Search

Premise of the study: Microsatellite primers were developed to characterize and evaluate patterns of genetic diversity and structure in the endangered Mediterranean shrub Ziziphus lotus (Rhamnaceae). Methods and Results: Twenty microsatellite primers were developed for Z. lotus, of which 14 were polymorphic. We evaluated microsatellite polymorphism in 97 specimens from 18 Spanish and seven Moroccan populations. Between two and eight alleles were found per locus, and the average number of alleles was 5.54. Observed heterozygosity and expected heterozygosity ranged from 0.08 to 0.90 and from 0.08 to 0.82, respectively. Nine of these primers also amplified microsatellite loci in Z. jujuba. Conclusions: The microsatellite markers described here will be useful in studies on genetic variation, population genetic structure, and gene flow in the fragmented habitat of this species. These markers are a valuable resource for designing appropriate conservation measures for the species in the Mediterranean range.

"En el presente trabajo se expone la obtención del modelo de un sistema de transmisión de variación continua compuesto por dos mecanismos planos: un mecanismo de cuatro barras en su configuración de manivela - balancín y un mecanismo de manivela - biela - corredera y su simulación dinámica. Dichos mecanismos son los subsistemas de entrada y salida respectivamente del sistema. Con el propósito de llevar a cabo la simulación dinámica, se desarrolla el modelo cinemático de ambos subsistemas para luego utilizarlos en el método de Euler - Lagrange para la obtención del modelo dinámico del sistema completo. Se presentan los resultados de las simulaciones numéricas y una discusión del comportamiento obtenido d el modelo dinámico se lleva a cabo, para comprobar que la transmisión cumple las condiciones de trabajo necesarias para ser clasificada como un sistema de transmisión continua. Con este modelo, se desarrollará el diseño paramétrico para este tipo de sistemas, donde se integra tanto la estructura mecánica como el algoritmo de control para obtener un sistema mecatrónico."

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common cause of dementia in the elderly. AD brains are characterized by the presence of neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs) and neuritic plaques. NFTs are constituted of paired helical filaments, which are structurally composed by assembled hyperphosphorylated and truncated tau polypeptides. To date, the integral constituents of NFTs remain unknown mainly due to the high insolubility of NFTs. The aim of this study was to identify by tandem mass spectrometry, the polypeptides contained in both isolated NFTs by laser capture microdissection and total homogenates, using tissue sections from paraformaldehyde-fixed AD brains. In the first case, we isolated 2,000 NFTs from tissue samples of hippocampus from each of the three Mexican AD brains used in our study. These were previously stained with anti-hyperphosphorylated tau AT-100 antibodies. After the removal of paraformaldehyde and delipidation with organic solvents, we tested three solubilization methods. We identified 102 polypeptides from total homogenates and 41 from isolated NFTs. We selected UCH-L1, transferrin, and GAPDH polypeptides to be studied by immunofluorescence and confocal microscopy. Only UCH-L1 and GAPDH colocalized with hyperphosphorylated tau in NFTs.

The morphological analysis of the cytopathic effect on MDCK cell monolayers and hamster cornea and qualitative and quantitative analyses of conditioned medium and proteases were evaluated and compared between two strains ofAcanthamoebagenotype T4. Further than highlighting the biological differences found between both strains, the most important observation in this study was the fact that proteases both in total extracts and in conditioned medium are apparently not determinant in tissue destruction. An interestingly finding was that no lysis of corneal tissue was observed as it was previously suggested. These results, together with previous studies, allow us to conclude that the invasion and disruption of corneal tissue is performed by the penetration of the amoebae through cell junctions, either by the action of proteases promoting cellular separation but not by their destruction and/or a mechanical effect exerted by amoebae. Therefore, contact-dependent mechanisms inAcanthamoebapathogenesis are more relevant than it has been previously considered. This is supported because the phagocytosis of recently detached cells as well as those attached to the corneal epithelium leads to the modification of the cellular architecture facilitating the migration and destruction of deeper layers of the corneal epithelium.

SUMMARYEhNCABP166 is an Entamoeba histolytica actin-binding protein that localizes to the nucleus and cytoplasm. Bioinformatic analysis of the EhNCABP166 amino acid sequence shows the presence of 3 bipartite nuclear localization signals (NLS) and a nuclear export signal (NES). The present study aimed to investigate the functionality of these signals in 3 ways. First, we fused each potential NLS to a cytoplasmic domain of ehFLN to determine whether the localization of this domain could be altered by the presence of the NLSs. Furthermore, the localization of each domain of EhNCABP166 was determined. Similarly, we generated mutations in the first block of bipartite signals from the domains that contained these signals. Additionally, we added an NES to 2 constructs that were then evaluated. We confirmed the intranuclear localization of EhNCABP166 using transmission electron microscopy. Fusion of each NLS resulted in shuttling of the cytoplasmic domain to the nucleus. With the exception of 2 domains, all of the evaluated domains localized within the nucleus. A mutation in the first block of bipartite signals affected the localization of the domains containing an NLS. The addition of an NES shifted the localization of these domains to the cytoplasm. The results presented here establish EhNCABP166 as a protein containing functional nuclear localization signals and a nuclear export signal.

