Utilización de recursos Open Data en procesos de documentación cartográfica de bajo coste sobre territorios no estructurados de interés arqueológico mediante imágenes Landsat 8: Área de Mleiha-Khor Fakkan (E.A.U).

Resumen: Muchos proyectos de investigación, y especialmente los arqueológicos, se desarrollan en lugares remotos, territorios desestructurados o en países donde no existe cartografía de uso civil. El análisis de los emplazamientos arqueológicos, el proyecto de una campaña de excavación, poder relacionar los diferentes hallazgos, etc.; requieren de análisis espaciales sobre áreas que pueden llegar a abarcar muchos kilómetros cuadrados. Cartografías a escalas 1:100.000 ó 1:50.000, habituales en países occidentales con instituciones y recursos dedicados a su producción, pueden ser un sueño para los equipos de investigación arqueológicos. Es a esta necesidad a la que el presente trabajo intenta dar respuesta mediante imágenes de teledetección, y en concreto a partir de escenas Landsat-8. Se estudia la posibilidad de producir cartografía a escalas medias en territorios carentes de ella, proponiendo una metodología basada exclusivamente en la utilización de recursos gratuitos con fines de investigación. Se expondrá el proyecto realizado sobre 3 escenas Landsat-8, escenas que cubren el territorio del Emirato de Sharjah (Emiratos Árabes Unidos). Como resultado del tratamiento de las imágenes, tras la corrección de saltos radiométricos y fusión de canales, se obtuvo cartografía de límites administrativos de Emiratos Árabes Unidos a escala 1/1.125.000, y cartografía del Emirato de Sharjah a escala 1/250.000. El objetivo de una segunda fase del proyecto fue obtener la cartografía de coberturas de suelo a escala 1/200.000 y cartografía general de localización de yacimientos arqueológicos. Finalmente se realizaron planos de detalle a escala 1/75.000. La documentación cartográfica y temática proporcionada para el área arqueológica de Mleiha en este trabajo, permite no sólo localizar e interrelacionar los emplazamientos arqueológicos de grandes áreas geográficas, sino que además ofrece nuevas posibilidades de análisis prospectivo en arqueología correlacionando la posición espacial y los materiales de soporte sobre los que se ubica el arte rupestre. ABSTRACT: Many research projects, especially archaeological ones, are developed in remote areas, unstructured territories, or in countries where there is no mapping for civilian use. The analysis of archaeological sites, excavation campaigns, the ability to connect different find, etc. require spatial analysis on areas that extend over many square kilometers. Maps at 1: 100,000 or 1:50,000, commonplace in Western countries with institutions and resources devoted to their production, may be a dream for archaeological research teams. This paper attempts to respond to this need by using remote sensing imagery, in particular Landsat-8 scenes. This paper studies the possibility of producing maps at intermediate scales for unmapped areas, and proposes a methodology based solely on the use of free resources for research purposes. A presentation is given of the project conducted with 3 Landsat-8 scenes covering the Emirate of Sharjah (United Arab Emirates). Image processing after correction for radiometric jumps and merged channels resulted in the mapping of the UAE’s administrative boundaries at a scale 1/1,125,000 and the mapping of the Emirate of Sharjah at a scale of 1/250,000. The objective of the second phase of the project was to obtain land cover mapping at a scale of 1/200,000 and general location mapping of archaeological sites. Finally, detail drawings were produced at a scale of 1/75,000. The cartographic and thematic documentation provided for the archeological area of Mleiha in this work can not only locate and interrelate archaeological sites in large geographic areas, it also offers new possibilities for prospective analysis in archeology by correlating the spatial position and support materials on which the rock art is located

Therapeutic potential of topical administration of siRNAs against HIF-1α for corneal neovascularization.

