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The world, society and education are constantly evolving, and to respond to these changes, the main governmental institutions have been proposing different global strategies to focus efforts in the same direction. Currently, the United Nations and its 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) have presented a series of indicators that could help to minimise the environmental, economic and social instability we are experiencing. In this sense, Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) has been described as a fundamental factor. Specifically, in previous work, we argued that physical education (PE) could be a good tool to contribute to SDGs. Based on this, no research analysing the voices of Physical Education Teachers (PET) on how this contribution could be made has been identified in previous literature. Therefore, the objectives of this research are: (1) to analyse the voices and opinions of active PETs in terms of the knowledge they have about Sustainable Development (SD); (2) to determine their opinions about the contribution that PE could make to SDGs; and finally, (3) to identify the challenges and limitations of pedagogical action of SD in PE. For this purpose, a qualitative analysis through a semi-structured interview with 41 active PETs was carried out. The main findings will be presented and discussed around four themes: (a) agreement on the concept of sustainability; (b) PE can contribute to the achievement of SDGs; (c) ambiguity in applying SDGs to PE lessons; and (d) teachers’ constraints on how to implement SDGs in PE. It seems to indicate that PETs do not have a multidimensional vision of sustainable development. While they recognise the potential of PE to contribute to SDGs through awareness raising and student learning, they point to its pedagogical and formative constraints as the main barriers to being able to contribute. They pointed to a lack of knowledge on how to do so, guidelines on how to integrate ESD, lack of involvement, shortage of time or resources in school physical education.

Lysophosphatidic acid species (LPA) are lipid bioactive signaling molecules that have been recently implicated in the modulation of emotional and motivational behaviors. The present study investigates the consequences of either genetic deletion or pharmacological blockade of lysophosphatidic acid receptor-1 (LPA1) in alcohol consumption.The experiments were performed in alcohol-drinking animals by using LPA1-null mice and administering the LPA1 receptor antagonist Ki16425 in both mice and rats.In the two-bottle free choice paradigm, the LPA1-null mice preferred the alcohol more than their wild-type counterparts. Whereas the male LPA1-null mice displayed this higher preference at all doses tested, the female LPA1-null mice only consumed more alcohol at 6% concentration. The male LPA1-null mice were then further characterized, showing a notably increased ethanol drinking after a deprivation period and a reduced sleep time after acute ethanol administration. In addition, LPA1-null mice were more anxious than the wild-type mice in the elevated plus maze test. For the pharmacological experiments, the acute administration of the antagonist Ki16425 consistently increased ethanol consumption in both wild-type mice and rats; while it did not modulate alcohol drinking in the LPA1-null mice and lacked intrinsic rewarding properties and locomotor effects in a conditioned place preference paradigm. In addition, LPA1-null mice exhibited a marked reduction on the expression of glutamate-transmission-related genes in the prefrontal cortex similar to those described in alcohol-exposed rodents.Results suggest a relevant role for the LPA/LPA1 signaling system in alcoholism. In addition, the LPA1-null mice emerge as a new model for genetic vulnerability to excessive alcohol drinking. The pharmacological manipulation of LPA1 receptor arises as a new target for the study and treatment of alcoholism.

Peroxisome Proliferator-Activated Receptors (PPARs) and its co-activators are regulatory elements of the cellular lipid homeostasis and have been associated with feeding behavior modulation. Animal models suggest that these genes may be involved in alcohol consumption regulation. However, no studies in humans exist. Our aim is to estimate the possible association between polymorphisms in the PPAR-alpha, PPAR-gamma and PPAR-gamma co-activator 1A (PGC-1A) genes and alcohol consumption in humans.We have conducted a cross-sectional study between the PPAR-alpha L162V, PPAR-gamma P12A and PGC-1A G482S polymorphisms, and alcohol consumption in a general Mediterranean Spanish population (303 men and 443 women).We have found an association between the L162V polymorphism and alcohol consumption in which, carriers of the V allele were more prevalent among alcohol consumers (19.4% vs. 9.8%; OR 2.69; 95% CI: 1.31-5.54, p=0.007). The G482S polymorphism showed a significantly higher frequency in the group of high alcohol drinkers than in non-high alcohol drinkers (33.4% vs. 20.6%; OR 2.28; 95% CI: 1.07-4.88, p=0.034). Mean alcohol consumption was higher as the number of G alleles increased (GG 8.6+/-12.8 g/day, GS 6.6+/-9.2 g/day, SS 5.6+/-7.8 g/day, p=0.003). These results remained statistically significant after covariate adjustment.PPAR-alpha L162V and PGC-1A G482S polymorphisms are associated with alcohol consumption in the Mediterranean population.

The main system of central ethanol oxidation is mediated by the enzyme catalase. By reacting with H2O2, brain catalase forms compound I (the catalase–H2O2 system), which is able to oxidize ethanol to acetaldehyde in the brain. Previous studies have demonstrated that pharmacological manipulations of brain catalase activity modulate the stimulant effects of ethanol in mice. However, the role of H2O2 in the behavioral effects of ethanol has not yet been clearly addressed. In the present study, we investigated the effects of alpha-lipoic acid (LA), a scavenging agent for H2O2, on ethanol-induced locomotor stimulation. CD-1 mice were pretreated with LA [0–100 mg/kg, intraperitoneally (IP)] 0–60 min prior to administration of ethanol (0–3.75 g/kg, IP). In another experiment, animals were pretreated with LA (0, 25, or 50 mg/kg, IP) 30 min before cocaine (10 mg/kg, IP), amphetamine (2 mg/kg, IP), or caffeine (25 mg/kg, IP). After these treatments the animals were placed in an open-field chamber and their locomotor activity was measured for 20 min. LA 25, 50, and 100 mg/kg IP prevented ethanol-induced locomotor stimulation. LA did not affect the locomotor-stimulating effects of cocaine, amphetamine, and caffeine. Additionally, we demonstrated that LA prevents the inactivation of brain catalase by 3-amino-1,2,4-triazole, thus indicating that H2O2 levels are reduced by LA. These data support the idea that a decrease in cerebral H2O2 production by LA administration inhibits ethanol-stimulated locomotion. This study suggests that the brain catalase–H2O2 system, and by implication centrally formed acetaldehyde, plays a key role in the psychopharmacological effects of ethanol.

