Don't forget asking the others! - The added value of significant other's reports on patient interpersonal style for the prediction of therapy process and outcome

Theory: Interpersonal factors play a major role in causing and maintaining depression. It is unclear, however, to what degree significant others of the patient need to be involved for characterizing the patient's interpersonal style. Therefore, our study sought to investigate how impact messages as perceived by the patients' significant others add to the prediction of psychotherapy process and outcome above and beyond routine assessments, and therapist factors. Method: 143 outpatients with major depressive disorder were treated by 24 therapists with CBT or Exposure-Based Cognitive Therapy. Interpersonal style was measured pre and post therapy with the informant‐based Impact Message Inventory (IMI), in addition to the self‐report Inventory of Interpersonal Problems (IIP‐32). Indicators for the patients' dominance and affiliation as well as interpersonal distress were calculated from these measures. Depressive and general symptomatology was assessed at pre, post, and at three months follow‐up, and by process measures after every session. Results: Whereas significant other's reports did not add significantly to the prediction of the early therapeutic alliance, central mechanisms of change, or post‐therapy outcome including therapist factors, the best predictor of outcome 3 months post therapy was an increase in dominance as perceived by significant others. Conclusions: The patients' significant others seem to provide important additional information about the patients' interpersonal style and therefore should be included in the diagnostic process. Moreover, practitioners should specifically target interpersonal change as a potential mechanism of change in psychotherapy for depression.

Bovine Staphylococcus aureus: Subtyping, evolution, and zoonotic transfer.

Staphylococcus aureus is globally one of the most important pathogens causing contagious mastitis in cattle. Previous studies using ribosomal spacer (RS)-PCR, however, demonstrated in Swiss cows that Staph. aureus isolated from bovine intramammary infections are genetically heterogeneous, with Staph. aureus genotype B (GTB) and GTC being the most prominent genotypes. Furthermore, Staph. aureus GTB was found to be contagious, whereas Staph. aureus GTC and all the remaining genotypes were involved in individual cow disease. In addition to RS-PCR, other methods for subtyping Staph. aureus are known, including spa typing and multilocus sequence typing (MLST). They are based on sequencing the spa and various housekeeping genes, respectively. The aim of the present study was to compare the 3 analytic methods using 456 strains of Staph. aureus isolated from milk of bovine intramammary infections and bulk tanks obtained from 12 European countries. Furthermore, the phylogeny of animal Staph. aureus was inferred and the zoonotic transfer of Staph. aureus between cattle and humans was studied. The analyzed strains could be grouped into 6 genotypic clusters, with CLB, CLC, and CLR being the most prominent ones. Comparing the 3 subtyping methods, RS-PCR showed the highest resolution, followed by spa typing and MLST. We found associations among the methods but in many cases they were unsatisfactory except for CLB and CLC. Cluster CLB was positive for clonal complex (CC)8 in 99% of the cases and typically positive for t2953; it is the cattle-adapted form of CC8. Cluster CLC was always positive for t529 and typically positive for CC705. For CLR and the remaining subtypes, links among the 3 methods were generally poor. Bovine Staph. aureus is highly clonal and a few clones predominate. Animal Staph. aureus always evolve from human strains, such that every human strain may be the ancestor of a novel animal-adapted strain. The zoonotic transfer of IMI- and milk-associated strains of Staph. aureus between cattle and humans seems to be very limited and different hosts are not considered as a source for mutual, spontaneous infections. Spillover events, however, may happen.

Communium opinionum syntagma, siue, Receptarum I.V. sententiarum : in quibus varia prudentum selecta responsa, pulcherrimæq[ue] Iuris quæstiones, ... digestæ, decentiq[ue] ordine collocatæ habentur : aliàs quidem quatuor in tomos diuisum / summo studio, maximaq[ue] diligentia à nobis illustratum, vt iuris studioso nihil ultra desiderari possit ... ; tomus primus

Marca tip. de la Compagnie des libraires en port. (Baudrier. VI, p. 285-285 bis)

Communium opinionum syntagma, siue, Receptarum I.V. sententiarum : in quibus varia prudentum selecta responsa, pulcherrimæq[ue] Iuris quæstiones, ... digestæ, decentiq[ue] ordine collocatæ habentur : aliàs quidem quatuor in tomos diuisum / summo studio, maximaq[ue] diligentia à nobis illustratum, vt iuris studioso nihil ultra desiderari possit ... ; tomus primus

Marca tip. de la Compagnie des libraires en port. (Baudrier. VI, p. 285-285 bis)

Functional disorders of the sympathetic nervous system in mice lacking the α1B subunit (Cav 2.2) of N-type calcium channels

