Estudio del comportamiento mecánico y frente a corrosión de armaduras pasivas de acero revestidas con resina epoxi

La Instrucción EHE-08 prevé una vida útil para las estructuras de hormigón armado habituales de 50 ó 100 años. En ambientes en los que el hormigón esté expuesto a la acción de cloruros el recubrimiento de la armadura necesario resulta excesivo, por lo que se recomienda el empleo de medidas especiales de protección de la armadura frente a corrosión. Una medida eficaz es el revestimiento de la armadura con resina epoxi. Esta solución plantea dos dudas: 1) la eficacia real de la protección frente a la corrosión, y 2) la posible alteración de la adherencia acero-hormigón. Este artículo presenta los resultados de los ensayos de corrosión acelerada y arrancamiento de barras (?pull-out?) de estas barras y los compara con los obtenidos con barras iguales no revestidas. Se han ensayado barras de diámetros 8, 16 y 25 mm. Además, en los ensayos de corrosión acelerada, se ha estudiado la influencia de los defectos en la capa de resina epoxi, producidos por golpes en la superficie, así como la eficacia de la posible reparación en obra. Los resultados obtenidos muestran la gran eficacia de este tipo de protección frente a los ensayos de corrosión acelerada y la prácticamente nula influencia que tiene la capa de resina epoxi en los resultados de los ensayos de arrancamien

Principal Criteria for Evaluating the Quality, Safety and E cacy of hMSC-Based Products in Clinical Practice: Current Approaches and Challenges

Human Mesenchymal Stem Cells (hMSCs) play an important role as new therapeutic alternatives in advanced therapies and regenerative medicine thanks to their regenerative and immunomodulatory properties, and ability to migrate to the exact area of injury. These properties have made hMSCs one of the more promising cellular active substances at present, particularly in terms of the development of new and innovative hMSC-based products. Currently, numerous clinical trials are being conducted to evaluate the therapeutic activity of hMSC-based products on specific targets. Given the rapidly growing number of hMSC clinical trials in recent years and the complexity of these products due to their cellular component characteristics and medicinal product status, there is a greater need to define more stringent, specific, and harmonized requirements to characterize the quality of the hMSCs and enhance the analysis of their safety and efficacy in final products to be administered to patients. These requirements should be implemented throughout the manufacturing process to guarantee the function and integrity of hMSCs and to ensure that the hMSC-based final product consistently meets its specifications across batches. This paper describes the principal phases involved in the design of the manufacturing process and updates the specific technical requirements needed to address the appropriate clinical use of hMSC-based products. The challenges and limitations to evaluating the safety, efficacy, and quality of hMSCs have been also reviewed and discussed.This work was supported by Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades. Plan Estatal I+D+I, Grant Number: RTI2018-095410-B-100; Spanish Ministry of Economy (MINECO), Grant Number: RD16/0011/0030; Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities (to JAG) and by the Ministerio de Economía, Industria y Competitividad (FEDER funds, project RTC-2016-5451-1) (to BC and PG-M). Additional it has been developed in the context of AdvanceCat with the support of ACCIÓ (Catalonia Trade & Investment; Generalitat de Catalunya) under the Catalonian European Regional Development Fund operational program, 2014-2020 (to PG-M)

Role of Mesenchymal Stromal Cells as Therapeutic Agents: Potential Mechanisms of Action and Implications in Their Clinical Use

Due to the great therapeutic interest that involves the translation of mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) into clinical practice, they have been widely studied as innovative drugs, in order to treat multiple pathologies. MSC-based cell therapy involves the administration of MSCs either locally or systemically into the receptor body where they can traffic and migrate towards the affected tissue and participate in the process of healing. The therapeutic effects of MSCs compromise of different mechanisms such as the functional integration of differentiated MSCs into diseased host tissue after transplantation, their paracrine support, and their impact on the regulation of both the innate and the acquired immune system. Here, we establish and provide recent advances about the principal mechanisms of action through which MSCs can perform their activity and effect as a therapeutic tool. The purpose of this review is to examine and discuss the MSCs capacity of migration, their paracrine effect, as well as MSC-mediated modifications on immune cell responses.This work was supported by the Fundación Mutua Madrileña (project FMM-AP17196-2019) and by the Ministerio de Economía, Industria y Competitividad (FEDER funds, project RTC-2016-5451-1)

