Enunciación, organización, movilización : Notas sobre la teoría de la "lógica populista" de Ernesto Laclau

La primera reflexión que quisiera hacer sobre la teoría de la “lógica populista” está relacionada con lo que tal vez se podría llamar el problema de la constitución de las demandas de base. Estas son la unidad mínima de análisis. Ahora bien, el problema que quisiera plantear en primer lugar es el siguiente: si bien la demanda central se constituye mediante la articulación política, ¿cómo se constituyen, a su vez, las demandas de base? El segundo problema sobre el que quisiera hacer una reflexión podría ser enunciado de la siguiente manera: ¿por qué una demanda de base se erige como demanda central y no otra?Jornadas realizadas junto con el I Encuentro Latinoamericano de Metodología de las Ciencias Sociales.Facultad de Humanidades y Ciencias de la Educació

Study of the inhibitory activity of phenolic compounds found in olive products and their degradation by Lactobacillus plantarum strains

Lactobacillus plantarum is the main species responsible for the spontaneous fermentation of Spanish-style green olives. Olives and virgin oil provide a rich source of phenolic compounds. This study was designed to evaluate inhibitory growth activities of nine olive phenolic compounds against four L. plantarum strains isolated from different sources, and to explore the L. plantarum metabolic activities against these phenolic compounds. None of the nine compounds assayed (oleuropein, hydroxytyrosol, tyrosol, as well as vanillic, p-hydroxybenzoic, sinapic, syringic, protocatechuic and cinnamic acids) inhibited L. plantarum growth at the concentration found in olive products. Oleuropein and tyrosol concentrations higher than 100 mM were needed to inhibit L. plantarum growth. On the other hand, sinapic and syringic acid showed the highest inhibitory activity since concentrations ranging from 12.5 to 50 mM inhibited L. plantarum growth in all the strains analyzed. Among the nine compounds assayed, only oleuropein and protocatechuic acid were metabolized by L. plantarum strains grown in the presence of these compounds. Oleuropein was metabolized mainly to hydroxytyrosol, while protocatechuic acid was decarboxylated to catechol. Metabolism of oleuropein was carried out by inducible enzymes since a cell-free extract from a culture grown in the absence of oleuropein was unable to metabolize it. Independent of their isolation source, the four L. plantarum strains analysed showed similar behaviour in relation to the inhibitory activity of phenolic compounds, as well as their ability to metabolize these compoundsThis work was supported by grants AGL2005-00470 (CICYT), FUN-C-FOOD Consolider 25506 (MEC), RM03-002 (INIA), and S-0505/AGR/000153 (CAM). J.M. Landete and J. A. Curiel are recipients of a postdoctoral and predoctoral fellowship, respectively, from the MEC. H. Rodríguez is a recipient of a predoctoral fellowship from the I3P-CSIC.Peer reviewe

The pURI family of expression vectors: A versatile set of ligation independent cloning plasmids for producing recombinant His-fusion proteins

A family of restriction enzyme- and ligation-independent cloning vectors has been developed for producing recombinant His-tagged fusion proteins in Escherichia coli. These are based on pURI2 and pURI3 expression vectors which have been previously used for the successful production of recombinant proteins at the milligram scale. The newly designed vectors combines two different promoters (lppp-5 and T7 RNA polymerase Ø10), two different endoprotease recognition sites for the His6-tag removal (enterokinase and tobacco etch virus), different antibiotic selectable markers (ampicillin and erythromycin resistance), and different placements of the His 6-tag (N- and C-terminus). A single gene can be cloned and further expressed in the eight pURI vectors by using six nucleotide primers, avoiding the restriction enzyme and ligation steps. A unique NotI site was introduced to facilitate the selection of the recombinant plasmid. As a case study, the new vectors have been used to clone the gene coding for the phenolic acid decarboxylase from Lactobacillus plantarum. Interestingly, the obtained results revealed markedly different production levels of the target protein, emphasizing the relevance of the cloning strategy on soluble protein production yield. Efficient purification and tag removal steps showed that the affinity tag and the protease cleavage sites functioned properly. The novel family of pURI vectors designed for parallel cloning is a useful and versatile tool for the production and purification of a protein of interest. © 2010 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.This work was supported by grants RM2008-00002 (Instituto Nacional de Investigación Agraria y Alimentaría), AGL2008-01052, Consolider INGENIO 2010 CSD2007-00063 FUN-C-FOOD (Comisión Interministerial de Ciencia y Tecnología), and S-0505/AGR/000153 and S2009/AGR-1469 (ALIBIRD) (Comunidad de Madrid). J.M.M. thanks the Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación for a research grant (BFU2007-67404/BMC) and “Factoría de Cristalización” Consolider-Ingenio 2010 in support of his research. The technical assistance of M.V. Santamaría is greatly appreciated. J.A. Curiel is a recipient of a predoctoral fellowship from the MEC.Peer Reviewe