Given the implications of the problem of neovascularization on ocular health, as well as the growth in the number of cases, the purpose of the present study has been testing the efficacy of siRNAs (small interfering RNA) designed to silence Hypoxia Inducible Factor -1α (HIF-1α) and to demonstrate that their use stops neovascularization in a model of corneal burn. Corneal wounds in the limbic zone were made in the eyes of New Zealand white rabbits. Topical applications of siRNAs were done the next day to the wound for four consecutive days and eyes were examined with a slit lamp. Evaluation of neovascularization progress was done by analyzing images by ImageJTM and to determine the neovascular area in Matlab ® was used. At the same time, a rabbit corneal cell line was used for in vitro study of hypoxia exposure and Western blot analysis of the cell's extracts were done. Under normal cell culture oxygenation, the expression of HIF-1α was lower than that observed under hypoxic conditions. After 2 h of hypoxia, there was a significant increase in the HIF-1α expression, effect that was maintained up to 6 h. The increased in HIF-1α was mimicked by a cell permeable prolyl-4-hydroxylase inhibitor. Cobalt chloride showed no capacity to increase HIF-1α in vitro. The effect of three different siRNA on HIF-1α was tested after 4 h of hypoxia. siRNA#1 was able to silence 80% of HIF-1α expression, siRNA#2 and siRNA#3 reduce the expression in 45% and 40% respectively. In addition, the three siRNA were tested in a corneal model of neovascularization. scrambledsiRNA#2 was the most effective inhibitor of blood vessel production, followed by siRNA#3 and siRNA#1. Compared to the scrambled siRNA (100% of blood vessel generation), siRNA#2 blocked the presence of blood vessels by 83 ± 2%, siRNA#3 inhibited 45 ± 7% and siRNA#1 only inhibited 18 ± 5%. The necessary time to observe the 50% of effect showed values of NV50 of 10.2 ± 2.4 days for the scrambled siRNA, 9.1 ± 1.4 for siRNA#1, 6.5 ± 1.85 for siRNA#2 and 4.8 ± 1.8 days for siRNA#3. In conclusion, the topical application of siRNA towards HIF-1α seems to be an effective and reliable method to stop neovascularization.This work was supported by a grant from Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación (SAF2010-16024 and SAF2013-44416-R) and RETICS (RD12/0034/0003), and a grant from the Instituto de Salud Carlos III of Spain and Fondo Europeo de Desarrollo Regional (FEDER, “Una manera de hacer Europa”) (FIS-FEDER PI07-1168 to J. Mateo)S

Arteria coronaria derecha anómala que nace del tronco coronario izquierdo con curso entre los grandes vasos: manejo quirúrgico de un caso y revisión

ResumenLas anomalías de las arterias coronarias son alteraciones congénitas raras que en algunos casos, debido a su trayecto anómalo, pueden producir síntomas como la angina, síncopes o incluso la muerte súbita. Además, su manejo terapéutico no está bien establecido. Presentamos el caso de un varón de 64 años con clínica de dolor torácico y síncopes de repetición en el que se descubre una arteria coronaria única con una arteria coronaria derecha que nace del tronco coronario izquierdo y que discurre entre las grandes arterias. La compresión que ejercen estas estructuras justifica la clínica del paciente, por lo que se decide una actitud quirúrgica como terapia más adecuada consistente en la translocación de la arteria coronaria derecha a su seno de Valsalva correspondiente, evitando así la compresión producida por las grandes arterias y sobre todo la necesidad de realizar un bypass coronario. A los 7 meses de la intervención el paciente permanece asintomático.El manejo quirúrgico de las anomalías coronarias sintomáticas puede ser una alternativa segura sobre todo en los casos donde la anatomía coronaria permita evitar el bypass.AbstractAnomalies of the coronary arteries are rare congenital disorders that because of their anomalous course can produce symptoms in some cases, such as angina, syncope or even sudden death. Furthermore, their therapeutic management is not well established. The case is presented of a 64 year-old male with symptoms of chest pain and repeated syncope, in which a single coronary artery is discovered with a right coronary artery that originates from the left main coronary artery and runs between the great arteries. The compression exercised by these structures is responsible for the patient's clinical condition, thus a more appropriate therapy is decided, such as a surgical approach involving the translocation of the right coronary artery to the corresponding sinus of Valsalva. This prevents the compression produced by the great arteries, as well as the need for coronary bypass surgery. The patient is asymptomatic at seven months after surgery.The surgical management of symptomatic coronary anomalies can be a safe alternative, especially in cases in which the coronary anatomy helps to avoid a bypass

Evaluation of P22 ELISA for the Detection of Mycobacterium bovis-Specific Antibody in the Oral Fluid of Goats

