Cinética y estructura microbiana de las bacterias del ciclo del nitrógeno de la rizosfera de un humedal natural contaminado con cromo

En el manuscrito se describe la estructura y composición microbiana de un lodo de un humedal natural y sus conductas cinéticas de la nitrificación, desnitrificación y anammox, en presencia y ausencia de cromoWetlands have been considered a feasible technology for wastewater treatment in the last decades; however, information on the kinetics and microbial structure of nitrogen cycle bacteria involved on the rhizosphere activity of natural wetlands polluted with chromium is still scarce. The goal was to evaluate the kinetic behavior of nitrification, denitrification, and ANAMMOX on rhizosphere sludge, with and without chromium, through batch cultures, as well as the microbial structure using Next Generation Sequencing (NGS). The microbial sludge was able to nitrify (3.8 ± 0.2 mg NO3--N/gVSS-h) and carry out the ANAMMOX (0.67 ± 0.05 mg NH4+-N/gVSS-h), however, denitrifying activity was not observed. Chromium inhibited the nitrifying process, and the IC50 obtained for the nitrifying activity was of 7.9 mg CrVI/L. ANAMMOX activity was stopped in the presence of chromium, even to the lowest chromium concentration tested. Recovery cultures showed that ANAMMOX bacteria suffered some damage by chromium presence since they required more than 5 days to recover the activity. Microbial results indicated that Xanthomonadaceae (17.17%), Ignavibacteriaceae (16.52%), Trueperaceae (10.66%) and Chitinophagaceae (10.06%) dominated in the microbial sludge, whereas Nitrosomonas and Planctomycetaceae were in lesser proportion. This research improves the understanding of bacteria behavior on natural wetlands polluted with metals

Influence of elastomeric matrix and particle volume fraction on the mechanical response of magneto-active polymers

Magneto-active polymers (MAPs) are revolutionising the fields of material science and solid mechanics as well as having an important presence in the bioengineering community. These composites consist of a polymeric matrix (i.e., elastomer) filled with magnetic particles (i.e., iron particles). When bonded together, these two phases form a continuum solid that, under the application of an external magnetic field, mechanically reacts leading to changes in shape and volume or/and alterations in its rheological properties. Such a magneto-mechanical response is determined by the material properties of the polymeric matrix and magnetic particles. In this work, we present the mechanical characterisation of MAPs constituted by PDMS filled with carbonyl iron powder (CIP) particles. To this end, sixteen different combinations of elastomeric base/crosslinker mixing ratio (from 5:1 to 20:1) and particles' volume fraction (from 0% to 30%) are tested under tensile loading. These results are analysed and provide the bases for the formulation of a nonlinear constitutive model that accounts for these dependencies. The modelling approach is extended to incorporate magneto-mechanical effects. Finally, the complete model is used to provide theoretical guidance for magneto-active systems, highlighting potential applications in epithelial wound healing stimulation.DGG, DV and MAM acknowledge support from the European Research Council (ERC) under the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme (grant agreement No. 947723,project: 4D-BIOMAP). The authors acknowledge support from Programa de Apoyo a la Realización de Proyectos Interdisciplinares deI+D para Jóvenes Investigadores de la Universidad Carlos III de Madrid and Comunidad de Madrid, Spain (project: BIOMASKIN). DGG acknowledges support from the Talent Attraction grant (CM 2018 -2018-T2/IND-9992) from the Comunidad de Madrid and MAM acknowledges support from the Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovacion y Universidades, Spain (FPU19/03874)

Tuning the cell and biological tissue environment through magneto-active materials

This review focuses on novel applications based on multifunctional materials to actuate biological processes. The first section of the work revisits the current knowledge on mechanically dependent biological processes across several scales from subcellular and cellular level to the cellcollective scale (continuum approaches). This analysis presents a wide variety of mechanically dependent biological processes on nervous system behaviour; bone development and healing; collective cell migration. In the second section, this review presents recent advances in smart materials suitable for use as cell substrates or scaffolds, with a special focus on magneto-active polymers (MAPs). Throughout the manuscript, both experimental and computational methodologies applied to the different treated topics are reviewed. Finally, the use of smart polymeric materials in bioengineering applications is discussed.This work has been supported by the Madrid Government (Comunidad de Madrid) under the Multiannual Agreement with UC3M in the line of "Fostering Young Doctors Research" (BIOMASKIN-CM-UC3M), and in the context of the V PRICIT (Regional Programme of Research and Technological Innovation, and support from the European Research Council (ERC) under the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme (grant agreement No. 947723). DGG acknowledges support from the Talent Attraction grant (CM 2018-2018-T2/IND-9992) from the Comunidad de Madrid.Publicad

