Study of total stimulated saliva flow and hyperpigmentation in the oral mucosa of patients diagnosed with hereditary hemochromatosis. Series of 25 cases

Objective: To study lesions in the oral cavity of patients with hereditary hemochromatosis and determine their association with iron overload. Study Design: We took a clinical history, examined the pigmentation of the oral mucosa, and measured total stimulated saliva production. We correlated our results with epidemiological, phenotypic, and genotypic findings. Patients with associated diseases or drug therapy causing xerostomia were excluded. Results: We evaluated 25 patients (20 men, mean age 52 years) over a period of 6 months. No patient complained of xerostomia and pigmentation was not detected in the oral mucosa. The total stimulated salivary flow was reduced in 9 patients who had an average ferritin level of 796.5 ?g/l. The decline in total stimulated salivary flow was significantly correlated with ferritin levels (p=0.002). Patients with ferritin levels within the normal range also had normal stimulated salivary flow. Conclusions: We found no pigmented lesions in the oral mucosa; however, we did observe a decrease in total stimulated salivary flow that correlated with ferritin levels. Therefore, hyposialia caused by functional impairment of the salivary glands may be an early marker of iron deposition. © Medicina Oral S. L

Context conditions for teaching practices development

El objetivo del presente trabajo es analizar los factores contextuales que inciden sobre la actividad docente en el salón de clases en la universidad pública en México. El estudio se realiza de acuerdo con tres dimensiones de análisis: la dimensión macro, incluye las condiciones y políticas nacionales de evaluación docente; la dimensión meso, revisa las condiciones y políticas institucionales de evaluación docente y el nivel micro examina las condiciones del aula que afectan la práctica docente. Argumenta a favor de realizar un diagnóstico que proporcione información específica que permita comprender las condiciones en las que trabajan los profesores en las instituciones públicas de educación superior mexicanas, así como las situaciones que promueven la calidad de la docencia.This study analyzes the public university context elements that influence the teaching practice inside the classroom in Mexico. This research has three analysis dimensions: macro level, which includes national teachers’ evaluation policies and conditions; meso level, reviews institutional teachers’ evaluation policies and conditions, and micro level that examine the classroom conditions that affect teaching practice. This research argues in favor of having a diagnosis that provides specific information that allows the understanding of the teachers work conditions in public Mexican higher education institutions and the situations that promote quality teaching

Epigenetic targets to enhance antitumor immune response through the induction of tertiary lymphoid structures

Tertiary lymphoid structures (TLS) are ectopic lymphoid aggregates found in sites of chronic inflammation such as tumors and autoimmune diseases. The discovery that TLS formation at tumor sites correlated with good patient prognosis has triggered extensive research into various techniques to induce their formation at the tumor microenvironment (TME). One strategy is the exogenous induction of specific cytokines and chemokine expression in murine models. However, applying such systemic chemokine expression can result in significant toxicity and damage to healthy tissues. Also, the TLS formed from exogenous chemokine induction is heterogeneous and different from the ones associated with favorable prognosis. Therefore, there is a need to optimize additional approaches like immune cell engineering with lentiviral transduction to improve the TLS formation in vivo. Similarly, the genetic and epigenetic regulation of the different phases of TLS neogenesis are still unknown. Understanding these molecular regulations could help identify novel targets to induce tissue-specific TLS in the TME. This review offers a unique insight into the molecular checkpoints of the different stages and mechanisms involved in TLS formation. This review also highlights potential epigenetic targets to induce TLS neogenesis. The review further explores epigenetic therapies (epi-therapy) and ongoing clinical trials using epi-therapy in cancers. In addition, it builds upon the current knowledge of tools to generate TLS and TLS phenotyping biomarkers with predictive and prognostic clinical potential.The author(s) declare financial support was received for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article. The work is funded by Instituto de Salud Carlos III through the projects PI18/01592 (Co-funded by the European Regional Development Fund/European Social Fund “A way to make Europe”/”Investing in your future”) and PI22/01816 (Co-funded by the European Union), Sociedad Española de Oncología Médica (SEOM21, SEOM23); Sistema Andaluz de Salud, through the projects SA 0263/2017, Nicolás Monardes, PI-0135-2018, PI-0121-2020 and RH-0090-2020; Consejería de Transformación económica, Industria, Conocimiento y Universidades through the projects CV20-62050 and ProyExcel_01002; Spanish Group of Melanoma (Award for Best Research Project 2020), Fundación Bancaria Unicaja through the project C19048, Asociación Española Contra el Cáncer, Talento Clínico (AECC 2020), and Andalusia-Roche Network Mixed Alliance in Precision Medical Oncology (AC20057), the Spanish Group of Melanoma (GEM23) and University of Malaga Research Plan (B1-2022_28)

