Conflict during learning reconfigures the neural representation of positive valence and approach behavior.

Punishing and rewarding experiences can change the valence of sensory stimuli and guide animal behavior in opposite directions, resulting in avoidance or approach. Often, however, a stimulus is encountered with both positive and negative experiences. How is such conflicting information represented in the brain and resolved into a behavioral decision? We address this question by dissecting a circuit for sexual conditioning in C.

Common carp as an ecological indicator of environmental pollution in reservoirs of southern Spain: inferring the environmental risks of anthropogenic activities.

Extraction and mineral processing, as well as the waste generated by old abandoned mining sites, are the main sources of contamination of water bodies and lands by potentially toxic elements (PTEs). The common carp (Cyprinus carpio Linnaeus 1758) has been reported to be a good ecological indicator of environmental pollution in water bodies. Hence, we evaluated the concentration of eleven PTEs (As, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Hg, Mn, Ni, Pb, and Zn) in different tissues of common carp in two reservoirs of the province of Jaén, southern Spain: El Tranco de Beas (S1) and La Fernandina (S2).

Animal behaviour: Shifting attention in order to disperse.

New findings in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans identify neuromodulation of behavioural responses to pheromones as a mechanism for regulating dispersal and foraging strategies.

Direct glia-to-neuron transdifferentiation gives rise to a pair of male-specific neurons that ensure nimble male mating.

Sexually dimorphic behaviours require underlying differences in the nervous system between males and females. The extent to which nervous systems are sexually dimorphic and the cellular and molecular mechanisms that regulate these differences are only beginning to be understood. We reveal here a novel mechanism by which male-specific neurons are generated in through the direct transdifferentiation of sex-shared glial cells.

The Age at Which a Woman Becomes a Mother and Her Satisfaction with the Process of Pregnancy, Childbirth and the Puerperium.

This study assessed the effect of maternal age on satisfaction at each stage of pregnancy, childbirth and puerperium, and globally. An observational study was carried out in five hospitals of the Andalusian public health system with older primiparous women, from May 2016 to May 2018. Using a pre-piloted questionnaire, information was collected on pregnancy, childbirth, puerperium, newborn variables and degree of satisfaction with the care received.

The delay of motherhood: Reasons, determinants, time used to achieve pregnancy, and maternal anxiety level.

Background: Fertility in recent decades in European countries such as Norway, Spain or United Kingdom has declined, while in others such as Portugal, it has remained relatively constant, and in others such as Germany fertility rated have risen. The determinants of this change in reproductive pattern can be explained by the cultural, social, and economic changes that took place in our society. Objective: to identify the principal reasons and independent determinants associated with the postponement of motherhood and document any association between the time taken to achieve successful pregnancy and maternal age, as well as the level of anxiety of these women.

Continuous versus discontinuous suture in perineal injuries produced during delivery in primiparous women: a randomized controlled trial.

Background: The technique used in the repair of a perineal injury resulting from childbirth could avoid discomfort and morbidity during the postpartum period. Recent studies show inconsistent results and support the need for new research with the inclusion of new health parameters not yet studied. Therefore, this study aims to evaluate if the suture technique (continuous or interrupted) has an effect on pain and other postpartum problems, incidence of incontinence (urinary and/or fecal), and the restart of sexual relations.

Newborn Health Indicators Associated with Maternal Age during First Pregnancy.

Delaying motherhood is becoming increasingly common, raising questions of the possible influence that maternal age may have on newborn health. Therefore, the objective of this study was to determine the association between maternal age and different newborn health parameters. An observational study was conducted in Spain on primiparous women and their infants.

Maternal Age and Pregnancy, Childbirth and the Puerperium: Obstetric Results.

Delaying maternity is becoming more common, resulting in questions regarding the influence age may have on obstetric results. Therefore, we proposed the objective to determine the association between maternal age and different health variables during pregnancy, childbirth and the puerperium. We conducted an observational study in Spain with primiparous women in which data was collected on sociodemographic, health and obstetric variables.

HPLC-QTOF method for quantifying 11-ketoetiocholanolone, a cortisol metabolite, in ruminants' feces: Optimization and validation.

