Proposta de millora de la metodologia de control de qualitat dels espais verds públics.

Els parcs i jardins de la ciutat, en tant que espais de lleure i convivència, ofereixen al ciutadà, a més de la vegetació, un gran nombre d’elements. L’existència i el bon manteniment d’aquests, resulta imprescindible per a la satisfacció de les persones que els utilitzen. Aquest treball és una proposta de millora de la metodologia de recollida de dades per desenvolupar el control de qualitat dels espais verds públics de la ciutat de Barcelona, emprat per l’Institut Municipal de Parcs i Jardins (IMPJ) de l’Ajuntament de Barcelona. Per a realitzar el control de qualitat, l’IMPJ fa servir una metodologia que té com a base les fitxes i documentació dels parcs. En el moment de fer el treball l’IMPJ encara estava estudiant i analitzant la metodologia a aplicar, des de la presa de dades fins l’obtenció de resultats. La metodologia proposada té l’objectiu de ser coherent i pràctica a l’hora d’aplicar-la, per tal de que sigui més eficient. Els canvis metodològics més important que es fan són en els fulls de càlculs eliminant paràmetres que no s’avaluen. Els resultats obtinguts són molt més explicatius i significatius, el que permet la seva exportació a qualsevol entorn. Com a cas pràctic, es va procedir a l’avaluació del Districte de Gràcia durant la tardor i l’hivern amb les dues metodologies, que es van realitzar paral·lelament, tenint en compte les variacions degudes a factors d’espai i temps, en la que es va poder veure diferencies significatives

The Role of Diet, Alcohol, BMI, and Physical Activity in Cancer Mortality: Summary Findings of the EPIC Study

Evidence on the impact of diet, alcohol, body-mass index (BMI), and physical activity on mortality due to cancer and other cancer-related outcomes is still scarce. Herein, we reviewed the contribution of the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) study to the current state of the art on the role of these factors in cancer mortality. We identified 45 studies using a rapid systematic review methodology. Dietary factors associated with reduced cancer mortality included raw vegetable intake; dietary fiber intake; the Mediterranean diet; other dietary scores; other diet patterns including low meat eaters, vegetarians/vegans, or fish eaters; dietary intake (or biomarkers) of some vitamins (e.g., vitamin D, vitamin K2, or Vitamin C); and intake of lignans. Physical activity and following healthy lifestyle recommendations also reduced cancer mortality risk. In contrast, dietary factors associated with higher cancer mortality risk included poor diet quality, consumption of alcohol and soft drinks including juice, and, to a lesser extent, intake of some fatty acids. Excess weight and obesity also increased the risk of cancer mortality. The EPIC study holds valuable information on diet and lifestyle factors and offers a unique opportunity to identify key diet-related factors for cancer mortality prevention

Evidence Update on the Relationship between Diet and the Most Common Cancers from the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) Study: A Systematic Review

FundingE.U.-G. is supported by the Programa Operativo Fondo Social Europeo (FSE) de Andalucia (20142020) and Junta de Andalucia (reference DOC_01618).The European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC) is a multicentre prospective study conducted in 23 centres in 10 European countries. Here we review the findings from EPIC on the relationship between diet-related exposures and incidence or mortality from the four most frequent cancers in the European population: colorectal, breast, lung, and prostate cancer. We conducted a systematic review following PRISMA guidelines and identified 110 high-quality studies based on the EPIC cohort. Fruit and vegetable consumption had a protective effect against colorectal, breast, and lung cancer, whereas only fruit had a protective effect against prostate cancer. A higher consumption of fish and lower consumption of red and processed meat were related with a lower risk of colorectal cancer; and higher consumption of fatty fish with lower risk of breast cancer. Calcium and yogurt intake were found to protect against colorectal and prostate cancer. Alcohol consumption increased the risk for colorectal and breast cancer. Finally, adherence to the Mediterranean diet emerged as a protective factor for colorectal and breast cancer. The EPIC study results are in agreement with the latest evidence from leading authorities on cancer prevention and help to inform public prevention policies and strategies.Programa Operativo Fondo Social Europeo (FSE) de Andalucia (20142020)Junta de Andalucia DOC_0161

