Search

El presente trabajo tiene como objetivo principal proponer estrategias para el desarrollo de las altas capacidades en el segundo ciclo de Educación Infantil, siendo de gran importancia la correcta formación del profesorado sobre el tema a tratar, para poder detectar las altas capacidades intelectuales, ayudar en el desarrollo del ámbito educativo de los alumnos, orientar a los padres y proponer viertas estrategias que satisfagan las necesidades educativas del alumnado. Esta serie de objetivos se cumplirán con la realización de veinte actividades clasificadas según las ocho inteligencias de Gardner. En este proyecto se busca también la inclusión de todos los alumnos, presenten ACI o no y que se suplan todas sus necesidades, además de ayudar a los discentes a que desarrollen al máximo su potencial. No pretendemos trabajar las altas capacidades como si fueran un problema o un inconveniente, sino como una manera para formar futuros ciudadanos responsables, que puedan prosperar en todas las áreas y ser un aporte significativo en la sociedad a la que pertenecen, logrando que se sientan realmente útiles.

In this work, the incorporation of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) in mouse resident peritoneal macrophages and its redistribution within the various phospholipid classes were investigated. Choline glycerophospholipids (PC) behaved as the major initial acceptors of DHA. Prolonged incubation with the fatty acid resulted in the transfer of DHA from PC to ethanolamine glycerophospholipids (PE), reflecting phospholipid remodeling. This process resulted in the cells containing similar amounts of DHA in PC and PE in the resting state. Mass spectrometry-based lipidomic analyses of phospholipid molecular species indicated a marked abundance of DHA in ether phospholipids. Stimulation of the macrophages with yeast-derived zymosan resulted in significant decreases in the levels of all DHA-containing PC and PI species; however, no PE or PS molecular species were found to decrease. In contrast, the levels of an unusual DHA-containing species, namely PI(20:4/22:6), which was barely present in resting cells, were found to markedly increase under zymosan stimulation. The levels of this phospholipid also significantly increased when the calcium-ionophore A23187 or platelet-activating factor were used instead of zymosan to stimulate the macrophages. The study of the route involved in the synthesis of PI(20:4/22:6) suggested that this species is produced through deacylation/reacylation reactions. These results define the increases in PI(20:4/22:6) as a novel lipid metabolic marker of mouse macrophage activation, and provide novel information to understand the regulation of phospholipid fatty acid turnover in activated macrophages.

Producción Científica, Adrenic acid (AA), the 2-carbon elongation product of arachidonic acid, is present at significant levels in membrane phospholipids of mouse peritoneal macrophages. Despite its abundance and structural similarity to arachidonic acid, very little is known about the molecular mechanisms governing adrenic acid mobilization in cells of the innate immune system. This contrasts with the wide availability of data on arachidonic acid mobilization. In this work, we used mass-spectrometry-based lipidomic procedures to define the profiles of macrophage phospholipids that contain adrenic acid and their behavior during receptor activation. We identified the phospholipid sources from which adrenic acid is mobilized, and compared the data with arachidonic acid mobilization. Taking advantage of the use of selective inhibitors, we also showed that cytosolic group IVA phospholipase A2 is involved in the release of both adrenic and arachidonic acids. Importantly, calcium independent group VIA phospholipase A2 spared arachidonate-containing phospholipids and hydrolyzed only those that contain adrenic acid. These results identify separate mechanisms for regulating the utilization of adrenic and arachidonic acids, and suggest that the two fatty acids may serve non-redundant functions in cells., Ministerio de Economía, Industria y Competitividad (grant SAF2016-80883-R)

Macrophages contain large amounts of arachidonic acid (AA), which distributes differentially across membrane phospholipids. This is largely due to the action of coenzyme A-independent transacylase (CoA-IT), which transfers the AA primarily from diacyl choline-containing phospholipids to ethanolamine-containing phospholipids. In this work we have comparatively analyzed glycerophospholipid changes leading to AA mobilization in mouse peritoneal macrophages responding to either zymosan or serum-opsonized zymosan (OpZ). These two phagocytic stimuli promote the cytosolic phospholipase A2-dependent mobilization of AA by activating distinct surface receptors. Application of mass spectrometry-based lipid profiling to identify changes in AA-containing phospholipids during macrophage exposure to both stimuli revealed significant decreases in the levels of all major choline phospholipid molecular species and a major phosphatidylinositol species. Importantly, while no changes in ethanolamine phospholipid species were detected on stimulation with zymosan, significant decreases in these species were observed when OpZ was used. Analyses of CoA-IT-mediated AA remodeling revealed that the process occurred faster in the zymosan-stimulated cells compared with OpZ-stimulated cells. Pharmacological inhibition of CoA-IT strongly blunted AA release in response to zymosan but had only a moderate effect on the OpZ-mediated response. These results suggest a hitherto undescribed receptor-dependent role for CoA-independent AA remodeling reactions in modulating the eicosanoid biosynthetic response of macrophages. Our data help define novel targets within the AA remodeling pathway with potential use to control lipid mediator formation.

