Estudi de tècniques immunològiques a través de “Podcasts” elaborats pels estudiants

Projecte: 2013-PID-UB/10La realització de “podcasts” o sessions formatives audiovisuals per part d’estudiants de postgrau permet treballar diferents competències transversals, entre elles habilitats comunicatives útils per al desenvolupament del seu futur exercici professional (2013-PID-UB/10). Els estudiants han elaborat un guió que posteriorment han convertit en “podcast”. Cada estudiant ha valorat els “podcasts” dels companys i el seu propi mitjançant una rúbrica dissenyada amb aquest objectiu.Programa de Millora i innovació docent,PMID: 2013-PID-UB/1

RESISTENCIA DE LOS HACENDADOS ANTE EL PROCESO DE REFORMA AGRARIA. EL CASO DE LA HACIENDA DE "LA HUERTA", PROPIEDAD DE LA FAMILIA HENKEL, 1915-1935

La investigación presentada es una propuesta teórica sobre los procesos de resistencia ejercidos por las clases dominantes, en específico de los hacendados frente al reparto agrario. Dependiendo del estudio de caso, se puede determinar cómo fue la forma de resistir el reparto agrario por los hacendados. La hacienda “La Huerta” es el estudio de caso que sirve para demostrar cuales fueron los métodos de resistencia de la familia Henkel, ante la dotación de ejido a los pueblos circunvecinos. En 1914 se dio el reparto agrario zapatista en el estado de México (1914), fue cuando los Henkel dueños de la hacienda “La Huerta” comenzaron a ejercer los métodos de resistencia contra el reparto de tierras. Posteriormente las acciones de los Henkel se intensificaron cuando la Constitución de 1917 otorgó carácter legal al reparto de tierras a los pueblos. Los Henkel recurrieron al fraccionamiento de la propiedad, al amparo y los alegatos. Lo antes mencionado fue la forma de resistencia de los dueños de “La Huerta” para evitar la dotación de sus tierras a los pueblos de Santa Cruz Cuahutenco, San Juan de las Huertas, Zinacantepec y Ojo de Agua

The Role of DNA Repair in Cellular Aging Process

Aging is defined as the time-dependent decline of functional properties. One common denominator of aging is mitochondrial dysfunction and accumulation of genetic damage throughout life. In fact, the imperfect maintenance of nuclear and mitochondrial DNA likely represents a critical contributor of aging. Each day, the integrity and stability of DNA are challenged by exogenous physical, chemical, or biological agents, as well as by endogenous processes, including DNA replication mistakes, spontaneous hydrolytic reactions, and reactive oxygen species. In this way, DNA repair systems have evolved a complex network that is collectively able of dealing with most of the damages inflicted. However, their efficiency may decrease with age and, therefore, influence the rate of aging. Thus, the purpose of this work is to summarize the recent knowledge in cellular aging process and its link with DNA repair systems, with a particular emphasis on the molecular mechanisms associated

Implicación del estudiante de postgrado en el proceso de evaluación de su aprendizaje

Podeu consultar la Vuitena trobada de professorat de Ciències de la Salut completa a: http://hdl.handle.net/2445/66524La asignatura "Fonaments d’Immunología" del Máster Oficial Interuniversitario URV-UB en Nutrición y Metabolismo es cursada anualmente por unos 20-30 estudiantes. El hecho de tratarse de un grupo reducido permite implementar metodologías que ayuden a promover un aprendizaje más significativo y, entre ellas, la implicación del estudiante en el proceso de evaluación de los conocimientos adquiridos. El objetivo de la presente innovación consistió precisamente en implicar al estudiante en el diseño de una de las propias pruebas de evaluación así como de valorar los trabajos de sus compañeros y el suyo propio. Concretamente, los estudiantes del curso 2014/15 tenían que escoger una técnica inmunológica, lo que les permitía aplicar los conocimientos impartidos en el curso, y desarrollarla en parejas en forma de presentación. Además se les solicitó que elaboraran preguntas test sobre el contenido trabajado. La puntuación de la prueba de evaluación consistió en la valoración de la presentación y en una prueba escrita tipo test sobre todas las exposiciones realizadas. Para calificar las presentaciones, cada estudiante valoró las de los compañeros (corrección por iguales) y la suya propia (autoevaluación) mediante una rúbrica de tres categorías, idéntica a la que utilizó el profesor. Por otra parte, el equipo docente seleccionó varias preguntas de los estudiantes. Las mejores fueron utilizadas para la prueba tipo test, mientras que las de menor claridad, fueron comentadas en clase para aprender de sus errores o problemas de ambigüedad. Se obtuvieron indicadores cualitativos sobre la estrategia docente mediante una encuesta de opinión. Éstos indican que los estudiantes han adquirido consciencia de la importancia de las rúbricas para una evaluación objetiva y de la dificultad en la elaboración de preguntas test, así como del aprendizaje adquirido durante su preparación. Por otra parte, los estudiantes se han mostrado muy satisfechos con la utilidad e interés suscitado, así como de la experiencia globalmente (puntuaciones superiores a 8,5 sobre 10 en todos los casos)