Electrokinetic and thermodynamic characterization of lime-water interface : physical and rheological properties of lime mortar

The surface properties of the portlandite are very important in the behavior of the suspensions of lime used as binders, plasters, mortars and paint, for use in the architecture heritage conservation. These rheological properties depend heavily on surface thermodynamic properties, surface tension-surface free energy and load the lime present in aqueous medium. It selected two types of quicklime, originating from the same rock but made in two types of kilns: traditional and industrial Kiln. It has determined values of the surface free energy of the lime in the form of CaO and Ca(OH)2 as well as the rock used in its preparation. In addition, it conducted an electrokinetic study to determine electrophoretic mobility in a water/lime system. It analyzed various types of oxides after laboratory slaking and periods during which the portlandite remained in water. This study revealed that quicklime is monopolar and has a hydrophilic nature. Tradition quicklime, cTotal values decrease as temperature increases the calcination of limestone. This has greater hydrophilicity than that of industrial quicklime. Moreover, traditional lime, introduces more charges than that fabricated by industrial processes, with larger values of n Potential. n Potential data confirm the optimal plasticity properties of the traditional lime, and that this quality is maintained

NPC transplantation rescues sci-driven cAMP/EPAC2 alterations, leading to neuroprotection and microglial modulation

[EN] Neural progenitor cell (NPC) transplantation represents a promising treatment strategy for spinal cord injury (SCI); however, the underlying therapeutic mechanisms remain incompletely understood. We demonstrate that severe spinal contusion in adult rats causes transcriptional dysregulation, which persists from early subacute to chronic stages of SCI and afects nearly 20,000 genes in total tissue extracts. Functional analysis of this dysregulated transcriptome reveals the signifcant downregulation of cAMP signalling components immediately after SCI, involving genes such as EPAC2 (exchange protein directly activated by cAMP), PKA, BDNF, and CAMKK2. The ectopic transplantation of spinal cord-derived NPCs at acute or subacute stages of SCI induces a signifcant transcriptional impact in spinal tissue, as evidenced by the normalized expression of a large proportion of SCI-afected genes. The transcriptional modulation pattern driven by NPC transplantation includes the rescued expression of cAMP signalling genes, including EPAC2. We also explore how the sustained in vivo inhibition of EPAC2 downstream signalling via the intrathecal administration of ESI-05 for 1 week impacts therapeutic mechanisms involved in the NPC-mediated treatment of SCI. NPC transplantation in SCI rats in the presence and absence of ESI-05 administration prompts increased rostral cAMP levels; however, NPC and ESI-05 treated animals exhibit a signifcant reduction in EPAC2 mRNA levels compared to animals receiving only NPCs treatment. Compared with transplanted animals, NPCs+ESI-05 treatment increases the scar area (as shown by GFAP staining), polarizes microglia into an infammatory phenotype, and increases the magnitude of the gap between NeuN+cells across the lesion. Overall, our results indicate that the NPC-associated therapeutic mechanisms in the context of SCI involve the cAMP pathway, which reduces infammation and provides a more neuropermissive environment through an EPAC2-dependent mechanism.This research was funded by FEDER/Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovacion - Agencia Estatal de Investigacion [RTI2018-095872-B-C21/ERDF] and RISEUP EU grant (Ref. 964562) from FetOpen H2020 program. Part of the equipment employed in this work was funded by Generalitat Valenciana and cofinanced with ERDF funds (OP ERDF of Comunitat Valenciana 2014-2020) and the UE; Fondo Europeo de Desarrollo Regional (FEDER) incluido en el Programa Operativo FEDER de la Comunidad Valenciana 2014-2020. B. Martinez-Rojas was supported by a grant from the Conselleria de Educacion, Investigacion, Cultura y Deporte de la Generalitat Valenciana and the European Social Fundation ACIF/2019/120.Martinez-Rojas, B.; Giraldo-Reboloso, E.; Grillo-Risco, R.; Hidalgo, MR.; López-Mocholi, E.; Alastrue-Agudo, A.; Garcia-Garcia, F.... (2022). NPC transplantation rescues sci-driven cAMP/EPAC2 alterations, leading to neuroprotection and microglial modulation. Cellular and Molecular Life Sciences. 79(8). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00018-022-04494-w79