Lactic acid fermentation as a tool to enhance the antioxidant properties of <i>Myrtus communis</i> berries

Background: Myrtle (Myrtus communis L.) is a medicinal and aromatic plant belonging to Myrtaceae family, which is largely diffused in the Mediterranean areas and mainly cultivated in Tunisia and Italy. To the best of our knowledge, no studies have already considered the use of the lactic acid fermentation to enhance the functional features of M. communis. This study aimed at using a selected lactic acid bacterium for increasing the antioxidant features of myrtle berries, with the perspective of producing a functional ingredient, dietary supplement or pharmaceutical preparation. The antioxidant activity was preliminarily evaluated through in vitro assays, further confirmed through ex vivo analysis on murine fibroblasts, and the profile of phenol compounds was characterized. Results: Myrtle berries homogenate, containing yeast extract (0.4%, wt/vol), was fermented with Lactobacillus plantarum C2, previously selected from plant matrix. Chemically acidified homogenate, without bacterial inoculum and incubated under the same conditions, was used as the control. Compared to the control, fermented myrtle homogenate exhibited a marked antioxidant activity in vitro. The radical scavenging activity towards DPPH increased by 30%, and the inhibition of linoleic acid peroxidation was twice. The increased antioxidant activity was confirmed using Balb 3 T3 mouse fibroblasts, after inducing oxidative stress, and determining cell viability and radical scavenging activity through MTT and DCFH-DA assays, respectively. The lactic acid fermentation allowed increased concentrations of total phenols, flavonoids and anthocyanins, which were 5–10 times higher than those found for the non-fermented and chemically acidified control. As shown by HPLC analysis, the main increases were found for gallic and ellagic acids, and flavonols (myricetin and quercetin). The release of these antioxidant compounds would be strictly related to the esterase activities of L. plantarum. Conclusions: The lactic acid fermentation of myrtle berries is a suitable tool for novel applications as functional food dietary supplements or pharmaceutical preparations

Lactic acid fermentation as a tool to enhance the antioxidant properties of Myrtus communis berries

Background: Myrtle (Myrtus communis L.) is a medicinal and aromatic plant belonging to Myrtaceae family, which is largely diffused in the Mediterranean areas and mainly cultivated in Tunisia and Italy. To the best of our knowledge, no studies have already considered the use of the lactic acid fermentation to enhance the functional features of M. communis. This study aimed at using a selected lactic acid bacterium for increasing the antioxidant features of myrtle berries, with the perspective of producing a functional ingredient, dietary supplement or pharmaceutical preparation. The antioxidant activity was preliminarily evaluated through in vitro assays, further confirmed through ex vivo analysis on murine fibroblasts, and the profile of phenol compounds was characterized. Results: Myrtle berries homogenate, containing yeast extract (0.4%, wt/vol), was fermented with Lactobacillus plantarum C2, previously selected from plant matrix. Chemically acidified homogenate, without bacterial inoculum and incubated under the same conditions, was used as the control. Compared to the control, fermented myrtle homogenate exhibited a marked antioxidant activity in vitro. The radical scavenging activity towards DPPH increased by 30%, and the inhibition of linoleic acid peroxidation was twice. The increased antioxidant activity was confirmed using Balb 3 T3 mouse fibroblasts, after inducing oxidative stress, and determining cell viability and radical scavenging activity through MTT and DCFH-DA assays, respectively. The lactic acid fermentation allowed increased concentrations of total phenols, flavonoids and anthocyanins, which were 5–10 times higher than those found for the non-fermented and chemically acidified control. As shown by HPLC analysis, the main increases were found for gallic and ellagic acids, and flavonols (myricetin and quercetin). The release of these antioxidant compounds would be strictly related to the esterase activities of L. plantarum. Conclusions: The lactic acid fermentation of myrtle berries is a suitable tool for novel applications as functional food dietary supplements or pharmaceutical preparations

