Microplastics in sediments of artificially recharged lagoons: Case study in a Biosphere Reserve

We studied the occurrence of microplastics in sediments of artificially and non-artificially recharged lagoons from the network of endorheic wetlands called ?La Mancha Húmeda?, declared Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO. The particles sampled in this study covered the 25 ?m?5 mm range. Films were the dominant microplastic typol-ogy in non-artificially recharged lagoons, while fibres and fragments were more abundant in those receiving wastewater. The concentration of microplastics in sediments reached up to 24.4 ± 5.2 microplastics/g, while plastic litter counts yielded b1 particle/g in non-wastewater receiving lagoons. Eleven types of plastic were iden- tified using Micro-Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (micro-FTIR), the most abundant being the polyole-fins polyethylene and polypropylene, and polyester and acrylic fibres. The statistical analysis of FTIR spectra confirmed the similarity between samples taken from recharged lagoons and wastewater treatment plant effluents. Overall, our results showed that endorheic lagoons are very sensitive to the accumulation of persistent pol- lutants, which include microplastics. The recharge of lagoons with wastewater effluents to maintain water levels, even if correctly treated according to current standards, is not a sustainable practice. Due to the closed character of endorheic basins, the continuous input of wastewater led to the accumulation of microplastics in sediments of wastewater receiving lagoons up to 40 times over non-recharged lagoons

Occurrence and identification of microplastics along a beach in the Biosphere Reserve of Lanzarote

This work studied the accumulation of plastic debris in a remote beach located in La Graciosa island (Chinijo archipelago, Canary Islands). Microplastics were sampled in the 1&#-5&;8239#mm mesh opening range. An average plastic density of 36.3 g/m2 was obtained with a large variability along the 90 m of the beach (from 8.5 g/m2 to 103.4 g/m2). Microplastic particles preferentially accumulated in the part of the beach protected by rocks. A total number of 9149 plastic particles were collected, recorded and measured, 87% of which corresponded to fragments. Clear colours and microscopic evidence of weathering corresponded to aged plastics wind-driven by the surface Canary Current. The chemical composition of plastics particles corresponded to PE (63%), PP (32%) and PS (3%). Higher PE/PP ratios were recorded in the more protected parts of the beach, suggesting preferential accumulation of more aged fragments

Occurrence and environmental fate of microplastics as emerging anthropogenic pollutants

Durante el siglo XX tuvo lugar el auge y crecimiento del uso de materiales plásticos que se observa en la actualidad donde, cada año, son producidos más de 400 millones de toneladas de este material. Sus propiedades han hecho que poco a poco, los plásticos hayan remplazado a materiales tradicionales poniendo a disposición de los consumidores productos con un sinfín de utilidades. Gracias a ello se produjo un crecimiento global de la economía. En paralelo a este crecimiento, la generación de residuos creció en iguales magnitudes, con mas de 8300 millones de toneladas de residuos plásticos en un siglo, de los cuales el 80% ha acabado en vertederos o dispersados por el medio ambiente. En 2004, el término Microplástico fue acuñado para materiales plásticos con una dimensión mayor entre los 5 milímetros y 1 micrómetros. Este es el caso de materiales diseñados con ese preciso tamaño para cuestiones industriales o sanitarias, los denominados microplásticos primarios. A su vez, se ha observado que, con el tiempo, los plásticos que llegan a la naturaleza son degradados por los factores climáticos y la radiación ultravioleta generando a su vez materiales más pequeños, los denominados microplásticos secundarios. Los microplásticos han sido objeto de innumerables investigaciones para evaluar su potencial efecto dañino en los organismos que habitan en los ecosistemas. Los resultados son diversos causando desde efectos mecánicos en el cuerpo cuando son ingeridos hasta “complejos” efectos fisicoquímicos cuando el polímero, los aditivos o ambos se liberan en el interior de los organismos o sus células. Para cuantificar esos daños primero se debe conocer la cantidad de microplásticos que existen en el medio ambiente. El objetivo principal de esta tesis es la evaluación de la presencia, así como de la cuantificación e identificación de microplásticos en diferentes compartimentos ambientales. El enfoque abordará el destino de la contaminación plástica desde su origen en actividades antropogénicas hasta diferentes compartimentos ambientales, a saber, la atmósfera, el suelo, el agua dulce y el agua marina. Se pretende así arrojar información que a posteriori permita a los gobiernos poner límites al aumento de esta contaminación. Gracias al gran número de artículos publicados en los últimos años, ha quedado claro uno de los problemas principales que existe con los microplásticos: la falta de estandarización en los métodos de su investigación. El uso de distintos protocolos en las mismas matrices arroja resultados difíciles de comparar. En la presente tesis doctoral, se busca establecer un método estándar que funcione para las distintas matrices y que permita su comparación además de informar acerca de las posibles transferencias existentes entre los distintos compartimentos ambientales