Flavonoids affect host-microbiota crosstalk through TLR modulation

Interaction between host cells and microbes is known as crosstalk. Among other mechanisms, this takes place when certain molecules of the micro-organisms are recognized by the toll-like receptors (TLRs) in the body cells, mainly in the intestinal epithelial cells and in the immune cells. TLRs belong to the pattern-recognition receptors and represent the first line of defense against pathogens, playing a pivotal role in both innate and adaptive immunity. Dysregulation in the activity of such receptors can lead to the development of chronic and severe inflammation as well as immunological disorders. Among components present in the diet, flavonoids have been suggested as antioxidant dietary factors able to modulate TLR-mediated signaling pathways. This review focuses on the molecular targets involved in the modulatory action of flavonoids on TLR-mediated signaling pathways, providing an overview of the mechanisms involved in such action. Particular flavonoids have been able to modify the composition of the microbiota, to modulate TLR gene and protein expression, and to regulate the downstream signaling molecules involved in the TLR pathway. These synergistic mechanisms suggest the role of some flavonoids in the preventive effect on certain chronic diseases

Relationship between Cocoa Intake and Healthy Status: A Pilot Study in University Students

Due to its polyphenol content, cocoa's potential health effects are attracting much attention, showing, among other things, cardioprotective, anti-inflammatory, anti-obesity, and neuroprotective actions. However, there is very limited information regarding the effect of cocoa on human immunity. This study aimed to establish the relationship between cocoa consumption and health status, focusing on physical activity habits and allergy prevalence in young people. For this, a sample of 270 university students was recruited to complete a food frequency questionnaire, the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ), and a lifestyle and health status questionnaire. The results were analysed by classifying the participants into tertiles defined according to their cocoa consumption: low (LC), moderate (MC), and high (HC) consumers. The consumption of cocoa inversely correlated with physical activity and the MC group had significantly less chronic disease frequency than the LC group. The percentage of allergic people in the MC and HC groups was lower than that in the LC group and, moreover, the cocoa intake, especially moderate consumption, was also associated with a lower presence of allergic symptoms. Thus, from these results a positive effect of cocoa intake on allergy can be suggested in the young population. View Full-Text Keywords: allergy; cacao; chocolate; food frequency questionnaire; International Physical Activity Questionnaire; young peopl

Dietary Consumption of Polyphenols in University Students Relationship with Their Health-Related Habits

Polyphenols are compounds derived from plants found in foods with potential health benefits due to their antioxidant properties. The aim of this study was to establish the consumption of polyphenols in university students and the relationship between the amount of polyphenols consumed and their health-related habits. For this, 270 university students answered a validated food consumption frequency questionnaire (FFQ), a physical activity questionnaire (IPAQ), and a health and lifestyle questionnaire. From the FFQ, the daily consumption of classes and subclasses of polyphenols was calculated. Then, the population was classified in terciles according to the polyphenol consumption, and the physical activity, smoking habits, and the prevalence of allergy and obesity in each tercile was established. The consumption of polyphenols was about 1.5 g/day, being flavonoids and phenolic acids the most consumed. The main sources of polyphenol consumption were cocoa, coffee, and to a lesser extent, fruits. There were no significant differences in consumption according to sex, BMI, health status, or physical activity. The smoking habit was related to a high consumption of polyphenols, mainly those that came from coffee and cocoa. Students who smoke had a higher consumption of polyphenols with respect to nonsmokers, especially those derived from coffee

Slightly congested amino terminal dendrimers. The synthesis of amide-based stable structures on a large scale