Behavioral Psychology/ Psicología Conductual

Older age is associated with a higher prevalence of cognitive and affective decline than in the younger population. For this reason, considering the increasing population aging, and with the continuous growth of this demographic, it is necessary to consider better types of interventions to prevent such decline from manifesting. This study measures the effectiveness of the “Positive reminiscence program” (REMPOS), a non-pharmacological therapy that increases life quality in older people, with a pre-post randomized design with control group in three types of aging: healthy aging (n= 24), mild cognitive impairment (n= 22) and Alzheimer’s Disease (n= 21). The results of the experimental groups revealed higher cognitive levels, lower depressive symptoms, higher specific positive memories recall, and higher life satisfaction after intervention. This study extends the evidence of effectiveness of positive reminiscence interventions for older adults in other cultural backgrounds and types of agingBehavioral Psychology / Psicología Conductualhttps://www.behavioralpsycho.com/product/enhancement-of-quality-of-life-in-older-people-through-positive-reminiscence-intervention-a-pilot-study/?lang=e

Clinical Medicina

With notable increases in older adult populations, as well as with the associated cognitive impairments that can accompany aging, there is significant importance in identifying strategies to promote cognitive health. The current study explored the implementation of a positive reminiscence program (REMPOS), a non-pharmacological cognitive therapy that has been previously structured, defined, and tested in a Spanish sample. We sought to improve the quality of life of institutionalized older adults with healthy aging, mild cognitive impairment, and Alzheimer’s disease by utilizing this protocol in these samples. A randomized design with a pre-post measure was conducted over a three-month period. Two types of interventions were used: the experimental groups received REMPOS, and the control groups underwent their regular daily institutional programming with cognitive stimulation techniques. After the intervention, the three experimental groups showed higher cognitive functioning, decreased depressive symptomatology (except for the MCI group) and higher evocation of specific positive memories (except for the MCI group). This study supports the effectiveness of REMPOS and reminiscence therapy, with regard to both cognitive and mood factors in cognitively impaired older adults.https://www.mdpi.com/2077-0383/10/14/3168/ht

Implementación y configuración Zentyal

En el documento se mostrará la instalación y configuración de la distribución Zentyal Server, habilitación de los servicios DHCP, DNS, Controlador de Dominio, Proxy, Firewall y acceso a carpetas compartidas e impresoras desde el controlador de dominio. También se evidenciará el procedimiento para implementar y configurar de manera detallada el control de acceso de estación de trabajo con GNU/Linux y Windows al dominio, además de los servicios de conectividad a internet desde Zentyal a través de un proxy y el acceso mediante VPN.The document will show the installation and Zentyal Server distribution configuration, enabling DHCP, DNS, domain controller, proxy, Firewall and access to shared folders and printers from the domain controller. The procedure to implement and configure in a detailed access control to the workstation with GNU / Linux and Windows to the domain, in addition to the services of Zentyal connectivity to the Internet through a proxy and the access via VPN

Bottom-up instructive quality control in the biofabrication of smart protein materials

The impact of cell factory quality control on material properties is a neglected but critical issue in the fabrication of protein biomaterials, which are unique in merging structure and function. The molecular chaperoning of protein conformational status is revealed here as a potent molecular instructor of the macroscopic properties of self-assembling, cell-targeted protein nanoparticles, including biodistribution upon in vivo administration

