Qualitative and quantitative analyses of the bifidobacterial microbiota in the colonic mucosa of patients with colorectal cancer, diverticulitis and infl ammatory bowel disease

AIM: To characterize the bifidobacterial microbiota of the colonic mucosa in patients with colon cancer, inflammatory bowel disease or diverticulitis. METHODS: A sample of the distal colonic mucosa was taken during surgery from a total of 34 patients, twenty-one with diagnosed colorectal cancer, nine with diverticulitis and four with inflammatory bowel disease, requiring surgery for their condition. Bacterial DNA was extracted from the resected mucosal samples and bifidobacterial mucosa-associated microbiota was qualitatively and quantitatively determined by means of qualitative and quantitative PCR. RESULTS: Bifidobacteria were found in 100% of the samples from patients with diverticulitis or IBD and a 76% of those suffering colon cancer. The species B. longum and B. bifidum were the most widely found, followed by B. animalis, B. catenulatum and B. adolescentis. B. breve, B. dentium and B. angulatum were not detected in any sample. A significantly higher occurrence of B. longum was observed in patients with diverticulitis than in those with colon cancer or IBD (100%, 62% and 75%, respectively, P < 0.05). Similar results were obtained for B. animalis (56%, 0% and 25%, P < 0.05), while B. adolescentis was only found in the mucosa from patients with colon cancer (5 out of 21, 24%). At the quantitative level, patients with colon cancer or IBD showed lower counts of total Bifidobacterium (4.94 and 5.91 vs 6.96 log Cells/sample, respectively, P < 0.05) and of the species B. longum (4.05 and 4.79 vs 6.76, P < 0.05) than those with diverticulitis. CONCLUSION: Aberrancies in mucosa associated microbiota are present in different intestinal diseases. This may indicate a role of the microbiota in the pathogenesis of these diseasesPeer reviewe

Ianus: an Adpative FPGA Computer

Dedicated machines designed for specific computational algorithms can outperform conventional computers by several orders of magnitude. In this note we describe {\it Ianus}, a new generation FPGA based machine and its basic features: hardware integration and wide reprogrammability. Our goal is to build a machine that can fully exploit the performance potential of new generation FPGA devices. We also plan a software platform which simplifies its programming, in order to extend its intended range of application to a wide class of interesting and computationally demanding problems. The decision to develop a dedicated processor is a complex one, involving careful assessment of its performance lead, during its expected lifetime, over traditional computers, taking into account their performance increase, as predicted by Moore's law. We discuss this point in detail

Manganese oxides as biominerals in a granitic subterranean environment

Black coatings were detected on granite surfaces in groundwater catch work tunnels from Porto city (NW Portugal). XRD, FTIR, Micro-Raman, ICP-MS, TEM-EDS, SEM-EDS and SEM-FIB were the analytical procedures carried out to investigate the origin of the black coatings. In this subterranean environment, the enrichment in metals and other trace elements, such as Mn and Fe, and clay minerals characterize the black microbial mats, mainly composed of Mn/Fe-oxidising bacteria.Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT

Prospects in Constraining the Dark Energy Potential

We generalize to non-flat geometries the formalism of Simon et al. (2005) to reconstruct the dark energy potential. This formalism makes use of quantities similar to the Horizon-flow parameters in inflation, can, in principle, be made non-parametric and is general enough to be applied outside the simple, single scalar field quintessence. Since presently available and forthcoming data do not allow a non-parametric and exact reconstruction of the potential, we consider a general parametric description in term of Chebyshev polynomials. We then consider present and future measurements of H(z), Baryon Acoustic Oscillations surveys and Supernovae type 1A surveys, and investigate their constraints on the dark energy potential. We find that, relaxing the flatness assumption increases the errors on the reconstructed dark energy evolution but does not open up significant degeneracies, provided that a modest prior on geometry is imposed. Direct measurements of H(z), such as those provided by BAO surveys, are crucially important to constrain the evolution of the dark energy potential and the dark energy equation of state, especially for non-trivial deviations from the standard LambdaCDM model.Comment: 22 pages, 7 figures. 2 references correcte