Studies of animal ecology can benefit from a quantified understanding of eco-physiological processes and, in particular, of the physiological responses in free-ranging animals to potential stressors. The determination of fecal cortisol metabolites as a noninvasive method for monitoring stress has proved to be a powerful tool. High-performance liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS) has emerged as the most accurate method for avoiding problems related to the nonspecificity of immunoassays.

Chemical profile, antioxidant, and enzyme inhibitory properties of two Scutellaria species: S. orientalis L. and S. salviifolia Benth.

Objectives: This study investigates into the biological effects of solvent extracts (ethyl acetate, methanol, and water) of Scutellaria orientalis L. and Scutellaria salviifolia Benth. based on its enzyme inhibitory activity and antioxidant ability together with the screening of bioactive compounds.

Addressing Intracellular Amyloidosis in Bacteria with RepA-WH1, a Prion-Like Protein.

Bacteria are the simplest cellular model in which amyloidosis has been addressed. It is well documented that bacterial consortia (biofilms) assemble their extracellular matrix on an amyloid scaffold, yet very few intracellular amyloids are known in bacteria. Here, we describe the methods we have resorted to characterize in Escherichia coli cells the amyloidogenesis, propagation, and dynamics of the RepA-WH1 prionoid.

Integration of in vitro and in silico perspectives to explain chemical characterization, biological potential and anticancer effects of Hypericum salsugineum: A pharmacologically active source for functional drug formulations.

The genus Hypericum is one of the most popular genera in both traditional medicine and scientific platform. This study is designed to provide conceptual insights on the biological potential and chemical characterization of H. salsugineum, which is endemic to Turkey.

Direct determination of graphene quantum dots based on terbium-sensitized luminescence.

Graphene quantum dots (GQD) were determined in water samples using terbium-sensitized luminescence (TSL). Terbium ions complex with GQD due to the carboxylic groups that are usually present in these nanomaterials, increasing the luminescence signal of terbium. In Tb(III)-GQD complexes, GQD absorb energy at their characteristic excitation wavelength and transfer it to terbium ion, which emits at its particular emission wavelength.

Fried potatoes: Impact of prolonged frying in monounsaturated oils.

Fresh potatoes were intermittently deep-fried up to recommended limits (175°C, 8h/day, 28h) in extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO), peanut oil (PO) and canola oil (CO), and compared for diverse chemical components and sensorial attributes, aiming to quantify the impact of prolonged frying on potatoes nutrients, and the potential alterations resulting from the use of different monounsaturated-rich oils. Independently of oil type, its degradation promotes time-dependent losses of important potato nutrients, as vitamin C. Regarding the monounsaturated-rich oils tested, potatoes fried in CO had more equilibrated fatty acid profiles, but higher amounts of aldehydes derived from PUFA oxidation, while in EVOO were enriched with phenolic compounds.

Polyphenolic profile and antioxidant activities of Madeiran elderberry (Sambucus lanceolata) as affected by simulated in vitro digestion.

The aims of this study were twofold: a) to provide a detailed report on the phenolic composition and antioxidant activity of fresh berries and leaves of Sambucus lanceolata (Madeiran elderberry); b) to study the effects caused by a simulated in vitro digestion on the composition and antioxidant activity of the berries and leaves. Seventy-seven phytochemicals, mainly polyphenols, were identified in the methanol extracts of fresh berries and leaves, with the content of polyphenols higher in berries (27.2mg·g dry extract, DE) than in leaves (25.

Enabling stop codon read-through translation in bacteria as a probe for amyloid aggregation.

Amyloid aggregation of the eukaryotic translation terminator eRF3/Sup35p, the [PSI ] prion, empowers yeast ribosomes to read-through UGA stop codons. No similar functional prion, skipping a stop codon, has been found in Escherichia coli, a fact possibly due to the efficient back-up systems found in bacteria to rescue non-stop complexes. Here we report that engineering hydrophobic amyloidogenic repeats from a synthetic bacterial prion-like protein (RepA-WH1) into the E.

Outlining Core Pathways of Amyloid Toxicity in Bacteria with the RepA-WH1 Prionoid.