Intrinsic functional and architectonic heterogeneity of tumor-targeted protein nanoparticles

Altres ajuts: CIBER de Bioingeniería, Biomateriales y Nanomedicina (project NANOPROTHER) (to AV), Marató de TV3 foundation (TV32013-132031) (TV32013-133930). Protein production has been partially performed by the ICTS "NANBIOSIS", more specifically by the Protein Production Platform of CIBER in Bioengineering, Biomaterials & Nanomedicine (CIBER-BBN)/IBB, at the UAB SepBioES scientific-technical service (http://www.nanbiosis.es/unit/u1-protein-production-platform-ppp/) and DLS measurements have been done at the Biomaterial Processing and Nanostructuring Unit of NANBIOSIS. We are also indebted to Fran Cortés from the Cell Culture and Cytometry Units of the Servei de CultiusCel·lulars, Producciód'AnticossosiCitometria (SCAC), and to the Servei de Microscòpia, both at the UAB. Strain KPM335 was kindly provided by Research Corporation Technologies, Tucson, AZ. AV received an ICREA ACADEMIA award.Self-assembling proteins are gaining attention as building blocks for application-tailored nanoscale materials. This is mostly due to the biocompatibility, biodegradability, and functional versatility of peptide chains. Such a potential for adaptability is particularly high in the case of recombinant proteins, which are produced in living cells and are suitable for genetic engineering. However, how the cell factory itself and the particular protein folding machinery influence the architecture and function of the final material is still poorly explored. In this study we have used diverse analytical approaches, including small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) and field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) to determine the fine architecture and geometry of recombinant, tumor-targeted protein nanoparticles of interest as drug carriers, constructed on a GFP-based modular scheme. A set of related oligomers were produced in alternative Escherichia coli strains with variant protein folding networks. This resulted in highly regular populations of morphometric types, ranging from 2.4 to 28 nm and from spherical- to rod-shaped materials. These differential geometric species, whose relative proportions were determined by the features of the producing strain, were found associated with particular fluorescence emission, cell penetrability and receptor specificity profiles. Then, nanoparticles with optimal properties could be analytically identified and further isolated from producing cells for use. The cell's protein folding machinery greatly modulates the final geometry reached by the constructs, which in turn defines the key parameters and biological performance of the material

Functional inclusion bodies produced in the yeast Pichia pastoris

Background: Bacterial inclusion bodies (IBs) are non-toxic protein aggregates commonly produced in recombinant bacteria. They are formed by a mixture of highly stable amyloid-like fibrils and releasable protein species with a significant extent of secondary structure, and are often functional. As nano structured materials, they are gaining biomedical interest because of the combination of submicron size, mechanical stability and biological activity, together with their ability to interact with mammalian cell membranes for subsequent cell penetration in absence of toxicity. Since essentially any protein species can be obtained as IBs, these entities, as well as related protein clusters (e.g., aggresomes), are being explored in biocatalysis and in biomedicine as mechanically stable sources of functional protein. One of the major bottlenecks for uses of IBs in biological interfaces is their potential contamination with endotoxins from producing bacteria. - Results: to overcome this hurdle, we have explored here the controlled production of functional IBs in the yeast Pichia pastoris (Komagataella spp.), an endotoxin-free host system for recombinant protein production, and determined the main physicochemical and biological traits of these materials. Quantitative and qualitative approaches clearly indicate the formation of IBs inside yeast, similar in morphology, size and biological activity to those produced in E. coli, that once purified, interact with mammalian cell membranes and penetrate cultured mammalian cells in absence of toxicity. - Conclusions: structurally and functionally similar from those produced in E. coli, the controlled production of IBs in P. pastoris demonstrates that yeasts can be used as convenient platforms for the biological fabrication of self-organizing protein materials in absence of potential endotoxin contamination and with additional advantages regarding, among others, post-translational modifications often required for protein functionality