N-type voltage-dependent Ca2+ channels (VDCCs), predominantly localized in the nervous system, have been considered to play an essential role in a variety of neuronal functions, including neurotransmitter release at sympathetic nerve terminals. As a direct approach to elucidating the physiological significance of N-type VDCCs, we have generated mice genetically deficient in the α1B subunit (Cav 2.2). The α1B-deficient null mice, surprisingly, have a normal life span and are free from apparent behavioral defects. A complete and selective elimination of N-type currents, sensitive to ω-conotoxin GVIA, was observed without significant changes in the activity of other VDCC types in neuronal preparations of mutant mice. The baroreflex response, mediated by the sympathetic nervous system, was markedly reduced after bilateral carotid occlusion. In isolated left atria prepared from N-type-deficient mice, the positive inotropic responses to electrical sympathetic neuronal stimulation were dramatically decreased compared with those of normal mice. In contrast, parasympathetic nervous activity in the mutant mice was nearly identical to that of wild-type mice. Interestingly, the mutant mice showed sustained elevation of heart rate and blood pressure. These results provide direct evidence that N-type VDCCs are indispensable for the function of the sympathetic nervous system in circulatory regulation and indicate that N-type VDCC-deficient mice will be a useful model for studying disorders attributable to sympathetic nerve dysfunction.

The P450–1 gene of Gibberella fujikuroi encodes a multifunctional enzyme in gibberellin biosynthesis

Recent studies have shown that the genes of the gibberellin (GA) biosynthesis pathway in the fungus Gibberella fujikuroi are organized in a cluster of at least seven genes. P450–1 is one of four cytochrome P450 monooxygenase genes in this cluster. Disruption of the P450–1 gene in the GA-producing wild-type strain IMI 58289 led to total loss of GA production. Analysis of the P450–1-disrupted mutants indicated that GA biosynthesis was blocked immediately after ent-kaurenoic acid. The function of the P450–1 gene product was investigated further by inserting the gene into mutants of G. fujikuroi that lack the entire GA gene cluster; the gene was highly expressed under GA production conditions in the absence of the other GA-biosynthesis genes. Cultures of transformants containing P450–1 converted ent-[14C]kaurenoic acid efficiently into [14C]GA14, indicating that P450–1 catalyzes four sequential steps in the GA-biosynthetic pathway: 7β-hydroxylation, contraction of ring B by oxidation at C-6, 3β-hydroxylation, and oxidation at C-7. The GA precursors ent-7α-hydroxy[14C]kaurenoic acid, [14C]GA12-aldehyde, and [14C]GA12 were also converted to [14C]GA14. In addition, there is an indication that P450–1 may also be involved in the formation of the kaurenolides and fujenoic acids, which are by-products of GA biosynthesis in G. fujikuroi. Thus, P450–1 displays remarkable multifunctionality and may be responsible for the formation of 12 products.

Enterobacterias productoras de carbapenemasas: tipos, epidemiología molecular y alternativas terapéuticas

Los carbapenémicos son los antibióticos β-lactámicos de más amplio espectro activos frente a microorganismos grampositivos, gramnegativos y anaerobios. Estos agentes mantienen su actividad frente a enterobacterias productoras de β-lactamasas de espectro extendido (BLEE) o de cefalosporinasas AmpC. Dentro de las enterobacterias, la resistencia a los carbapenémicos está mediada principalmente por la producción de diferentes tipos de carbapenemasas, aunque esta resistencia también puede ser debida a una combinación pérdida de porinas más enzimas BLEE o una hiperexpresión de AmpC. Las carbapenemasas representan la familia de β-lactamasas más versátil, con un amplio espectro. La mayoría de estas enzimas reconocen e hidrolizan a casi todos los β- lactámicos y son resistentes a la acción de los inhibidores de los β-lactámicos. Dentro de las enterobacterias, las carbapenemasas se aíslan principalmente en K. pneumoniae y en menor medida en E. coli y otras especies, con una prevalencia más alta en el sur de Europa y Asia que en otras partes del mundo. Las carbapenemasas de la clase A, que pertenecen al grupo 2f de Bush-Jacoby, se pueden dividir en 5 grupos en base a su filogenética: GES, KPC, SME, IMI y NMCA. Las enzimas SME, NMC e IMI están codificadas en cromosómas mientras que las enzimas GES y KPC se encuentran codificadas en plásmidos. El gen blaKPC está asociado el transposón Tn4401. Clínicamente, el grupo que más interés tiene es el de las enzimas KPC. Existen 11 tipos descritos...

La enseñanza de contenidos en inglés en el proceso de internacionalización de la Universidad de Alicante

El objetivo principal de esta red fue determinar el estado de la cuestión de la enseñanza de contenidos en inglés en la Universidad de Alicante. Para ello, indagamos sobre las materias que se imparten en inglés, así como la competencia, actitud y preparación del PDI y del alumnado para la enseñanza y aprendizaje de contenidos en inglés. Este análisis nos permite identificar las necesidades y los problemas de los docentes y discentes en torno a la posible implantación y/o incremento de asignaturas con docencia en inglés. De esta forma, este estudio pretende ser un primer paso en el proceso de desarrollo de buenas prácticas para la internacionalización de la UA en su dimensión docente.