The ante-mortem diagnosis of tuberculosis (TB) in ruminants is based mainly on the intradermal tuberculin test and the IFN-γ assay. Antibody (Ab)-based tests have emerged as potential tools for the detection of TB infected animals using serum, plasma, or even milk samples. Oral fluids have also been evaluated as alternative samples with which to detect specific Abs against Mycobacterium bovis in pigs or wild boars, but not in ruminants. The objective of this study was, therefore, to evaluate the performance of an in house-ELISA for TB diagnosis (P22 ELISA) in goats as an experimental model for the diagnosis of TB using oral fluid samples. Oral fluid samples from 64 goats from a TB-infected herd (n = 197) and all the animals from a TB-free herd (n = 113) were analyzed using the P22 ELISA. The estimated sensitivity (Se) and specificity (Sp) were 34.4% (95% CI: 22.4-45.6) and 100% (95% CI: 97.4-100), respectively. The optimal cut-off point was set at 100% according to the ROC analysis. Those animals with a higher level of Abs in their oral fluid attained a higher lesion score (p = 0.018). In fact, when taking into account only the setting of the animals with severe lesions (n = 16), the ELISA showed a Se of 75% (95% CI: 53.7-96.2). Results of the present study suggest that the P22 ELISA is highly specific but has a limited value detecting infected animals in oral fluid samples. Nevertheless, its performance is significantly higher in the presence of severe lesions.This study was funded by the Herramientas para alcanzar la erradicación de la tuberculosis caprina (GoaTBfree) project (PID2019-105155RB-C31) and the Spanish Government's Ministerio de Agricultura, Pesca y Alimentación. JO was supported by an FPU (Formación de Profesorado Universitario) contract-fellowship provided by the Spanish Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades (FPU18/05197).S

Finding immunological differences to help diagnosis and early treatment of Kawasaki Disease and MIS-C (Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children)

Resumen del trabajo presentado en el 43 Congreso De La Sociedad Española de Inmunología, celebrado en León (España) del 22 al 24 de septiembre de 2022.The recent COVID-19 pandemic was first thought to spare children from health deprivation caused by infection with SARS-CoV-2. However, soon a new syndrome resembling Kawasaki Disease (KD) was reported: Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MIS-C). The aim of this study is to provide new biomarkers for both diseases in order to facilitate diagnosis and reduce the time-lapse until treatment is provided – which will reduce the risk of developing severe cardiovascular complications. An extensive immune system characterization by flow cytometry and serum protein characterization by a multiplex technology (Olink) was performed from fresh blood samples of patients with acute MIS-C (n=19) and KD (n=10). For protein characterization we also analysed recovery samples for these groups (n=19 and n=8, respectively). Besides the already described lymphopenia in MIS-C, we found additional significant immune differences in both groups. Although lymphocyte numbers (cells/ml) were lower in MIS-C, percentages of activated T-CD4+ and T-CD8+ cells were higher compared to KD. Moreover, when comparing activated T cells in MIS-C and KD individually, regulatory T cells (Treg) showed the highest levels. These data suggest a stronger response of T cells in MIS-C, and higher Treg activity in both groups, which could reflect the response to the excessive inflammation. Ratios previously described in other inflammatory conditions were evaluated: MIS-C showed higher neutrophil/lymphocyte and Th17/Treg ratios than KD, suggesting higher inflammatory conditions in this group. In addition, monocyte and dendritic cells (DCs) numbers were decreased in MIS-C relative to KD. Parallel to these inflammatory cellular profiles, we identified increased levels of inflammatory cytokines in plasma of patients during the acute phase of the disease compared to recovery samples. Moreover, IL-6, which is one of the main cytokines involved in cytokine storm in adult COVID-19, was higher in MIS-C suggesting, again, stronger inflammatory conditions in this pathology compared to KD

Desarrollo de competencias en comunicación: divulgación en neurociencia

Este proyecto tiene una doble finalidad, que los alumnos pierdan el miedo a la terminología específica relacionada con las neurociencias, y fomentar el uso de la divulgación científica como herramienta para mejorar sus competencias en comunicación

Circulating carotenoids are associated with favorable lipid and fatty acid profiles in an older population at high cardiovascular risk