Our investigation focused on the study of the proteome, morphology, and cytotoxicity of T. vaginalis during interactions with prostatic DU-145 cells. The results suggest that approximately 37 different proteins are expressed in the presence of Zn 2+ , which also down-regulates the protein and transcriptional levels of TvCP65. The result is a negative effect on trichomonal cytotoxicity. The differentially expressed proteins were identified by mass spectrometry analysis.

Four phages isolated from cattle and poultry feces were analyzed for their ability to lyse Salmonella serotypes and Escherichia coli O157:H7. The phage one-step growth curves, morphology, and genetic characteristics were determined. All phages showed a lytic effect on various Salmonella serotypes and E. coli O157:H7, which lysed at least 70% of the 234 strains tested. The phages had latent periods ranging from 10 to 15 min and generation times of 30 to 45 min, while burst size fluctuated between 154 and 426 PFU/cell. Phages morphology showed isometric and elongated heads and rigid contractile tails, consistent with morphology of the Myoviridae family. Phages’ DNA dendrograms showed a distinctive RFLP when digested by HindIII and EcoRV, and SDS–PAGE profile showed distinctive proteins expression as well. In vitro phage challenge showed a total reduction of E. coli O157:H7, Salmonella Typhimurium and Saintpaul counts at 2 h, whereas for Salmonella Montevideo a reduction and retardation growth, at a multiplicity of infection (MOI) of 100, was observed; however, under a MOI of 10 000, no viable cells were detected after 4 h. The wide host ranges of these phages suggested they could be used for simultaneous biocontrol of some Salmonella serotypes and E. coli O157:H7.

In vitro interaction of Entamoeba histolytica trophozoites with fibronectin (FN) induces redistribution of the amoebic fibronectin receptor (β1EhFNR). Trafficking of beta1 integrins is important for cell adhesion and migration in higher eukaryotes and requires the participation of Rab proteins. In E. histolytica, the machinery involved in integrin trafficking is not completely known. EhRab7 is a 24.5-kDa protein whose alignment with other Rab7 proteins demonstrated that it shared significant homology with Rab7 proteins from other organisms, including humans. Using different types of microscopy (fluorescence and confocal microscopy), it was established that Rab7 and the actin cytoskeleton participated in the mobilization of β1EhFNR in FN-stimulated trophozoites. β1EhFNR and Rab7 co-localized only in vesicular structures at 5 min, and at longer time (1 h), both co-localized in both plasma membrane and in vesicular structures; at the same time, Rab7 co-localized with specific actin structures (phagocytic vacuoles). At 5 h the β1EhFNR, Rab7, and actin co-localized at the plasma membrane, and only β1EhFNR and Rab7 decorated vesicles of different sizes. Actin and Rab7 co-localized in a cap-like structure at one end of the cell. Fluorescence resonance energy transfer and electron microscopy confirmed the close interaction between β1EhFNR and Rab7. Moreover, the use of a lysosome-specific marker (LysoTracker) and a Golgi-specific marker (NBD C(6)-ceramide) allowed us to establish that, at some point within the endocytic route, β1EhFNR and Rab7 co-localized within a lysosome-type organelle, but not a Golgi-like organelle, which indicated that this integrin-like molecule was returned to the plasma membrane via exocytic or secretory vesicles.

