Diet induced changes in the microbiota and cell composition of rabbit gut associated lymphoid tissue (GALT)

[EN] The gut associated lymphoid tissue (GALT) is the largest immune organ of the body. Although the gut transient and mucosa-associated microbiota have been largely studied, the microbiota that colonizes the GALT has received less attention. The gut microbiome plays an important role in competitive exclusion of pathogens and in development and maturation of immunity. Diet is a key factor affecting the microbiota composition in the digestive tract. To investigate the relation between diet, microbiota and GALT, microbial and cell composition of vermiform appendix (VA) and sacculus rotundus (SR) were studied in two groups of New Zealand white rabbits on different diets. Diet shifted the lymphoid tissue microbiota affecting the presence and/or absence of certain taxa and their abundances. Immunohistochemistry revealed that a higher fibre content diet resulted in M cell hyperplasia and an increase of recently recruited macrophages, whereas T-cell levels remained unaltered in animals on both high fibre and standard diets. These findings indicate that diet has an impact on the microbiota and cell composition of the GALT, which could act as an important microbial recognition site where interactions with beneficial bacteria can take place favouring microbiota replacement after digestive dysregulationsSIAuthors thank Félix Blanco, Sergio Ayuso and Fidel Goiri for animal care and handling. The research was funded by grant (AGL2012-39818-C02-02) from the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competiveness (MINECO), and by the Department of Economy and Infrastructures (DEI) of the Basque Government. RA held a pre-doctoral fellowship (BFI-2012-237) and a visiting fellowship (EP_2015_1_53) from the Department of Education, Universities and Research of the Basque Governmen

Vaccination sequence effects on immunological response and tissue bacterial burden in paratuberculosis infection in a rabbit model

[EN] Paratuberculosis (PTB), a chronic granulomatous enteritis produced by Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis (MAP), is considered as one of the diseases with the highest economic impact in the ruminant industry. Vaccination against MAP is recommended during the first months after birth on the basis that protection would be conferred before the first contact with mycobacteria. However, little is known about the therapeutic effect of MAP vaccination in controlled experimental conditions. The current study was designed to evaluate the efficacy of vaccination before and after challenge with MAP in a rabbit infection model. The rabbits were divided into four groups: non-infected control (NIC, n = 4), infected control challenged with MAP (IC, n = 5), vaccinated and challenged 1 month after with MAP (VSI, n = 5) and challenged with MAP and vaccinated 2 months later (IVS, n = 5). The results from this study show a quick increase in IFN-γ release upon stimulation with bovine, avian and johnin PPD in animals vaccinated before MAP challenge. All vaccinated animals show an increased humoral response as seen by western blot and ELISA. The final bacteriology index (considering tissue culture and qPCR) shows that the IC group was the most affected. Vaccination after infection (IVS) produced the lowest bacteriology index showing significant differences with the IC group (p = 0.034). In conclusion, vaccination against MAP shows positive effects in a rabbit model. However, vaccination after infection shows a slightly stronger protective effect compared to vaccination before infection, suggesting a therapeutic effect. This feature could be applied to previously infected adult animals under field conditionsSIThe authors thank Felix Blanco from the animal facilities (NEIKER-Tecnalia). This study was supported with funds from the Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad from the Spanish Government (AGL 2012-39818-C02-02). RA acknowledges support from the Departamento de Educación y Universidades of the Basque Government (BFI-2012-237

Effect of pore generator on microstructure and resistivity of Sb2O3 and CuO doped SnO2 electrodes