Biohybrids for spinal cord injury repair

This is the peer reviewed version of the following article: Martínez-Ramos, C, Doblado, LR, Mocholi, EL, et al. Biohybrids for spinal cord injury repair. J Tissue Eng Regen Med. 2019; 13: 509-521, which has been published in final form at https://doi.org/10.1002/term.2816. This article may be used for non-commercial purposes in accordance with Wiley Terms and Conditions for Self-Archiving.[EN] Spinal cord injuries (SCIs) result in the loss of sensory and motor function with massive cell death and axon degeneration. We have previously shown that transplantation of spinal cord-derived ependymal progenitor cells (epSPC) significantly improves functional recovery after acute and chronic SCI in experimental models, via neuronal differentiation and trophic glial cell support. Here, we propose an improved procedure based on transplantation of epSPC in a tubular conduit of hyaluronic acid containing poly (lactic acid) fibres creating a biohybrid scaffold. In vitro analysis showed that the poly (lactic acid) fibres included in the conduit induce a preferential neuronal fate of the epSPC rather than glial differentiation, favouring elongation of cellular processes. The safety and efficacy of the biohybrid implantation was evaluated in a complete SCI rat model. The conduits allowed efficient epSPC transfer into the spinal cord, improving the preservation of the neuronal tissue by increasing the presence of neuronal fibres at the injury site and by reducing cavities and cyst formation. The biohybrid-implanted animals presented diminished astrocytic reactivity surrounding the scar area, an increased number of preserved neuronal fibres with a horizontal directional pattern, and enhanced coexpression of the growth cone marker GAP43. The biohybrids offer an improved method for cell transplantation with potential capabilities for neuronal tissue regeneration, opening a promising avenue for cell therapies and SCI treatment.Secretaria de Estado de Investigacion, Desarrollo e Innovacion, Grant/Award Number: MAT2015-66666-C3-1-R MINECO/FEDER MAT2015-66666-C3-2-R MINECO/FEDER; Spanish Ministry of Education, Culture and Sports through Laura Rodriguez Doblado, Grant/Award Number: FPU15/04975Martínez-Ramos, C.; Rodriguez Doblado, L.; López Mocholi, E.; Alastrue-Agudo, A.; Sánchez Petidier, M.; Giraldo-Reboloso, E.; Monleón Pradas, M.... (2019). Biohybrids for spinal cord injury repair. Journal of Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine. 13(3):509-521. https://doi.org/10.1002/term.2816S509521133Ahuja, C. S., & Fehlings, M. (2016). Concise Review: Bridging the Gap: Novel Neuroregenerative and Neuroprotective Strategies in Spinal Cord Injury. 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Inflammation and its role in neuroprotection, axonal regeneration and functional recovery after spinal cord injury. Experimental Neurology, 209(2), 378-388. doi:10.1016/j.expneurol.2007.06.009Erceg, S., Ronaghi, M., Oria, M., García Roselló, M., Aragó, M. A. P., Lopez, M. G., … Stojkovic, M. (2010). Transplanted Oligodendrocytes and Motoneuron Progenitors Generated from Human Embryonic Stem Cells Promote Locomotor Recovery After Spinal Cord Transection. STEM CELLS, 28(9), 1541-1549. doi:10.1002/stem.489Gómez-Villafuertes, R., Rodríguez-Jiménez, F. J., Alastrue-Agudo, A., Stojkovic, M., Miras-Portugal, M. T., & Moreno-Manzano, V. (2015). Purinergic Receptors in Spinal Cord-Derived Ependymal Stem/Progenitor Cells and Their Potential Role in Cell-Based Therapy for Spinal Cord Injury. Cell Transplantation, 24(8), 1493-1509. doi:10.3727/096368914x682828Hesp, Z. C., Goldstein, E. A., Miranda, C. J., Kaspar, B. K., & McTigue, D. M. (2015). Chronic Oligodendrogenesis and Remyelination after Spinal Cord Injury in Mice and Rats. Journal of Neuroscience, 35(3), 1274-1290. doi:10.1523/jneurosci.2568-14.2015Kjell, J., & Olson, L. (2016). Rat models of spinal cord injury: from pathology to potential therapies. Disease Models & Mechanisms, 9(10), 1125-1137. doi:10.1242/dmm.025833Kumar, P., Choonara, Y., Modi, G., Naidoo, D., & Pillay, V. (2015). Multifunctional Therapeutic Delivery Strategies for Effective Neuro-Regeneration Following Traumatic Spinal Cord Injury. Current Pharmaceutical Design, 21(12), 1517-1528. doi:10.2174/1381612821666150115152323Li, G., Che, M.