Propiedad de la tierra y pobreza agrorrural en Colombia: una combinación que pone en entredicho los Derechos Humanos de la población

La desigualdad en el reparto de la tierra en Colombia y la consiguiente pobreza rural es la causa principal del conflicto armado que ha vivido el país durante más de cincuenta años. La concentración de la tierra en pocas manos, el poder de la agroindustria y los ganaderos, así como la preeminencia de una agricultura orientada más a la exportación que al consumo interno, hacen necesaria una reforma agraria que vaya más allá de la mera redistribución de tierras, pues el campesinado necesita una democratización del campo mediante el acceso a los insumos, al crédito y a la asistencia técnica, además de infraestructuras, educación, vivienda y sanidad. Las nuevas legislaciones agropecuarias y rurales, nacidas en el seno del proceso de paz y con el fin de gestionar la etapa posterior al conflicto armado, son incompletas, tienen muchas limitaciones y no modifican sustancialmente el origen de todos los problemas: la estructura de la propiedad de la tierra

Physico-Chemical Influence of Surface Water Contaminated by Acid Mine Drainage on the Populations of Diatoms in Dams (Iberian Pyrite Belt, SW Spain)

Twenty-three water dams located in the Iberian Pyrite Belt were studied during March 2012 (early spring) in order to carry out an environmental assessment based on diatom communities and to define the relationships between these biological communities and the physico-chemical characteristics of the dam surface water. This is the first time that a diatom inventory has been done for dams a ected by acid mine drainage (AMD) in the Spanish part of the Iberian Pyrite Belt (IPB). It was found that the pH was the main factor influencing the behaviour of the diatom communities. Then, using a dbRDA approach it was possible to organize the aggrupation of diatoms into four groups in response to the physico-chemical conditions of the ecosystem, especially pH: (1) Maris, Aac, Gos, Cmora (pH 2–3); (2) Andc, San, And, Dpin (pH 3–4.5); (3) Gran, Pleon, Oliv, Lagu, Chan, SilI, SilII, Joya, Gar, Agrio, Camp, Corum (pH 4.5–6); (4) Herr, Diq I, Diq II (pH 6–7). The obtained results confirmed the response of benthic diatom communities to changes in the physico-chemical characteristics of surface water, and helped to understand the role of diatoms as indicators of the degree of AMD contamination in those 23 dams. Special attention was given to those that have an acidophilic or acid-tolerant profile (pH 2–3 and pH 3–4.5) such as Pinnularia aljustrelica, Pinnularia acidophila, Pinnularia acoricola and Eunotia exigua, which are the two groups found in the most AMD contaminated dams.Cuantificacíon de la carga metalica y sulfatos aportada por procesos AMD a embalses de la Faja Piritica Iberica: modelizacíon del processo y velocidades de colmatacíon” (CGL2010-21268-C02-01), Ministerio de Educación y Ciencia. “Cuantificacion de la carga metálica y sulfatos aportada por procesos AMD a embalses de la Faja Piritica Iberica” (P10-RNM-6570), Junta de Andalucía-Convocatoria Proyectos de Excelencia. Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT), I.P. National funds in the scope of the framework contract foreseen in the numbers 4, 5 and 6 of the article 23, of the Decree-Law 57/2016, of August 29, changed by Law 57/2017, of July 19

The Mouse Model as a Tool for Histological, Immunological and Parasitological Studies of Trypanosoma cruzi Infection

