Monitorización del consumo de sustancias de abuso legales e ilegales en España a través de las aguas residuales en el marco de la red ESAR-Net

Trabajo presentado en el 4th Congreso Internacional y XLIX Jornadas Nacionales de Socidrogalcohol - VIII Congreso Nacional Patología Bio-Psicosocial, celebrado en Tenerife del 06 al 08 de octubre de 2022

Adaptation of pineal expressed teleost exo-rod opsin to non-image forming photoreception through enhanced Meta II decay

Photoreception by vertebrates enables both image-forming vision and non-image-forming responses such as circadian photoentrainment. Over the recent years, distinct non-rod non-cone photopigments have been found to support circadian photoreception in diverse species. By allowing specialization to this sensory task a selective advantage is implied, but the nature of that specialization remains elusive. We have used the presence of distinct rod opsin genes specialized to either image-forming (retinal rod opsin) or non-image-forming (pineal exo-rod opsin) photoreception in ray-finned fish (Actinopterygii) to gain a unique insight into this problem. A comparison of biochemical features for these paralogous opsins in two model teleosts, Fugu pufferfish (Takifugu rubripes) and zebrafish (Danio rerio), reveals striking differences. While spectral sensitivity is largely unaltered by specialization to the pineal environment, in other aspects exo-rod opsins exhibit a behavior that is quite distinct from the cardinal features of the rod opsin family. While they display a similar thermal stability, they show a greater than tenfold reduction in the lifetime of the signaling active Meta II photoproduct. We show that these features reflect structural changes in retinal association domains of helices 3 and 5 but, interestingly, not at either of the two residues known to define these characteristics in cone opsins. Our findings suggest that the requirements of non-image-forming photoreception have lead exo-rod opsin to adopt a characteristic that seemingly favors efficient bleach recovery but not at the expense of absolute sensitivity

Two distinct catalytic pathways for GH43 xylanolytic enzymes unveiled by X-ray and QM/MM simulations

Xylanolytic enzymes from glycoside hydrolase family 43 (GH43) are involved in the breakdown of hemicellulose, the second most abundant carbohydrate in plants. Here, we kinetically and mechanistically describe the non-reducing-end xylose-releasing exo-oligoxylanase activity and report the crystal structure of a native GH43 Michaelis complex with its substrate prior to hydrolysis. Two distinct calcium-stabilized conformations of the active site xylosyl unit are found, suggesting two alternative catalytic routes. These results are confirmed by QM/MM simulations that unveil the complete hydrolysis mechanism and identify two possible reaction pathways, involving different transition state conformations for the cleavage of xylooligosaccharides. Such catalytic conformational promiscuity in glycosidases is related to the open architecture of the active site and thus might be extended to other exo-acting enzymes. These findings expand the current general model of catalytic mechanism of glycosidases, a main reaction in nature, and impact on our understanding about their interaction with substrates and inhibitors

Baixa percepção de risco entre adolescentes espanhóis em relação ao consumo de álcool