-T., Zhang, K., Qin, L.-N., Zhang, Y.-T., Chen, R.-Q., … Zeng, Y.-S. (2016). Graft of the NT-3 persistent delivery gelatin sponge scaffold promotes axon regeneration, attenuates inflammation, and induces cell migration in rat and canine with spinal cord injury. Biomaterials, 83, 233-248. doi:10.1016/j.biomaterials.2015.11.059Li, X., & Dai, J. (2018). Bridging the gap with functional collagen scaffolds: tuning endogenous neural stem cells for severe spinal cord injury repair. Biomaterials Science, 6(2), 265-271. doi:10.1039/c7bm00974gLiang, Y., Walczak, P., & Bulte, J. W. M. (2013). The survival of engrafted neural stem cells within hyaluronic acid hydrogels. Biomaterials, 34(22), 5521-5529. doi:10.1016/j.biomaterials.2013.03.095Lim, S. H., Liu, X. Y., Song, H., Yarema, K. J., & Mao, H.-Q. (2010). The effect of nanofiber-guided cell alignment on the preferential differentiation of neural stem cells. Biomaterials, 31(34), 9031-9039. doi:10.1016/j.biomaterials.2010.08.021Liu, C., Huang, Y., Pang, M., Yang, Y., Li, S., Liu, L., … Liu, B. (2015). Tissue-Engineered Regeneration of Completely Transected Spinal Cord Using Induced Neural Stem Cells and Gelatin-Electrospun Poly (Lactide-Co-Glycolide)/Polyethylene Glycol Scaffolds. PLOS ONE, 10(3), e0117709. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0117709Lu, P., Wang, Y., Graham, L., McHale, K., Gao, M., Wu, D., … Tuszynski, M. H. (2012). Long-Distance Growth and Connectivity of Neural Stem Cells after Severe Spinal Cord Injury. Cell, 150(6), 1264-1273. doi:10.1016/j.cell.2012.08.020Morita, S., & Miyata, S. (2012). Synaptic localization of growth-associated protein 43 in cultured hippocampal neurons during synaptogenesis. Cell Biochemistry and Function, 31(5), 400-411. doi:10.1002/cbf.2914Ortuño-Lizarán, I., Vilariño-Feltrer, G., Martínez-Ramos, C., Pradas, M. M., & Vallés-Lluch, A. (2016). Influence of synthesis parameters on hyaluronic acid hydrogels intended as nerve conduits. Biofabrication, 8(4), 045011. doi:10.1088/1758-5090/8/4/045011Raspa, A., Marchini, A., Pugliese, R., Mauri, M., Maleki, M., Vasita, R., & Gelain, F. (2016). A biocompatibility study of new nanofibrous scaffolds for nervous system regeneration. Nanoscale, 8(1), 253-265. doi:10.1039/c5nr03698dRequejo-Aguilar, R., Alastrue-Agudo, A., Cases-Villar, M., Lopez-Mocholi, E., England, R., Vicent, M. J., & Moreno-Manzano, V. (2017). Combined polymer-curcumin conjugate and ependymal progenitor/stem cell treatment enhances spinal cord injury functional recovery. Biomaterials, 113, 18-30. doi:10.1016/j.biomaterials.2016.10.032Rodriguez-Jimenez, F. J., Alastrue, A., Stojkovic, M., Erceg, S., & Moreno-Manzano, V. (2016). Connexin 50 modulates Sox2 expression in spinal-cord-derived ependymal stem/progenitor cells. Cell and Tissue Research, 365(2), 295-307. doi:10.1007/s00441-016-2421-ySimitzi, C., Ranella, A., & Stratakis, E. (2017). Controlling the morphology and outgrowth of nerve and neuroglial cells: The effect of surface topography. Acta Biomaterialia, 51, 21-52. doi:10.1016/j.actbio.2017.01.023Steward, O., Sharp, K. G., Yee, K. M., Hatch, M. N., & Bonner, J. F. (2014). Characterization of Ectopic Colonies That Form in Widespread Areas of the Nervous System with Neural Stem Cell Transplants into the Site of a Severe Spinal Cord Injury. Journal of Neuroscience, 34(42), 14013-14021. doi:10.1523/jneurosci.3066-14.2014Stokols, S., & Tuszynski, M. H. (2006). Freeze-dried agarose scaffolds with uniaxial channels stimulate and guide linear axonal growth following spinal cord injury. Biomaterials, 27(3), 443-451. doi:10.1016/j.biomaterials.2005.06.039Straley, K. S., Foo, C. W. P., & Heilshorn, S. C. (2010). Biomaterial Design Strategies for the Treatment of Spinal Cord Injuries. Journal of Neurotrauma, 27(1), 1-19. doi:10.1089/neu.2009.0948Theodore, N., Hlubek, R., Danielson, J., Neff, K., Vaickus, L., Ulich, T. R., & Ropper, A. E. (2016). First Human Implantation of a Bioresorbable Polymer Scaffold for Acute Traumatic Spinal Cord Injury. Neurosurgery, 79(2), E305-E312. doi:10.1227/neu.0000000000001283Tian, L., Prabhakaran, M. P., & Ramakrishna, S. (2015). 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The Use of Silica Microparticles to Improve the Efficiency of Optical Hyperthermia (OH)

