-2/ERIC-PPCI) at 33 centres across the UK, Denmark, Spain, and Serbia. Patients (age >18 years) with suspected STEMI and who were eligible for PPCI were randomly allocated (1:1, stratified by centre with a permuted block method) to receive standard treatment (including a sham simulated remote ischaemic conditioning intervention at UK sites only) or remote ischaemic conditioning treatment (intermittent ischaemia and reperfusion applied to the arm through four cycles of 5-min inflation and 5-min deflation of an automated cuff device) before PPCI. Investigators responsible for data collection and outcome assessment were masked to treatment allocation. The primary combined endpoint was cardiac death or hospitalisation for heart failure at 12 months in the intention-to-treat population. This trial is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT02342522) and is completed. FINDINGS: Between Nov 6, 2013, and March 31, 2018, 5401 patients were randomly allocated to either the control group (n=2701) or the remote ischaemic conditioning group (n=2700). After exclusion of patients upon hospital arrival or loss to follow-up, 2569 patients in the control group and 2546 in the intervention group were included in the intention-to-treat analysis. At 12 months post-PPCI, the Kaplan-Meier-estimated frequencies of cardiac death or hospitalisation for heart failure (the primary endpoint) were 220 (8·6%) patients in the control group and 239 (9·4%) in the remote ischaemic conditioning group (hazard ratio 1·10 [95% CI 0·91-1·32], p=0·32 for intervention versus control). No important unexpected adverse events or side effects of remote ischaemic conditioning were observed. INTERPRETATION: Remote ischaemic conditioning does not improve clinical outcomes (cardiac death or hospitalisation for heart failure) at 12 months in patients with STEMI undergoing PPCI. FUNDING: British Heart Foundation, University College London Hospitals/University College London Biomedical Research Centre, Danish Innovation Foundation, Novo Nordisk Foundation, TrygFonden