Influenza A virus ribonucleoproteins modulate host recycling by competing with Rab11 effectors

Influenza A virus assembly is an unclear process, whereby individual virion components form an infectious particle. The segmented nature of the influenza A genome imposes a problem to assembly because it requires packaging of eight distinct RNA particles (vRNPs). It also allows genome mixing from distinct parental strains, events associated with influenza pandemic outbreaks. It is important to public health to understand how segmented genomes assemble, a process that is dependent on the transport of components to assembly sites. Previously, it has been shown that vRNPs are carried by recycling endosome vesicles, resulting in a change of Rab11 distribution. Here, we describe that vRNP binding to recycling endosomes impairs recycling endosome function, by competing for Rab11 binding with family-interacting proteins, and that there is a causal relationship between Rab11 ability to recruit family-interacting proteins and Rab11 redistribution. This competition reduces recycling sorting at an unclear step, resulting in clustering of single- and double-membraned vesicles. These morphological changes in Rab11 membranes are indicative of alterations in protein and lipid homeostasis during infection. Vesicular clustering creates hotspots of the vRNPs that need to interact to form an infectious particle.

Peroxisomes are platforms for cytomegalovirus’ evasion from the cellular immune response

The human cytomegalovirus developed distinct evasion mechanisms from the cellular antiviral response involving vMIA, a virally-encoded protein that is not only able to prevent cellular apoptosis but also to inhibit signalling downstream from mitochondrial MAVS. vMIA has been shown to localize at mitochondria and to trigger their fragmentation, a phenomenon proven to be essential for the signalling inhibition. Here, we demonstrate that vMIA is also localized at peroxisomes, induces their fragmentation and inhibits the peroxisomal-dependent antiviral signalling pathway. Importantly, we demonstrate that peroxisomal fragmentation is not essential for vMIA to specifically inhibit signalling downstream the peroxisomal MAVS. We also show that vMIA interacts with the cytoplasmic chaperone Pex19, suggesting that the virus has developed a strategy to highjack the peroxisomal membrane proteins' transport machinery. Furthermore, we show that vMIA is able to specifically interact with the peroxisomal MAVS. Our results demonstrate that peroxisomes constitute a platform for evasion of the cellular antiviral response and that the human cytomegalovirus has developed a mechanism by which it is able to specifically evade the peroxisomal MAVS-dependent antiviral signalling.

Murine Model for Preclinical Studies of Var2CSA-Mediated Pathology Associated with Malaria in Pregnancy

Plasmodium falciparum infection during pregnancy leads to abortions, stillbirth, low birth weight, and maternal mortality. Infected erythrocytes (IEs) accumulate in the placenta by adhering to chondroitin sulfate A (CSA) via var2CSA protein exposed on the P. falciparum IE membrane. Plasmodium berghei IE infection in pregnant BALB/c mice is a model for severe placental malaria (PM). Here, we describe a transgenic P. berghei parasite expressing the full-length var2CSA extracellular region (domains DBL1X to DBL6ε) fused to a P. berghei exported protein (EMAP1) and characterize a var2CSA-based mouse model of PM. BALB/c mice were infected at midgestation with different doses of P. berghei-var2CSA (P. berghei-VAR) or P. berghei wild-type IEs. Infection with 10(4) P. berghei-VAR IEs induced a higher incidence of stillbirth and lower fetal weight than P. berghei At doses of 10(5) and 10(6) IEs, P. berghei-VAR-infected mice showed increased maternal mortality during pregnancy and fetal loss, respectively. Parasite loads in infected placentas were similar between parasite lines despite differences in maternal outcomes. Fetal weight loss normalized for parasitemia was higher in P. berghei-VAR-infected mice than in P. berghei-infected mice. In vitro assays showed that higher numbers of P. berghei-VAR IEs than P. berghei IEs adhered to placental tissue. Immunization of mice with P. berghei-VAR elicited IgG antibodies reactive to DBL1-6 recombinant protein, indicating that the topology of immunogenic epitopes is maintained between DBL1-6-EMAP1 on P. berghei-VAR and recombinant DBL1-6 (recDBL1-6). Our data suggested that impairments in pregnancy caused by P. berghei-VAR infection were attributable to var2CSA expression. This model provides a tool for preclinical evaluation of protection against PM induced by approaches that target var2CSA.