Although optical hyperthermia could be a promising anticancer therapy, the need for high concentrations of light-absorbing metal nanoparticles and high-intensity lasers, or large exposure times, could discourage its use due to the toxicity that they could imply. In this article, we explore a possible role of silica microparticles that have high biocompatibility and that scatter light, when used in combination with conventional nanoparticles, to reduce those high concentrations of particles and/or those intense laser beams, in order to improve the biocompatibility of the overall procedure. Our underlying hypothesis is that the scattering of light caused by the microparticles would increase the optical density of the irradiated volume due to the production of multiple reflections of the incident light: the nanoparticles present in the same volume would absorb more energy from the laser than without the presence of silica particles, resulting either in higher heat production or in the need for less laser power or absorbing particles for the same required temperature rise. Testing this new optical hyperthermia procedure, based on the use of a mixture of silica and metallic particles, we have measured cell mortality in vitro experiments with murine glioma (CT-2A) and mouse osteoblastic (MC3T3-E1) cell lines. We have used gold nanorods (GNRs) that absorb light with a wavelength of 808 nm, which are conventional in optical hyperthermia, and silica microparticles spheres (hereinafter referred to as SMSs) with a diameter size to scatter the light of this wavelength. The obtained results confirm our initial hypothesis, because a high mortality rate is achieved with reduced concentrations of GNR. We found a difference in mortality between CT2A cancer cells and cells considered non-cancer MC3T3, maintaining the same conditions, which gives indications that this technique possibly improves the efficiency in the cell survival. This might be related with differences in the proliferation rate. Since the experiments were carried out in the 2D dimensions of the Petri dishes, due to sedimentation of the silica particles at the bottom, whilst light scattering is a 3D phenomenon, a large amount of the energy provided by the laser escapes outside the medium. Therefore, better results might be expected when applying this methodology in tissues, which are 3D structures, where the multiple reflections of light we believe will produce higher optical density in comparison to the conventional case of no using scattering particles. Accordingly, further studies deserve to be carried out in this line of work in order to improve the optical hyperthermia technique.This study was partially supported by CIBER-BBN (Spain) and the NEUROCENTRO-CM (B2017/BMD-3760) Consortium. Characterization of the MNPs was performed by the ICTS ‘NANBIOSIS’, Unit 15, Functional Characterization of Magnetic Nanoparticles of the CIBER in Bioengineering, Biomaterials & Nanomedicine (CIBER-BBN) at the Center for Biomedical Technology (CTB) of the ‘Universidad Politécnica de Madrid’ (UPM). This work was carried out as a part of Project PGC2018-097531-B-I00, funded by the Ministry of Science of Spain