Efficacy and Safety of Albendazole and High-Dose Ivermectin Coadministration in School-Aged Children Infected With Trichuris trichiura in Honduras: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Background: The efficacy of currently available anthelminthics against Trichuris trichiura infections is significatively lower than for other soil-transmitted helminths (STH). The combination of ivermectin (IVM) and albendazole (ALB) has shown significant improvements in efficacy.Methods: Safety and efficacy randomized controlled clinical trial comparing 3 experimental regimens against ALB monotherapy for the treatment of T. trichiura infections in northern Honduras. Infected children were randomized to one of the following treatments: (Arm 1) single-dose ALB 400 mg; (Arm 2) single-dose ALB 400 mg/IVM 600 μg/kg; (Arm 3) ALB 400 mg for 3 consecutive days; or (Arm 4) ALB 400 mg/IVM 600 μg/kg for 3 consecutive days. Efficacy was measured through egg reduction rate (ERR) and cure rate (CR), both assessed 14-21 days after treatment using the Kato-Katz method. Safety was evaluated by analyzing the frequency and severity of adverse events.Results: A total of 176 children were randomized to one of the 4 treatment arms, 117 completed treatment and follow-up. The ERR for Arms 1 to 4 were: 47.7%, 96.7%, 72.1% and 100%, respectively; with p-values <0.001 between IVM groups and ALB only arms. The CRs were 4.2%, 88.6%, 33.3% and 100%, respectively. A total of 48 (85.4% mild) AEs were reported in 36 children.Conclusions: The combined use of ALB and high-dose IVM is a highly effective and well tolerated treatment for the treatment of T. trichiura infections offering a significantly improved treatment for the control of this infection.Fil: Matamoros, Gabriela. Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Honduras; Honduras. Brock University; CanadáFil: Sánchez, Ana. Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Honduras; Honduras. Brock University; CanadáFil: Gabrie, José Antonio. Brock University; CanadáFil: Juárez, Marisa. Universidad Nacional de Salta. Sede Regional Orán. Instituto de Investigación de Enfermedades Tropicales; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Salta; ArgentinaFil: Ceballos, Laura. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Tandil. Centro de Investigación Veterinaria de Tandil. Universidad Nacional del Centro de la Provincia de Buenos Aires. Centro de Investigación Veterinaria de Tandil. Provincia de Buenos Aires. Gobernación. Comision de Investigaciones Científicas. Centro de Investigación Veterinaria de Tandil; ArgentinaFil: Escalada, Andrés. Universidad Nacional de Salta. Sede Regional Orán. Instituto de Investigación de Enfermedades Tropicales; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Salta; ArgentinaFil: Rodríguez, Carol. Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Honduras; HondurasFil: Martí Soler, Helena. Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona; EspañaFil: Rueda, María Mercedes. Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Honduras; HondurasFil: Canales, Maritza. Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Honduras; HondurasFil: Lanusse, Carlos Edmundo. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Tandil. Centro de Investigación Veterinaria de Tandil. Universidad Nacional del Centro de la Provincia de Buenos Aires. Centro de Investigación Veterinaria de Tandil. Provincia de Buenos Aires. Gobernación. Comision de Investigaciones Científicas. Centro de Investigación Veterinaria de Tandil; ArgentinaFil: Cajal, Silvana Pamela. Universidad Nacional de Salta. Sede Regional Orán. Instituto de Investigación de Enfermedades Tropicales; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Salta; ArgentinaFil: Alvarez, Luis Ignacio. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Tandil. Centro de Investigación Veterinaria de Tandil. Universidad Nacional del Centro de la Provincia de Buenos Aires. Centro de Investigación Veterinaria de Tandil. Provincia de Buenos Aires. Gobernación. Comision de Investigaciones Científicas. Centro de Investigación Veterinaria de Tandil; ArgentinaFil: Cimino, Rubén Oscar. Universidad Nacional de Salta. Sede Regional Orán. Instituto de Investigación de Enfermedades Tropicales; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Salta; ArgentinaFil: Krolewiecki, Alejandro Javier. Universidad Nacional de Salta. Sede Regional Orán. Instituto de Investigación de Enfermedades Tropicales; Argentina. Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona; España. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - Salta; Argentin