Ion-exchanged geopolymer for photocatalytic degradation of a volatile organic compound

In thepresentworkitisshownhowgeopolymerscanbeusedtocontrolindoorandoutdoorair pollution byphotolysisof2-ButanoneasaVolatileOrganicCompound(VOC).Anionexchange procedurewasfollowedtoincorporateTiO2 into ageopolymer(IEG),anddifferent2-Butanone concentrations wereusedinabatchreactorunderdryandhumidconditions.Variationon 2-Butanone concentrationwasfollowedbygaschromatography.ALangmuir Hinshelwood modelwas used todeterminethedisappearancerateofreactantattheinitialstageofthereaction.Gasca-Tirado, J.; Manzano-Ramirez, A.; Vazquez-Landaverde, PA.; Herrera-Diaz, EI.; Rodriguez-Ugarte, ME.; Rubio-Avalos, JC.; Amigó Borrás, V.... (2014). Ion-exchanged geopolymer for photocatalytic degradation of a volatile organic compound. Materials Letters. 134:222-224. doi:10.1016/j.matlet.2014.07.090S22222413

Microtubule stabilization reduces amyloid pathology and improves synaptic/memory deficits in APP/PS1 mice

Aims: Cognitive decline in Alzheimer's disease (AD) is highly related to synaptic/neuronal loss. Tau hyperphosphorylation destabilizes microtubules leading to axonal transport failure and generation of dystrophic neurites, thus contributing to synaptic dysfunction. The effect of microtubule stabilization on amyloid-beta pathology has not been assessed in vivo yet. This study evaluated the effect of the microtubule-stabilizing agent, Epothilone D (EpoD) in the pathology of an amyloidogenic mouse model. Methods: APP751SL/PS1M146L mice (3-month-old) were treated weekly with intraperitoneal injections of EpoD (2 mg/kg) or vehicle for 3 months. For memory performance, animals were tested on the objectrecognition, Y-maze and Morris water maze. Hippocampal proteinopathies were quantified by image analysis after immunostaining. Somatostatin (SOM)-numerical density was calculated by stereology. APPswe-N2a cells were treated with EpoD 100nM for 12/24 hours. Protein levels were analysed by Western/dot-blot. Results: EpoD-treated mice improved their performance of cognitive tests, while hippocampal phospho-tau and Ab (especially oligomers) accumulation decreased, together with synaptic/neuritic pathology. Remarkably, EpoD exerted a neuroprotective effect on SOM-interneurons, a highly AD-vulnerable GABAergic subpopulation. Conclusions: EpoD improved microtubule dynamics and axonal transport in an AD-like context, reducing tau and Ab accumulation and promoting neuronal and cognitive protection, underlining the cross-talk between cytoskeleton pathology and proteinopathy. Therefore, microtubule-stabilizing drugs could be candidates for slowing AD at both tau and Ab pathologies.Supported by PI18/01557 (to AG) and PI18/01556 (to JV) grants from ISCiii of Spain, co-financed by FEDER funds (European Union), CIBERNED collaborative grant (to AG and JV), and by PPIT.UMA.B1.2017/26 grant (to RSV). Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech

Using perturbation methods and Laplace–Padé approximation to solve nonlinear problems

WOS: 000328081500009In this paper, the perturbation method and Pade transformation are used to provide an approximate solution of elliptic integrals of the second kind and of complete integrals of the first kind. Besides, we used the obtained results to calculate an analytic expression for the period of a simple pendulum. The method has an acceptable accuracy for high values of the initial amplitude, compared to the relative error < 1.7% for initial angles theta <= 70 degree

