43 research outputs found

    Evolution of Microbiota in a Pharmacy Classroom Pre and Post the First Wave of the COVID-19 Pandemic

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    Microbiota varies over time, therefore during 2019-20 academic year, coinciding with the SARS-COV-2 pandemic, the evolution of it was evaluated in a classroom of the Faculty of Pharmacy of the University of Salamanca with mass spectrometry Matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time-of-flight. In addition, this study was compared with others, as well as with guidelines of the European Community Commission on indoor air quality./nAfter the study, it was concluded that said classroom had very low contamination degree and that most of microbiota was saprophytic. Furthermore, it can be concluded that quantitatively fungi and quantitatively and qualitatively the bacteria did not present a health risk./nOn the other hand, the most important variables that were found were the influx of people, the frequency of cleaning and ventilation. Finally, this study shows off the lack of regulation that exists on air quality in non-industrial and non-hospital interiors.La microbiota varía con el tiempo, por ello durante el curso académico 2019-20, coincidiendo con la pandemia SARS-COV-2, se evaluó la evolución de la misma en un aula de la Facultad de Farmacia de la Universidad de Salamanca con la espectrometría de masas Matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time-of-flight. Además, se comparó con otros estudios, así como con las directrices de la Comisión de la Comunidad Europea de calidad del aire de interiores./nTras el estudio se concluyó que dicha aula presentaba un grado de contaminación muy bajo, y que la mayoría de la microbiota era saprofítica. Asimismo, de forma general se puede concluir que de forma cuantitativa los hongos y de forma cuali-cuantitativa las bacterias no presentaban un riesgo para la salud./nPor otro lado, entre las variables más importantes encontramos la afluencia de personas, la frecuencia de limpieza y la ventilación. Finalmente, este estudio recoge la poca normativa que existe sobre la calidad del aire en interiores no industriales y no hospitalarios

    MALDI-TOF Mass Spectrometry Is a Fast and Reliable Platform for Identification and Ecological Studies of Species from Family Rhizobiaceae

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    Family Rhizobiaceae includes fast growing bacteria currently arranged into three genera, Rhizobium, Ensifer and Shinella, that contain pathogenic, symbiotic and saprophytic species. The identification of these species is not possible on the basis of physiological or biochemical traits and should be based on sequencing of several genes. Therefore alternative methods are necessary for rapid and reliable identification of members from family Rhizobiaceae. In this work we evaluated the suitability of Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption Ionization-Time-of-Flight Mass Spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) for this purpose. Firstly, we evaluated the capability of this methodology to differentiate among species of family Rhizobiaceae including those closely related and then we extended the database of MALDI Biotyper 2.0 including the type strains of 56 species from genera Rhizobium, Ensifer and Shinella. Secondly, we evaluated the identification potential of this methodology by using several strains isolated from different sources previously identified on the basis of their rrs, recA and atpD gene sequences. The 100% of these strains were correctly identified showing that MALDI-TOF MS is an excellent tool for identification of fast growing rhizobia applicable to large populations of isolates in ecological and taxonomic studies

    Contenido de ácidos grasos de las diferentes clases de fosfolípidos de la leche de oveja y de cabra