Influencia del estiramiento en el calentamiento para el salto y la velocidad

The purpose of the study is to determine the influence of passive stretchings included as part of warm up in explosive strength performance, in this case in several vertical jump tests: Squat Jump (SJ), Countermouvement Jump (CMJ) and Reactive Jump (RJ); and also in a 30 meters speed test with 5 meters start flying.Sample was composed by 9 male Málaga Football Club soccerplayers (18.22 ± 0.44 years) performed 2 warm up protocols in they free day in two consecutive weeks. The soccer players use the passive stretching in warm up and the kind of effort during the activity has a high component of explosive ballistic strength, movements executed by great intensity and short duration, for example shoot the ball, sprints, way changes, jumps, etc.Were observed decreases in SJ, RJ and speed tests performance, with statistic significant differences (p<0.05) in power and flight time of RJ test, also in speed test. As for the CMJ test, benefits have been obtained though the differences have not been significant. Therefore, passive stretching included in warm up had a negative influence in explosive strength and speed in trained soccer players group.El objetivo del estudio es determinar si la realización de estiramientos pasivos, incluidos como parte del calentamiento, influyen en el rendimiento de la fuerza explosiva, en este caso en varios tests de salto vertical: Squat Jump (SJ), Countermouvement Jump (CMJ) y Reactive Jump (RJ); y también en un test de velocidad de 30 metros (mts.) con salida lanzada de 5 mts.            Para ello, 9 jugadores del Málaga Club de Fútbol de categoría juvenil (18,22 ± 0,441 años) realizaron 2 protocolos de calentamiento en dos semanas consecutivas en su día de recuperación. Los jugadores de fútbol utilizan los estiramientos pasivos en su calentamiento y el tipo de esfuerzo al que se someten durante su actividad tiene un alto componente de fuerza explosiva de tipo balístico, movimientos que se ejecutan con gran intensidad y corta duración, tales como golpear el balón, sprints, cambios de dirección, saltos, etc.             Se han encontrado disminuciones en el rendimiento de los test de SJ y RJ, así como también en el test de velocidad, obteniéndose valores significativos (p<0,05) tanto para la potencia y el tiempo de vuelo del test RJ, como también para el test de velocidad. En cuanto al test CMJ, se han obtenido beneficios aunque las diferencias no han sido significativas. Por tanto, la realización de estiramientos pasivos influye de forma negativa en el rendimiento de la fuerza explosiva y la velocidad en una muestra de futbolistas entrenados

Dysregulation of the endocannabinoid signaling system in the cerebellum and brainstem in a transgenic mouse model of spinocerebellar ataxia type-3.

Spinocerebellar ataxia type-3 (SCA-3) is a rare disease but it is the most frequent type within the autosomal dominant inherited ataxias. The disease lacks an effective treatment to alleviate major symptoms and to modify disease progression. Our recent findings that endocannabinoid receptors and enzymes are significantly altered in the post-mortem cerebellum of patients affected by autosomal-dominant hereditary ataxias suggest that targeting the endocannabinoid signaling system may be a promising therapeutic option. Our goal was to investigate the status of the endocannabinoid signaling system in a transgenic mouse model of SCA-3, in the two CNS structures most affected in this disease cerebellum and brainstem. These animals exhibited progressive motor incoordination, imbalance, abnormal gait, muscle weakness, and dystonia, in parallel to reduced in vivo brain glucose metabolism, deterioration of specific neuron subsets located in the dentate nucleus and pontine nuclei, small changes in microglial morphology, and reduction in glial glutamate transporters. Concerning the endocannabinoid signaling, our data indicated no changes in CB2 receptors. By contrast, CB1 receptors increased in the Purkinje cell layer, in particular in terminals of basket cells, but they were reduced in the dentate nucleus. We also measured the levels of endocannabinoid lipids and found reductions in anandamide and oleoylethanolamide in the brainstem. These changes correlated with an increase in the FAAH enzyme in the brainstem, which also occurred in some cerebellar areas, whereas other endocannabinoid-related enzymes were not altered. Collectively, our results in SCA-3 mutant mice confirm a possible dysregulation in the endocannabinoid system in the most important brain structures affected in this type of ataxia, suggesting that a pharmacological manipulation addressed to correct these changes could be a promising option in SCA-3.This study has been supported by MICINN (SAF2009-11847 and SAF2015-68580-C2-1-R), CIBERNED (CB06/05/0089), "Fundacion Eugenio Rodriguez Pascual" and the Research and Education Component of the Advancing a Healthier Wisconsin Endowment at the Medical College of Wisconsin. Carmen Rodriguez-Cueto was a predoctoral fellow supported by FPI Program-Ministry of Science. Authors are indebted to Yolanda Garcia-Movellan for administrative support

