Search

Abstract This Anaphylaxis Manifesto calls on communities to prioritise 10 practical actions to improve the lives of people at risk of serious allergic reactions. The Global Allergy and Asthma European Network and the European Federation of Allergy and Airways Diseases Patients' Associations (EFA) compiled patient‐centric priorities. We used qualitative consensus methods, research evidence and feedback from over 200 patient groups, stakeholder organisations and healthcare professionals. We encourage healthcare, education and food organisations to collaborate with people at risk of serious allergic reactions to tackle safety, anxiety and financial burdens for individuals and societies. Key priorities for prevention include awareness‐raising campaigns for the public and professionals, school and workplace initiatives and mandatory precautionary allergen labels on food. Priorities for improving immediate and long‐term management include educating healthcare professionals, patients and schools about when and how to use adrenaline, funding two approved adrenaline devices for everyone at risk, and facilitating access to allergy specialists. Integrated care pathways should include clinical and non‐clinical management options such as individualised risk assessment and quality of life assessment, self‐management plans, dietetic and psychosocial support and peer support. Organisations around the world are committing to work together towards these priorities.

Abstract Since the Scythian people first encountered the Hellenic cultural environment in the Archaic period, their lifestyle, customs and characteristics had such a strong impact on the Hellenic colonies in the region that they soon formed part of the Amazonian myths. The discovery of different female burials with weapons among their grave goods pointed to the possibility that female Scythians were warriors, thus giving rise to the Amazonian myths. However, even though this status has been evidenced by the remains found in the Kurgans of the northern Pontus, the origin of those myths dates back long before the first contacts between both cultures. So, even though a knowledge of their customs favoured their association with the Amazonian myths, it could never have led to their appearance in the Greek mythical imaginary.

Abstract The endocannabinoid system (ECS), a signalling network with immunomodulatory properties, is a potential therapeutic target in multiple sclerosis (MS). Dimethyl fumarate (DMF) is an approved drug for MS whose mechanism of action has not been fully elucidated; the possibility exists that its therapeutic effects could imply the ECS. With the aim of studying if DMF can modulate the ECS, the endocannabinoids 2-arachidonoylglycerol (2-AG), anandamide (AEA), oleoylethanolamide (OEA) and palmitoylethanolamide (PEA) were determined by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry in peripheral blood mononuclear cells from 21 healthy donors (HD) and 32 MS patients at baseline and after 12 and 24 months of DMF treatment. MS patients presented lower levels of 2-AG and PEA compared to HD. 2-AG increased at 24 months, reaching HD levels. AEA and PEA remained stable at 12 and 24 months. OEA increased at 12 months and returned to initial levels at 24 months. Patients who achieved no evidence of disease activity (NEDA3) presented the same modulation over time as EDA3 patients. PEA was modulated differentially between females and males. Our results show that the ECS is dysregulated in MS patients. The increase in 2-AG and OEA during DMF treatment suggests a possible role of DMF in ECS modulation.

En la actualidad existen numerosas investigaciones sobre consciencia plena en el ámbito de la educación en sus distintos niveles. En educación superior, la mayoría de estos trabajos se han afrontado desde una visión positivista del fenómeno y se han centrado en valorar los beneficios de su práctica sobre la salud y el bienestar del alumnado, así como en su rendimiento académico. El objetivo de este trabajo fue explorar las vivencias de tres profesores universitarios que enfocan su acción pedagógica como una experiencia consciente, a través del análisis de sus relatos de vida. La técnica utilizada fue la entrevista semiestructurada. El análisis de los datos se realizó en dos fases sucesivas, de primer y de segundo orden. El de primer orden consistió en un análisis categorial del contenido de las entrevistas, y el de segundo orden se centró en la reducción de los datos según el objetivo de la investigación, mostrando las tres perspectivas diferentes de enfocar la práctica que son discutidas en este trabajo: 1) como un proceso que ayude a despertar al alumnado; 2) como un proceso de autoconocimiento, y 3) como un proceso dirigido a la expansión de la consciencia no condicionada de alumnado y profesorado.

Background and objectiveDimethyl fumarate (DMF) is an immunomodulatory drug approved for the therapy of multiple sclerosis (MS). The identification of response biomarkers to DMF is a necessity in the clinical practice. With this aim, we studied the immunophenotypic and transcriptomic changes produced by DMF in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and its association with clinical response.Material and methodsPBMCs were obtained from 22 RRMS patients at baseline and 12 months of DMF treatment. Lymphocyte and monocyte subsets, and gene expression were assessed by flow cytometry and next-generation RNA sequencing, respectively. Clinical response was evaluated using the composite measure “no evidence of disease activity” NEDA-3 or “evidence of disease activity” EDA-3 at 2 years, classifying patients into responders (n=15) or non-responders (n=7), respectively.ResultsIn the whole cohort, DMF produced a decrease in effector (TEM) and central (TCM) memory T cells in both the CD4+ and CD8+ compartments, followed by an increase in CD4+ naïve T cells. Responder patients presented a greater decrease in TEM lymphocytes. In addition, responder patients showed an increase in NK cells and were resistant to the decrease in the intermediate monocytes shown by non-responders. Responder patients also presented differences in 3 subpopulations (NK bright, NK dim and CD8 TCM) at baseline and 4 subpopulations (intermediate monocytes, regulatory T cells, CD4 TCM and CD4 TEMRA) at 12 months. DMF induced a mild transcriptional effect, with only 328 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) after 12 months of treatment. The overall effect was a downregulation of pro-inflammatory genes, chemokines, and activators of the NF-kB pathway. At baseline, no DEGs were found between responders and non-responders. During DMF treatment a differential transcriptomic response was observed, with responders presenting a higher number of DEGs (902 genes) compared to non-responders (189 genes).ConclusionsResponder patients to DMF exhibit differences in monocyte and lymphocyte subpopulations and a distinguishable transcriptomic response compared to non-responders that should be further studied for the validation of biomarkers of treatment response to DMF.

Dimethyl fumarate (DMF) is an immunomodulatory treatment for multiple sclerosis (MS) that can cross the blood–brain barrier, presenting neuroprotective potential. Its mechanism of action is not fully understood, and there is a need to characterize whether DMF or its bioactive metabolite monomethyl fumarate (MMF) exerts neuroprotective properties. Moreover, the combination of adjuvant agents such as cannabidiol (CBD) could be relevant to enhance neuroprotection. The aim of this study was to compare the neuroprotective and immunomodulatory effects of DMF, MMF, and CBD in neurons and microglia in vitro. We found that DMF and CBD, but not MMF, activated the Nrf2 antioxidant pathway in neurons. Similarly, only DMF and CBD, but not MMF, prevented the LPS-induced activation of the inflammatory pathway NF-kB in microglia. Additionally, the three drugs inhibited the production of nitric oxide in microglia and protected neurons against apoptosis. Transcriptomically, DMF modulated a greater number of inflammatory and Nrf2-related genes compared to MMF and CBD in both neurons and microglia. Our results show that DMF and MMF, despite being structurally related, present differences in their mechanisms of action that could be relevant for the achievement of neuroprotection in MS patients. Additionally, CBD shows potential as a neuroprotective agent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this paper is to address the colonisation of the Pontus in relation to the Amazon myths. An attempt will be made to clarify the difficulties in identifying both the initial contacts between the Greeks and the ancient steppe nomad peoples in that region and the origin of the Amazon myths on the basis of the apparently more egalitarian lifestyle of those societies². Similarly, the intention is to offer an explanation for the presence of iconographic pieces of an Amazon character in that liminal space. The Amazon kingdom, regardless of whether it has been located preferably in the southern Pontus or less frequently in its northern or eastern reaches, was undoubtedly connected with the Black Sea. Even though those myths are rooted in a time long before the period in which the region was colonised by the Greeks, they formed part of it, as occurred with many other accounts dealing with the Argonauts, Medea and so forth, with the mission of exploring those distant lands, bringing them closer to the Greek world and facilitating their control, as well as converting them into essential elements for identifying the 'other' and, by extension, Hellenic culture itself. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract The formation of molecular hydrogen as well as the possibility of using coinage metal hydrides as a prospective complex to produce hydrogen was presented in this work. Therefore, the reactions involving the interaction between two coinage metal hydrides, MH (M=Cu, Ag and Au, homo and heterodimers), were studied. The free energy profiles corresponding to aforementioned complexation were analysed by means of ab initio methods of quantum chemistry. The characteristics of these intermediates, final complexes and the electron density properties of the established interactions were discussed.

En este artículo trataremos sobre las fuentes relativas al pueblo cimerio, su relación con los movimientos migratorios escitas a la región del Ponto septentrional y la relación de ambos pueblos con los mitos amazónicos. La influencia de las sociedades indoiranias en el arte heleno es bien conocida, aunque en muchas ocasiones se han ofrecido interpretaciones diversas a la aparición de arqueros orientales en numerosas piezas de pintura vascular. A continuación intentaremos explicar esas conexiones entre las sociedades nómadas orientales y los relatos míticos amazónicos en el periodo Arcaico, así como su interpretación en los motivos decorativos de la cerámica griega.

El agotamiento del lenguaje de la música de cine corre en paralelo al del propio lenguaje cinematográfico tradicional. En un tiempo en el que la proliferación de plataformas para consumo de productos audiovisuales lo ha diversificado, y en el que la asunción de nuevos medios ha cambiado la forma de contemplar imágenes en movimiento, son necesarios cambios estéticos. Un cineasta como Paul Thomas Anderson todavía confía en formas cercanas a la tradición, aunque siempre las ponga en cuestión en sus películas. Generar lo nuevo desde la base tradicional es la forma más original de enfrentarse a esos cambios necesarios para que un nuevo cine cautive al cinéfilo y a cualquier persona que necesite que le cuenten una historia de forma sólida. La música de Jonny Greenwood cumple con precisión ese objetivo desde el acompañamiento narrativo de la acción. La orquesta tradicional se funde en nuevas sonoridades tomadas de un lenguaje contemporáneo que tampoco quiere abandonar las maneras de una forma abrupta. Por un lado, un paso atrás, en un entorno actual con un lenguaje de la música de cine muy dependiente de la maquinaria, por otro lado, un paso adelante en un estilo muy lejano al gran mainstream musical al recuperar sonidos originales, así como el cine de Paul Thomas Anderson rescata emociones perdidas en el cine actual.