Type IVB pili are required for invasion but not for adhesion of Salmonella enterica serovar Typhi into BHK epithelial cells in a cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator-independent manner

The cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) has been proposed as an epithelial cell receptor for the entry of Salmonella Typhi but not Salmonella Typhimurium. The bacterial ligand recognized by CM is thought to reside either in the S. Typhi lipopolysaccharide core region or in the type IV pili. Here, we assessed the ability of virulent strains of S. Typhi and S. Typhimurium to adhere to and invade BHK epithelial cells expressing either the wild-type CFTR protein or the Delta F508 CFTR mutant. Both S. Typhi and S. Typhimurium invaded the epithelial cells in a CFTR-independent fashion. Furthermore and also in a CFTR-independent manner, a S. Typhi pilS mutant adhered normally to BHK cells but displayed a 50% reduction in invasion as compared to wild-type bacteria. Immunofluorescence microscopy revealed that bacteria and CFTR do not colocalize at the epithelial cell surface. Together, our results strongly argue against the established dogma that CFTR is a receptor for entry of Salmonella to epithelial cells. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Is it painful or not?:Discriminant validity of the Behavioral Indicators of Infant Pain (BIIP) scale

To evaluate the ability of the Behavioral Indicators of Infant Pain (BIIP) scale to discriminate between skin-breaking and nonskin breaking procedures, and to identify sensitized pain responses in preterm infants in the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU).

FoodCAP: acid-labile protein adducts of heterocyclic amines in human blood are not viable biomarkers of HCA dietary exposure

Intake of heterocyclic amines (HCAs, carcinogens produced during cooking of meat/fish, the most abundant being PhIP, DiMeIQx and MeIQx) is influenced by many factors including type/thickness of meat and cooking method/temperature/duration. Thus, assessment of HCA dietary exposure is difficult. Protein adducts of HCAs have been proposed as potential medium-term biomarkers of exposure, e.g. PhIP adducted to serum albumin or haemoglobin. However, evidence is still lacking that HCA adducts are viable biomarkers in humans consuming normal diets. The FoodCAP project, supported by World Cancer Research Fund, developed a highly sensitive mass spectrometric method for hydrolysis, extraction and detection of acid-labile HCAs in blood and assessed their validity as biomarkers of exposure. Multiple acid/alkaline hydrolysis conditions were assessed, followed by liquid-liquid extraction, clean-up by cation-exchange SPE and quantification by UPLC-ESI-MS/ MS. Blood was analysed from volunteers who completed food diaries to estimate HCA intake based on the US National Cancer Institute’s CHARRED database. Standard HCAs were recovered quantitatively from fortified blood. In addition, PhIP/MeIQx adducts bound to albumin and haemoglobin prepared in vitro using a human liver microsome system were also detectable in blood fortified at low ppt concentrations. However, except for one sample (5pg/ml PhIP), acid-labile PhIP, 7,8-DiMeIQx, 4,8-DiMeIQx and MeIQx were not observed above the 2pg/ml limit of detection in plasma (n=35), or in serum, whole blood or purified albumin, even in volunteers with high meat consumption (nominal HCA intake >2µg/day). It is concluded that HCA blood protein adducts are not viable biomarkers of exposure. Untargeted metabolomic analyses may facilitate discovery of suitable markers.

Acid-labile protein-adducted heterocyclic aromatic amines in human blood are not viable biomarkers of dietary exposure: A systematic study.