[EN] Sb(2)O(3)and CuO doped SnO(2)ceramic electrodes could be an alternative to the ones currently used ones in the electrooxidation process of water pollutants. The rise of electrode surface by introducing a porogen agent on the composition was analysed in order to increase the electrochemical active surface. For this reason, several substances were tested. Although the densification and total pore volume had similar values, the microstructures and the pore size distributions generated were strongly dependent on porogen nature. A total of five porogens were tested, but petroleum coke turned out to be the best option for these electrodes. It was found that the electrical resistivity depends on the nature of pore generator. Furthermore, its relation to the porosity can be modelled with Archie's or Pabst's equations.The authors are very grateful to the Ministerio de Economia y Competitividad (Projects: CTQ2015-65202-C2-1-R and CTQ2015-65202-C2-2-R) and to the European Regional Development Fund (FEDER), for their economic support.Sánchez-Rivera, M.; Gozalbo, A.; Pérez-Herranz, V.; Mestre, S. (2020). Effect of pore generator on microstructure and resistivity of Sb2O3 and CuO doped SnO2 electrodes. Journal of Porous Materials. 27(6):1801-1808. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10934-020-00959-0S18011808276C.A. Martínez-Huitle, S. Ferro, Electrochemical oxidation of organic pollutants for the wastewater treatment: direct and indirect processes. Chem. Soc. Rev. 35, 1324–1340 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1039/B517632HC.A. Kent, J.J. Concepcion, C.J. Dares, D.A. Torelli, A.J. Rieth, A.S. Miller, P.G. Hoertz, T.J. Meyer, Water oxidation and oxygen monitoring by cobalt-modified fluorine-doped tin oxide electrodes. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 135, 8432–8435 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1021/ja400616aM.P. Miranda, R. Del Rio, M.A. Del Valle, M. Faundez, F. Armijo, Use of fluorine-doped tin oxide electrodes for lipoic acid determination in dietary supplements. J. Electroanal. Chem. 668, 1–6 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jelechem.2011.12.022M.A.Q. Alfaro, S. Ferro, C.A. Martínez-Huitle, Y.M. Vong, Boron doped diamond electrode for the wastewater treatment. J. Braz. Chem. Soc. 17, 227–236 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1590/S0103-50532006000200003J. Mora-Gómez, M. García-Gabaldón, E. Ortega, M.-J. Sánchez-Rivera, S. Mestre, V. Pérez-Herranz, Evaluation of new ceramic electrodes based on Sb-doped SnO2 for the removal of emerging compounds present in wastewater. Ceram. Int. 44, 2216–2222 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ceramint.2017.10.178C.J. Evans, Industrial uses of tin chemicals, Chem. Tin, Springer Netherlands, Dordrecht, 1998: pp. 442–479. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-011-4938-9_12J. Molera, T. Pradell, N. Salvadó, M. Vendrell-Saz, Evidence of tin oxide recrystallization in opacified lead glazes. J. Am. Ceram. Soc. 82, 2871–2875 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1151-2916.1999.tb02170.xP.P. Tsai, I.-C. Chen, M.H. Tzeng, Tin oxide (SnOX) carbon monoxide sensor fabricated by thick-film methods. Sensors Actuators B 25, 537–539 (1995). https://doi.org/10.1016/0925-4005(95)85116-XF. Li, J. Xu, X. Yu, L. Chen, J. Zhu, Z. Yang, X. Xin, One-step solid-state reaction synthesis and gas sensing property of tin oxide nanoparticles. Sensors Actuators B 165–169. http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0925400501009479S. Zuca, M. Terzi, M. Zaharescu, K. Matiasovsky, Contribution to the study of SnO2-based ceramics. J. Mater. Sci. 26, 1673–1676 (1991). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00544681M. BATZILL, U. DIEBOLD, The surface and materials science of tin oxide. Prog. Surf. Sci. 79, 47–154 (2005). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.progsurf.2005.09.002G. Monrós. El color de la cerámica: nuevos mecanismos en pigmentos para los nuevos procesados de la industria cerámica, n.d. https://books.google.es/books/about/El_Color_de_la_cerámica.html?id=yfIogcGvdqUC&redir_esc=y . Accessed 29 Aug 2018E.R. Leite, J.A. Cerri, E. Longo, J.A. Varela, C.A. Paskocima, Sintering of ultrafine undoped SnO2 powder. J. Eur. Ceram. Soc. 21, 669–675 (2001). https://doi.org/10.1016/S0955-2219(00)00250-8S. Mihaiu, O. Scarlat, G. Aldica, M. Zaharescu, SnO2 electroceramics with various additives. J. Eur. Ceram. Soc. 21, 1801–1804 (2001). https://doi.org/10.1016/S0955-2219(01)00119-4C.R. Foschini, L. Perazolli, J.A. Varela, Sintering of tin oxide using zinc oxide as a densification aid. J. Mater. Sci. 39, 5825–5830 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1023/B:JMSC.0000040095.03906.61M.S. Castro, C.M. Aldao, Characterization of SnO2-varistors with different additives. J. Eur. Ceram. Soc. 18, 2233–2239 (1998). https://doi.org/10.1016/S0955-2219(97)00130-1A.