El presente estudio se centra en el uso del azulejo como elemento ornamental en el Real Alcázar de Madrid durante el siglo XVI y XVII, palacio por excelencia de los Austrias y desaparecido en la ...actualidad. Este importante edificio fue erigido por el emir Mohamed I en torno al año 875 y convertido en palacio por Juan II (1405-1454), por lo que con la Dinastía de los Trastámara el edificio conoció unos años de esplendor y compitió en rivalidad con el cercano Alcázar de Segovia. Con la llegada de los Austrias al trono de Castilla sus interiores se adecuaron a las nuevas necesidades de la Corte por lo que se llevaron a cabo destacadas obras en el conjunto palaciego donde se sucedieron las remesas de azulejos para llevarlas adelante.
En este estudio mostraremos como el material cerámico fue valorado y estimado por los Austrias a través de la documentación conservada. Con su análisis conseguiremos acercarnos al volumen de piezas de cerámica que se entregaron en sus intervenciones y a los centros productores a los que fueron solicitadas. Su no conservación hasta nuestros días nos imposibilita hacer un estudio completo de sus decoraciones, pero nos permite poner en valor nuestro objeto de estudio a través de la documentación histórica.
Marine dissolved organic matter (DOM) is one of the largest reservoirs of reduced carbon on Earth. In the dark ocean (>200 m), most of this carbon is refractory DOM. This refractory DOM, largely ...produced during microbial mineralization of organic matter, includes humic-like substances generated in situ and detectable by fluorescence spectroscopy. Here we show two ubiquitous humic-like fluorophores with turnover times of 435±41 and 610±55 years, which persist significantly longer than the ~350 years that the dark global ocean takes to renew. In parallel, decay of a tyrosine-like fluorophore with a turnover time of 379±103 years is also detected. We propose the use of DOM fluorescence to study the cycling of resistant DOM that is preserved at centennial timescales and could represent a mechanism of carbon sequestration (humic-like fraction) and the decaying DOM injected into the dark global ocean, where it decreases at centennial timescales (tyrosine-like fraction).
Quantitative knowledge about the burial of sedimentary components at the seafloor has wide‐ranging implications in ocean science, from global climate to continental weathering. The use of ...230Th‐normalized fluxes reduces uncertainties that many prior studies faced by accounting for the effects of sediment redistribution by bottom currents and minimizing the impact of age model uncertainty. Here we employ a recently compiled global data set of 230Th‐normalized fluxes with an updated database of seafloor surface sediment composition to derive atlases of the deep‐sea burial flux of calcium carbonate, biogenic opal, total organic carbon (TOC), nonbiogenic material, iron, mercury, and excess barium (Baxs). The spatial patterns of major component burial are mainly consistent with prior work, but the new quantitative estimates allow evaluations of deep‐sea budgets. Our integrated deep‐sea burial fluxes are 136 Tg C/yr CaCO3, 153 Tg Si/yr opal, 20Tg C/yr TOC, 220 Mg Hg/yr, and 2.6 Tg Baxs/yr. This opal flux is roughly a factor of 2 increase over previous estimates, with important implications for the global Si cycle. Sedimentary Fe fluxes reflect a mixture of sources including lithogenic material, hydrothermal inputs and authigenic phases. The fluxes of some commonly used paleo‐productivity proxies (TOC, biogenic opal, and Baxs) are not well‐correlated geographically with satellite‐based productivity estimates. Our new compilation of sedimentary fluxes provides detailed regional and global information, which will help refine the understanding of sediment preservation.
Key Points
Global marine sediment composition (CaCO3, opal, TOC, Fe, Hg, Ba) is presented
Th‐normalized fluxes of major and minor components in the deep sea are constrained
Deep sea budgets and paleo‐proxy applications can be refined with this compilation
Metabolically healthy obese (MHO) phenotype may present with distinct characteristics compared with those with a metabolically unhealthy obese phenotype. Epidemiologic data on the distribution of ...these conditions in the working population are lacking. We aimed to evaluate the prevalence and clinical characteristics of MHO and other obese/non-obese metabolic phenotypes in a working population.
Cross-sectional analysis of all subjects who had undergone a medical examination with Ibermutuamur Prevention Society from May 2004 to December 2007. Participants were classified into 5 categories according to their body mass index (BMI); within each of these categories, participants were further classified as metabolically healthy (MH) or metabolically unhealthy (MUH) according to the modified NCEP-ATPIII criteria. A logistic regression analysis was performed to evaluate some clinically relevant factors associated with a MH status.