Nowadays, amino terminal dendrimers are appealing materials for biological applications due to their multivalence and the versatile conjugation of the amino groups. However, the high reactivity of these terminal groups can be decreased by steric hindrance, limiting their possible bioapplications. Herein, we report the divergent synthesis of slightly sterically hindered amino terminal polyamide dendrimers. A simple and unique AB2 scaffold has been chosen to build the dendritic structures, where only amide bonds have been used as the connecting unit. The 1–7 relative positions of the amino groups in the AB2 monomers avoid the steric congestion of the macromolecules, allowing the construction of robust dendrimers up to the fifth generation. The construction of the dendrimers is based on two well-established reactions, using simple and cheap reactants, with yields above 90% on a gram scale and easy purification procedures. This synthetic methodology constitutes an easy and efficient way for the preparation of stable and aqueous soluble dendrimers on a gram scale, representing a substantial improvement over the synthesis of this kind of aliphatic polyamide amino terminal dendrimer. The prepared structures were completely characterized and evaluated by size exclusion chromatography, diffusion ordered spectroscopy and atomic force microscopy to determine their size. Molecular dynamics simulations were also carried out and the values obtained were consistent with the experimentally determined values.This work was supported by the Ministerio de Ciencia y Educación (PID2019-104293GB-I00), Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación (Proyectos de I+D+I “Programación Conjunta Internacional”), EuroNanoMed 2019 (PCI2019-111825-2), Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII; RETIC ARADYAL RD16/0006/0012) and Junta de Andalucía and Universidad de Málaga (UMA18-FEDERJA-007). We gratefully acknowledge the computer resources provided by the SCBI (Supercomputing and Bioinformatics Center) of the University of Malaga. NMR experiments have been performed in the ICTS “NANBIOSIS”, in the U28 Unit at the Andalusian Centre for Nanomedicine and Biotechnology (BIONAND)

Second International Congress on Chocolate and Cocoa in Medicine Held in Barcelona, Spain, 25-26th September 2015.

In order to further our understanding of, and disseminate the latest findings on the healthy properties of cocoa and chocolate, the International Society of Chocolate and Cocoa in Medicine (ISCHOM) was founded in 2010 in Florence (http://ischom.com/ischom/). This Society aims to gather information and become a forum of discussion and debate on cocoa and chocolate, not only among researchers from around the world, but also to introduce the science involved and the latest findings to the public. Cultural and educational promotion of the benefits of cocoa and chocolate on human health is another of the Society's major concerns. Finally, ISCHOM provides information on developing healthy habits regarding the inclusion of cocoa and chocolate in our diet. In this context, after the first congress in Florence in 2014, ISCHOM held its second meeting in Barcelona, Spain, on 25 and 26 September 2015 (https://www.eiseverywhere.com/ehome/117409/263536/). By means of these annual meetings, the Society pursues the constant sharing and updating of current knowledge concerning the health properties of cocoa and chocolate. The event not only brings together international researchers, but also diverse companies in order to strengthen the knowledge in this field. About 90 delegates from 12 different countries attended the Society's second congress. It was organized into five scientific sessions with two lectures each. The sessions that took place in Barcelona were focused on different topics in order to shed some light on a wide range of valuable effects of chocolate and cocoa on our health. Some of the issues discussed were the role of chocolate and cocoa as cardioprotective agents and its health claims, their effects on metabolism and their own metabolism; the possible role of cocoa as a preventive therapy for diabetes and allergies; its influence on microbiota; and the beneficial effects of cocoa on the nervous system. The opening session outlined the scientific thought on this matter spiced with wit. The congress also included a special session focused on heritage and innovation in chocolate that delighted the audience. Furthermore, two discussion sessions of oral communications also took place. The first session related to assessing the intake of cocoa and its effect, the relationship between cocoa flavanols, cognitive performance and cerebral blood flow; and the effect of other bioactive compounds of cocoa, methylxanthines such as theobromine, and their outcomes on rat lymphoid tissues were ascertained. The second oral communication discussion session concerned the assessment of the antioxidant capacity and polyphenol content of different varieties of cocoa, how cocoa intake improves hepatic lipid metabolism in rats, and how flavanols present in cocoa may confer benefits by diminishing brain damage caused by strokes in mice. In addition, the poster session was exhibited during the entire congress showing state-of-the-art research about chocolate and cocoa in medicine for all the attendants

Ex-Vivo and In-Vivo Assessment of Cyclamen europaeum Extract After Nasal Administration

Rhinosinusitis is a prevalent disorder with a severe impact on the health-related quality of life. Saponins of Cyclamen europaeum exert a clinically proven curative effect on rhinosinusitis symptoms when instilled into the nasal cavity, however, more extensive preclinical assessment is required to better characterize the efficacy of this botanical extract. This work evaluates the potential use of a natural freeze-dried extract of C. europaeum given as topical nasal administration. Permeation experiment on porcine nasal mucosa was performed with Franz diffusion cells. Experiments in rabbits were performed to test for any toxicological, hematological, biochemical or histological evidence of systemic action. No theoretical levels of saponins were found in the receptor chamber of Franz diffusion cells. Hematological data did not show significant differences between control and experimental animals (p > 0.05). Histological studies also showed that enhanced secretory activity in response to intranasal administration was not accompanied by any visible signs of injury. An examination of the brain, lungs, liver, kidneys, spleen, and gastrointestinal organs did not reveal any abnormality. The absence of mucosal permeation of saponins and negligible probability of C. europaeum saponins absorption in the course of a therapeutic application was demonstrated