Presence of Chlamydiales DNA in samples negative by broad-range bacterial 16S rRNA PCRs: new insights into chlamydial pathogenic role.

Since routine eubacterial 16S rRNA PCR does not amplify members of the Chlamydiales order, we tested all samples received in our laboratory during a 10 months period using a pan-Chlamydiales real-time PCR. 3 of 107 samples (2.8%) revealed to be positive, suggesting a role of some Chlamydiales in the pathogenesis of chronic bronchial stenosis or bronchial stenosis superinfection and as agents of orthopaedic prosthesis infections.

The personal research portal : web 2.0 driven individual commitment with open access for development

Peer-reviewed

Gram-negative flagella glycosylation

Protein glycosylation had been considered as an eccentricity of a few bacteria. However, through advances in analytical methods and genome sequencing, it is now established that bacteria possess both N-linked and O-linked glycosylation pathways. Both glycosylation pathways can modify multiple proteins, flagellins from Archaea and Eubacteria being one of these. Flagella O-glycosylation has been demonstrated in many polar flagellins from Gram-negative bacteria and in only the Gram-positive genera Clostridium and Listeria. Furthermore, O-glycosylation has also been demonstrated in a limited number of lateral flagellins. In this work, we revised the current advances in flagellar glycosylation from Gram-negative bacteria, focusing on the structural diversity of glycans, the O-linked pathway and the biological function of flagella glycosylation.

La búsqueda de factores protectores del fracaso escolar en niños en situación de riesgo mediante un estudio de casos

The aim of this article is to introduce one of the approaches of research that we consider may contribute to find useful knowledge for prevention of school failure. This approach is in some studies called the study of risk and resilience. The word resilience refers to the capacity of individuals to endure adverse events in their vital experience, without long-term negative or disrupting consequences in their development or socialisation. We present a review of studies that have been carried out with this approach. Then it will be exemplified with a research that intended to identify protective factors of the risk of school failure in at risk adolescents. By means of a qualitative case study approach, this research has allowed us to approach some personal, educational and social factors that seem to have a certain relevance as protective factors of the risk of school failure

Los estilos y estrategias de afrontamiento y su relación con el bienestar personal en una muestra de adolescentes

Several studies have linked coping with personal wellbeing. However, there is no research evidence analyzing this relationship in theSpanish population using Cummins’ model (1997). The aim of this study was to know the level of personal wellbeing of a sample of adolescents and to analyze the relationship between coping strategies and styles and personal well-being. With that purpose in mind, the Personal Well Being Index (PWI) and the Adolescent Coping Scale (ACS) have been administered to a sample of 656 adolescents aged between 11 and 17. The results allow identifying the effect of age and gender on personal wellbeing. Those coping strategies centered on focusing on the positive, physical recreation, working hard and achieving are associated to higher personal wellbeing while self-blaming and keeping to self are with lower personal wellbeing

Mycobacterium tuberculosis Infection in Young Children: Analyzing the Performance of the Diagnostic Tests

This study evaluated the performance of the Tuberculin Skin Test (TST) and Quantiferon-TB Gold in-Tube (QFT) and the possible association of factors which may modify their results in young children (0-6 years) with recent contact with an index tuberculosis case. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study including 135 children was conducted in Manaus, Amazonas-Brazil. The TST and QFT were performed and the tests results were analyzed in relation to the personal characteristics of the children studied and their relationship with the index case. Results: The rates of positivity were 34.8% (TST) and 26.7% (QFT), with 14.1% of indeterminations by the QFT. Concordance between tests was fair (Kappa = 0.35 P<0.001). Both the TST and QFT were associated with the intensity of exposure (Linear OR = 1.286, P = 0.005; Linear OR = 1.161, P = 0.035 respectively) with only the TST being associated with the time of exposure (Linear OR = 1.149, P = 0.009). The presence of intestinal helminths in the TST+ group was associated with negative QFT results (OR = 0.064, P = 0.049). In the TST- group lower levels of ferritin were associated with QFT+ results (Linear OR = 0.956, P = 0.036). Conclusions: Concordance between the TST and QFT was lower than expected. The factors associated with the discordant results were intestinal helminths, ferritin levels and exposure time to the index tuberculosis case. In TST+ group, helminths were associated with negative QFT results suggesting impaired cell-mediated immunity. The TST-&QFT+ group had a shorter exposure time and lower ferritin levels, suggesting that QFT is faster and ferritin may be a potential biomarker of early stages of tuberculosis infection.

The use of COOP/WONCA charts as a screen for mental disorders in the immigrant community in primary care in primary care

Aim. To evaluate the usefulness of COOP/WONCA charts as a screening tool for mental disorders in primary care in the immigrant healthcare users in Salt. To measure self-rated health of Salt immigration population using the COOP / WONCA charts and to assess its associated factorsDesign. Descriptive and transversal study, Participants. 370 non-EU immigrants seniors selected by consecutive sampling stratified by sexMain measures. Personal information will be collected (age, sex, country of origin, years of residency in Spain, number of people living in the household and associated comorbidities). Each participant will complete the COOP/WONCA charts. An analysis of the validity of the diagnostic test will be done: sensibility, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, ROC curve and area under the curve (AUC). All variables will be subjected to descriptive analysis. Bivariate and multivariate analysis between the variables collected (sex, years of residency in Spain... ) and the results of COOP / WONCA charts will be performedResults. Preliminary results are available on a pilot test with 30 patients. The mental disorder prevalence is around 30%. Sensibility (0,89), specificity (0,89), VPP (0,80), VPN (0,94) cutoff score (3.5) and AUC (0,941). Women, people with 10 or more years of residency in Spain and unemployed people have worse self-rated healthConclusions. Based on the preliminary results, is possible to conclude that COOP/WONCA charts could be an useful, valid and applicable screening test for mental disorders in primary care with immigrant population