The hollow-fibre oxygenator is a key component of any extracorporeal circuit used to provide cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) during open-heart surgery. Since the oxygenator is placed downstream of the pump, the energy losses over it have a direct impact on the quality of pulsatile pressure and flow waveforms. The objective of this study was to describe the effects of hydrodynamic characteristics of the oxygenator on energy transfer during pulsatile, normothermic CPB. Twenty-three adult patients scheduled for coronary bypass surgery were divided randomly into two groups, using either an oxygenator (Group 1) with a relatively high-resistance and low-compliance (2079 ± 148 dyn.s.cm-5 and 0.00348 ± 0.00071 ml.mmHg-1, respectively) or an oxygenator (Group 2) with a relatively low-resistance and high-compliance (884 ± 464 dyn.s.cm-5 and 0.01325 ± 0.00161 ml .mmHg-1, respectively). During perfusion, pre- and post-oxygenator pressures, radial artery pressure, and blood flow were recorded simultaneously. A 32% decline of mean pressure was observed in Group 1 and a 16% decline in Group 2 (p<0.0001). Another decrease by approximately 73% in mean pressure in the rest of the perfusion system was noted in both groups. The mean radial artery pressure did not differ between the groups (74 ± 6 mmHg in Group 1 and 73 ± 6 mmHg in Group 2, p=0.608). Although lower total energy transfer indices were noticed through the low-resistance oxygenator (Group 2), both oxygenators showed a decrease of the generated pump oscillatory energy of approximately 50%. Despite the differences in resistance and compliance of the hollow-fibre oxygenators used, both oxygenators cause a comparable loss of generated oscillatory energy. Exclusion of the oxygenator downstream of the pulsatile pump would improve energy transfer during CPB.

The production of glucoamylase (GAM) by Aspergillus niger B1, a genetic transformant containing an additional 20 copies of the homologous glucoamylase gene (glaA) was studied in nutrient (maltodextrin)-limited chemostat and nutrient-excess pH auxostat cultures. In these culture systems the specific production rate of GAM increased with dilution rate and reached a maximum (up to 15.0 mg GAM [g biomass]-1 h-1) when A. niger B1 was grown at its maximum specific growth rate in pH auxostat culture, indicating that GAM is a growth-associated product. The appearance of spontaneous morphological mutants was observed in all continuous flow cultures grown at pH 5.4, with a light brown mutant always displacing the parental strain. However, no morphological mutants were observed in cultures grown at pH 4.0. Further, when A. niger B1 was grown in pH auxostat culture, the specific production rate of GAM was 31% higher at pH 4.0 than at pH 5.4. Southern blot analyses showed that some morphological mutants (including the light brown mutant) isolated from a pH auxostat culture had lost copies of the glaA genes.

Heterofermentative lactic acid bacteria (76 strains) belonging to Lactobacillus, Leuconostoc and Weissella species which are important in fermentation, spoilage or as probiotics were screened in a factorial experiment for their ability to grow, produce catalase and consume oxygen in aerobiosis or in anaerobiosis, with or without supplementation with hemin and/or menaquinone in a medium containing glucose as a carbohydrate source. Aerobiosis improved growth with a few exceptions. The effect of supplementation with heme and/or menaquinone was strain specific and clear evidence of heme-boosted respiration was found in some cases. Heme-catalase was produced by strains of L. brevis, W. minor and Leuc. mesenteroides; some strains of the latter species produced non-heme catalase. Shaken flasks experiments showed that aerobic growth resulted in increased maximum growth rate and in a limited increase in biomass. Heme supplementation during aerobic growth resulted in a further increase in growth rate and final biomass only for a few strains; this was often related to catalase, which was also responsible for increased tolerance of H2O2. In both experiments we found evidence of heme toxicity, especially in anaerobiosis and in absence of menaquinone. Dose response curves for aerobic growth in the presence of combinations of hemin and menaquinone were non-monotonic, with growth stimulation at low doses of heme (<2.5 mg/l) and toxicity at higher doses. Menaquinone at 0.25-8 mg/l increased growth stimulation and partially reduced toxicity.

SUMMARYThe dimensional changes of liver sections during the course of processing with glycol methacrylate (GMA) or with ethanol are described. Tissue processing with ethanol served as a control. During prolonged processing steps (24 h each), linear shrinkage of tissue specimens dehydrated with GMA at room temperature was 13.2%. Subsequent infiltration with GMA resulted in trivial swelling, and polymerization in slight shrinkage (2.3%). In comparison, processing with cold GMA resulted in shrinkage during dehydration (about 10.8%), a slight swelling in pure GMA, followed by shrinkage during polymerization (2.2%). Short routine processing schedules resulted in similar shrinkage/swelling patterns, although precise values differed slightly. In all experiments, ethanolic dehydration resulted in smaller dimensional tissue changes than did GMA dehydration.The dimensional changes of tissue sections during stretching on water, mounting and drying compensated for the major part of the shrinkage manifested during processing.