Carotenoid intake has been reported to be associated with improved cardiovascular health, but there is little information on actual plasma concentrations of these compounds as biomarkers of cardiometabolic risk. The objective was to investigate the association between circulating plasma carotenoids and different cardiometabolic risk factors and the plasma fatty acid profile. This is a cross-sectional evaluation of baseline data conducted in a subcohort (106 women and 124 men) of an ongoing multi-factorial lifestyle trial for primary cardiovascular prevention. Plasma concentrations of carotenoids were quantified by liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry. The associations between carotenoid concentrations and cardiometabolic risk factors were assessed using regression models adapted for interval-censored variables. Carotenoid concentrations were cross-sectionally inversely associated with serum triglyceride concentrations [-2.79 mg/dl (95% CI: -4.25, -1.34) and -5.15 mg/dl (95% CI: -7.38, -2.93), p-values = 0.0002 and <0.00001 in women and men, respectively], lower levels of plasma saturated fatty acids [-0.09% (95% CI: -0.14, -0.03) and -0.15 % (95% CI: -0.23, -0.08), p-values = 0.001 and 0.0001 in women and men, respectively], and higher levels of plasma polyunsaturated fatty acids [(0.12 % (95% CI: -0.01, 0.25) and 0.39 % (95% CI: 0.19, 0.59), p-values = 0.065 and 0.0001 in women and men, respectively] in the whole population. Plasma carotenoid concentrations were also associated with higher plasma HDL-cholesterol in women [0.47 mg/dl (95% CI: 0.23, 0.72), p-value: 0.0002], and lower fasting plasma glucose in men [-1.35 mg/dl (95% CI: -2.12, -0.59), p-value: 0.001]. Keywords: Mediterranean diet; PREDIMED-plus study; cardiovascular health; liquid chromatography; mass spectrometry; plasma carotenoids

PDGF-BB serum levels are decreased in adult onset Pompe patients

Adult onset Pompe disease is a genetic disorder characterized by slowly progressive skeletal and respiratory muscle weakness. Symptomatic patients are treated with enzymatic replacement therapy with human recombinant alfa glucosidase. Motor functional tests and spirometry are commonly used to follow patients up. However, a serological biomarker that correlates with the progression of the disease could improve follow-up. We studied serum concentrations of TGFβ, PDGF-BB, PDGF-AA and CTGF growth factors in 37 adult onset Pompe patients and 45 controls. Moreover, all patients performed several muscle function tests, conventional spirometry, and quantitative muscle MRI using 3-point Dixon. We observed a statistically significant change in the serum concentration of each growth factor in patients compared to controls. However, only PDGF-BB levels were able to differentiate between asymptomatic and symptomatic patients, suggesting its potential role in the follow-up of asymptomatic patients. Moreover, our results point to a dysregulation of muscle regeneration as an additional pathomechanism of Pompe disease

Fruit and Vegetable Consumption is Inversely Associated with Plasma Saturated Fatty Acids at Baseline in Predimed Plus Trial