-M. Popescu, S. Mihaiu, S. Zuca, Microstructure and electrochemical behaviour of some SnO2-based inert electrodes in aluminium electrolysis. Zeitschrift Für Naturforsch. A 57, 71–75 (2002). https://doi.org/10.1515/zna-2002-1-210M.R. Sahar, M. Hasbullah, Properties of SnO2-based ceramics. 30, 5304–5305 (1995)D. Nisiro, G. Fabbri, G.C. Celotti, A. Bellosi, Influence of the additives and processing conditions on the characteristics of dense SnO2-based ceramics. J. Mater. Sci. 38, 2727–2742 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1024459307992M.-J. Sánchez-Rivera, CuO improved (Sn,Sb)O2 ceramic anodes for electrochemical advanced oxidation processes. Int. J. Appl. Ceram. Technol. (2018)B. Das, B. Chakrabarty, P. Barkakati, Preparation and characterization of novel ceramic membranes for micro-filtration applications. Ceram. Int. 42, 14326–14333 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ceramint.2016.06.125I. Hedfi, N. Hamdi, M.A. Rodriguez, E. Srasra, Development of a low cost micro-porous ceramic membrane from kaolin and Alumina, using the lignite as porogen agent. Ceram. Int. 42, 5089–5093 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ceramint.2015.12.023M. García-Gabaldón, V. Pérez-Herranz, E. Sánchez, S. Mestre, Effect of porosity on the effective electrical conductivity of different ceramic membranes used as separators in eletrochemical reactors. J. Memb. Sci. 280, 536–544 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.memsci.2006.02.007J.-H. Kim, K.-H. Lee, Effect of PEG additive on membrane formation by phase inversion. J. Memb. Sci. 138, 153–163 (1998). https://doi.org/10.1016/S0376-7388(97)00224-XB.K. Nandi, R. Uppaluri, M.K. Purkait, Preparation and characterization of low cost ceramic membranes for micro-filtration applications. Appl. Clay Sci. 42, 102–110 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.clay.2007.12.001F. Bouzerara, A. Harabi, S. Condom, Porous ceramic membranes prepared from kaolin. Desalin. Water Treat. 12, 415–419 (2009). https://doi.org/10.5004/dwt.2009.1051Q. Guibao, L. Tengfei, W. Jian, B. Chenguang, Preparation Titanium Foams with Uniform and Fine Pore Characteristics Through Powder Route Using Urea Particles as Space Holder (Springer, Cham, 2018), pp. 861–868. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-72526-0_82K. Zou, Y. Deng, J. Chen, Y. Qian, Y. Yang, Y. Li, G. Chen, Hierarchically porous nitrogen-doped carbon derived from the activation of agriculture waste by potassium hydroxide and urea for high-performance supercapacitors. J. Power Sources. 378, 579–588 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpowsour.2017.12.081S. Vijayan, R. Narasimman, K. Prabhakaran, A urea crystal templating method for the preparation of porous alumina ceramics with the aligned pores. J. Eur. Ceram. Soc. 33, 1929–1934 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jeurceramsoc.2013.02.031R.M. German, Sintering Theory and Practice (Wiley, New York, 1996)G.E. Archie, The electrical resistivity log as an aid in determining some reservoir characteristics. Trans. AIME. 146, 54–62 (1942)P. WAGNER, J.A. O’ROURKE, P.E. ARMSTRONG, Porosity effects in polycrystalline graphite. J. Am. Ceram. Soc. 55, 214–219 (1972). https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1151-2916.1972.tb11262.xH.El Khal, A. Cordier, N. Batis, E. Siebert, S. Georges, M.C. Steil, Effect of porosity on the electrical conductivity of LAMOX materials. Solid State Ionics. 304, 75–84 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssi.2017.03.028S. Tian-Ming, D. Li-Min, W. Chen, G. Wen-Li, W. Li, T.-X. Liang, New carbon materials Effect of porosity on the electrical resistivity of carbon materials. New Carbon Mater 28, 349–354 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1016/S1872-5805(13)60087-6W. Pabst, E. Gregorová, Conductivity of porous materials with spheroidal pores. J. Eur. Ceram. Soc. 34, 2757–2766 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jeurceramsoc.2013.12.04