The global expansion of Chagas disease is due to the constant migration of individuals from endemic countries with incidence of vector and nonvector transmission of Trypanosoma cruzi. The disease is present in its various stages: chronological characteristic signs and symptoms of the infection and its mechanism of immune system and cell and tissue damage. The first stage, which lasts 90 days approximately, is diagnosed by direct methods (blood smears stained with Giemsa, fresh and xenodiagnosis). The indeterminate-chronic stage is asymptomatic, but the growth and intracellular binary multiplication of the trypomastigotes continue promoting cell lysis and allowing parasites to infect other cells, with preferential tropism to organs producing mega syndromes such as cardiomyopathy, myocarditis, meningoencephalitis, megaesophagus and megacolon. Inadvertently, this process is repeated for several years leading to Chagas disease. The mouse inoculation allows checking the parasitemia in vivo and the development of the disease in short time (signs, behavior and tropism), histopathological alterations and detection of antibodies in serum. These parameters may vary when using different strains of T. cruzi from different geographical areas; Triatoma species due to their genetic variability are influenced by the environment, nutrition, reservoirs and habitat. The murine model ECA CD-1 has the ability to replicate human findings of Chagas disease

Bronchopulmonary Lophomoniasis, Infection by Endocommensal Protozoa of Intradomiciliary Cockroaches: Presentation of a Case in an Immunocompromised Patient from Querétaro, Mexico

Infection in humans by the intestinal protozoan of cockroaches and termites called Lophomonas blattarum has been diagnosed in respiratory infections of children aged 2–5 years contaminated orally or by air, with cysts or trophozoites contained in the feces of the cockroach Periplaneta americana. In respiratory infections of adults, it is difficult to diagnose since the cyst or trophozoite is not recognized as a human pathogen and is only related to immunosuppressed patients, transplant patients with severe lung disease and those living in poor and unhealthy sanitary conditions. Normally, its presence is manifested with fevers of 38–39°C, cough with thick expectoration, respiratory insufficiency and pulmonary abscesses. The laboratory diagnosis is mainly based on bronchoscopic cytologies and bronchoalveolar lavage biopsies. The case in question is about a 60-year-old male. Single, he lives alone, with a diagnosis of 9 baths behind non-Hodgkin lymphoma, undergoing treatment with radiotherapy and chemotherapy. For edema after treatment, thoracentesis and pericardiocentesis were performed, as well as gastrostomy, which he maintained for 1 year. He started with throat discomfort, followed by production of productive cough without blood, general weakness, and difficulty breathing, with apparent diagnosis of possible respiratory failure due to mycobacteria. It was possible to visualize the protozoan, in fresh preparations of bronchial aspirate and expectoration in wet assembly with saline solution and stained with Pap smears, Harris Hematoxylin and Eosin (H/E), and Giemsa

Identifying the Main Drivers in Microbial Diversity for Cabernet Sauvignon Cultivars from Europe to South Africa: Evidence for a Cultivar-Specific Microbial Fingerprint

Microbial diversity in vineyards and in grapes has generated significant scientific interest. From a biotechnological perspective, vineyard and grape biodiversity has been shown to impact soil, vine, and grape health and to determine the fermentation microbiome and the final character of wine. Thus, an understanding of the drivers that are responsible for the differences in vineyard and grape microbiota is required. The impact of soil and climate, as well as of viticultural practices in geographically delimited areas, have been reported. However, the limited scale makes the identification of generally applicable drivers of microbial biodiversity and of specific microbial fingerprints challenging. The comparison and meta-analysis of different datasets is furthermore complicated by differences in sampling and in methodology. Here we present data from a wide-ranging coordinated approach, using standardized sampling and data generation and analysis, involving four countries with different climates and viticultural traditions. The data confirm the existence of a grape core microbial consortium, but also provide evidence for country-specific microbiota and suggest the existence of a cultivar-specific microbial fingerprint for Cabernet Sauvignon grape. This study puts in evidence new insight of the grape microbial community in two continents and the importance of both location and cultivar for the definition of the grape microbiome.The YeSViTE project (FP7-IRSES-2013-GA612441) supported the secondments of J.T. and F.V. to the Stellenbosch University (South Africa) and R.F. to the Agrarian University of Georgia (Georgia), and the grape sampling in Tuscany carried out by D.F. This work was also supported by Winetech grant SU IWBT 16-02