Coxiella burnetii:living inside the host cell

Coxiella burnetii is an obligate intracellular pathogen and the causative agent of Q fever.In this brief review,we describe how recently described mechanisms help our understanding of C.burnetii invasion and its survival in the host cell by the formation of a replicative niche:the Coxiella-containing vacuole.We describe the actin-associated proteins involved in the internalization of C.burnetii,and we discuss the contribution of diverse degradation pathways of the cell during the formation and stabilization of the Coxiella-containing vacuole.

A Pilot Test for A One-year Cognitive Training Intervention in Elderly Adults with Mild Cognitive Impairment

In Spain,the proportion of elderly individuals has increased to 19.1%.By 2068,the proportion of elderly individuals is estimated to increase to 29.4% given the largest birth cohorts in Spain’s history(Instituto Nacional de Estadistica,INE).This challenge needs a supportive plan,as economic and caring problems may occur because of age-related health problems,including cognitive decline and dementia[1].

Cortical columns(barrels)display normal size in the brain’s primary somatosensory cortex of mice carrying null mutations of the insulin receptor substrate 1 gene:A preliminary report

Circuits in barrels of the rodent brain’s primary somatosensory (S1) cortex build up following constructivist rules. Previous evidence in mice supports that the precise addition of barrel neuropil is promoted by insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1). The signaling cascades mediating this response remain undetermined. To address whether the effects of IGF-1 upon the growth of S1 circuits are mediated by insulin receptor substrate-1 (IRS-1), we studied barrel size in adult mice having the IRS-1 gene knocked out (IRS-1 ko). Our results reveal that barrel size is similar between wild type and IRS-1 ko mice suggesting that IRS-1 is not essential for barrel circuitry growth. Hence, investigations aimed at exploring other substrates activated by IGF-1, namely IRS-2 and IRS-4, are needed to reveal signaling pathways that mediate the precise addition of S1 neuronal circuitry.

Multifunctional antimicrobial chlorhexidine polymers by remote plasma assisted vacuum deposition

Novel antibacterial materials for implants and medical instruments are essential to develop practical strategies to stop the spread of healthcare associated infections. This study presents the synthesis of multifunctional antibacterial nanocoatings on polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) by remote plasma assisted deposition of sublimated chlorhexidine powders at low pressure and room temperature. The obtained materials present effective antibacterial activity against Escherichia coli K12, either by contact killing and antibacterial adhesion or by biocide agents release depending on the synthetic parameters. In addition, these multifunctional coatings allow the endure hydrophilization of the hydrophobic PDMS surface, thereby improving their biocompatibility. Importantly, cell-viability tests conducted on these materials also prove their non-cytotoxicity, opening a way for the integration of this type of functional plasma films in biomedical devices.