Nueva contribución a la cronología absoluta del foso-trinchera monumental de Stretto- Partanna (Trapani, Sicilia)

This article presents a decisive contribution to the absolute chronology of one of the most spectacular constructions of the Neolithic societies of the Central Mediterranean, the ditch-trench of Stretto di Partanna (Trapani, Sicily). This structure, excavated in a calcareous bedrock to a depth of 13 m was, according to some authors, part of a complex hydraulic system, where cultural and symbolic features could have played an important role. The five radiocarbon dates presented in this article correspond to the last 2 m of stratification and indicate that the ditch-trench began to be filled in the early centuries of the 5th millennium cal BC, between 4950 and 4800 cal BC. Consequently, we infer it was excavated and used immediately before this time.Este trabajo constituye una contribución decisiva a la cronología absoluta del foso-trinchera de Contrada Stretto, en Partanna (Trapani, Sicilia), una de las más espectaculares construcciones realizadas por sociedades neolíticas del Mediterráneo Central. Esta estructura, excavada en el banco natural calcáreo hasta alcanzar una profundidad de 13 m, a juicio de algunos autores, formó parte de un complejo sistema hidráulico en el cual pudieron desempeñar un papel importante ciertos aspectos simbólicos o cultuales. Las cinco dataciones radiocarbónicas presentadas en este trabajo corresponden a los últimos 2 m de estratificación. Éstas apuntan a un inicio del proceso de colmatación a comienzos del V milenio cal AC, entre el 4950 y el 4800 cal AC. Defendemos como probable su construcción en un momento inmediatamente anterior, considerando el periodo de uso previo a su condena definitiva

Aplicación de un programa de aquaeróbic de muy corta duración (4 semanas) para la mejora de la condición física saludable en mujeres jóvenes sanas

El objetivo de este estudio fue conocer la influencia sobre la condición física saludable de un programa de aquaerobic de muy corta duración en mujeres jóvenes sanas. Participaron en este trabajo 22 mujeres sin patologías aparentes (20,560,98 años), estudiantes de la licenciatura de Ciencias de la Actividad Física y el Deporte, que no practicaban ningún deporte. Los sujetos llevaron a cabo un programa de acondicionamiento físico en el medio acuático basado en el aquaerobic de muy corta duración (8 sesiones de 30 minutos). Se valoró la condición física saludable, inmediatamente antes y después de la actividad. Los resultados muestran una disminución del peso graso estimado y una mejora de la flexibilidad de tronco, fuerza de prensión manual, fuerza-resistencia abdominal, equilibrio y potencia aeróbica máxima estimada. Las conclusiones del presente trabajo fueron: a) un programa de acondicionamiento físico de muy corta duración en el medio acuático se muestra eficaz en la reducción de la masa grasa corporal y b) mediante dicho programa se consiguen mejoras en la mayoría de los parámetros de la condición física saludable en mujeres jóvenes sanas, en especial en los relacionados con la fuerza, la flexibilidad y el equilibrio

Maternal genetic inheritance of red pericarp in the grain of maize

The diversity of colors in the grain of corn is wide, from whites to blacks and including a continuum of various shades of yellows, pinks, reds, purples and blues. The most abundant commercial colors are yellow and white, however other colors have become more important because of the presence of pigments to which are attributed favorable effects as a food. The pigments are also considered natural barriers of the grain against the invasion of pests and diseases in the production fields. The colors of the grain of corn occur in three different parts of the seed: the cover of the grain or pericarp, derived from the maternal tissue, with a diploid genetic content; the endo-sperm, including the aleurone layers that are cells in the grain immediately below the pericarp with a chromosome content of 3n; and the embryo, with a genetic content of 2n. The red color considered in this study is present in the pericarp ignoring possible effects in other tissues of grain and other organs of the plant. In this study, we used materials with colorless or red pericarp, and white or yellow endosperm; with the purpose of describing the type of inheritance of this character in the grain of corn. The results indicated a maternal genetic inheritance with classical complete dominance of the red color of pericarp over the clear or transparent phenotype, where the red color of the grains on ear is determined by the genotype of the mother grain but not by the seed embryo genotypes, which is characterized by uniformity of grain color of the ear. This type of inheritance could be useful in the development of pigmented varieties of higher food quality for humans

