Calyx junction dismantlement and synaptic uncoupling precede hair cell extrusion in the vestibular sensory epithelium during sub-chronic 3,3'-iminodipropionitrile ototoxicity in the mouse

The cellular and molecular events that precede hair cell (HC) loss in the vestibular epithelium during chronic ototoxic exposure have not been widely studied. To select a study model, we compared the effects of sub-chronic exposure to different concentrations of 3,3′-iminodipropionitrile (IDPN) in the drinking water of two strains of mice and of both sexes. In subsequent experiments, male 129S1/SvImJ mice were exposed to 30 mM IDPN for 5 or 8 weeks; animals were euthanized at the end of the exposure or after a washout period of 13 weeks. In behavioral tests, IDPN mice showed progressive vestibular dysfunction followed by recovery during washout. In severely affected animals, light and electron microscopy observations of the vestibular epithelia revealed HC extrusion towards the endolymphatic cavity. Comparison of functional and ultrastructural data indicated that animals with fully reversible dysfunction did not have significant HC loss or stereociliary damage, but reversible dismantlement of the calyceal junctions that characterize the contact between type I HCs (HCI) and their calyx afferents. Immunofluorescent analysis revealed the loss of calyx junction proteins, Caspr1 and Tenascin-C, during exposure and their recovery during washout. Synaptic uncoupling was also recorded, with loss of pre-synaptic Ribeye and post-synaptic GluA2 puncta, and differential reversibility among the three different kinds of synaptic contacts existing in the epithelium. qRT-PCR analyses demonstrated that some of these changes are at least in part explained by gene expression modifications. We concluded that calyx junction dismantlement and synaptic uncoupling are early events in the mouse vestibular sensory epithelium during sub-chronic IDPN ototoxicity

La competencia de liderazgo en el grado de enfermería: Un análisis factorial de componentes principales

L'aspecte competencial està cada dia més present en la societat, des dels nivells acadèmics als laborals. D'una bona base en l'adquisició de competències en depèn una bona part l'èxit professional dels graduats, per això l'anàlisi per potenciar la seva adquisició s'ha convertit en un tema d'estudi recurrent, tant en l'aspecte de les competències bàsiques/transversals, com en el de les específiques. Les darreres seran les que tindran una incidència diferent en funció del tipus d'estudi, al mateix temps que experimentaran variacions importants en funció dels reptes i projectes innovadors que les organitzacions hagin d'afrontar. Entre las primeres, una de les competències que exerceix un paper primordial, i en la que s'ha centrat l'estudi, és la capacitat de lideratge. En concret, aquest treball analitza com perceben i adquireixen la capacitat de lideratge els estudiants d'infermeria de la Universitat de Barcelona, ja que els resulta fonamental per exercir la influència en un grup i per aconseguir les metes proposades. Per això es va preparar un qüestionari amb 70 preguntes que recollien les competències transversals i específiques adquirides en el procés d'aprenentatge, així com l'actitud de l'estudiant davant del procés d'aprenentatge. La població subjecte d'estudi van ser els estudiants del grau d'infermeria de la Universitat de Barcelona durant el curs acadèmic 2012-2013; i la tècnica de mostreig seleccionada va ser el mostreig incidental. El treball aplica l'anàlisi multivariant per reduir la dimensionalitat de les variables estudiades. En concret, l'anàlisi factorial mitjançant components principals ha permès identificar els aspectes que resumeixen i agrupen les 20 variables estudiades en 4 factors: capacitació per a la professionalització, treball autònom, capacitat crítica i presa de decisions en equips. Posteriorment, a partir de les puntuacions d'aquests quatre factors i amb la inclusió de les variables edat, sexe i procedència, es va construir un model de regressió logísticomultinomial. Els resultats obtinguts indiquen que els quatre factors influeixen positivament a l'hora d'incrementar la probabilitat de passar d'una capacitat de lideratge d'un nivell nul a un nivell mig, mentre que en l'increment de la probabilitat de pas d'una capacitat de lideratge nul·la a una d'elevada només els tres darrers factors tenen influènci

Housing and road transport modify the brain neurotransmitter systems of pigs : Do pigs raised in different conditions cope differently with unknown environments?