Según los estudios recientes, los adolescentes españoles muestran una baja percepción del riesgo asociado al consumo de alcohol. El objetivo de la presente investigación es analizar los factores que favorecen esta baja percepción a partir de la opinión de un grupo de 32 profesionales/expertos en adolescencia, familia, escuela, medios de comunicación y políticas locales. Se utilizó una metodología cualitativa, fundamentada en Grounded Theory, a partir de la información obtenida mediante 5 grupos de discusión guiados por entrevistas semiestructuradas. Se identificaron 12 factores o subcategorías agrupados en 4 categorías generales: riesgo a corto plazo, inmediatez y percepción de invulnerabilidad (categoría ¿pensamiento adolescente¿); concepción benévola del alcohol, normalización del consumo y binomio alcohol-diversión (categoría ¿normas sociales¿); consumo habitual en los padres, inconsistencia verbal-no verbal en el modelado parental, consumo sin riesgo en los medios, consumo con resultados positivos en los medios (categoría ¿modelos sociales¿); excesivo contenido sanitario, riesgo a largo plazo (categoría ¿discurso preventivo¿). Tras discutir los resultados en el contexto de la literatura científica actual, se realizan varias propuestas con el objetivo de aumentar la percepción del riesgo en los adolescentes: incidir con mayor fuerza en contenidos sobre los riesgos a corto plazo del alcohol; orientar las estrategias educativas dirigidas al adolescente, también hacia los agentes de socialización, especialmente los padres; incidir en políticas centradas en la sustancia y en reducir la oferta.According to recent studies, Spanish adolescents show low perception of risk in alcohol consumption. The current study aims to analyze the factors that favor this low perception based on the opinion of a group of 32 professional experts on adolescence, family, school, mass media, and local policies. A qualitative methodology was used, based on Grounded Theory, using information from 5 focus groups guided by semi-structured interviews. Twelve factors or subcategories were identified, grouped in 4 general categories: short-term risk, immediacy, and perception of invulnerability (¿adolescent thinking¿ category); benevolent view of alcohol, normalization of consumption, and alcohol-entertainment binomial (¿social norms¿ category); parents¿ habitual consumption, verbal/non-verbal inconsistency in parental model, risk-free consumption depicted in the mass media, consumption with positive results in the media (¿social models¿ category); and excessive health content, long-term risk (¿preventive discourse¿ category). After discussing the results in the context of the current scientific literature, the article offers various proposals for increasing risk perception in adolescents: stronger impact of contents on short-term risks of alcohol; educational strategies targeted to adolescents to include agents of socialization, especially parents; and policies centered on the substance and reduction of supply.De acordo com estudos recentes, os adolescentes espanhóis mostram baixa percepção de risco em relação ao consumo de álcool. O estudo tem como objetivo analisar os fatores associados com a baixa percepção de risco, com base nas opiniões de um grupo de 32 especialistas em adolescência, família, escola, mídia e políticas locais. Foi utilizada uma metodologia qualitativa, baseada na Teoria Fundamentada, usando informações de cinco grupos focais orientados por entrevistas semi-estruturadas. Foram identificados 12 fatores ou subcategorias, agrupados em quatro categorias gerais: risco no curto prazo, imediatismo e percepção de invulnerabilidade (categoria de ¿pensamento adolescente¿); visão benevolente em relação ao álcool, normalização do consumo e binômio álcool-entretenimento (categoria de ¿normas sociais¿); consumo habitual pelos pais, inconsistência na comunicação verbal versus não verbal no modelo representado pelos pais, consumo isento de risco retratado pela mídia, consumo com resultados positivos na mídia (categoria de ¿modelos sociais¿) e excesso de conteúdo relacionado à saúde, risco no longo prazo (categoria de ¿discurso preventivo¿). Depois de discutir os resultados no contexto da literatura científica atual, o artigo oferece várias propostas para aumentar a percepção de risco entre os adolescentes: impacto mais forte de conteúdos sobre os riscos do álcool no curto prazo; estratégias educativas orientadas aos adolescentes para incluir os agentes da socialização, especialmente os pais, além de políticas centradas na substância e na redução da oferta.Departamento de Educación y Psicología SocialVersión del edito

Actas de las V Jornadas ScienCity 2022. Fomento de la Cultura Científica, Tecnológica y de Innovación en Ciudades Inteligentes

ScienCity es una actividad que viene siendo continuada desde 2018 con el objetivo de dar a conocer los conocimientos y tecnologías emergentes siendo investigados en las universidades, informar de experiencias, servicios e iniciativas puestas ya en marcha por instituciones y empresas, llegar hasta decisores políticos que podrían crear sinergias, incentivar la creación de ideas y posibilidades de desarrollo conjuntas, implicar y provocar la participación ciudadana, así como gestar una red internacional multidisciplinar de investigadores que garantice la continuación de futuras ediciones. En 2022 se recibieron un total de 48 trabajos repartidos en 25 ponencias y 24 pósteres pertenecientes a 98 autores de 14 instituciones distintas de España, Portugal, Polonia y Países Bajos.Fundación Española para la Ciencia y la Tecnología-Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades; Consejería de la Presidencia, Administración Pública e Interior de la Junta de Andalucía; Estrategia de Política de Investigación y Transferencia de la Universidad de Huelva; Cátedra de Innovación Social de Aguas de Huelva; Cátedra de la Provincia; Grupo de investigación TEP-192 de Control y Robótica; Centro de Investigación en Tecnología, Energía y Sostenibilidad (CITES

Comparison of orthotopic sigmoid and ileal neobladders: continence and urodynamic parameters

The objective this of the study was to compare continence rates and urodynamic parameters among patients who had undergone orthotopic bladder substitution with sigmoid or ileal segments. Continent urinary reservoirs were constructed in 112 patients. Fifty patients received a sigmoid neobladder (SN) and 62 patients an ileal neobladder (IN). Thirty-four patients with an SN (mean age 64.4 years), and 20 with an IN (mean age 57.8 years) agreed to postoperative urodynamic evaluation at a median time after surgery of 18 and 37 months, respectively. Continence and urodynamic parameters were compared in both groups. The average reservoir capacity of the SN (296 ml) was lower than the IN (546 ml). The majority of patients voided by the Valsalva maneuver and achieved good peak flow rates [SN group 16.6 (range 7-32) ml/s, IN group 25.5 (range 5-35) ml/s]. Of the patients with an SN 26 (76%) and with an IN 15 (75%) emptied to near completion with a post-void residual (PVR) of less than 100 ml. Daytime continence was achieved in 90% of IN patients and 85% of SN patients. Only 9% of patients with an SN and 60% of patients with an IN were continent at night. A neobladder constructed from detubularized ileum or sigmoid achieves adequate capacity with a satisfactory daytime continence rate. Nighttime incontinence in patients with IN can be at least partly explained by periods of high pressure due to neobladder contractions in combination with a relaxed sphincter during sleep. The low nighttime continence rate of the SN is probably related to its small functional capacit