Executive functioning skills and (low) math achievement in primary and secondary school

Schoolchildren with better executive functioning skills achieve better mathematics results. It is less clear how inhibition, cognitive flexibility, and working memory combine to predict mathematics achievement and difficulty throughout primary and secondary school. This study aimed to find the best combination of executive function measures for predicting mathematical achievement in Grades 2, 6, and 10 and to test whether this combination predicts the probability of having mathematical difficulties across school grades even when fluid intelligence and processing speed were included in the models. A total of 426 students—141 2nd graders (72 girls), 143 6th graders (72 girls), and 142 10th graders (79 girls)—were cross-sectionally assessed with 12 executive tasks, one standardized mathematical task, and a standardized test of intelligence. Bayesian regression analyses found various combinations of executive predictors of mathematical achievement for each school grade spanning Grade 2 to measures of cognitive inhibition (negative priming) and cognitive flexibility (verbal fluency); Grade 6 to measures of inhibition: resistance to distractor interference (receptive attention), cognitive flexibility (local–global), and working memory (counting span); and Grade 10 to measures of inhibition: resistance to distractor interference (receptive attention) and prepotent response inhibition (stop signal) and working memory (reading span). Logistic regression showed that the executive models derived from the Bayesian analyses had a similar ability to classify students with mathematical difficulty and their peers with typical achievement to broader cognitive models that included fluid intelligence and processing speed. Measures of processing speed, cognitive flexibility (local–global), and prepotent response inhibition (stop signal) were the main risk factors in Grades 2, 6, and 10, respectively. Cognitive flexibility (verbal fluency) in Grade 2 and fluid intelligence, which was more stable in all three grades, acted as protective factors against mathematical difficulty. These findings inform practical considerations for establishing preventive and intervention proposals.Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación | Ref. EDU2011-2269

Immunohistochemical Characterization of Tumor-Associated Macrophages in Canine Lymphomas

[EN] Macrophages have been confirmed to play a significant role in the behavior of human lymphomas, albeit no consistent data are so far available in canine lymphomas. The present study characterizes the macrophages present in cases of canine nodal lymphoma and their relationship with the histological grade and the immunophenotype. Samples from the lymph nodes of 25 dogs diagnosed with lymphoma were selected. Immunohistochemistry was used to determine the tumor immunophenotype (CD3 and CD20 antibodies) and macrophage characterization (Iba1, MAC387, CD204, CD163 and iNOS antibodies). Macrophage counting was performed in 10 randomly selected, high-power fields per sample. Generalized linear models with Poisson distribution were used for statistical analysis. A significantly greater number of macrophages (Iba1+) were detected in high-grade and B-cell lymphomas. The highest amount of both M1 (iNOS+) and M2 (CD204+ and CD163+) subtypes were observed in B-cell lymphomas. High-grade lymphomas showed a greater number of CD204+ and CD163+ cells and recently recruited MAC387+ macrophages. The latter were most abundant in T than in B-cell lymphomas. In conclusion, a significant population of macrophages is present in canine lymphomas, which constitute a heterogeneous population that shows variations in the amount and immunohistochemical profile according to the histological grade and immunophenotypeSIThis research received no external fundin