Adrenic acid (AA), the 2-carbon elongation product of arachidonic acid, is present at significant levels in membrane phospholipids of mouse peritoneal macrophages. Despite its abundance and structural similarity to arachidonic acid, very little is known about the molecular mechanisms governing adrenic acid mobilization in cells of the innate immune system. This contrasts with the wide availability of data on arachidonic acid mobilization. In this work, we used mass-spectrometry-based lipidomic procedures to define the profiles of macrophage phospholipids that contain adrenic acid and their behavior during receptor activation. We identified the phospholipid sources from which adrenic acid is mobilized, and compared the data with arachidonic acid mobilization. Taking advantage of the use of selective inhibitors, we also showed that cytosolic group IVA phospholipase A2 is involved in the release of both adrenic and arachidonic acids. Importantly, calcium independent group VIA phospholipase A2 spared arachidonate-containing phospholipids and hydrolyzed only those that contain adrenic acid. These results identify separate mechanisms for regulating the utilization of adrenic and arachidonic acids, and suggest that the two fatty acids may serve non-redundant functions in cells.

The process of urbanization entails social improvements with the consequential better quality-of-life for urban residents. However, in many low-income and some middle-income countries, urbanization conveys inequality and exclusion, creating cities and dwellings characterized by poverty, overcrowded conditions, poor housing, severe pollution, and absence of basic services such as water and sanitation. Slums in large cities often have an absence of schools, transportation, health centers, recreational facilities, and other such amenities. Additionally, the persistence of certain conditions, such as poverty, ethnic heterogeneity, and high population turnover, contributes to a lowered ability of individuals and communities to control crime, vandalism, and violence. The social vulnerability in health is not a “natural” or predefined condition but occurs because of the unequal social context that surrounds the daily life of the disadvantaged, and often, socially excluded groups. Social exclusion of individuals and groups is a major threat to development, whether to the community social cohesion and economic prosperity or to the individual self-realization through lack of recognition and acceptance, powerlessness, economic vulnerability, ill health, diminished life experiences, and limited life prospects. In contrast, social inclusion is seen to be vital to the material, psychosocial, and political aspects of empowerment that underpin social well-being and equitable health. Successful experiences of cooperation and networking between slum-based organizations, grassroots groups, local and international NGOs, and city government are important mechanisms that can be replicated in urban settings of different low- and middle-income countries. With increasing urbanization, it is imperative to design health programs for the urban poor that take full advantage of the social resources and resourcefulness of their own communities.

Climate change will likely exacerbate already existing urban social inequities and health risks, thereby exacerbating existing urban health inequities. Cities in low and middle-income countries are particularly vulnerable. Urbanization is both a cause of and potential solution to global climate change. Most population growth in the foreseeable future will occur in urban areas primarily in developing countries. How this growth is managed has enormous implications for climate change given the increasing concentration and magnitude of economic production in urban localities, as well as the higher consumption practices of urbanites, especially the middle classes, compared to rural populations. There is still much to learn about the extent to which climate change affects urban health equity and what can be done effectively in different socio-political and socio-economic contexts to improve the health of urban dwelling humans and the environment. But it is clear that equity-oriented climate change adaptation means attention to the social conditions in which urban populations live—this is not just a climate change policy issue, it requires inter-sectoral action. Policies and programs in urban planning and design, workplace health and safety, and urban agriculture can help mitigate further climate change and adapt to existing climate change. If done well, these will also be good for urban health equity.

Background: Leukemias are the most common childhood cancers, accounting for 25-35% of the incidence of all childhood cancer in most populations. In early reports on cancer, Costa Rica ranks among the highest incidence of childhood leukemia in the world. Agriculture is an important economic activity in Costa Rica and is characterized by intensive use of pesticides. In this thesis we present a descriptive epidemiologic study of childhood leukemias, two methodological studies on parental pesticide exposure assessment and an etiological analysis based on a population-based control study. Objective: The main objective of this study was to increase the understanding of potential risk factors of childhood leukemia in Costa Rica, propose improved methods for exposure assessment in cancer research in developing country conditions, and provide epidemiological evidence of association between childhood leukemia and parental occupational pesticide exposure during the prenatal and early postnatal periods of children. Methods: Childhood leukemia incidence during 1981-1996 was analyzed by histology, gender, birth year, time period of diagnosis, age at diagnosis and region. Case data were extracted from the National Cancer Registry of Costa Rica. Person years at risk were calculated from census data and annual sample survey data. International comparison of rates was performed (Paper I). We describe an icon-calendar interview form (ICF) for assessing retrospective parental exposure to pesticides, collecting data on agricultural pesticide use, job tasks, frequency of exposure and major determinants of pesticide exposure (Paper II). ICF data were combined with external data of pesticide application rates for the country, in two retrospective exposure assessment models (Paper III). Associations between parental exposure to pesticides and the risk of leukemia in the offspring were examined in a population-based case-control study in Costa Rica. All cases of childhood leukemia (N=334), a