How housing and transport conditions may affect welfare in porcine production is a leading topic in livestock research. This study investigated whether pigs present a different neurological response to management conditions and to ascertain whether pigs living partially outdoors cope differently with road transport-associated stress. Twenty-four female pigs were divided in two groups: one living indoors (ID, n = 12) and the other housed combining indoor conditions with 4 hours per day of outdoor pasture (OD, n = 12). After one month, one set of animals from each housing condition were driven in a truck to the slaughterhouse in low-stress conditions (5 min drive, no mixing groups, soft management, LS group, n = 12) or high-stress conditions (2 hours drive, mixing groups, harsh management, HS group, n = 12). At the slaughterhouse, blood was collected, and the prefrontal cortex (PFC) and the hippocampus (HC) dissected. OD pigs had lower serum haptoglobin and increased dopaminergic pathway (DA-system) in the PFC, suggesting that living outdoors increases their wellbeing. HS conditions increased serum creatine kinase (CK) and affected several brain pathways: activation of the noradrenergic (NA-system) and DA -system in the PFC and the activation of the DA-system and an increase in c-Fos as well as a decrease in brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in the HC. The serotonergic system (5-HT-system) was mildly altered in both areas. There was an interaction between housing and transport in serum NA and the DA-system in the HC, indicating that living conditions affected the response to stress. Multivariate analysis was able to discriminate the four animal groups. In conclusion, this work indicates that housing conditions and road transport markedly modifies the neurophysiology of pigs, and suggests that animals raised partially outdoors respond differently to transport-associated stress than animals raised indoors, indicating that they cope differently with unknown environments

Reduced plasma extracellular vesicle CD5L content in patients with acute-on-chronic liver failure: interplay with specialized pro-resolving lipid mediators.

Acute-on chronic liver failure (ACLF) is a syndrome that develops in patients with acutely decompensated cirrhosis (AD). It is characterized by a systemic hyperinflammatory state, leading to multiple organ failure. Our objective was to analyze macrophage anti-inflammatory protein CD5L in plasma extracellular vesicles (EVs) and assess its as yet unknown relationship with lipid mediators in ACLF. With this aim, EVs were purified by size exclusion chromatography from the plasma of healthy subjects (HS) (n=6) and patients with compensated cirrhosis (CC) (n=6), AD (n=11) and ACLF (n=11), which were defined as positive for CD9, CD5L and CD63 and their size, number, morphology and lipid mediator content were characterized by NTA, EM, and LC-MS/MS, respectively. Additionally, plasma CD5L was quantified by ELISA in 10 HS, 20 CC and 149 AD patients (69 ACLF). Moreover, macrophage CD5L expression and the biosynthesis of specialized lipid mediators (SPMs) were characterized in vitro in primary cells. Our results indicate that circulating EVs were significantly suppressed in cirrhosis, regardless of severity, and showed considerable alterations in CD5L and lipid mediator content as the disease progressed. In AD, levels of EV CD5L correlated best with those of the SPM RvE1. Analysis of total plasma supported these data and showed that, in ACLF, low CD5L levels were associated with circulatory (p<0.001), brain (p<0.008) and respiratory (p<0.05) failure (Mann-Whitney test). Functional studies in macrophages indicated a positive feedback loop between CD5L and RvE1 biosynthesis. In summary, we have determined a significant alteration of circulating EV contents in ACLF, with a loss of anti-inflammatory and pro-resolving molecules involved in the control of acute inflammation in this condition

Increased Presentation of Diabetic Ketoacidosis and Changes in Age and Month of Type 1 Diabetes at Onset during the COVID-19 Pandemic in Spain