Aplicación de la teoría de la generalizabilidad en la evaluación de servicios en gestión deportiva

This paper addresses from the use of the Generalizability Theory (TG) the optimization of resources in sports management. We used a design structure composed of the facets users (U), activities (A), scales (E) and items (I), following not orthogonal design, partially nested and multifaceted, within the General Linear Model. 537 participants (32.11 ± 11.11 years) completed the Questionnaire of Evaluation of the Perceived Quality in Sports Services obtaining excellent results both indexes of reliability (ξρ²(δ) > 0.98) and generalizability (ξρ²(Δ) > 0.98). The optimization showed that half of participants and fewer activities, we obtain a high degree of generalization and at the same time, reduced the total number of observations, being important for future studies which will facilitate the evaluation of sport service more efficiently.Esta investigación aborda a partir de la Teoría de la Generalizabilidad (TG) la optimización de recursos en la gestión deportiva. Se utilizó una estructura de diseño compuesta por las facetas usuarios (U), actividades (A), escalas (E) e ítems (I), siguiendo un diseño no ortogonal, parcialmente anidado y multifaceta dentro del Modelo General Lineal (GLM). Los 537 participantes (32.11 ± 11.11 años) cumplimentaron el Cuestionario de Evaluación de la Calidad Percibida en Servicios Deportivos obteniendo resultados excelentes de fiabilidad (ξρ²(δ) > 0.98) y generalizabilidad (ξρ²(Δ) > 0.98). La optimización mostró que con una reducción del número de participantes a la mitad y con un menor número de actividades evaluadas, obtenemos un alto grado de generalización al mismo tiempo que se reduce el número total de observaciones de cara a futuros registros, lo que facilitará la evaluación del servicio deportivo de manera más eficiente

Situación de endeudamiento de las organizaciones de gestión de instalaciones deportivas de ocio no competitivo. Un estudio empírico

The management of the debt in sports organizations are determinant variables for the survival of these, the lack of control can affect the proper functioning of an entity. According to the existing data, the organizations that manage golf courses enjoy a good economic situation. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to know the status and evolution of the debt of sports companies that participate in the sport of non-competitive golf. For this, a sample of 93 organizations throughout the Spanish territory was selected with an average age of 20,08 years. In order to obtain the data, the economic information of the Iberian Balance Sheet Analysis System of the past decade was used. From the findings obtained in the present study, an increase in the average debt of the organizations of 70,5% follows after a decade. In spite of the good economic health and the increase of its income by exploitation and total of assets in the period of study, we can affirm that the debt of these organizations has increased exponentially between 2005-2015.La gestión de la deuda en las organizaciones deportivas es una variable determinante para la supervivencia de éstas, la falta de control puede afectar al buen funcionamiento de una entidad. Según los datos existentes, las organizaciones que gestionan campos de golf gozan de una buena situación económica. Por ello, el propósito del presente estudio fue conocer el estado y evolución de la deuda de las empresas deportivas que participan en el deporte del golf no competitivo. Para ello, se seleccionó una muestra de 93 organizaciones de todo el territorio Español, con una antigüedad media de 20,08 años. Para la obtención de los datos se utilizó la información económica del Sistema de Análisis de Balances Ibéricos de la pasada década. Los hallazgos obtenidos en el presente estudio nos llevan a conocer que la deuda media de las organizaciones ha aumentado en el 70,5% de los casos después de una década. A pesar de la buena salud económica y al aumento de sus ingresos por explotación y total de activos en el período de estudio, podemos afirmar que la deuda de estas organizaciones ha aumentado exponencialmente entre el 2005-2015