Efficacy, cost-utility and physiological effects of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and Behavioural Activation Treatment for Depression (BATD) in patients with chronic low back pain and depression: study protocol of a randomised, controlled trial including mobile-technology-based ecological momentary assessment (IMPACT study)

Introduction: The IMPACT study focuses on chronic low back pain (CLBP) and depression symptoms, a prevalent and complex problem that represents a challenge for health professionals. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and Brief Behavioural Activation Treatment for Depression (BATD) are effective treatments for patients with persistent pain and depression, respectively. The objectives of this 12 month, multicentre, randomised, controlled trial (RCT) are (i) to examine the efficacy and cost-utility of adding a group-based form of ACT or BATD to treatment-as-usual (TAU) for patients with CLBP and moderate to severe levels of depressive symptoms; (ii) identify pre-post differences in levels of some physiological variables and (iii) analyse the role of polymorphisms in the FKBP5 gene, psychological process measures and physiological variables as mediators or moderators of long-term clinical changes. Methods and analysis: Participants will be 225 patients with CLBP and moderate to severe depression symptoms recruited at Parc Sanitari Sant Joan de Déu (St. Boi de Llobregat, Spain) and Hospital del Mar (Barcelona, Spain), randomly allocated to one of the three study arms: TAU vs TAU+ACT versus TAU+BATD. A comprehensive assessment to collect clinical variables and costs will be conducted pretreatment, post-treatment and at 12 months follow-up, being pain interference the primary outcome measure. The following physiological variables will be considered at pretreatment and post-treatment assessments in 50% of the sample: immune-inflammatory markers, hair cortisol and cortisone, serum cortisol, corticosteroid-binding globulin and vitamin D. Polymorphisms in the FKBP5 gene (rs3800373, rs9296158, rs1360780, rs9470080 and rs4713916) will be analysed at baseline assessment. Moreover, we will include mobile-technology-based ecological momentary assessment, through the Pain Monitor app, to track ongoing clinical status during ACT and BATD treatments. Linear mixed-effects models using restricted maximum likelihood, and a full economic evaluation applying bootstrapping techniques, acceptability curves and sensitivity analyses will be computed. Ethics and dissemination: This study has been approved by the Ethics Committee of the Fundació Sant Joan de Déu and Hospital del Mar. The results will be actively disseminated through peer-reviewed journals, conference presentations, social media and various community engagement activities. Trial registration number: NCT04140838

Efficacy, cost-utility and physiological effects of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and Behavioural Activation Treatment for Depression (BATD) in patients with chronic low back pain and depression: Study protocol of a randomised, controlled trial including mobile-technology-based ecological momentary assessment (IMPACT study)

Introduction The IMPACT study focuses on chronic low back pain (CLBP) and depression symptoms, a prevalent and complex problem that represents a challenge for health professionals. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and Brief Behavioural Activation Treatment for Depression (BATD) are effective treatments for patients with persistent pain and depression, respectively. The objectives of this 12 month, multicentre, randomised, controlled trial (RCT) are (i) to examine the efficacy and cost-utility of adding a group-based form of ACT or BATD to treatment-as-usual (TAU) for patients with CLBP and moderate to severe levels of depressive symptoms; (ii) identify pre-post differences in levels of some physiological variables and (iii) analyse the role of polymorphisms in the FKBP5 gene, psychological process measures and physiological variables as mediators or moderators of long-term clinical changes. Methods and analysis Participants will be 225 patients with CLBP and moderate to severe depression symptoms recruited at Parc Sanitari Sant Joan de Déu (St. Boi de Llobregat, Spain) and Hospital del Mar (Barcelona, Spain), randomly allocated to one of the three study arms: TAU vs TAU+ACT versus TAU+BATD. A comprehensive assessment to collect clinical variables and costs will be conducted pretreatment, post-treatment and at 12 months follow-up, being pain interference the primary outcome measure. The following physiological variables will be considered at pretreatment and post-treatment assessments in 50% of the sample: immune-inflammatory markers, hair cortisol and cortisone, serum cortisol, corticosteroid-binding globulin and vitamin D. Polymorphisms in the FKBP5 gene (rs3800373, rs9296158, rs1360780, rs9470080 and rs4713916) will be analysed at baseline assessment. Moreover, we will include mobile-technology-based ecological momentary assessment, through the Pain Monitor app, to track ongoing clinical status during ACT and BATD treatments. Linear mixed-effects models using restricted maximum likelihood, and a full economic evaluation applying bootstrapping techniques, acceptability curves and sensitivity analyses will be computed. Ethics and dissemination This study has been approved by the Ethics Committee of the Fundació Sant Joan de Déu and Hospital del Mar. The results will be actively disseminated through peer-reviewed journals, conference presentations, social media and various community engagement activities. Trial registration number NCT04140838 </p