eLab, a Personal Learning Environment for the Green Open Innovation Platform

Open Innovation is a relatively new concept which involves a change of paradigm in the R+D+i processes of companies whose aim is to create new technologies or new processes. If to this change, we add the need for innovation in the new green and sustainability economy, and we set out to create a collaborative platform with a learning space where this can happen, we will be facing an overwhelming challenge which requires the application of intelligent programming technologies and languages at the service of education.The aim of the Green IDI (Green Open Innovation) ¿ Economic development and job creation vector in SMEs, based on the environment and sustainability project is to create a platform where companies and individual researchers can perform open innovation processes in the field of sustainability and the environment.The Green IDI (Green Open Innovation) project is funded under the program INNPACTO by the Ministry of Science and Innovation of Spain and is being developed through a consortium formed by the following institutions: GRUPO ICA; COMPARTIA; GRUPO INTERCOM; CETAQUA and the Instituto de Investigación en Inteligencia Artificial (IIIA) from Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (CSIC). Also the consortium include FUNDACIÓ PRIVADA BARCELONA DIGITAL; PIMEC and UNIVERSITAT OBERTA DE CATALUNYA (UOC).Sustainability and positive action for the environment are considered the principle vector of economic development for companies. As Nicolás Scoli says (2007) ¿in short, preventing unnecessary consumption and the efficient consumption of resources means producing greater wealth with less. Both effects lead to reduced pollution linked to production and consumption¿.The Spanish Sustainable Development Strategy (EEDS) plan defends consumption and sustainable production linked to social and economic development by adhering to the commitment not to endanger ecosystems and abolishing the idea that economic growth is directly proportional to the deterioration of the environment.Uniting the Open Innovation and New Green Economy concepts leads to the "Green Open Innovation¿ Platform creation project.This article analyses the concept of open innovation and defines the importance of the new green and sustainable economy. Lastly, it proposes the creation of eLab. The eLab is defined as an Open Green Innovation Platform personal and collaborative education space which is fed by the interactions of users and which enables innovation processes based on new green economy concepts to be carried out.The creation of a personal learning environment such as eLab on the Green Open Innovation Platform meets the need to offer a collaborative space where platform users can improve their skills regarding the environment and sustainability based on collaborative synergies through Information and Communication Technologies.

Personal constructs in systemic practice

This paper intends to elaborate the relationship between Kelly's Personal Construct Theory (PCT) and the systemic therapies beyond their notable similarities. Kelly's constructive alternativism is situated in the context of the current constructivist orientation that the family therapy movement seems to be adopting. A model of change is presented based on PCT's experience cycle. From this cycle, the relationship between behaviors and constructions is elaborated incorporating Procter's (52, 53) notions of the Family Construct System (FCS) andposition. This model allows for interventions both at behavioral and construction levels, as well as allowing for a certain technical eclecticism while, at the same time, retaining a strong theoretical coherence. This approach is discussed in the context of the debate about strategizing, power, and control held by authors such as Golann, Hoffman, and Tomm. Finally, some implications for research are outlined.

Negative Regulation of Receptor Tyrosine Kinases by T-cell Protein Tyrosine Phosphatase

Protein tyrosine phosphorylation controls a wide array of cellular responses such as growth, migration, proliferation, differentiation, metabolism and cytoskeletal organisation. Tyrosine phosphorylation is a dynamic process involving the competing activities of protein tyrosine kinases and protein tyrosine phosphatases. The protein tyrosine kinases are further divided into non-receptor- and receptor tyrosine kinases. The latter are transmembrane glycoproteins activated by the binding of specific ligands, mostly growth factors, to their extracellular domain, transmitting different signals to the cell. Growth factor receptors such as the epidermal growth factor receptor, vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2 and platelet-derived growth factor receptor β, belong to the receptor tyrosine kinases, the signalling of which is often disturbed in various diseases, including cancer. This has led to the development of receptor tyrosine kinase antagonists for use as anti-cancer drugs. As the receptor tyrosine kinases, also the protein tyrosine phosphatases can be divided into receptor- and non-receptor types. The protein tyrosine phosphatases have attained much less attention than the receptor tyrosine kinases partly because they were identified later. However, accumulating evidence shows that the protein tyrosine phosphatases have important roles as specific and active regulators of tyrosine phosphorylation in cells and of physiological processes. Consequently, the protein tyrosine phosphatases are receiving arising interest as novel drug targets. The aim of this work was to elucidate the negative regulation of receptor tyrosine kinases by one non-receptor protein tyrosine phosphatase, T-cell protein tyrosine phosphatase TCPTP. The results show that TCPTP activated by cell adhesion receptor integrin α1 functions as a negative regulator of the epidermal growth factor receptor. It was also found that TCPTP affects vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2 signalling and angiogenesis. Lastly, a High-throughput screen with 64,280 compounds was performed to identify novel TCPTP activators, resulting in identification of one small molecule compound capable of exerting similar effects on TCPTP signalling as integrin α1. This compound is shown to downregulate signalling of epidermal growth factor receptor and platelet-derived growth factor receptor β, as well as to inhibit cell proliferation and angiogenesis. Our results suggest that a suitable small-molecule TCPTP activator could be utilized in the development of novel anti-cancer drugs.

Desarrollo rápido de software libre de alta calidad : Ingeniería de software asistida por computadora, enfocada en tareas, para agilizar el ciclo de vida de las aplicaciones, mediante mejora continua disciplinada a nivel personal

Este trabajo de investigación abarca el estudio, implementación y evaluación de diferentes herramientas, metodologías y procesos para la producción de software libre en el campo del desarrollo rápido de aplicaciones (RAD, precursor de metodologías ágiles como Scrum).