Suchergebnisse

The media, and more specifically the print journalism, is a powerful source of information for the reconstruction of high impact social events, like the current crisis generated by the coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) responsible for COVID-19 disease. To evaluate the impact, we analyzed the printed edition of the national journal El País, between January-June 2020, identifying the literature related to the virus or the disease. We quantified the different references and analyze the distribution across pages, sections of the journal, the sources of information and the organizations mentioned in the texts, together with the evolution overtime. The higher number of references (1872) was registered in April, with an average of 64.6±9.6 per day. Also in April, the number of pages where a comment was related to the crisis represented the 70% of the total pages of the journal. By journal section, the higher number of references corresponded to Society, Economy, Opinion and Spain, in this particular order. The news related to national interest were continued overtime, whereas the international ones where higher at the beginning of the crisis with a decreasing tendency overtime. The journalism genres vary from mainly interpretative at the beginning, to informative later on, with opinion texts reaching their highest levels in April. The information source more frequently used in each text corresponds to institutional organizations. Noteworthy, even if the number of texts related with health is lower than those related to economy and politics, there have been a notorious number of information related to public safety, health management, health assistance and drugs. ; Los medios de comunicación son potencialmente útiles para la construcción social de acontecimientos de alto impacto, como es el caso de la actual crisis provocada por el coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) y la enfermedad COVID-19. Para evaluar su impacto hemos analizado la edición impresa del diario El País entre los meses de enero y junio de 2020, identificando los textos periodísticos que aludían al virus o a la enfermedad, cuantificando su distribución en las páginas y las secciones del diario, las fuentes que se citan en los textos y la evolución de los géneros periodísticos a lo largo del periodo. El número más elevado de textos alusivos se registró en el mes de abril con 1872, con una media diaria de 64,6±9,6. En este mismo mes, el número de páginas del diario en las que se alude a diferentes aspectos de la crisis supera el 70% del total. En la distribución por secciones, el mayor número de textos se alcanzó en Sociedad, seguidos de Economía, Opinión y España. Las noticias de ámbito nacional se mantienen a lo largo del periodo, mientras que las de ámbito internacional son elevadas al inicio de la crisis y luego descienden. Los géneros periodísticos de tipo interpretativo son frecuentes al inicio, pero luego dominan los informativos; los considerados de opinión alcanzan su punto álgido en abril. La fuente documental más abundante es la institucional. Aunque los textos relacionados con salud son cuantitativamente poco numerosos en comparación con los temas económicos y políticos, se ha encontrado información relevante referida a salud pública, gestión sanitaria, asistencia sanitaria y medicamentos.

An extracellular layer of exopolysaccharides (EPS) covers the surface of some Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis strains, which could be of relevance for its probiotic performance. In order to understand the functional characteristics of B. animalis subsp. lactis, two isogenic strains that differ in their EPS-producing phenotype, due to a single mutation in the gene Balat_1410, were studied. By means of a double crossover recombination strategy, successfully used for the first time in bifidobacteria, Balat_1410 in the type strain B. animalis subsp. lactis DSM10140 was replaced by a mutated gene containing a non-synonymous mutation previously associated with the appearance of a mucoid-ropy phenotype. Nuclear magnetic resonance and SEC-MALS analyses showed that the novel strain harboring the mutation acquired a ropy phenotype, due to the production of a high molecular weight (HMW)-EPS that is not produced in the wild-type strain. Fluorescence labeling of both strains with two fluorescent proteins, m-Cherry and Green Fluorescent Protein, was achieved by expressing the corresponding genes under the control of a native selected promoter (the elongation factor Tu promoter). Remarkably, qualitative and quantitative fluorescence analyses demonstrated that the ropy strain displays a lower capability to adhere to human intestinal epithelial cells. In addition, the presence of the HMW-EPS reduced the capability of the producing strain to form biofilms upon three different abiotic surfaces. This work also highlights the fact that different EPS confer variable functional characteristics to the bifidobacterial surface, which may be relevant for the performance of B. animalis subsp. lactis as a probiotic. The construction of molecular tools allowing the functional characterization of surface structures in next generation probiotics is still a challenging issue that deserves further attention, given the relevant role that such molecules must play in the interaction with the host. ; This work was financed by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (MINECO) and FEDER European Union funds through the project AGL2015-64901-R. NC-B acknowledges her FPI (BES-2013-063984) fellowship to MINECO ; Peer reviewed