In the overall population, the prevalence of the MHO phenotype was 8.6%. The proportions of MH individuals in the overweight and obese categories were: 87.1% (overweight) and 55.5% (obese I-III 58.8, 40.0, and 38.7% of the obese I, II, and III categories, respectively). When the overweight and obese categories were considered, compared with individuals who were MUH, those who were MH tended to be younger and more likely to be female or participate in physical exercise; they were also less likely to smoke, or to be a heavy drinker. In the underweight and normal weight categories, compared with individuals who were MH, those who were MUH were more likely to be older, male, manual (blue collar) workers, smokers and heavy drinkers. Among participants in the MUH, normal weight group, the proportion of individuals with a sedentary lifestyle was higher relative to those in the MH, normal weight group. The factors more strongly associated with the MUH phenotype were BMI and age, followed by the presence of hypercholesterolemia, male sex, being a smoker, being a heavy drinker, and lack of physical exercise.
The prevalence of individuals with a MHO phenotype in the working population is high. This population may constitute an appropriate target group in whom to implement lifestyle modification initiatives to reduce the likelihood of transition to a MUH phenotype.
Introduction
Evidence of an association between periodontitis and MetS (metabolic syndrome) remains controversial. The objective of this study is to evaluate the association between periodontitis and ...MetS in a cross‐sectional population survey.
Material and Methods
WORALTH (Workers’ ORAL healTH) Study is a cross‐sectional survey, conducted on a representative sample of the Spanish employed population, including 5154 participants. An oral examination following the World Health Organization (WHO) criteria evaluated the periodontal status using the Community Periodontal Index (CPI) and Clinical Attachment Levels (CAL). Logistic regression analysis with adjustment for potential confounders was used to evaluate the association between periodontitis and MetS, and its individual components.
Results
Participants presenting a CPI = 4 were more likely to have MetS than subjects with CPI < 4 odds ratio, OR = 1.41; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.10–1.81; p < 0.001. High blood pressure was the component with stronger association with periodontal status (OR = 1.94 for CAL ≥6 mm; 95% CI 1.49–2.53; p < 0.001). After stratifying for sex, the association was higher in women (OR = 2.20 for CPI = 4; 95% CI 1.31–3.62; p < 0.001). Non‐metabolically healthy subjects, obese or not, presented a worse periodontal condition.
Conclusion
Severe periodontitis (CPI = 4) was associated with MetS in a representative sample of the Spanish employed population. This association seems to be independent of body mass index and other potential confounders.
The use of alternative ingredients in the production of kombucha has seen a recent increase. Our research aimed to characterize the chemical, nutritional, microbial, and aromatic profiles of kombucha ...beverages prepared with strawberry tree (Arbutus unedo) fruits fermented with three different SCOBYs for 21 days. The analyses showed similar levels of microbiological groups (aerobic mesophilic microorganisms, lactic acid bacteria, acetic acid bacteria, and yeasts)among the SCOBYs used. The beverages studied displayed a decrease in pH value and carbohydrate content, and protein degradation was also observed as fermentation progressed. However, the increase in total phenolic compounds during the first week proved to be a point of interest. A total of 20 volatile organic compounds were detected, giving different sensory qualities to the beverages: higher ethanol, benzaldehyde-4-ethyl, or acetic acid depending on the SCOBY used. The results obtained indicated that strawberry tree kombucha might be an alternative beverage with notable nutritional and aromatic properties, with fermentation time and SCOBY composition being identified as crucial factors.
Hyperuricemia is becoming a serious public health issue, which is highly influenced by environmental factors, although there is still controversial information on the potential influence of the ...exposure to Persistent Toxic Substances (PTSs) in the general population. In this study we aimed to assess the association. PTS exposure with uric acid homeostasis in a sample of the Spanish population.
Participants were recruited during 2009–2010 in all the main geographical areas of Spain. Exposure to 34 PTSs was estimated by chemical analyses of serum levels of 6 Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs, n = 950), 13 Organochlorine Pesticides (OCPs, n = 453), 6 Perfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAs, n = 755), 7 Polybrominated Diphenyl Ethers (PBDEs, n = 365), urinary Cadmium (n = 926), and Lead in whole blood (n = 882). The two study outcomes were defined as the prevalence of hyperuricemia in the study population and uric acid levels, the latter only in individuals with no previous diagnosis of hyperuricemia. Statistical analyses were performed by means of binomial logistic regression and linear regression, and mixture effects were screened using Weighted Quantile Sum Regression (WQS).
Serum concentrations of γ-HCH, o,p´-DDE, PCB-138, PCB-153, PFOA, and urinary Cadmium were associated with an increased risk of hyperuricemia, while PBDE-153 showed an inverse association with the effect. Furthermore, exposure to Cadmium, PCB-138, and to PCB-153 was positively associated with uric acid levels. Results were consistent after lipid adjustment or standardization. WQS analyses revealed a major contribution of PCB-153 within the PCB mixture on both the risk of hyperuricemia and uric acid levels. Sensitivity analyses were performed by adjusting for dietary habits, fasting glucose and estimated glomerular filtration rate.
Overall, we found novel associations between human exposure to mixtures of PTSs and disturbances in uric acid homeostasis. However, we cannot completely rule out potential residual confounding effect or reversed-causality related to the cross-sectional design.
•We assessed the contribution of PTSs on uric acid homeostasis in Spanish population.•Concentrations of 34 PTSs were analyzed in serum or urine.•PCB-138, PCB-153, PFOA, and Cadmium were positively associated with hyperuricemia.•Cadmium, PCB-138, and PCB-153 were positively associated with uric acid levels.•WQS analyses revealed a major effect of PCB-153 within the PCB mixture.
Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a common childhood-onset neurodevelopmental condition characterized by pervasive impairment of attention, hyperactivity, and/or impulsivity that can ...persist into adulthood. The aetiology of ADHD is complex and multifactorial and, despite the wealth of evidence for its high heritability, genetic studies have provided modest evidence for the involvement of specific genes and have failed to identify consistent and replicable results. Due to the lack of robust findings, we performed gene-wide and pathway enrichment analyses using pre-existing GWAS data from 607 persistent ADHD subjects and 584 controls, produced by our group. Subsequently, expression profiles of genes surpassing a follow-up threshold of P-value < 1e-03 in the gene-wide analyses were tested in peripheral blood mononucleated cells (PBMCs) of 45 medication-naive adults with ADHD and 39 healthy unrelated controls. We found preliminary evidence for genetic association between RNF122 and ADHD and for its overexpression in adults with ADHD. RNF122 encodes for an E3 ubiquitin ligase involved in the proteasome-mediated processing, trafficking, and degradation of proteins that acts as an essential mediator of the substrate specificity of ubiquitin ligation. Thus, our findings support previous data that place the ubiquitin-proteasome system as a promising candidate for its involvement in the aetiology of ADHD.
Bluetongue virus (BTV) is the causative agent of the important livestock disease bluetongue (BT), which is transmitted via Culicoides bites. BT causes severe economic losses associated with its ...considerable impact on health and trade of animals. By reverse genetics, we have designed and rescued reporter-expressing recombinant (r)BTV expressing NanoLuc luciferase (NLuc) or Venus fluorescent protein. To generate these viruses, we custom synthesized a modified viral segment 5 encoding NS1 protein with the reporter genes located downstream and linked by the Porcine teschovirus-1 (PTV-1) 2A autoproteolytic cleavage site. Therefore, fluorescent signal or luciferase activity is only detected after virus replication and expression of non-structural proteins. Fluorescence or luminescence signals were detected in cells infected with rBTV/Venus or rBTV/NLuc, respectively. Moreover, the marking of NS2 protein confirmed that reporter genes were only expressed in BTV-infected cells. Growth kinetics of rBTV/NLuc and rBTV/Venus in Vero cells showed replication rates similar to those of wild-type and rBTV. Infectivity studies of these recombinant viruses in IFNAR(-/-) mice showed a higher lethal dose for rBTV/NLuc and rBTV/Venus than for rBTV indicating that viruses expressing the reporter genes are attenuated
. Interestingly, luciferase activity was detected in the plasma of viraemic mice infected with rBTV/NLuc. Furthermore, luciferase activity quantitatively correlated with RNAemia levels of infected mice throughout the infection. In addition, we have investigated the
replication and dissemination of BTV in IFNAR (-/-) mice using BTV/NLuc and non-invasive
imaging systems.IMPORTANCEThe use of replication-competent viruses that encode a traceable fluorescent or luciferase reporter protein has significantly contributed to the
and
study of viral infections and the development of novel therapeutic approaches. In this work, we have generated rBTV that express fluorescent or luminescence proteins to track BTV infection both
and
. Despite the availability of vaccines, BTV and other related orbivirus are still associated with a significant impact on animal health and have important economic consequences worldwide. Our studies may contribute to the advance in orbivirus research and pave the way for the rapid development of new treatments, including vaccines.
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