Displasia segmentaria odontomaxilar. Una rara patología de interés odontológico. Aporte de dos nuevos casos. Segmental odontomaxillary dysplasia. A rare pathology of dental interest. Two case reports

Se aportan dos nuevos casos de displasia segmentaria odontomaxilar. Ésta es una rara patología del desarrollo que se distingue por presentar defectos madurativos en el hueso, encía y dientes de un cuadrante de la maxila. Clínicamente se observan tres signos clínicos característicos: deformación unilateral de la maxila, agrandamiento gingival ipsilateral y agenesia de uno o dos premolares, raramente del primer molar. En ocasiones se asocian alteraciones faciales tales como borde mucocutáneo del labio superior desdibujado, pigmentación unilateral, eritema, hipopigmentación del labio superior e hipertricosis. Los casos presentes corresponden: uno, al género femenino y otro, al masculino. El diagnóstico de ambos se realizó en la adolescencia y hasta la fecha se encuentran en tratamiento ortodóncico para subsanar las repercusiones estéticas y funcionales generadas por esta patología. El objetivo de este trabajo es aportar dos nuevos casos a la casuística internacional estableciendo las características clínicas e histopatológicas más relevantes, comparándolos con otros casos publicados

What factors should we modify to promote high functioning and prevent functional decline in people with schizophrenia?

BackgroundSince research in schizophrenia mainly focuses on deficits and risk factors, we need studies searching for high-functioning protective factors. Thus, our objective was to identify protective (PFs) and risk factors (RFs) separately associated with high (HF) and low functioning (LF) in patients with schizophrenia.MethodsWe collected information (sociodemographic, clinical, psychopathological, cognitive, and functional) from 212 outpatients with schizophrenia. Patients were classified according to their functional level (PSP) as HF (PSP > 70, n = 30) and LF (PSP ≤ 50, n = 95). Statistical analysis consisted of Chi-square test, Student’s t-test, and logistic regression.ResultsHF model: variance explained: 38.4–68.8%; PF: years of education (OR = 1.227). RFs: receiving a mental disability benefit (OR = 0.062) and scores on positive (OR = 0.719), negative-expression (OR = 0.711), and negative-experiential symptoms (OR = 0.822), and verbal learning (OR = 0.866). LF model: variance explained: 42.0–56.2%; PF: none; RFs: not working (OR = 6.900), number of antipsychotics (OR = 1.910), and scores on depressive (OR = 1.212) and negative-experiential symptoms (OR = 1.167).ConclusionWe identified specific protective and risk factors for high and low functioning in patients with schizophrenia and confirmed that high functioning factors are not necessarily the opposite of those associated with low functioning. Only negative experiential symptoms are a shared and inverse factor for high and low functioning. Mental health teams must be aware of protective and risk factors and try to enhance or reduce them, respectively, to help their patients improve or maintain their level of functioning

Estudio aerobiológico en dos poblaciones de la Sierra de Gredos (Sistema Central, España)

Se realiza el estudio de los niveles de polen atmosférico en dos municipios del sur de la Comunidad de Castilla y León, Béjar (Salamanca) y Arenas de San Pedro (Ávila), situados en diferentes vertientes de la Sierra de Gredos en el Sistema Central (España). La recogida de muestras aerobiológicas se ha llevado a cabo utilizando captadores volumétricos tipo Hirst, desde 2011 a 2016 y se ha seguido la metodología de la Red Española de Aerobiología (REA), para la preparación y lectura de las mismas.Los resultados obtenidos ponen de mani esto que los índices polínicos anuales son más elevados en la localidad de Béjar. Asimismo, al ser zonas rurales, la presencia de polen en el aire está condicionada, principalmente, por la vegetación natural del entorno, por ello los tipos polínicos predominantes son los mismos en ambas poblaciones, aunque en concentraciones diferentes, destacando Quercus, Castanea y Cupressaceae en Béjar y Quercus, Poaceae y Olea en Arenas de San Pedro. El valor máximo de concentración de polen presenta diferencias por tipo polínico, localidad y año; y se han registrado niveles altos, durante más de 20 días al año, para los tipos polínicos Castanea, Poaceae y Quercus en las dos localidades y además para Alnus, Fraxinus y Urticaceae en Béjar.El análisis estadístico del índice de Spearman muestra que existe correlación entre los resultados de las dos estaciones, aunque el test de Wilcoxon revela diferencias significativas en la cantidad de polen entre los municipios para todos los tipos polínicos, excepto para Cupressaceae y Quercus.</p

Suicidal behaviour and cognition: A systematic review with special focus on prefrontal deficits