I.D.-L. is supported by the [FI_B 00256] from the FI-AGAUR Research Fellowship Program, Generalitat de Catalunya and M.M.-M is supported by the FPU17/00513 grant. a.-H. is supported by the [CD17/00122] grant and S.K.N. is supported by a Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) Fellowship. We also thank all the volunteers for their participation in and the personnel for their contribution to the PREDIMED-Plus trial. This research was funded by CiCYT [AGL2016-75329-R] and CIBEROBN from the Instituto de Salud Carlos III, ISCIII from the Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovacion y Universidades, (AEI/FEDER, UE), Generalitat de Catalunya (GC) [2017SGR196]. The PREDIMED-Plus trial was supported by the official Spanish Institutions for funding scientific biomedical research, CIBER Fisiopatologia de la Obesidad y Nutricion (CIBERobn) and Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII), through the Fondo de Investigacion para la Salud (FIS), which is co-funded by the European Regional Development Fund (four coordinated Fondo de Investigaciones Sanitarias projects lead by J.S.-S. and J.V., including the following projects: PI13/00673, PI13/00492, PI13/00272, PI13/01123, PI13/00462, PI13/00233, PI13/02184, PI13/00728, PI13/01090, PI13/01056, PI14/01722, PI14/00636, PI14/00618, PI14/00696, PI14/01206, PI14/01919, PI14/00853, PI14/01374, PI14/00972, PI14/00728, PI14/01471, PI16/00473, PI16/00662, PI16/01873, PI16/01094, PI16/00501, PI16/00533, PI16/00381, PI16/00366, PI16/01522, PI16/01120, PI17/00764, PI17/01183, PI17/00855, PI17/01347, PI17/00525, PI17/01827, PI17/00532, PI17/00215, PI17/01441, PI17/00508, PI17/01732, PI17/00926 and PI19/00781), the Especial Action Project entitled Implementacion y evaluacion de una intervencion intensiva sobre la actividad fisica Cohorte PREDIMED-Plus grant to J.S.-S., European Research Council (Advanced Research Grant 2014-2019, 340918) to M.a.M.-G., the Recercaixa grant to J.S.-S. (2013ACUP00194), grants from the Consejeria de Salud de la Junta de Andalucia (PI0458/2013, PS0358/2016, and PI0137/2018), a grant from the Generalitat Valenciana (PROMETEO/2017/017), a SEMERGEN grant, Fundacio la Marato de TV3 (PI044003), 2017 SGR 1717 from Generalitat de Catalunya, a CICYT grant provided by the Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovacion y Universidades (AGL2016-75329-R), and funds from the European Regional Development Fund (CB06/03 and CB12/03). Food companies Hojiblanca (Lucena, Spain) and Patrimonio Comunal Olivarero (Madrid, Spain) donated extra virgin olive oil, and the Almond Board of California (Modesto, CA, USA), American Pistachio Growers (Fresno, CA, USA), and Paramount Farms (Wonderful Company, LLC, Los Angeles, CA, USA) donated nuts. J.K. was supported by the "FOLIUM" program within the FUTURMed project entitled Talent for the medicine within the future from the Fundacio Institut d'Investigacio Sanitaria Illes Balears. This call was co-financed at 50% with charge to the Operational Program FSE 2014-2020 of the Balearic Islands. This work is partially supported by ICREA under the ICREA Academia programme to J.S.-S.Scope: Plasma fatty acids (FAs) are associated with the development of cardiovascular diseases and metabolic syndrome. The aim of our study is to assess the relationship between fruit and vegetable (F&V) consumption and plasma FAs and their subtypes. Methods and Results: Plasma FAs are assessed in a cross-sectional analysis of a subsample of 240 subjects from the PREDIMED-Plus study. Participants are categorized into four groups of fruit, vegetable, and fat intake according to the food frequency questionnaire. Plasma FA analysis is performed using gas chromatography. Associations between FAs and F&V consumption are adjusted for age, sex, physical activity, bodymass index (BMI), total energy intake, and alcohol consumption. Plasma saturated FAs are lower in groups with high F&V consumption (-1.20 mg cL−1 [95% CI: [-2.22, - 0.18], p-value = 0.021), especially when fat intake is high (-1.74 mg cL−1 [95% CI: [-3.41, -0.06], p-value = 0.042). Total FAs and n-6 polyunsaturated FAs tend to be lower in high consumers of F&V only in the high-fat intake groups. Conclusions: F&V consumption is associated with lower plasma saturated FAs when fat intake is high. These findings suggest that F&V consumption may have different associations with plasma FAs depending on their subtype and on the extent of fat intake.Generalitat de Catalunya FI_B 00256Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR)Consejo Interinstitucional de Ciencia y Tecnologia (CICYT)European Commission AGL2016-75329-RCIBEROBN from the Instituto de Salud Carlos III ISCIII from the Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovacion y Universidades, (AEI/FEDER, UE)Generalitat de Catalunya 2017SGR196CIBER Fisiopatologia de la Obesidad y Nutricion (CIBERobn)Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII), through the Fondo de Investigacion para la Salud (FIS)European Commission PI13/00673 PI13/00492 PI13/00272 PI13/01123 PI13/00462 PI13/00233 PI13/02184 PI13/00728 PI13/01090 PI13/01056 PI14/01722 PI14/00636 PI14/00618 PI14/00696 PI14/01206 PI14/01919 PI14/00853 PI14/01374Especial Action Project entitled Implementacion y evaluacion de una intervencion intensiva sobre la actividad fisica Cohorte PREDIMED-Plus grantEuropean Research Council (ERC) European Commission 340918Recercaixa grant 2013ACUP00194Junta de Andalucia PI0458/2013 PS0358/2016 PI0137/2018Generalitat Valenciana European Commission PROMETEO/2017/017SEMERGEN grant, Fundacio la Marato de TV3 PI044003Generalitat de Catalunya 2017 SGR 1717Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovacion y Universidades AGL2016-75329-R"FOLIUM" program within the FUTURMed project within Fundacio Institut d'Investigacio Sanitaria Illes BalearsICREA under the ICREA Academia programmeThe European Regional Development Fund PI17/01347 PI17/00525 PI17/01827 PI17/00532 PI17/00215 PI17/01441 PI17/00508 PI17/01732 PI17/00926 PI19/00781 CB06/03 CB12/03European Commission PI14/00972 PI14/00728 PI14/01471 PI16/00473 PI16/00662 PI16/01873 PI16/01094 PI16/00501 PI16/00533 PI16/00381 PI16/00366 PI16/01522 PI16/01120 PI17/00764 PI17/01183 PI17/00855 FPU17/00513 CD17/0012