COVID-19; Aparició de la diabetis; Diabetis tipus 1COVID-19; Aparición de diabetes; Diabetes tipo 1COVID-19; Diabetes onset; Type 1diabetesObjective: To assess the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown measures on the presenting characteristics (age at diagnosis, severity, monthly distribution) of newly diagnosed type 1 diabetes in Spanish children. Research Design and Methods: An ambispective observational multicenter study was conducted in nine Spanish tertiary-level hospitals between January 2015 and March 2021. Inclusion criteria: new cases of type 1 diabetes in children (0–14 years) recording age, sex, date of diagnosis, presence of diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) at onset, and severity of DKA. Data were compared before and during the pandemic. Results: We registered 1444 new cases of type 1 diabetes in children: 1085 in the pre-pandemic period (2015–2019) and 359 during the pandemic (2020–March 2021). There was a significant increase in the group aged ≤4 years in the pandemic period (chi-squared = 10.986, df 2, p = 0.0041). In 2020–2021, cases of DKA increased significantly by 12% (95% CI: 7.2–20.4%), with a higher percentage of moderate and severe DKA, although this increase was not significant. In 2020, there was a sharp decrease in the number of cases in March, with a progressive increase from May through November, higher than in the same months of the period 2015–2019, highlighting the increase in the number of cases in June, September, and November. The first three months of 2021 showed a different trend to that observed both in the years 2015–2019 and in 2020, with a marked increase in the number of cases. Conclusions: A change in monthly distribution was described, with an increase in DKA at onset of type 1 diabetes. No differences were found in severity, although there were differences in the age distribution, with an increase in the number of cases in children under 4 years of age

Polyphenols and IUGR Pregnancies : effects of the Antioxidant Hydroxytyrosol on Brain Neurochemistry and Development in a Porcine Model

Supplementation of a mother's diet with antioxidants, such as hydroxytyrosol (HTX), has been proposed to ameliorate the adverse phenotypes of fetuses at risk of intrauterine growth restriction. In the present study, sows were treated daily with or without 1.5 mg of HTX per kilogram of feed from day 35 of pregnancy (at 30% of total gestational period), and individuals were sampled at three different ages: 100-day-old fetuses and 1-month- and 6-month-old piglets. After euthanasia, the brain was removed and the hippocampus, amygdala, and prefrontal cortex were dissected. The profile of the catecholaminergic and serotoninergic neurotransmitters (NTs) was characterized and an immunohistochemical study of the hippocampus was performed. The results indicated that maternal supplementation with HTX during pregnancy affected the NT profile in a brain-area-dependant mode and it modified the process of neuron differentiation in the hippocampal CA1 and GD areas, indicating that cell differentiation occurred more rapidly in the HTX group. These effects were specific to the fetal period, concomitantly with HTX maternal supplementation, since no major differences remained between the control and treated groups in 1-month- and 6-month-old pigs

Addressing the disparities in dementia risk, early detection and care in Latino populations: Highlights from the second Latinos & Alzheimer\u27s Symposium

The Alzheimer\u27s Association hosted the second Latinos & Alzheimer\u27s Symposium in May 2021. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the meeting was held online over 2 days, with virtual presentations, discussions, mentoring sessions, and posters. The Latino population in the United States is projected to have the steepest increase in Alzheimer\u27s disease (AD) in the next 40 years, compared to other ethnic groups. Latinos have increased risk for AD and other dementias, limited access to quality care, and are severely underrepresented in AD and dementia research and clinical trials. The symposium highlighted developments in AD research with Latino populations, including advances in AD biomarkers, and novel cognitive assessments for Spanish-speaking populations, as well as the need to effectively recruit and retain Latinos in clinical research, and how best to deliver health-care services and to aid caregivers of Latinos living with AD

The leadership competence in Nursing Studies: a principal components factor analysis

Jobs are increasingly influenced by the empowerment of competencies allowing organizations to face the challenges and innovative projects presented to them, as well as addressing problem solving in the best possible way. In this sense, one of the competencies that plays a major role is leadership. In this paper, we want to analyse how nursing students at the University of Barcelona perceive and acquire the leadership capacity, since it is fundamental to influence a group and to achieve the required goals. In the specific case of the nursing profession, which is strongly influenced by the organizational changes of the Health Systems, the management of nursing services is considered one of the most relevant aspects in the health organization chart (CODEM, 2016)