Bacteria found in diverse ecosystems grow in a community of aggregated cells that favors their survival and colonization. Different extracellular polymeric substances are used to entrap this multispecies community forming a biofilm, which can be associated to biotic and abiotic surfaces. This widespread and successful way of bacterial life, however, can lead to negative effects for human activity since many pathogen and spoiling bacteria form biofilms which are not easy to eradicate. Therefore, the search for novel anti-biofilm bio-active molecules is a very active research area for which simple, reliable, and fast screening methods are demanded. In this work we have successfully validated an impedance-based method, initially developed for the study of adherent eukaryotic cells, to monitor the formation of singlespecies biofilms of three model bacteria in real time. The xCelligence real time cell analyzer (RTCA) equipment uses specific microtiter E-plates coated with gold-microelectrodes that detect the attachment of adherent cells, thus modifying the impedance signal. In the current study, this technology allowed the distinction between biofilm-producers and non-producers of Staphylococcus aureus and Staphylococcus epidermidis, as well as the formation of Streptococcus mutans biofilms only when sucrose was present in the culture medium. Besides, different impedance values permitted discrimination among the biofilm-producing strains tested regardless of the nature of the polymeric biofilm matrix. Finally, we have continuously monitored the inhibition of staphylococcal biofilm formation by the bacteriophage phi-IPLA7 and the bacteriophage-encoded endolysin LysH5, as well as the removal of a preformed biofilm by this last antimicrobial treatment. Results observed with the impedance-based method showed high correlation with those obtained with standard approaches, such as crystal violet staining and bacteria enumeration, as well as with those obtained upon other abiotic surfaces (polystyrene and stainless steel). Therefore, this RTCA technology opens new opportunities in the biofilm research arena and its application could be further explored for other bacterial genera as well as for different bio-active molecules. ; This work was financed by the FEDER European Union funds through the projects AGL2015-64901-R and AGL201565673-R from the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad MINECO) and through the grants EQUIP11 and GRUPIN14-139 (Program of Science, Technology and Innovation, Principado de Asturias). DG and CH-C hold FPI-scholarships of MINECO. ; Peer Reviewed

Exopolysaccharide (EPS)-producing bifidobacteria, particularly Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis strains, are used in the functional food industry as promising probiotics with purported beneficial effects. We used three isogenic strains of B. animalis subsp. lactis, with different EPS producing phenotypes (mucoid-ropy and non-ropy), in order to determine their capability to survive the murine gastrointestinal tract transit, as well as to evaluate their role in improving clinical outcomes in a chemically-induced colitis model. The three strains were able to survive in the intestinal tract of C57BL/6J mice during the course of the intervention study. Furthermore, the disease activity index (DAI) of the animal group treated with the ropy strain was significantly lower than of the DAI of the placebo group at the end of the treatment. However, no significant differences were found among the three strains. The analysis of several immune parameters, such as TNFα and IL-10 quantified in blood plasma and lymphocyte populations enumerated in mesenteric nodes, showed some significant variations among the four experimental animal groups. Remarkably, a higher capability of the ropy strain to increase regulatory T-cells in mesenteric lymphoid nodes was demonstrated, suggesting a higher ability of this strain to regulate inflammatory responses at mucosal level. Our data indicate that strains of B. animalis subsp. lactis producing EPS that confer a mucoid-ropy phenotype could represent promising candidates to perform further studies targeting intestinal inflammatory processes. ; This work was partially financed by FEDER European Union funds through the projects AGL2012-33278 and SAF2011-29648 of the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (MINECO), as well as to the projects AGR-6826 and CTS-164 of the "Junta de Andalucía." CH acknowledges his FPI fellowship to MINECO and FA acknowledges her fellowship to Junta de Andalucía. The CIBEREHD is funded by the "Instituto de Salud Carlos III." ; Peer Reviewed

The proteome of the ropy strain Bifidobacterium animalis subsp. lactis A1dOxR, compared to that of its nonropy isogenic strain, showed an overproduction of a protein involved in rhamnose biosynthesis. Results were confirmed by gene expression analysis, and this fact agreed with the high rhamnose content of the ropy exopolysaccharide. © 2013, American Society for Microbiology. ; This work was financed by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (MICINN) and FEDER European Union funds through project AGL2009-09445. ; Peer Reviewed

This work was financed by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (MICINN) and FEDER European Union funds through project AGL2012-33278, by Fondo de Investigación Sanitaria grant PI12/00263, and by CIBERehd. C. Hidalgo-Cantabrana acknowledges his FPI fellowship, and B. Sánchez acknowledges his postdoctoral contract Ramón y Cajal corresponding to MICINN