Accurate Diagnosis of Small Ruminant Lentivirus Infection Is Needed for Selection of Resistant Sheep through TMEM154 E35K Genotyping

[EN] Small ruminant lentiviruses (SRLV) cause an incurable multiorganic disease widely spread in sheep and goats that disturbs animal welfare and production. In the absence of a vaccine, control measures have been traditionally based on early diagnosis and breeding with virus-inactivated colostrum with segregation of seropositive animals. However, antigenic heterogeneity, poor antibody production due to low viral load, and single strain design of most available ELISA, pose a threat to SRLV diagnosis. Genome-wide association studies have described TMEM154 E35K polymorphism as a good genetic marker for selection of resistant animals in some American and European breeds. In this study, a multitargeted serological and virological screening of more than 500 animals from four different breeds (latxa, raza Navarra, assaf, and churra) attending to SRLV infection status was performed. Then, animals were genotyped to characterize TMEM154 E35K polymorphism. ELISA procedures, individually considered, only identified a proportion of the seropositive animals, and PCR detected a fraction of seronegative animals, globally offering different animal classifications according to SRLV infection status. TMEM154 allele frequency differed substantially among breeds and a positive association between seroprevalence and TMEM154 genotype was found only in one breed. Selection based on TMEM154 may be suitable for specific ovine breeds or SRLV strains, however generalization to the whole SRLV genetic spectrum, ovine breeds, or epidemiological situation may need further validationSIThis research was funded by Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation, and Universities, grant number RTI2018-096172-B-C31. The APC was funded by the CSIC Open Access Publication Support Initiative through its Unit of Information Resources for Research (URICI). I.E. was funded by Universidad Pública de Navarra. Hugo Ramírez was financially supported by the “Programa de apoyos para la superación del personal académico (PASPA)” scholarship from DGAPA-UNA

Collaborative Learning Models on Distance Scenarios with Learning Design: A Case Study

6 págs, 1 fig.-- Publicado en la Sección: "Artículos seleccionados de IEEE ICALT" (ICALT'2008 - Eighth IEEE International Conference on Advanced Learning Technologies, Santander, Cantabria, Spain, Jul 1-5, 2008).Previamente publicado como ponencia (en inglés) en: Proceedings ICALT'08 - Eighth IEEE International Conference on Advanced Learning Technologies, 2008, p. 278-282, http://e-archivo.uc3m.es/handle/10016/8964Collaborative learning models are widely used in educational institutions. These models require a high interaction level among students and are mainly oriented towards in-class scenarios. But when collaborative models are deployed in a distant scenario, user expressiveness is significantly reduced thus creating a gap that hinders the effectiveness of this collaboration. A computer-supported model provides a set of tools to compensate for the distant scenario and reduce this gap. This paper presents the issues and solutions derived from the design and deployment of a complex collaborative model in a distant scenario. The course structure was captured using the Learning Design specification, and an architecture based on Virtual Network Computing was used to provide the required collaborative tools. The course was included as part of a regular undergraduate program in three higher educational institutions.Trabajo parcialmente financiado por el Programa Nacional de Tecnologías de la Información y de las Comunicaciones, Proyectos MOSAIC (TSI2005-08225-C07-02/04) y LEARN3 (TIN2008-05163/TSI).Publicad

Enhanced docetaxel-mediated cytotoxicity in human prostate cancer cells through knockdown of cofilin-1 by carbon nanohorns delivered siRNA.

[EN] We synthesized a non-viral delivery system (f-CNH3) for small interfering RNA (siRNA) by anchoring a fourth-generation polyamidoamine dendrimer (G4-PAMAM) to carbon nanohorns (CNHs). Using this new compound, we delivered a specific siRNA designed to knockdown cofilin-1, a key protein in the regulation of cellular cytoskeleton, to human prostate cancer (PCa) cells. The carbon nanohorn (CNH) derivative was able to bind siRNA and release it in the presence of an excess of the polyanion heparin. Moreover, this hybrid nanomaterial protected the siRNA from RNAse-mediated degradation. Synthetic siRNA delivered to PCa cells by f-CNH3 decreased the cofilin-1 mRNA and protein levels to about 20% of control values. Docetaxel, the drug of choice for the treatment of PCa, produced a concentration-dependent activation of caspase-3, an increase in cell death assessed by lactate dehydrogenase release to the culture medium, cell cycle arrest and inhibition of tumor cell proliferation. All of these toxic effects were potentiated when cofilin-1 was down regulated in these cells by a siRNA delivered by the nanoparticle. This suggests that knocking down certain proteins involved in cancer cell survival and/or proliferation may potentiate the cytotoxic actions of anticancer drugs and it might be a new therapeutic approach to treat tumors.F.C.P-M. and B.C. are recipients of Torres Quevedo contracts from Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovacion (Spain) and NanoDrugs, S.L. This work has been supported, in part, by grants BFU2011-30161-C02-01 from Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovacion; PII1I09-0163-4002 and POII10-0274-3182 from Consejeria de Educacion, JCCM to V.C.Pérez-Martínez, FC.; Carrión, B.; Lucío, MI.; Rubio, N.; Herrero, MA.; Vázquez, E.; Ceña, V. (2012). Enhanced docetaxel-mediated cytotoxicity in human prostate cancer cells through knockdown of cofilin-1 by carbon nanohorns delivered siRNA. Biomaterials. 33(32):8152-8159. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biomaterials.2012.07.03881528159333

Influence of Heterologous and Homologous Vaccines, and Their Components, on the Host Immune Response and Protection Against Experimental Caprine Paratuberculosis

[EN] Vaccination against paratuberculosis, a chronic disease of ruminants caused by Mycobacterium avium subsp. paratuberculosis (Map), has been considered as the most effective control method. However, protection is incomplete, and the mechanisms operating in the response of the animals to vaccination are not fully understood. Therefore, this study analyzed the immune response and the effects on protection against Map infection, elicited by paratuberculosis (Silirum®) and tuberculosis (heat-inactivated M. bovis [HIMB]) vaccines and their components in a caprine experimental model. Fifty goat kids were divided into 10 groups (n = 5) according to their vaccination (Silirum®, HIMB and nonvaccinated), immunization (inactivated bacteria or adjuvant), and/or infection. Oral challenge with Map was performed 45 days postvaccination/immunization (dpv), and animals were euthanized at 190 dpv. Peripheral immune response and proportion of lymphocyte subpopulations were assessed monthly by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and flow cytometry analysis, respectively. Local immune response, proportion of tissue lymphocyte subpopulations, Map detection (polymerase chain reaction), and histological examination were conducted in gut-associated lymphoid tissues. All infected groups developed paratuberculosis granulomatous lesions despite vaccination or immunization. The Silirum® and HIMB-vaccinated groups showed a considerable lesion reduction consistent with a significant peripheral cellular and humoral immune response. Besides, a lower number of granulomas were observed in groups immunized with inactivated bacteria and adjuvants in comparison to nonvaccinated and infected group. However, despite not being significant, this reduction was even higher in adjuvant immunized groups, which developed milder granulomatous lesion with no detectable peripheral immune responses associated with immunization. No changes in the peripheral and local proportion of lymphocyte subsets or local immune response were detected in relation to either vaccination/immunization or infection. Despite that paratuberculosis and tuberculosis vaccination showed a partial and cross-protection against Map infection, respectively, only histological examination could assess the progression of infection in these animals. In addition, the pattern observed in the reduction of the lesions in adjuvant immunized groups suggests the possible involvement of a nonspecific immune response that reduces the development of granulomatous lesionsSIThis work was financially supported by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (projects AGL2015- 66540-C2-1-R and RTI2018-099496-B-I00), Junta de Castilla y León (project LE259P18), and National Institute for Agronomic Research (project RTA 2017- 00089-00-00). NA-V was the recipient of a predoctoral contract (BES-2016-076513) from the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation and DG-E and JE of a postdoctoral contract from the Ministry of Science and Innovation (grants nos. FJCI-2017-32020 and FJC2019-042422-I respectively