Tanzawaic acids, a chemically novel set of bacterial conjugation inhibitors

Bacterial conjugation is the main mechanism for the dissemination of multiple antibiotic resistance in human pathogens. This dissemination could be controlled by molecules that interfere with the conjugation process. A search for conjugation inhibitors among a collection of 1,632 natural compounds, identified tanzawaic acids A and B as best hits. They specially inhibited IncW and IncFII conjugative systems, including plasmids mobilized by them. Plasmids belonging to IncFI, IncI, IncL/M, IncX and IncH incompatibility groups were targeted to a lesser extent, whereas IncN and IncP plasmids were unaffected. Tanzawaic acids showed reduced toxicity in bacterial, fungal or human cells, when compared to synthetic conjugation inhibitors, opening the possibility of their deployment in complex environments, including natural settings relevant for antibiotic resistance dissemination.Work in the FDLC group was supported by grants BFU2014-55534-C2-1-P from the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (http://www.mineco.gob.es) and 612146/FP7-ICT-2013-10 and 282004/FP7-HEALTH-2011-2.3.1-2 from the European Seventh Framework Programme (https://ec.europa.eu/research/fp7). MG was supported by a PhD fellowship from the University of Cantabria (http://www.unican.es). JCG was supported by a postdoctoral fellowship ASTF 402-2010 from the European Molecular Biology Organization (http://www.embo.org). Biomar Microbial Technologies was supported by grant 282004/FP7-HEALTH-2011-2.3.1-2 from the European Seventh Framework Programme (https://ec.europa.eu/research/fp7).USD 1,495 APC fee funded by the EC FP7 Post-Grant Open Access PilotPeer reviewe

Synthetic Fatty Acids Prevent Plasmid-Mediated Horizontal Gene Transfer

Bacterial conjugation constitutes a major horizontal gene transfer mechanism for the dissemination of antibiotic resistance genes among human pathogens. Antibiotic resistance spread could be halted or diminished by molecules that interfere with the conjugation process. In this work, synthetic 2-alkynoic fatty acids were identified as a novel class of conjugation inhibitors. Their chemical properties were investigated by using the prototype 2-hexadecynoic acid and its derivatives. Essential features of effective inhibitors were the carboxylic group, an optimal long aliphatic chain of 16 carbon atoms, and one unsaturation. Chemical modification of these groups led to inactive or less-active derivatives. Conjugation inhibitors were found to act on the donor cell, affecting a wide number of pathogenic bacterial hosts, including Escherichia, Salmonella, Pseudomonas, and Acinetobacter spp. Conjugation inhibitors were active in inhibiting transfer of IncF, IncW, and IncH plasmids, moderately active against IncI, IncL/M, and IncX plasmids, and inactive against IncP and IncN plasmids. Importantly, the use of 2-hexadecynoic acid avoided the spread of a derepressed IncF plasmid into a recipient population, demonstrating the feasibility of abolishing the dissemination of antimicrobial resistances by blocking bacterial conjugation.The work performed by the F.D.L.C. group was supported by grants BFU2011-26608 from the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness and 612146/FP7-ICT-2013-10 and 282004/FP7-HEALTH-2011-2.3.1-2 from the European Seventh Framework Programme. The work performed by M.G. was supported by a Ph.D. fellowship from the University of Cantabria. The work performed by D.J.S.-R. was supported by the National Center for Research Resources and the National Institute of General Medical Sciences of the National Institutes of Health through grant no. 5P20GM103475-13 and the Interamerican University of Puerto Rico. The work performed by J.C.-G. was supported by an EMBO postdoctoral fellowship, ASTF 402-2010. The work performed by Biomar Microbial Technologies was supported by grant 282004/FP7-HEALTH-2011-2.3.1-2 from the European Seventh Framework Programme.USD 2,190 APC fee funded by the EC FP7 Post-Grant Open Access PilotPeer reviewe

Distortion-free sensing of neural activity using graphene transistors

Graphene solution-gated field-effect transistors (g-SGFETs) are promising sensing devices to transduce electrochemical potential signals in an electrolyte bath. However, distortion mechanisms in g-SGFET, which can affect signals of large amplitude or high frequency, have not been evaluated. Here, a detailed characterization and modeling of the harmonic distortion and non-ideal frequency response in g-SGFETs is presented. This accurate description of the input-output relation of the g-SGFETs allows to define the voltage- and frequency-dependent transfer functions, which can be used to correct distortions in the transduced signals. The effect of signal distortion and its subsequent calibration are shown for different types of electrophysiological signals, spanning from large amplitude and low frequency cortical spreading depression events to low amplitude and high frequency action potentials. The thorough description of the distortion mechanisms presented in this article demonstrates that g-SGFETs can be used as distortion-free signal transducers not only for neural sensing, but also for a broader range of applications in which g-SGFET sensors are used

[4-(2-Hydroxyphenyl)imidazolium Salts as Organocatalysts for Cycloaddition of Isocyanates and Epoxides to Yield Oxazolidin-2-ones