XVI Jornades de Foment de la Investigació (Any 2011) Gran parte de la investigación actual en Inteligencia Emocional (IE) se basa en la polémica relativa a qué forma de evaluar este constructo resulta más adecuada, si medir la IE a través de pruebas de auto-informe o si hacerlo a través de pruebas de habilidad. Las razones de esta polémica son que cada tipo de instrumento presenta una serie de ventajas e inconvenientes, lo que hace a cada uno de estos instrumentos apropiado para objetivos específicos. El objetivo principal de este trabajo es comparar algunas características psicométricas de dos de los instrumentos más utilizados en la evaluación de la IE. Para el presente estudio se ha utilizado una muestra compuesta por 71 empleados (52 mujeres y 19 hombres) provenientes de distintos departamentos de un hospital. Con objeto de preservar el anonimato, la edad se registró estableciendo cinco rangos, de manera que los sujetos únicamente debían señalar a cuál de dichos rangos pertenecían. El grupo más numeroso fue el de edades comprendidas entre los 41 y los 50 años (n=39). Los instrumentos elegidos para la evaluación de la IE fueron el autoinforme TMMS-24 (Fernández-Berrocal, Extremera y Ramos, 2004) y la adaptación española de la prueba de habilidad MSCEIT (Berrocal y Extremera, 2009). Mediante el programa SPSS Statistics (19.0) se realizaron análisis descriptivos y de fiabilidad, así como análisis de correlaciones entre las distintas dimensiones que conforman ambos instrumentos. Los resultados obtenidos mostraron una adecuada consistencia interna de las distintas dimensiones del TMMS-24, así como correlaciones significativas entre las diferentes dimensiones del MSCEIT y correlaciones no significativas entre el TMMS-24 y el MSCEIT. Estos datos están en la línea de los trabajos que concluyen que los auto-informes y las pruebas de habilidad no evalúan el mismo constructo o que evalúan aspectos distintos de la IE. Por tanto, se sugiere la necesidad de continuar investigando esta problemática para arrojar luz sobre el controvertido tema de la evaluación de la IE. Current research on the Emotional Intelligence (EI) focuses on the controversy about which is the best way for assessing this construct properly. In this vein, different self-report scales and ability tests have been developed in order to evaluate EI. That controversy is due to the fact that each type of survey has a number of advantages and disadvantages, thus, each one is more or less appropriate depending on several circumstances. The main objective of this study was to compare some psychometric characteristics of two of the most used surveys used in the assessment of IE (one self-report and one ability test). A sample of 71 employees (52 women and 19 men) from different departments of a hospital was used. In order to preserve anonymity, we established five age ranges. The largest group was aged between 41 and 50 years (n = 39). The instruments chosen for the evaluation of EI were the TMMS-24 (Fernandez-Berrocal, Extremera and Ramos, 2004) and the Spanish adaptation of the MSCEIT test of skill (Extremera and Fernandez-Berrocal, 2009). Using SPSS (19.0), descriptive analysis, reliability, and analysis of correlations between the different dimensions were performed. Results showed adequate internal consistency of the different dimensions of TMMS-24 and significant correlations between the different dimensions of the MSCEIT and non-significant correlations between the TMMS-24 and the MSCEIT. These data are in line with previous research and support that self-reports and ability tests do not assess the same construct or evaluate different aspects of the IE. Therefore, it suggests the need to further research in order to clarify the controversial of the evaluation of EI.

los espacios físicos requeridos, teniendo en cuenta un conjunto de restricciones establecidas institucionalmente. Entre estas restricciones tenemos: un número limitado de espacios físicos con características especiales (salones, salas de cómputo, laboratorios, salas especializadas), el aumento de programas que comparten un núcleo común de materias y la disponibilidad horaria de los profesores hora cátedra que apoyan los diferentes cursos. A estas restricciones hay que sumarle que la mayoría de procesos que integran la programación de horarios en las universidades se realizan de forma manual, es decir existe muy poco nivel de automatización, se cuentan con herramientas que ayudan en el proceso, pero el conocimiento en sí se encuentra dentro de cada una de las personas asociadas a éstos. El modelo propuesto se compone de ocho etapas que se deben llevar a cabo con el fin de lograr convertir el conocimiento tácito asociado a la programación de horarios en conocimiento explícito. Este modelo incluye la identificación de los procesos asociados a la generación de un plan de horarios y especifica las entradas, variables y salidas de éstos.

The study of the encystation process of Entamoeba histolytica has been hampered by the lack of experimental means of inducing mature cysts in vitro. Previously we have found that cytoplasmic vesicles similar to the encystation vesicles of Entamoeba invadens are present in E. histolytica trophozoites only in amebas recovered from experimental amebic liver abscesses. Here we report that a monoclonal antibody (B4F2) that recognizes the cyst wall of E. invadens also identifies a 48 kDa protein in vesicles of E. histolytica trophozoites recovered from hepatic lesions. This protein is less expressed in trophozoites continuously cultured in axenical conditions. As previously reported for E. invadens, the B4F2 specific antigen was identified as enolase in liver-recovered E. histolytica, by two-dimensional electrophoresis, Western blot and mass spectrometry. In addition, the E. histolytica enolase mRNA was detected by RT PCR. The antigen was localized by immunoelectron microscopy in cytoplasmic vesicles of liver-recovered amebas. The B4F2 antibody also recognized the wall of mature E. histolytica cysts obtained from human samples. These results suggest that the enolase-containing vesicles are produced by E. histolytica amebas, when placed in the unfavorable liver environment that could be interpreted as an attempt to initiate the encystation process.

The present study demonstrates that when Acanthamoeba castellanii trophozoites are co-cultivated with isolated human corneas, the amoeba can be invasive and cause damage to the intact corneal epithelium without the requirement of previous corneal abrasion. After adhesion, A. castellanii trophozoites migrate between cells forming bumps on the corneal cell layers and reaching Bowman s membrane in 3h, although no evidence of cell damage was observed until the phagocytic process was detected. Likewise, conditioned medium produced damage to the corneal cells that was proportional to the time of incubation, but this cytophatic effect involved only the most superficial layer of the human cornea and was not enough to explain amoebic invasion of Bowman s membrane. As a result of our observations, we suggest that the mechanical action of the trophozoites and phagocytosis of corneal cells during the process of corneal invasion are more important than previously suggested.