Efficacy, cost-utility and physiological effects of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and Behavioural Activation Treatment for Depression (BATD) in patients with chronic low back pain and depression : Study protocol of a randomised, controlled trial including mobile-technology-based ecological momentary assessment (IMPACT study)

Introduction The IMPACT study focuses on chronic low back pain (CLBP) and depression symptoms, a prevalent and complex problem that represents a challenge for health professionals. Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) and Brief Behavioural Activation Treatment for Depression (BATD) are effective treatments for patients with persistent pain and depression, respectively. The objectives of this 12 month, multicentre, randomised, controlled trial (RCT) are (i) to examine the efficacy and cost-utility of adding a group-based form of ACT or BATD to treatment-as-usual (TAU) for patients with CLBP and moderate to severe levels of depressive symptoms; (ii) identify pre-post differences in levels of some physiological variables and (iii) analyse the role of polymorphisms in the FKBP5 gene, psychological process measures and physiological variables as mediators or moderators of long-term clinical changes. Methods and analysis Participants will be 225 patients with CLBP and moderate to severe depression symptoms recruited at Parc Sanitari Sant Joan de Déu (St. Boi de Llobregat, Spain) and Hospital del Mar (Barcelona, Spain), randomly allocated to one of the three study arms: TAU vs TAU+ACT versus TAU+BATD. A comprehensive assessment to collect clinical variables and costs will be conducted pretreatment, post-treatment and at 12 months follow-up, being pain interference the primary outcome measure. The following physiological variables will be considered at pretreatment and post-treatment assessments in 50% of the sample: immune-inflammatory markers, hair cortisol and cortisone, serum cortisol, corticosteroid-binding globulin and vitamin D. Polymorphisms in the FKBP5 gene (rs3800373, rs9296158, rs1360780, rs9470080 and rs4713916) will be analysed at baseline assessment. Moreover, we will include mobile-technology-based ecological momentary assessment, through the Pain Monitor app, to track ongoing clinical status during ACT and BATD treatments. Linear mixed-effects models using restricted maximum likelihood, and a full economic evaluation applying bootstrapping techniques, acceptability curves and sensitivity analyses will be computed. Ethics and dissemination This study has been approved by the Ethics Committee of the Fundació Sant Joan de Déu and Hospital del Mar. The results will be actively disseminated through peer-reviewed journals, conference presentations, social media and various community engagement activities. Trial registration number NCT04140838 </p

Guidelines for the use and interpretation of assays for monitoring autophagy (4th edition)

In 2008, we published the first set of guidelines for standardizing research in autophagy. Since then, this topic has received increasing attention, and many scientists have entered the field. Our knowledge base and relevant new technologies have also been expanding. Thus, it is important to formulate on a regular basis updated guidelines for monitoring autophagy in different organisms. Despite numerous reviews, there continues to be confusion regarding acceptable methods to evaluate autophagy, especially in multicellular eukaryotes. Here, we present a set of guidelines for investigators to select and interpret methods to examine autophagy and related processes, and for reviewers to provide realistic and reasonable critiques of reports that are focused on these processes. These guidelines are not meant to be a dogmatic set of rules, because the appropriateness of any assay largely depends on the question being asked and the system being used. Moreover, no individual assay is perfect for every situation, calling for the use of multiple techniques to properly monitor autophagy in each experimental setting. Finally, several core components of the autophagy machinery have been implicated in distinct autophagic processes (canonical and noncanonical autophagy), implying that genetic approaches to block autophagy should rely on targeting two or more autophagy-related genes that ideally participate in distinct steps of the pathway. Along similar lines, because multiple proteins involved in autophagy also regulate other cellular pathways including apoptosis, not all of them can be used as a specific marker for bona fide autophagic responses. Here, we critically discuss current methods of assessing autophagy and the information they can, or cannot, provide. Our ultimate goal is to encourage intellectual and technical innovation in the field