Gene Expression Profiling in Lungs of Chronic Asthmatic Mice Treated with Galectin-3: Downregulation of Inflammatory and Regulatory Genes

Background. Asthma is a disorder characterized by a predominance of Th2 cells and eosinophilic inflammation. Suppressors of cytokine signaling (SOCS) proteins act as negative regulators of cytokine signaling. In particular, SOCS1 and SOCS3 play an important role in immune response by controlling the balance between Th1 and Th2 cells. In a previous study, we demonstrated that treatment of chronic asthmatic mice with gene therapy using plasmid encoding galectin-3 (Gal-3) led to an improvement in Th2 allergic inflammation. Methods. Using a microarray approach, this study endeavored to evaluate the changes produced by therapeutic Gal-3 delivered by gene therapy in a well-characterized mouse model of chronic airway inflammation. Results were confirmed by real-time RT-PCR, Western blot and immunohistochemical analysis. Results. We identify a set of genes involved in different pathways whose expression is coordinately decreased/increased in mice treated with Gal-3 gene therapy. We report a correlation between Gal-3 treatment and inhibition of SOCS1 and SOCS3 expression in lungs. Conclusion. These results suggest that negative regulation of SOCS1 and 3 following Gal-3 treatment could be a valuable therapeutic approach in allergic disease

Influence of Regulated Deficit Irrigation on Arbequina’s Crop Yield and EVOOs Quality and Sensory Profile

Regulated deficit irrigation in super-high-density (SHD) olive orchards is a well-known strategy to save water and control plant vigor, without decreasing fruit or oil yield. As there is controversial information about its influence on virgin olive oil quality, a trial was conducted in five SHD olive orchards of Arbequina cultivar in different locations of central, east, north and northeast Spain under full irrigation (FI) and regulated deficit irrigation (RDI) treatments. RDI applied during phase II of fruit growing (40% of total needs) saves more than 20% of water on average, without reductions in olive fruit or extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) yield. No threshold of 3.5 MPa of stem water potential was crossed in any case. RDI modified sterols and the fatty acid profile of EVOOs but not phenols, quality parameters, or the sensory profile. Latitude, altitude, and yearly rainfall have a big impact on some compounds such as campesterol, oleuropein, or margaroleic or linolenic acids.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Evaluación cualitativa de un proceso participativo de adaptación de una guía de promoción de la salud

Fundamentos: En las últimas décadas, en España, el interés mostrado hacia la participación comunitaria en salud ha ido creciendo. Sin embargo, no existen guías basadas en la evidencia para promover la participación comunitaria en salud. Por eso, entre 2017 y 2018 se llevó a cabo el proyecto AdaptA GPS a través de 10 nodos de trabajo en 10 comunidades autónomas, para adaptar al contexto español la guía de participación comunitaria en salud NG44 del instituto NICE de Reino Unido. El objetivo de este artículo fue evaluar el proceso de adaptación (los aspectos a mejorar y los aprendizajes resultantes) del proyecto AdaptA GPS a través de la valoración de sus participantes. Métodos: Se realizó una evaluación cualitativa a través de dos cuestionarios con respuestas abiertas, autoadministrados en cada nodo de trabajo, uno por la persona coordinadora y uno por las personas del nodo (entre 6 y 10 personas por nodo), y se realizó un análisis temático. Resultados: Se identificaron tres temas principales que reflejan las perspectivas de las personas participantes sobre el proceso de adaptación: factores positivos (metodología participativa, trabajo multicéntrico y diversidad de participantes), aspectos mejorables (escasa participación ciudadana y falta de financiación) y aprendizajes adquiridos (trabajo en red y la importancia de impulsar investigaciones en este campo). Conclusiones: El proyecto AdaptA GPS fue un proyecto innovador que favoreció la creación de vínculos y sinergias, fomentando la coproducción gracias a su enfoque participativo, que ha sentado las bases para futuros procesos colaborativos de participación comunitaria. Background: In the last decades, in Spain, the interest shown towards community participation in health has been growing. However, there are no evidence-based guidelines to promote community participation in health. For this reason, between 2017 and 2018 the AdaptA GPS project was carried out through 10 working groups from 10 autonomous communities, to adapt the NG44 community participation guide in health from the NICE institute in the United Kingdom to the Spanish context. The objective of this article was to evaluate the adaptation process (the aspects to be improved and the resulting learning) of the AdaptA GPS project through the evaluation of its participants. Methods: A qualitative evaluation was carried out through two questionnaires with open-ended questions, self-administered in each working group, one by the group coordinator and one by the whole working group (between 6 and 10 people per group), and the answers were analysed thematically. Results: Three main themes were identified that reflect the perspectives of the participants about the adaptation process: positive factors (participatory methodology, collaborative work and diversity of participants), aspects that could be improved (scarce people''s participation and lack of funding) and acquired learning (working in network and the importance of promoting research in this field). Conclusions: The AdaptA GPS project was an innovative project that favored the creation of networks and synergies, fostering co-production thanks to its participatory approach, which has laid the foundations for future collaborative processes of community engagement