Heterocyclic aromatic amines (HCA) are carcinogenic mutagens formed during cooking of protein-rich foods. HCA residues adducted to blood proteins have been postulated as biomarkers of HCA exposure. However, the viability of quantifying HCAs following hydrolytic release from adducts in vivo and correlation with dietary intake are unproven. To definitively assess the potential of labile HCA-protein adducts as biomarkers, a highly sensitive UPLC-MS/MS method was validated for four major HCAs: 2-amino-1-methyl-6-phenylimidazo[4,5-b]pyridine (PhIP), 2-amino-3,8-dimethylimidazo[4,5-f]quinoxaline (MeIQx), 2-amino-3,4,8-trimethylimidazo[4,5-f]quinoxaline (4,8-DiMeIQx) and 2-amino-3,7,8-trimethylimidazo[4,5-f]quinoxaline (7,8-DiMeIQx). Limits of detection were 1e5 pg/ml plasma and recoveries 91e115%. Efficacy of hydrolysis was demonstrated by HCA-protein adducts synthesised in vitro. Plasma and 7-day food diaries were collected from 122 fasting adults consuming their habitual diets. Estimated HCA intakes ranged from 0 to 2.5 mg/day. An extensive range of hydrolysis conditions was examined for release of adducted HCAs in plasma. HCA was detected in only one sample (PhIP, 9.7 pg/ml), demonstrating conclusively for the first time that acid-labile HCA adducts do not reflect dietary HCA intake and are present at such low concentrations that they are not feasible biomarkers of exposure. Identification of biomarkers remains important. The search should concentrate on stabilised HCA peptide markers and use of untargeted proteomic and metabolomic approaches.

I Believe in me, not OCB: Evaluation of Group Function-Based CBT as a Treatment for Obsessive Compulsive Behaviour in Four Children with HFA

Researchers have conceptualized repetitive behaviours in individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) on a continuum oflower-Ievel, motoric, repetitive behaviours and higher-order, repetitive behaviours that include symptoms ofOCD (Hollander, Wang, Braun, & Marsh, 2009). Although obsessional, ritualistic, and stereotyped behaviours are a core feature of ASD, individuals with ASD frequently experience obsessions and compulsions that meet DSM-IV-TR (American Psychiatric Association, 2000) criteria for Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD). Given the acknowledged difficulty in differentiating between OCD and Autism-related obsessive-compulsive phenomena, the present study uses the term Obsessive Compulsive Behaviour (OCB) to represent both phenomena. This study used a multiple baseline design across behaviours and ABC designs (Cooper, Heron, & Heward, 2007) to investigate if a 9-week Group Function-Based Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) decreased OCB in four children (ages 7 - 11 years) with High Functioning Autism (HFA). Key treatment components included traditional CBT components (awareness training, cognitive-behavioural skills training, exposure and response prevention) as well as function-based assessment and intervention. Time series data indicated significant decreases in OCBs. Standardized assessments showed decreases in symptom severity, and increases in quality of life for the participants and their families. Issues regarding symptom presentation, assessment, and treatment of a dually diagnosed child are discussed.

Scientific production on the Mantel-Haenszel procedure as a way of detecting DIF

Resumen tomado de la publicaci??n

Bilingualism or not : the education of minorities.

Trata del bilingüismo, sobre todo, en lo que se refiere a los migrantes y a las minorías indígenas, porque, desde el punto de vista lingüístico, ellos se ven en la obligación de ser bilingües, mientras que el resto de la población lo tiene como una opción voluntaria. Además de definir, analiza las consecuencias del bilingüismo desde varios ángulos, el lingüístico, el desarrollo cognitivo y el rendimiento escolar; y examina las diferentes maneras que tienen los distintos grupos para convertirse en bilingües, en la escuela y en la familia. También, compara las políticas desarrolladas, a nivel internacional, sobre trabajadores inmigrates y otro tipo de trabajadores residentes en el país, así como la violencia en la educación de las minorías.

Problem Solving Teaching Guide : its Way of Use, and the Effect on Students. 'Guía docente de resolución de problemas : su modo de uso, y el efecto en los estudiantes'.

Resumen basado en el de la publicación

The “right way” of Hermetism: disputes on Gnostic’s, Pagan’s and Christian’s (re-)visions of the Hermetic phonomenon in late antiquity

This paper aims to understand the phenomenon of Hermetism though the perspective of its process of reception and reproduction in society. It will explore the phenomenon that was the transformation of the Hermetica into a social discourse. The so-called technical and philosophical Hermetica are texts. A text is the result of a production: it is composed by men, and addressed to men. It is important to consider the intentions and values present in a text’s production, and to understand that its process of reception and reproduction in society are, in fact, complex and dynamic.