BACKGROUND: Suicide is a major health concern worldwide, thus, identifying risk factors would enable a more comprehensive understanding and prevention of this behaviour. Neuropsychological alterations could lead to difficulties in interpreting and managing life events resulting in a higher risk of suicide. METHOD: A systematic literature search from 2000 to 2020 was performed in Medline (Pubmed), Web of Science, SciELO Citation Index, PsycInfo, PsycArticles and Cochrane Library databases regarding studies comparing cognition of attempters versus non-attempters that share same psychiatric diagnosis. RESULTS: 1.885 patients diagnosed with an Affective Disorder (n=1512) and Schizophrenia/ Schizoaffective Disorder (n=373) were included. In general comparison, attention was found to be clearly dysfunctional. Regarding diagnosis, patients with Schizophrenia and previous history of suicidal behaviour showed a poorer performance in executive function. Patients with current symptoms of an Affective Disorder and a previous history of suicidal attempt had poorer performance in attention and executive function. Similarly, euthymic affective patients with history of suicidal behaviour had worse decision-making, attention and executive function performance compared to euthymic non-attempters. LIMITATIONS: The number of papers included in this review is limited to the few studies using non-attempter clinically-matched control group and therefore results regarding diagnosis, symptomatology and time of the attempt are modest and contradictory. CONCLUSIONS: Patients who have attempted suicide have a poorer neuropsychological functioning than non-attempters with a similar psychiatric disorder in attention and executive function. These alterations increase vulnerability for suicide.This work was supported by Carlos III Health Research Institute[grant numbers PI14/02029, PI15/00793, PI15/00789, PI16/01164,PI17/01433 and PI18/01055 (co-financed by the European RegionalDevelopment Fund(FEDER/ERDF)/European Social Fund‘Investing inyour future’ and the Government of the Principality of Asturias PCTI-2018–2022 IDI/2018/235)], Foundation for Health Innovation andResearch (BIOEF); Bioaraba Research Institute; Networking Center forBiomedical Research in Mental Health (CIBERSAM), the BasqueGovernment [grant numbers 2015111024, 2017111104] and theUniversity of the Basque Country [grant number 321212ELBY]. Thepsychiatric research department in Araba University Hospital is sup-portedbytheStanleyResearchFoundation[grantnumber03-RC-003

Evaluación y selección de recursos web: una propuesta de calidad para la sección de referencia de la Biblioteca Universitaria de León

Se propone un método de evaluación para medir la calidad de los recursos web de referencia (diccionarios y enciclopedias) que la Biblioteca Universitaria de León ofrece en su apartado “Recursos en Internet”, dentro de la Biblioteca digital. El proyecto planteado por el Grupo de Trabajo de Recursos Electrónicos de la biblioteca, consiste en evaluar todos los recursos web incluidos en cada una de las categorías, siguiendo unos parámetros concretos, para determinar su grado de adecuación. Los resultados obtenidos tras la evaluación, nos ayudarán a seleccionar, entre la lista propuesta en un principio, aquellos materiales de referencia en formato electrónico, que sean más útiles para la comunidad universitaria, desechar aquellos que no alcancen la nota mínima exigida y recomendar otros que cumplan al cien por cien los parámetros expuesto

Evaluación y selección de recursos web: Una propuesta de calidad para la sección de referencia de la Biblioteca Universitaria de León

The purpose of this paper is to propose an evaluation method for measuring the quality of World Wide web reference resources (dictionaries and encyclopaedias) that Library of University of León make available through its Digital Library under the heading of “Resources on the internet”. The project, undertaken by the Library Working Group on Electronic Resources, consists on evaluating all web resources included in each of the mentioned categories in order to determine their suitability. The results obtained after the quality assessment, will help us to select, among the list of proposals submitted at the beginning, those electronic reference resources that are more useful for the university community members, discarding those which fail to achieve the scoring proposed and recommending other that fulfill the parameters outlined.Se propone un método de evaluación para medir la calidad de los recursos web de referencia (diccionarios y enciclopedias) que la Biblioteca Universitaria de León ofrece en su apartado “Recursos en Internet”, dentro de la Biblioteca digital. El proyecto planteado por el Grupo de Trabajo de Recursos Electrónicos de la biblioteca, consiste en evaluar todos los recursos web incluidos en cada una de las categorías, siguiendo unos parámetros concretos, para determinar su grado de adecuación. Los resultados obtenidos tras la evaluación, nos ayudarán a seleccionar, entre la lista propuesta en un principio, aquellos materiales de referencia en formato electrónico, que sean más útiles para la comunidad universitaria, desechar aquellos que no alcancen la nota mínima exigida, y recomendar otros que cumplan al cien por cien los parámetros expuestos