Influence of Regulated Deficit Irrigation on Arbequina’s Crop Yield and EVOOs Quality and Sensory Profile

Regulated deficit irrigation in super-high-density (SHD) olive orchards is a well-known strategy to save water and control plant vigor, without decreasing fruit or oil yield. As there is controversial information about its influence on virgin olive oil quality, a trial was conducted in five SHD olive orchards of Arbequina cultivar in different locations of central, east, north and northeast Spain under full irrigation (FI) and regulated deficit irrigation (RDI) treatments. RDI applied during phase II of fruit growing (40% of total needs) saves more than 20% of water on average, without reductions in olive fruit or extra virgin olive oil (EVOO) yield. No threshold of 3.5 MPa of stem water potential was crossed in any case. RDI modified sterols and the fatty acid profile of EVOOs but not phenols, quality parameters, or the sensory profile. Latitude, altitude, and yearly rainfall have a big impact on some compounds such as campesterol, oleuropein, or margaroleic or linolenic acids

Substrate translocation involves specific lysine residues of the central channel of the conjugative coupling protein TrwB

Conjugative transfer of plasmid R388 requires the coupling protein TrwB for protein and DNA transport, but their molecular role in transport has not been deciphered. We investigated the role of residues protruding into the central channel of the TrwB hexamer by a mutational analysis. Mutations affecting lysine residues K275, K398, and K421, and residue S441, all facing the internal channel, affected transport of both DNA and the relaxase protein in vivo. The ATPase activity of the purified soluble variants was affected significantly in the presence of accessory protein TrwA or DNA, correlating with their behaviour in vivo. Alteration of residues located at the cytoplasmic or the inner membrane interface resulted in lower activity in vivo and in vitro, while variants affecting residues in the central region of the channel showed increased DNA and protein transfer efficiency and higher ATPase activity, especially in the absence of TrwA. In fact, these variants could catalyze DNA transfer in the absence of TrwA under conditions in which the wild-type system was transfer deficient. Our results suggest that protein and DNA molecules have the same molecular requirements for translocation by Type IV secretion systems, with residues at both ends of the TrwB channel controlling the opening?closing mechanism, while residues embedded in the channel would set the pace for substrate translocation (both protein and DNA) in concert with TrwA

La renovación de la palabra en el bicentenario de la Argentina : los colores de la mirada lingüística

