Interrelation between transport properties in phosphate glasses through their atomic structure

Tesis doctoral inédita leída en la Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Facultad de Ciencias, Departamento de Química Inorgánica. Fecha de lectura: 01-04-2016Esta tesis tiene embargado el acceso al texto completo hasta el 01-10-201

Estrategias para la resolución de problemas

La realidad educativa española en la parte que se refiere a la adquisición de competencias matemáticas, nos muestra un mapa de resultados susceptibles de mejora y se materializa en altos porcentajes de fracaso escolar, abandono y desmotivación. Estos resultados están referidos a los alumnos/as, no obstante en el presente trabajo me propongo plantear propuestas de intervención educativa. Es mi propósito contribuir a que las matemáticas y en particular la resolución de problemas, deje de ser un obstáculo y se convierta en una herramienta que facilite el proceso de enseñanza-aprendizaje de las matemáticas.Grado en Educación Primari

Structural and electrical properties of LiPO3 glasses

This paper reports on the structural and electrical properties of LiPO3 glass over a wide range of frequencies (10 Hz - 2 MHz) and temperatures (290 K -627 K). The temperature dependence of a.c. conductivity is studied at different frequencies. The d.c. conductivity is due to the hopping of lithium ions. A theoretical model and mathematical fit of conductivity measurements are used for characterization of the ionic hopping motion connected with the mobility of conducting Li+ ions. The acoustic attenuation spectroscopy can be useful technique for the study of relaxation processes in ion conducting glasses too. Raman experiments showed the rings and chains configuration at the medium range

Multiomics insights on the onset, progression, and metastatic evolution of breast cancer

Breast cancer is the most common malignant neoplasm in women. Despite progress to date, 700,000 women worldwide died of this disease in 2020. Apparently, the prognostic markers currently used in the clinic are not sufficient to determine the most appropriate treatment. For this reason, great efforts have been made in recent years to identify new molecular biomarkers that will allow more precise and personalized therapeutic decisions in both primary and recurrent breast cancers. These molecular biomarkers include genetic and post-transcriptional alterations, changes in protein expression, as well as metabolic, immunological or microbial changes identified by multiple omics technologies (e.g., genomics, epigenomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, glycomics, metabolomics, lipidomics, immunomics and microbiomics). This review summarizes studies based on omics analysis that have identified new biomarkers for diagnosis, patient stratification, differentiation between stages of tumor development (initiation, progression, and metastasis/recurrence), and their relevance for treatment selection. Furthermore, this review highlights the importance of clinical trials based on multiomics studies and the need to advance in this direction in order to establish personalized therapies and prolong disease-free survival of these patients in the future

Changes in expression of hypothalamic releasing hormone receptors in individual rat anterior pituitary cells during maturation, puberty and senescence

Producción CientíficaAnterior pituitary (AP) is formed by five different cell types, each one producing a different AP hormone whose secretion is regulated by a specific hypothalamic-releasing hormone (HRH). On the other hand, a significant number of AP cells express multiple HRH receptors (multiresponsive cells). Plastic changes in expression of HRH receptors in individual AP cells are involved in critical endocrine events. Here we have characterized the changes in functional responses to CRH, LHRH, TRH, and GHRH in individual AP cells throughout the whole life span of the rat. To this end, calcium responses to the HRHs were followed by single-cell imaging in freshly dispersed AP cells prepared from rats of different ages (0–540 postnatal days). Three different cell pools were identified: 1) monoresponsive cells, holding a single class of HRH receptor; 2) multiresponsive cells; and 3) nonresponsive cells. The relative abundance of each pool changed with age. Nonresponsive cells were abundant at birth, multiresponsive cells were abundant at puberty, and monoresponsive cells dominated at senescence. The relative abundance of each HRH receptor changed largely with age but not gender. In addition, the contribution of monoresponsive and multiresponsive cells to responses to each HRH changed very much with age. Thus, the anterior pituitary shows large changes in cell populations typed by functional responses to HRHs during maturation, puberty, and senescence.Fondo de Investigaciones Sanitarias (grant FIS 03/1231)Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades (grants BFI 2001-2073 and BFU-2004-02765/BFI

Rapid changes in anterior pituitary cell phenotypes in male and female mice after acute cold stress