La competencia de liderazgo en el grado de enfermería: Un análisis factorial de componentes principales

L’aspecte competencial està cada dia més present en la societat, des dels nivells acadèmics als laborals. D’una bona base en l’adquisició de competències en depèn una bona part l’èxit professional dels graduats, per això l’anàlisi per potenciar la seva adquisició s’ha convertit en un tema d’estudi recurrent, tant en l’aspecte de les competències  bàsiques/transversals, com en el de les específiques. Les darreres seran les que tindran una incidència diferent en funció del tipus d’estudi, al mateix temps que experimentaran variacions importants en funció dels reptes  i projectes innovadors que les organitzacions hagin d’afrontar. Entre las primeres, una de les competències que exerceix un paper primordial, i en la que s’ha centrat l’estudi, és la capacitat de lideratge. En concret, aquest treball analitza com perceben i adquireixen la capacitat de lideratge els estudiants d’infermeria de la Universitat de Barcelona, ja que els resulta fonamental per exercir la influència en un grup i per aconseguir les metes proposades.Per això es va preparar un qüestionari amb 70 preguntes que recollien les competències transversals i específiques adquirides en el procés d’aprenentatge, així com l’actitud de l’estudiant davant del procés d’aprenentatge. La població subjecte d’estudi van ser els estudiants del grau d’infermeria de la Universitat de Barcelona durant el curs acadèmic 2012-2013; i la tècnica de mostreig seleccionada va ser el mostreig incidental.El treball aplica l’anàlisi multivariant per reduir la dimensionalitat de les variables estudiades. En concret, l’anàlisi factorial mitjançant components principals ha permès identificar els aspectes que resumeixen i agrupen les 20 variables estudiades en 4 factors: capacitació per a la professionalització, treball autònom, capacitat crítica i presa de decisions en equips. Posteriorment, a partir de les puntuacions d’aquests quatre factors i amb la inclusió de les variables edat, sexe i procedència, es va construir un model de regressió logísticomultinomial. Els resultats obtinguts indiquen que els quatre factors influeixen positivament a l’hora d’incrementar la probabilitat de passar d’una capacitat de lideratge d’un nivell nul a un nivell mig, mentre que en l’increment de la probabilitat de pas d’una capacitat de lideratge nul·la a una d’elevada només els tres darrers factors tenen influència.Jobs are increasingly influenced by the empowerment of competencies allowing organizations to face the challenges and innovative projects presented to them, as well as addressing problem solving in the best possible way. In this sense, one of the competencies that plays a major role is leadership. In this paper, we want to analyse how nursing students at the University of Barcelona perceive and acquire the leadership capacity, since it is fundamental to influence a group and to achieve the required goals. In the specific case of the nursing profession, which is strongly influenced by the organizational changes of the Health Systems, the management of nursing services is considered one of the most relevant aspects in the health organization chart (CODEM, 2016). The population of study comprised the nursing degree students during the academic year 2012-2013 at the University of Barcelona. The sampling technique selected was a non-probabilistic sampling for convenience, also known as incidental sampling (Buendía, 1994). This technique is chosen given the accessibility and proximity of the sampling subjects (i.e. students attending class on the day the questionnaire was provided). The questionnaire used in this study consists of 70 questions covering all basic and specific competences acquired in the learning process, as well as the student’s attitude towards the learning process, as it is explained in the Tuning project. Nevertheless, we have adapted it to the nursing degree. Questions are grouped into four blocks. The first corresponds to sociodemographic aspects, the second has to do with the assessment of skills, the third includes the acquisition of transversal competences such as leadership capacity, problem solving ability or teamwork. Finally, the fourth block refers to attitudes when it comes to studying. The variables studied were measured on a Likert scale from 1 to 4, where 4 indicates a high degree of acquisition. The Cronbach's alpha value for questionnaire reliability is 0.925, showing, therefore, high reliability. The number of participants was 171. In the study we used a multivariate analysis and a multinomial regression to explore the results. The multivariate analysis allows us to reduce the dimensionality of the variables under study. More specifically, the factor analysis using principal components allowed us to identify 4 factors that summarize and group the 20 variables studied; namely (from more to less weight): training for professionalization, self-employment, critical capacity and team decision-making. Secondly, a Multinomial Regression has been elaborated using the factorial scores to analyse in depth the leadership aspect. In particular, it has been found that all four factors exert a positive influence when moving from a null leadership capacity to a medium capacity, whereas in the transition from a null leadership capacity to a high one only the last three factors seem to have some influence.El aspecto competencial está cada vez más presente en la sociedad, desde los niveles académicos a los laborales. De una buena base en la adquisición de competencias depende en gran medida el éxito profesional de los graduados, de ahí que el análisis para potenciar su adquisición se haya convertido en un tema de estudio recurrente, tanto en lo que respecta a las competencias básicas/transversales, como a las específicas. Estas últimas serán las que tendrán una incidencia distinta en función del tipo de estudio, a la vez que experimentarán variaciones importantes en función de los retos y proyectos innovadores que las organizaciones deban afrontar. Entre las primeras, una de las competencias que desempeña un papel primordial, y en la que se ha centrado el presente estudio, es la capacidad de liderazgo. En concreto, este trabajo analiza cómo perciben y adquieren la capacidad de liderazgo los estudiantes de enfermería de la Universidad de Barcelona, dado que les resulta fundamental para ejercer la influencia en un grupo y para lograr las metas propuestas. Para ello se preparó un cuestionario con 70 preguntas que recogían las competencias transversales y específicas adquiridas en el proceso de aprendizaje, así como la actitud del estudiante ante el proceso de aprendizaje. La población sujeto de estudio fueron los estudiantes del grado de enfermería de la Universidad de Barcelona durante el curso académico 2012-2013; y la técnica de muestreo seleccionada fue la del muestreo incidental. El trabajo aplica el análisis multivariante para reducir la dimensionalidad de las variables estudiadas. En concreto, el análisis factorial mediante componentes principales ha permitido identificar los aspectos que resumen y agrupan las 20 variables estudiadas en 4 factores: capacitación para la profesionalización, trabajo autónomo, capacidad crítica y toma de decisiones en equipos. Posteriormente, a partir de las puntuaciones de estos cuatro factores y con la inclusión de las variables edad, sexo y procedencia, se construyó un modelo de regresión logístico multinomial. Los resultados obtenidos indican que los cuatro factores influyen positivamente a la hora de incrementar la probabilidad de pasar de una capacidad de liderazgo de un nivel nulo a un nivel medio, mientras que en el incremento de la probabilidad del paso de una capacidad de liderazgo nula a una de elevada sólo los tres últimos factores tienen influencia.

Development of a Standardized Method for Measuring Bioadhesion and Mucoadhesion That Is Applicable to Various Pharmaceutical Dosage Forms

Although some methods for measuring bioadhesion/mucoadhesion have been proposed, a standardized method is not yet available. This is expected to hinder systematic comparisons of results across studies. This study aimed to design a single/systematic in vitro method for measuring bioadhesion/mucoadhesion that is applicable to various pharmaceutical dosage forms. To this end, we measured the peak force and work of adhesion of minitablets, pellets, and a bioadhesive emulsion using a texture analyzer. Porcine tissue was used to simulate human stomach/skin conditions. The results of these formulations were then compared to those for formulations without the bioadhesive product. We conducted a case study to assess the stability of a bioadhesive emulsion. The results for the two parameters assessed were contact time = 60 s and contact force = 0.5 N at a detachment speed of 0.1 mm/s. Significant differences were observed between the bioadhesive and control formulations, thus demonstrating the adhesive capacity of the bioadhesive formulations. In this way, a systematic method for assessing the bioadhesive capacity of pharmaceutical dosage forms was developed. The method proposed here may enable comparisons of results across studies, i.e., results obtained using the same and different pharmaceutical formulations (in terms of their bioadhesion/mucoadhesion capacity). This method may also facilitate the selection of potentially suitable formulations and adhesive products (in terms of bioadhesive properties)