Novel salts based on 1,3-dibutyl-4-(2-hydroxyphenyl)-1H-imidazolium bromide or iodide have been developed as bifunctional organocatalysts for the cycloaddition reaction of epoxides and isocyanates to form 3,4- and 3,5-disubstituted oxazolidin-2-ones. The molecular structure of these compounds was determined spectroscopically and confirmed by X-ray diffraction analysis. Imidazolium compounds were screened as catalysts to produce a range of oxazolidinones. The influence of the substituents on the aromatic ring and the counterion of the catalysts on the catalytic activity have been studied, showing that 1,3-dibutyl-4-(5-fluro-2-hydroxyphenyl)-1H-imidazolium iodide (4 d) was the most active catalyst for this process in the absence of a cocatalyst

Synthetic Conjugates of Ursodeoxycholic Acid Inhibit Cystogenesis in Experimental Models of Polycystic Liver Disease

Background and Aims Polycystic liver diseases (PLDs) are genetic disorders characterized by progressive development of symptomatic biliary cysts. Current surgical and pharmacological approaches are ineffective, and liver transplantation represents the only curative option. Ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) and histone deacetylase 6 inhibitors (HDAC6is) have arisen as promising therapeutic strategies, but with partial benefits. Approach and Results Here, we tested an approach based on the design, synthesis, and validation of a family of UDCA synthetic conjugates with selective HDAC6i capacity (UDCA-HDAC6i). Four UDCA-HDAC6i conjugates presented selective HDAC6i activity, UDCA-HDAC6i #1 being the most promising candidate. UDCA orientation within the UDCA-HDAC6i structure was determinant for HDAC6i activity and selectivity. Treatment of polycystic rats with UDCA-HDAC6i #1 reduced their hepatomegaly and cystogenesis, increased UDCA concentration, and inhibited HDAC6 activity in liver. In cystic cholangiocytes UDCA-HDAC6i #1 restored primary cilium length and exhibited potent antiproliferative activity. UDCA-HDAC6i #1 was actively transported into cells through BA and organic cation transporters. Conclusions These UDCA-HDAC6i conjugates open a therapeutic avenue for PLDs.Supported by the Spanish Carlos III Health Institute (ISCIII; J.M. Banales: FIS PI15/01132, PI18/01075 and Miguel Servet Program CON14/00129; M.J. Perugorria: PI14/00399, PI17/00022; J.J.G. Marin: FIS PI16/00598) cofinanced by "Fondo Europeo de Desarrollo Regional" (FEDER); CIBERehd (ISCIII): J.M. Banales, M.J. Perugorria, L. Bujanda, and J.J.G. Marin; Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (M. J. Perugorria: Ramon y Cajal Program RYC-2015-17755); IKERBASQUE, Basque foundation for Science (M.J. Perugorria and J.M. Banales), Spain; "Junta de Castilla y Leon" (J.J.G. Marin: SA06P17); " Diputacion Foral Gipuzkoa" (J.M. Banales: DFG15/010, DFG16/004; M.J. Perugorria: DFG18/114, DFG19/081), BIOEF (Basque Foundation for Innovation and Health Research: EiTB Maratoia BIO15/CA/016/BD to J.M. Banales), Department of Health of the Basque Country (J.M. Banales: 2017111010; M.J. Perugorria: 2019111024), and Euskadi RIS3 (J.M. Banales: 2016222001, 2017222014, and 2018222029; 2019222054); La Caixa Scientific Foundation (J.M. Banales: HR17-00601); "Fundacion Cientifica de la Asociacion Espanola Contra el Cancer" (AECC Scientific Foundation, to J.M. Banales and J.J.G. Marin); and "Centro Internacional sobre el Envejecimiento", Spain (J.J.G. Marin: OLD-HEPAMARKER, 0348-CIE-6-E). F.J. Caballero-Camino was funded by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (BES-2014-069148), A. Santos-Laso by the Basque Government (PRE_2018_2_0195), and Pui Y. Lee-Law by the European Association for the Study of the Liver (EASL; Sheila Sherlock Award). The Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation supported F. P. Cossio: (CTQ2016-80375-P and CTQ2014-51912-REDC) as well as the Basque Government (F.P. Cossio: IT-324-07). I. Rivilla had a postdoctoral contract from the Donostia International Physics Center

Buenas Prácticas en los Programas Universitarios para Mayores en España

Ana Isabel Muñoz Alcón y Francisco Trullén Galve (Universidad Catolica de Ávila); María P. García de la Torre y Francisco Ascón Belver (Universidad de A Coruña); M. Isabel Luis Rico, Ángel Gañán Adánez, Tamara de la Torre Cruz, Vanesa Baños Martínez (Universidad de Burgos); Yolanda Lázaro Fernández y Jaime Cuenca Amigo (Universidad de Deusto); Camino Caballero Posado (Universidad de Extremadura); Mª Adoración Holgado Sánchez y Mª Teresa Ramos Bernal (Universidad Pontificia de Salamanca); Sara Serrate González, Javier Alba Barrios y José Manuel Muñoz Rodríguez; Miguel Ángel Nombela Castaño (Universidad de Vigo