Distinct Microglial Responses in Two Transgenic Murine Models of TAU Pathology

Microglial cells are crucial players in the pathological process of neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Microglial response in AD has been principally studied in relation to amyloid-beta pathology but, comparatively, little is known about inflammatory processes associated to tau pathology. In the hippocampus of AD patients, where tau pathology is more prominent than amyloid-beta pathology, a microglial degenerative process has been reported. In this work, we have directly compared the microglial response in two different transgenic tau mouse models: ThyTau22 and P301S. Surprisingly, these two models showed important differences in the microglial profile and tau pathology. Where ThyTau22 hippocampus manifested mild microglial activation, P301S mice exhibited a strong microglial response in parallel with high phospho-tau accumulation. This differential phospho-tau expression could account for the different microglial response in these two tau strains. However, soluble (S1) fractions from ThyTau22 hippocampus presented relatively high content of soluble phospho-tau (AT8-positive) and were highly toxic for microglial cells in vitro, whereas the correspondent S1 fractions from P301S mice displayed low soluble phospho-tau levels and were not toxic for microglial cells. Therefore, not only the expression levels but the aggregation of phospho-tau should differ between both models. In fact, most of tau forms in the P301S mice were aggregated and, in consequence, forming insoluble tau species. We conclude that different factors as tau mutations, accumulation, phosphorylation, and/or aggregation could account for the distinct microglial responses observed in these two tau models. For this reason, deciphering the molecular nature of toxic tau species for microglial cells might be a promising therapeutic approach in order to restore the deficient immunological protection observed in AD hippocampus

Different Lifestyle Interventions in Adults From Underserved Communities: The FAMILIA Trial

BACKGROUND: The current trends of unhealthy lifestyle behaviors in underserved communities are disturbing. Thus, effective health promotion strategies constitute an unmet need. OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to assess the impact of 2 different lifestyle interventions on parents/caregivers of children attending preschools in a socioeconomically disadvantaged community. METHODS: The FAMILIA (Family-Based Approach in a Minority Community Integrating Systems-Biology for Promotion of Health) study is a cluster-randomized trial involving 15 Head Start preschools in Harlem, New York. Schools, and their children's parents/caregivers, were randomized to receive either an "individual-focused" or "peer-to-peer-based" lifestyle intervention program for 12 months or control. The primary outcome was the change from baseline to 12 months in a composite health score related to blood pressure, exercise, weight, alimentation, and tobacco (Fuster-BEWAT Score [FBS]), ranging from 0 to 15 (ideal health = 15). To assess the sustainability of the intervention, this study evaluated the change of FBS at 24 months. Main pre-specified secondary outcomes included changes in FBS subcomponents and the effect of the knowledge of presence of atherosclerosis as assessed by bilateral carotid/femoral vascular ultrasound. Mixed-effects models were used to test for intervention effects. RESULTS: A total of 635 parents/caregivers were enrolled: mean age 38 ± 11 years, 83% women, 57% Hispanic/Latino, 31% African American, and a baseline FBS of 9.3 ± 2.4 points. The mean within-group change in FBS from baseline to 12 months was ∼0.20 points in all groups, with no overall between-group differences. However, high-adherence participants to the intervention exhibited a greater change in FBS than their low-adherence counterparts: 0.30 points (95% confidence interval: 0.03 to 0.57; p = 0.027) versus 0.00 points (95% confidence interval: -0.43 to 0.43; p = 1.0), respectively. Furthermore, the knowledge by the participant of the presence of atherosclerosis significantly boosted the intervention effects. Similar results were sustained at 24 months. CONCLUSIONS: Although overall significant differences were not observed between intervention and control groups, the FAMILIA trial highlights that high adherence rates to lifestyle interventions may improve health outcomes. It also suggests a potential contributory role of the presentation of atherosclerosis pictures, providing helpful information to improve future lifestyle interventions in adults.AGENCIA FINANCIADORA: The American Heart Association, under grant No 14SFRN20490315, funded this study. R.F-J is a recipient of funding from the European Union Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie grant agreement No 707642. The CNIC is supported by the Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII), the Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades (MCNU) and the Pro CNIC Foundation, and is a Severo Ochoa Center of Excellence (SEV-2015-0505).S