Manipulation of the Quorum Sensing Signal AI-2 Affects the Antibiotic-Treated Gut Microbiota

The mammalian gut microbiota harbors a diverse ecosystem where hundreds of bacterial species interact with each other and their host. Given that bacteria use signals to communicate and regulate group behaviors (quorum sensing), we asked whether such communication between different commensal species can influence the interactions occurring in this environment. We engineered the enteric bacterium, Escherichia coli, to manipulate the levels of the interspecies quorum sensing signal, autoinducer-2 (AI-2), in the mouse intestine and investigated the effect upon antibiotic-induced gut microbiota dysbiosis. E. coli that increased intestinal AI-2 levels altered the composition of the antibiotic-treated gut microbiota, favoring the expansion of the Firmicutes phylum. This significantly increased the Firmicutes/Bacteroidetes ratio, to oppose the strong effect of the antibiotic, which had almost cleared the Firmicutes. This demonstrates that AI-2 levels influence the abundance of the major phyla of the gut microbiota, the balance of which is known to influence human health.

Impacto dos instrumentos de fiscalidade municipal em contexto de reabilitação urbana

Dada a importância da reabilitação urbana e o peso financeiro associado às operações, identifiquei os instrumentos fiscais associados à reabilitação e a aplicabilidade de um deles à área de reabilitação urbana Coimbra Baixa. Começa-se por encontrar uma definição de cidade, como sistema social complexo em constante evolução e enunciam-se as principais modificações sofridas ao longo do tempo histórico. Dentre os acontecimentos históricos, faz-se alusão à Revolução industrial, período que alterou a economia e a sociedade até então existente e o período do pós II Guerra Mundial, época de construção nova e reconstrução. Portugal, fortemente influenciado pelas mudanças trazidas pela era industrial, como o êxodo rural e a desertificação progressiva dos centros urbanos, apresenta como característica urbanística a expansão do território, construída sem um procedimento planificado e regulamentado. As medidas politicas e legais que foram implementadas, como, o congelamento das rendas, inibitório de investimento na manutenção e conservação dos imóveis arrendados e a tradição portuguesa de comprar ou construir imoveis para habitação ao invés de arrendar, contribuíram fortemente para a degradação física do edificado. Perante o estado avançado de degradação das áreas centrais, foram implementadas políticas urbanas de reabilitação como alternativa à construção nova. Para tal, foram criados e implantados diversos programas de apoio financeiro, nacionais e europeus que se descrevem. Relativamente à regulação da reabilitação urbana, identificam-se os diversos diplomas legais existentes, que regulam as intervenções de reabilitação urbana que contemplam. Seguidamente procede-se a uma análise sucinta do sistema fiscal português e à descrição dos tributos suscetíveis de afetar a reabilitação urbana, identificando-se os benefícios fiscais criados para incentivar e promover as ações de reabilitação urbana. Finalmente, com a aplicação de um caso prático, procura-se avaliar o impacto do benefício fiscal, em sede de IMI, à área de reabilitação urbana intitulada de Coimbra Baixa, no município de Coimbra.

The influence of the rearing period on intramammary infections in Swiss dairy heifers: A cross-sectional study

Healthy replacement heifers are one of the foundations of a healthy dairy herd. Farm management andrearing systems in Switzerland provide a wide variety of factors that could potentially be associated withintramammary infections (IMI) in early lactating dairy heifers. In this study, IMI with minor mastitispathogens such as coagulase-negative staphylococci (CNS), contagious pathogens, and environmentalmajor pathogens were identified. Fifty-four dairy farms were enrolled in the study. A questionnaire wasused to collect herd level data on housing, management and welfare of young stock during farm isitsand interviews with the farmers. Cow-level data such as breed, age at first calving, udder condition andswelling, and calving ease were also recorded. Data was also collected about young stock that spent aperiod of at least 3 months on an external rearing farm or on a seasonal alpine farm. At the quarterlevel, teat conditions such as teat lesions, teat dysfunction, presence of a papilloma and teat lengthwere recorded. Within 24 h after parturition, samples of colostral milk from 1564 quarters (391 heifers)were collected aseptically for bacterial culture. Positive bacteriological culture results were found in 49%of quarter samples. Potential risk factors for IMI were identified at the quarter, animal and herd levelusing multivariable and multilevel logistic regression analysis. At the herd level tie-stalls, and at cow-level the breed category “Brown cattle” were risk factors for IMI caused by contagious major pathogenssuch as Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus). At the quarter-level, teat swelling and teat lesions were highlyassociated with IMI caused by environmental major pathogens. At the herd level heifer rearing at externalfarms was associated with less IMI caused by major environmental pathogens. Keeping pregnant heifersin a separate group was negatively associated with IMI caused by CNS. The odds of IMI with coagulase-negative staphylococci increased if weaning age was less than 4 months and if concentrates were fed tocalves younger than 2 weeks. This study identified herd, cow- and quarter-level risk factors that may beimportant for IMI prevention in the future.

Hādhā kitāb Kashf al-qināʻ ʻan wujūh hujjīyat al-ijtimāʻ [microform] /

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