El libro reúne trabajos en los que se exponen resultados de investigaciones presentadas por investigadores de Argentina, Chile, Brasil, España, Italia y Alemania en el XII Congreso de la Sociedad Argentina de Lingüística (SAL), Bicentenario: la renovación de la palabra, realizado en Mendoza, Argentina, entre el 6 y el 9 de abril de 2010. Las temáticas abordadas en los 167 capítulos muestran las grandes líneas de investigación que se desarrollan fundamentalmente en nuestro país, pero también en los otros países mencionados arriba, y señalan además las áreas que recién se inician, con poca tradición en nuestro país y que deberían fomentarse. Los trabajos aquí publicados se enmarcan dentro de las siguientes disciplinas y/o campos de investigación: Fonología, Sintaxis, Semántica y Pragmática, Lingüística Cognitiva, Análisis del Discurso, Psicolingüística, Adquisición de la Lengua, Sociolingüística y Dialectología, Didáctica de la lengua, Lingüística Aplicada, Lingüística Computacional, Historia de la Lengua y la Lingüística, Lenguas Aborígenes, Filosofía del Lenguaje, Lexicología y Terminología

Asistencia sanitaria en las demencias: satisfacción y necesidades del cuidador

Resumen: Introducción: La atención primaria (AP) y las consultas de neurología general (CN) asumen la principal carga en la asistencia sanitaria de los pacientes con demencia. Apenas se dispone de estudios acerca de la satisfacción del cuidador con estos ámbitos asistenciales. Métodos: Se diseñó y administró una encuesta a 75 cuidadores de pacientes con demencia que acudieron a revisión a una CN y que habían sido remitidos desde la AP. La encuesta incluía cuestiones relacionadas con los cuidados, la utilización de servicios y la satisfacción. Se recogieron, además, variables sociodemográficas y clínicas, se describieron los resultados de la encuesta y se realizó un análisis de correlaciones simples (r de Spearman) para explorar los factores asociados a la satisfacción. Resultados: Los cuidadores fueron mayoritariamente hijas/os (60%) o cónyuges (31%). El 73% eran mujeres. El servicio más utilizado fue la ayuda en el domicilio (36%), pero el 41% de los pacientes no disponía de ningún servicio. La satisfacción fue alta (84% bastante o muy satisfechos con la AP, 97% bastante o muy satisfechos con la CN, p < 0,01). Un mayor número de años cuidando se asoció a una menor satisfacción con la AP (r = −0,37, p < 0,005), mientras que la institucionalización se asoció a una menor satisfacción con la CN (r = –0,30, p < 0,01). Conclusiones: En un contexto de escasez de recursos, la satisfacción de los cuidadores de pacientes con demencia respecto de la asistencia sanitaria fue alta, posiblemente debido a la motivación de los profesionales y a la actitud positiva de los cuidadores. Abstract: Introduction: Primary care (PC) and general neurology clinics (NC) assume the leading role in the health care of patients with dementia. There are hardly any studies on the satisfaction of the caregiver at these settings of health care. Methods: A questionnaire was designed and distributed to 75 caregivers of patients with dementia who were reviewed in an NC and who had been referred from PC. The questionnaire included questions associated with the care, the use of services, and satisfaction. Sociodemographic and clinical variables were also collected. The results of the questionnaire are described and a simple correlation analysis (Spearman r) was performed to determine the factors associated with satisfaction. Results: The majority of carers were sons or daughters (60%) or spouses (31%), of which 73% were women. The service most used was home help (36%), but 41% of patients had no services available. Satisfaction was high (84% quite or very satisfied with PC, 97% quite or very satisfied with the NC, P < .01). A greater number of years giving care was associated with a lower satisfaction with PC ((r = −0.37, P < .005), while institutionalisation was associated with a lower satisfaction with the NC (r = −0.30, P < .01). Conclusions: In a context of a scarcity of resources, the satisfaction of the caregivers of patients with dementia, as regards health care, was high, possibly due to the motivation of the health professionals and the positive attitude of the caregivers themselves. Palabras clave: Atención primaria, Consulta de neurología, Cuidador, Demencia, Planificación sanitaria, Satisfacción percibida, Keywords: Caregiver, Dementia, Health care planning, Neurology clinics, Perceived satisfaction, Primary car