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    The content, distribution of individual species, and the fatty acid composition of phospholipids (PL) from ewe’s and goat’s milk were analyzed. The binding of enterotoxigenic and uropathogenic Escherichia coli strains to PL and the inhibition of bacterial hemagglutination by PL were addressed using high performance thin-layer chromatography-overlay assays and microtiter plates, respectively. Ovine and caprine milk contained more PL than bovine milk but less than human milk. The profile of individual PL was similar, including sphingomyelin, phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylserine and phosphatidylinositol in both ovine and caprine milk. Regarding the fatty acid composition, a high content of long-chain fatty acids (more than C16) and unsaturated fatty acids, with C18:1 as the most abundant was found in ovine and caprine milk PL. Ovine milk has longer and less saturated fatty acids while caprine milk has shorter and more saturated ones. Neither the adhesion of any bacterial strains assayed to the individual PL from ovine or caprine milk nor the inhibition of bacterial hemagglutination by PL were observed. These are important constituents of the milk fat globule membrane, but it seems that they do not play a role in the defence of new-borns against bacteria if the results obtained are taken into account.Se ha analizado el contenido, distribución de las especies individuales y la composición en ácidos grasos de los fosfolípidos (FL) de la leche de oveja y de cabra. Se ha estudiado también la unión de cepas enterotoxigénicas y uropatogénicas de Escherichia coli a estos compuestos y el efecto de los FL sobre la hemaglutinación provocada por estas bacterias mediante inmunodetección en placa y ensayos en placas multipocillo, respectivamente. La leche de oveja y de cabra contiene más FL que la de vaca, pero menos que la leche humana. El perfil de FL individuales es similar en la leche de oveja y de cabra e incluye esfingomielina, fosfatidilcolina, fosfatidiletanolamina, fosfatidilserina y fosfatidilinositol. En cuanto a la composición en ácidos grasos, los FL de ambos tipos de leche presentan un contenido elevado de ácidos grasos de cadena larga (más de 16 carbonos) y no saturados, siendo el más abundante C18:1. La leche de oveja contiene ácidos grasos más largos y menos saturados, mientras que los de la leche de cabra son más cortos y más saturados. No se ha encontrado adhesión de ninguna de las cepas bacterianas estudiadas a los FL individuales de la leche de oveja o de cabra .Tampoco se ha observado inhibición de la hemaglutinación producida por las bacterias por los FL. Estos compuestos son constituyentes fundamentales de la membrana de los glóbulos de grasa de la leche, pero a la vista de los resultados obtenidos, no parece que participen en la defensa del recién nacido frente a infecciones bacterianas

    Presumed Symbolic Use of Diurnal Raptors by Neanderthals

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    In Africa and western Eurasia, occurrences of burials and utilized ocher fragments during the late Middle and early Late Pleistocene are often considered evidence for the emergence of symbolically-mediated behavior. Perhaps less controversial for the study of human cognitive evolution are finds of marine shell beads and complex designs on organic and mineral artifacts in early modern human (EMH) assemblages conservatively dated to ≈100–60 kilo-years (ka) ago. Here we show that, in France, Neanderthals used skeletal parts of large diurnal raptors presumably for symbolic purposes at Combe-Grenal in a layer dated to marine isotope stage (MIS) 5b (≈90 ka) and at Les Fieux in stratigraphic units dated to the early/middle phase of MIS 3 (60–40 ka). The presence of similar objects in other Middle Paleolithic contexts in France and Italy suggest that raptors were used as means of symbolic expression by Neanderthals in these regions

    Atlas de las praderas marinas de España

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    Knowledge of the distribution and extent of seagrass habitats is currently the basis of management and conservation policies of the coastal zones in most European countries. This basic information is being requested through European directives for the establishment of monitoring programmes and the implementation of specific actions to preserve the marine environment. In addition, this information is crucial for the quantification of the ecological importance usually attributed to seagrass habitats due to, for instance, their involvement in biogeochemical cycles, marine biodiversity and quality of coastal waters or global carbon budgets. The seagrass atlas of Spain represents a huge collective effort performed by 84 authors across 30 Spanish institutions largely involved in the scientific research, management and conservation of seagrass habitats during the last three decades. They have contributed to the availability of the most precise and realistic seagrass maps for each region of the Spanish coast which have been integrated in a GIS to obtain the distribution and area of each seagrass species. Most of this information has independently originated at a regional level by regional governments, universities and public research organisations, which explain the elevated heterogeneity in criteria, scales, methods and objectives of the available information. On this basis, seagrass habitats in Spain occupy a total surface of 1,541,63 km2, 89% of which is concentrated in the Mediterranean regions; the rest is present in sheltered estuarine areas of the Atlantic peninsular regions and in the open coastal waters of the Canary Islands, which represents 50% of the Atlantic meadows. Of this surface, 71.5% corresponds to Posidonia oceanica, 19.5% to Cymodocea nodosa, 3.1% to Zostera noltii (=Nanozostera noltii), 0.3% to Zostera marina and 1.2% to Halophila decipiens. Species distribution maps are presented (including Ruppia spp.), together with maps of the main impacts and pressures that has affected or threatened their conservation status, as well as the management tools established for their protection and conservation. Despite this considerable effort, and the fact that Spain has mapped wide shelf areas, the information available is still incomplete and with weak precision in many regions, which will require an investment of major effort in the near future to complete the whole picture and respond to demands of EU directives
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