The synthetic bacterial prionoid RepA-WH1 causes a vertically transmissible amyloid proteinopathy in that inhibits growth and eventually kills the cells. Recent studies show that RepA-WH1 builds pores through model lipid membranes, suggesting a possible mechanism for bacterial cell death. By comparing acutely (A31V) and mildly (ΔN37) cytotoxic mutant variants of the protein, we report here that RepA-WH1(A31V) expression decreases the intracellular osmotic pressure and compromise bacterial viability under either aerobic or anaerobic conditions.

Stabilization of the Virulence Plasmid pSLT of Typhimurium by Three Maintenance Systems and Its Evaluation by Using a New Stability Test.

Certain serovars belonging to subspecies I carry low-copy-number virulence plasmids of variable size (50-90 kb). All of these plasmids share the operon, which is important for systemic infection. Virulence plasmids are present at low copy numbers.

Functional amyloids as inhibitors of plasmid DNA replication.

DNA replication is tightly regulated to constrain the genetic material within strict spatiotemporal boundaries and copy numbers. Bacterial plasmids are autonomously replicating DNA molecules of much clinical, environmental and biotechnological interest. A mechanism used by plasmids to prevent over-replication is 'handcuffing', i.

RepA-WH1 prionoid: Clues from bacteria on factors governing phase transitions in amyloidogenesis.

In bacterial plasmids, Rep proteins initiate DNA replication by undergoing a structural transformation coupled to dimer dissociation. Amyloidogenesis of the 'winged-helix' N-terminal domain of RepA (WH1) is triggered in vitro upon binding to plasmid-specific DNA sequences, and occurs at the bacterial nucleoid in vivo. Amyloid fibers are made of distorted RepA-WH1 monomers that assemble as single or double intertwined tubular protofilaments.

Aggregation interplay between variants of the RepA-WH1 prionoid in Escherichia coli.

The N-terminal domain (winged-helix domain, or WH1) of the Pseudomonas pPS10 plasmid DNA replication protein RepA can assemble into amyloid fibers in vitro and, when expressed in Escherichia coli, leads to a unique intracellular amyloid proteinopathy by hampering bacterial proliferation. RepA-WH1 amyloidosis propagates along generations through the transmission of aggregated particles across the progeny, but it is unable to propagate horizontally as an infectious agent and is thus the first synthetic bacterial prionoid. RepA-WH1 amyloidosis is promoted by binding to double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) in vitro, and it is modulated by the Hsp70 chaperone DnaK in vivo.

Fluorescence enhancement of CdTe MPA-capped quantum dots by glutathione for hydrogen peroxide determination.

The manipulation of the surface chemistry of semiconductor nanocrystals has been exploited to implement distinct sensing strategies in many analytical applications. In this work, reduced glutathione (GSH) was added at reaction time, as an electron-donor ligand, to markedly increase the quantum yield and the emission efficiency of MPA-capped CdTe quantum dots. The developed approach was employed in the implementation of an automated flow methodology for hydrogen peroxide determination, as this can oxidize GSH preventing its surface passivating effect and producing a manifest fluorescence quenching.

A novel multi-commutated method for the determination of hydroxytyrosol in enriched foods using mercaptopropionic acid-capped CdTe quantum dots.

Hydroxytyrosol (HXT) has been reported to have beneficial effects for human health, such as antioxidant and antimicrobial properties and an important contribution to the prevention of cardiovascular disease. Hence, exhaustive research is currently being performed to prepare functional foods, such as tomato juice or milk, with HXT. This paper presents a multi-commutated flow method based on the quenching effect that HXT has on the fluorescence of water-soluble mercaptopropionic acid-capped CdTe quantum dots.

Application of quantum dots in clinical and alimentary fields using multicommutated flow injection analysis.

In recent years, the number of scientific papers regarding the use of quantum dots (QDs) has increased almost exponentially, especially emphasizing their use for new applications and describing new approaches. One of the future trends in the development of new methods of analysis is the use of automated methodologies. Among them, Multicommutated Flow Injection Analysis has been here selected in order to show its potentiality in pharmaceutical and food analysis.