Producción CientíficaThe anterior pituitary (AP) is made of five different cell types. The relative abundance and phenotype of AP cells may change in different physiological situations as an expression of pituitary plasticity. Here, we analyze in detail the phenotype of mouse corticotropes and the effects of acute cold stress on AP cell populations. The hormone content and the expression of hypothalamic-releasing hormone (HRH) receptors in all the five AP cell types were studied in the male and female mice at rest and after a 30-min cold stress. Expression of HRH receptors was evidenced by imaging the single-cell cytosolic Ca2+ responses in fura-2-loaded cells. Hormone contents were studied by multiple, simultaneous immunofluorescence of all the five hormones. Corticotropes displayed a striking sexual dimorphism, even in the resting condition. Male corticotropes showed the orthodox phenotype. They were monohormonal, storing only ACTH, and monoreceptorial, responding only to CRH. In contrast, female corticotropes were made of about equal parts of orthodox cells and multifunctional cells, which co-stored additional AP hormones and expressed additional HRH receptors. Cold stress did not modify the number of ACTH containing cells, but, according to immunostaining, it increased the relative abundance of other AP cell types at the expense of the pool of cells storing no hormones. Cold stress also modified the response to CRH and other HRHs. Most of these phenotypical changes presented a strong sexual dimorphism. These results indicate that pituitary plasticity is even larger than previously thought.Fondo de Investigaciones Sanitarias (grant FIS03/1231)Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades (grants BFU-2004-02765/BFI, BFU2005-02078 and BFU2007-60157

Functions of BCL-X L at the Interface between Cell Death and Metabolism

The BCL-2 homolog BCL-X L , one of the two protein products of BCL2L1, has originally been characterized for its prominent prosurvival functions. Similar to BCL-2, BCL-X L binds to its multidomain proapoptotic counterparts BAX and BAK, hence preventing the formation of lethal pores in the mitochondrial outer membrane, as well as to multiple BH3-only proteins, thus interrupting apical proapoptotic signals. In addition, BCL-X L has been suggested to exert cytoprotective functions by sequestering a cytosolic pool of the pro-apoptotic transcription factor p53 and by binding to the voltage-dependent anion channel 1 (VDAC1), thereby inhibiting the so-called mitochondrial permeability transition (MPT). Thus, BCL-X L appears to play a prominent role in the regulation of multiple distinct types of cell death, including apoptosis and regulated necrosis. More recently, great attention has been given to the cell death-unrelated functions of BCL-2-like proteins. In particular, BCL-X L has been shown to modulate a number of pathophysiological processes, including-but not limited to-mitochondrial ATP synthesis, protein acetylation, autophagy and mitosis. In this short review article, we will discuss the functions of BCL-X L at the interface between cell death and metabolism

Functions of BCL-X L

The BCL-2 homolog BCL-XL, one of the two protein products of BCL2L1, has originally been characterized for its prominent prosurvival functions. Similar to BCL-2, BCL-XL binds to its multidomain proapoptotic counterparts BAX and BAK, hence preventing the formation of lethal pores in the mitochondrial outer membrane, as well as to multiple BH3-only proteins, thus interrupting apical proapoptotic signals. In addition, BCL-XL has been suggested to exert cytoprotective functions by sequestering a cytosolic pool of the pro-apoptotic transcription factor p53 and by binding to the voltage-dependent anion channel 1 (VDAC1), thereby inhibiting the so-called mitochondrial permeability transition (MPT). Thus, BCL-XL appears to play a prominent role in the regulation of multiple distinct types of cell death, including apoptosis and regulated necrosis. More recently, great attention has been given to the cell death-unrelated functions of BCL-2-like proteins. In particular, BCL-XL has been shown to modulate a number of pathophysiological processes, including—but not limited to—mitochondrial ATP synthesis, protein acetylation, autophagy and mitosis. In this short review article, we will discuss the functions of BCL-XL at the interface between cell death and metabolism

Single-cell phenotypic characterization of human pituitary GHomas and non-functioning adenomas based on hormone content and calcium responses to hypothalamic releasing hormones

Producción CientíficaHuman pituitary tumors are generally benign adenomas causing considerable morbidity due to excess hormone secretion, hypopituitarism, and other tumor mass effects. Pituitary tumors are highly heterogeneous and difficult to type, often containing mixed cell phenotypes. We have used calcium imaging followed by multiple immunocytochemistry to type growth hormone secreting (GHomas) and non-functioning pituitary adenomas (NFPAs). Individual cells were typed for stored hormones and calcium responses to classic hypothalamic releasing hormones (HRHs). We found that GHomas contained growth hormone cells either lacking responses to HRHs or responding to all four HRHs. However, most GHoma cells were polyhormonal cells responsive to both thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH) and GH-releasing hormone. NFPAs were also highly heterogeneous. Some of them contained ACTH cells lacking responses to HRHs or polyhormonal gonadotropes responsive to LHRH and TRH. However, most NFPAs were made of cells storing no hormone and responded only to TRH. These results may provide new insights on the ontogeny of GHomas and NFPAs.Ministerio de Economía, Industria y Competitividad (Project BFU2012-37146)Instituto de Salud CarlosIII (FIS03/1231