A Hyaluronic Acid Demilune Scaffold and Polypyrrole-Coated Fibers Carrying Embedded Human Neural Precursor Cells and Curcumin for Surface Capping of Spinal Cord Injuries

[EN] Tissue engineering, including cell transplantation and the application of biomaterials and bioactive molecules, represents a promising approach for regeneration following spinal cord injury (SCI). We designed a combinatorial tissue-engineered approach for the minimally invasive treatment of SCI¿a hyaluronic acid (HA)-based scaffold containing polypyrrole-coated fibers (PPY) combined with the RAD16-I self-assembling peptide hydrogel (Corning® PuraMatrix¿peptide hydrogel (PM)), human induced neural progenitor cells (iNPCs), and a nanoconjugated form of curcumin (CURC). In vitro cultures demonstrated that PM preserves iNPC viability and the addition of CURC reduces apoptosis and enhances the outgrowth of Nestin-positive neurites from iNPCs, compared to nonembedded iNPCs. The treatment of spinal cord organotypic cultures also demonstrated that CURC enhances cell migration and prompts a neuron-like morphology of embedded iNPCs implanted over the tissue slices. Following sub-acute SCI by traumatic contusion in rats, the implantation of PMembedded iNPCs and CURC with PPY fibers supported a significant increase in neuro-preservation (as measured by greater III-tubulin staining of neuronal fibers) and decrease in the injured area (as measured by the lack of GFAP staining). This combination therapy also restricted platelet-derived growth factor expression, indicating a reduction in fibrotic pericyte invasion. Overall, these findings support PM-embedded iNPCs with CURC placed within an HA demilune scaffold containing PPY fibers as a minimally invasive combination-based alternative to cell transplantation alone.This research was funded by the Science by Women program, Women for Africa Foundation to H.E. and the grants FEDER/Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovacion-Agencia Estatal de Investigacion [RTI2018-095872-B-C21 and -C22/ERDF]; Part of the equipment employed in this work was funded by Generalitat Valenciana and cofinanced with ERDF funds (OP ERDF of Comunitat Valenciana 2014-2020). RISEUP project FetOpen in H2020 Program: H2020-FETOPEN-2018-2019-2020-01.Elkhenany, H.; Bonilla, P.; Giraldo-Reboloso, E.; Alastrue Agudo, A.; Edel, MJ.; Vicent, MJ.; Gisbert-Roca, F.... (2021). A Hyaluronic Acid Demilune Scaffold and Polypyrrole-Coated Fibers Carrying Embedded Human Neural Precursor Cells and Curcumin for Surface Capping of Spinal Cord Injuries. Biomedicines. 9(12):1-19. https://doi.org/10.3390/biomedicines9121928S11991

SPAG17 Mediates Nuclear Translocation of Protamines During Spermiogenesis

Protamines (PRM1 and PRM2) are small, arginine-rich, nuclear proteins that replace histones in the final stages of spermiogenesis, ensuring chromatin compaction and nuclear remodeling. Defects in protamination lead to increased DNA fragmentation and reduced male fertility. Since efficient sperm production requires the translocation of protamines from the cytoplasm to the nucleus, we investigated whether SPAG17, a protein crucial for intracellular protein trafficking during spermiogenesis, participates in protamine transport. Initially, we assessed the protein-protein interaction between SPAG17 and protamines using proximity ligation assays, revealing a significant interaction originating in the cytoplasm and persisting within the nucleus. Subsequently, immunoprecipitation and mass spectrometry (IP/MS) assays validated this initial observation. Sperm and spermatids fro