Alexithymia and depression in elderly people that get directed physical activity

La relación entre la alexitimia y la depresión y los factores sociodemográficos ha sido estudiada en personas mayores. Sin embargo, el papel atenuador del ejercicio en estas afecciones aún debe ser determinado. En el presente estudio se mide el grado de alexitimia y depresión en adultos mayores, comparando una muestra sedentaria con una de practicantes de actividad física. Se utilizó un diseño descriptivo transversal con una muestra compuesta por 27 participantes, 9 hombres y 18 mujeres de más de 60 años (64 ± 5.1 años), con objeto de medir el grado de alexitimia y depresión que presentaban en el momento de la recogida de datos. Los instrumentos utilizados fueron la escala de depresión de Yesavage, la Escala de Alexitimia de Toronto (TAS-20) y el Cuestionario de Salud SF-12. Los resultados mostraron que los practicantes de actividad física presentaban puntuaciones más bajas en alexitimia y depresión que los sujetos sedentarios, sin que éstas variables estuvieran relacionadas en función del género y la edad. A tenor de los resultados, el ejercicio pudiera jugar algún papel en la modulación de las alteraciones psicológicas

Advances of hyaluronic acid in stem cell therapy and tissue engineering, including current clinical trials

yaluronic acid (HA), as one of the main components of the extracellular matrix (ECM), plays a significant role in a multitude of biological processes involving cell migration, proliferation, differentiation, wound healing and inflammation. Thanks to its excellent biocompatibility, biodegradability and hygroscopic properties, HA has been used in its natural form for joint lubrication and ocular treatment. The chemical structure of HA can be easily modified by direct reaction with its carboxyl and hydroxyl groups. Recently, HA derivatives have been synthesised with the aim of developing HA-based materials with increased mechanical strength, improved cell interactions and reduced biodegradation and studied for regenerative medicine purposes, including cell therapy and tissue engineering. In this context, the present manuscript reviews HA applications from a basic point of view – including chemical modifications and cellular biology aspects related to clinical translation – and future perspectives of using biofabrication technologies for regenerative medicine. A detailed description of current clinical trials, testing advanced therapies based on combination of stem cells and HA formulations, is included. The final goal was to offer an integral portrait and a deeper comprehension of the current applications of HA from bench to bedside

Altered striatal endocannabinoid signaling in a transgenic mouse model of spinocerebellar ataxia type-3

Spinocerebellar ataxia type-3 (SCA-3) is the most prevalent autosomal dominant inherited ataxia. We recently found that the endocannabinoid system is altered in the post-mortem cerebellum of SCA-3 patients, and similar results were also found in the cerebellar and brainstem nuclei of a SCA-3 transgenic mouse model. Given that the neuropathology of SCA-3 is not restricted to these two brain regions but rather, it is also evident in other structures (e.g., the basal ganglia), we studied the possible changes to endocannabinoid signaling in the striatum of these transgenic mice. SCA-3 mutant mice suffer defects in motor coordination, balance and they have an abnormal gait, reflecting a cerebellar/brainstem neuropathology. However, they also show dystonia-like behavior (limb clasping) that may be related to the malfunction/deterioration of specific neurons in the striatum. Indeed, we found a loss of striatal projecting neurons in SCA-3 mutant mice, accompanied by a reduction in glial glutamate transporters that could potentially aggravate excitotoxic damage. In terms of endocannabinoid signaling, no changes in CB2 receptors were evident, yet an important reduction in CB1 receptors was detected by qPCR and immunostaining. The reduction in CB1 receptors was presumed to occur in striatal afferent and efferent neurons, also potentially aggravating excitotoxicity. We also measured the endocannabinoid lipids in the striatum and despite a marked increase in the FAAH enzyme in this area, no overall changes in these lipids were found. Collectively, these studies confirm that the striatal endocannabinoid system is altered in SCA-3 mutant mice, adding to the equivalent changes found in other strongly affected CNS structures in this type of ataxia (i.e.: the cerebellum and brainstem). These data open the way to search for drugs that might correct these changes.Funding: This study has been supported: (i) by MICINN (SAF2009-11847 and SAF2015-68580-C2-1-R), CIBERNED (CB06/05/0089) and “Fundación Eugenio Rodríguez Pascual”, to JFR; (ii) by the Research and Education Component of the Advancing a Healthier Wisconsin Endowment at the Medical College of Wisconsin, to CJH; and (iii) by Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia through the project POCI-01-0145-FEDER-016818 (PTDC/NEU-NMC/3648/2014) and co-financed by the Portuguese North Regional Operational Program (ON.2 – O Novo Norte) under the National Strategic Reference Framework (QREN), through the European Regional Development Fund (FEDER), to PM. Carmen Rodríguez-Cueto was a predoctoral fellow supported by FPI Program-Ministry of Science. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio