Maria Gonzalez Alamos

Scopus Publications

Validation of the Spanish version of the social and emotional loneliness scale for adults – short form (SELSA-S) in older adults
Blanca Bartolomé, Manuel Torres, María González-Álamos, Luis Vivanco
BMC Research Notes, 2026
To adapt the response format and validate the factor structure of the Spanish SELSA-S for use with older adults. A total of 147 older adults (127 female; age range 65 to 90 years) participated in the study, all of whom lived independently in their homes. Of these, 11% were classified as socially isolated. The sample included 62 participants (42%) from urban areas and 85 (58%) from rural areas of the Pyrenees in La Rioja, Spain. The SELSA-S scale showed variable internal consistency, with alpha and omega coefficients ranging from 0.54 to 0.95 across models and subscales. Convergent and discriminant validity were supported by expected correlation patterns with other loneliness measures and unrelated constructs. No significant associations were found between SELSA-S scores and age. Among the tested models, the original three-factor structure, distinguishing family, social, and romantic loneliness, showed the best fit, despite an elevated RMSEA and negative loadings for two items in the romantic domain. Inter-domain correlations revealed moderate associations between family and romantic loneliness, while social loneliness remained largely independent. These findings support the SELSA-S as a suitable tool for assessing multidimensional loneliness in older adults.
Structure, Dynamics and Functional Implications of the Eukaryotic Vault Complex
María González-Álamos, Pablo Guerra, Núria Verdaguer
Subcellular Biochemistry, 2024
Symmetry disruption commits vault particles to disassembly
Pablo Guerra, María González-Alamos, Aida Llauró, Arnau Casañas, Jordi Querol-Audí, Pedro J. de Pablo, Núria Verdaguer
Science Advances, 2022
Vaults are ubiquitous ribonucleoprotein particles involved in a diversity of cellular processes, with promising applications as nanodevices for delivery of multiple cargos. The vault shell is assembled by the symmetrical association of multiple copies of the major vault protein that, initially, generates half vaults. The pairwise, anti-parallel association of two half vaults produces whole vaults. Here, using a combination of vault recombinant reconstitution and structural techniques, we characterized the molecular determinants for the vault opening process. This process commences with a relaxation of the vault waist, causing the expansion of the inner cavity. Then, local disengagement of amino-terminal domains at the vault midsection seeds a conformational change that leads to the aperture, facilitating access to the inner cavity where cargo is hosted. These results inform a hitherto uncharacterized step of the vault cycle and will aid current engineering efforts leveraging vault for tailored cargo delivery.