Systematic review of population-based bladder cancer registries : How criteria heterogeneity affects the comparison of incidences

The population-based registry of bladder cancer (BC) raises specific problems intrinsic to the tumor, as the inclusion of noninfiltrating, potentially malignant and multiple tumors. We performed a systematic review (PRISMA guidelines) of population-based BC registries to obtain information on their geographic areas involved, last dates of real incidence of BC, and rules coding used in BC for uncertain behavior, in situ and multiple tumors. Using MEDLINE and Google Scholar, we identified scientific publications of in the last 10 years in English or Spanish, whether they were related to a national or international cancer registry, provided information on registry rules, and provided data on the incidence of BC. After the first screening, a total of 194 references were obtained. After a second analysis, three registries were selected: International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) is a world registry providing real incidence of BC in the period 2008-2012. Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Program registered incidence until 2017 in more than 90% of the US population. Spanish Network of Cancer Registries (REDECAN) unifies 14 Spanish registries (27.4% of the population) with real incidence data from 2010 to 2015. The coding and inclusion rules have been modified, but currently, most registries include BC in situ and uncertain behavior tumors. Whenever a new case occurs 36 months after a previous diagnosis, SEER registers those as multiple incident cancers in the same location, while IARC and REDECAN only allow one cancer per location during the lifespan of the patient. Comparison of the incidence of BC among different population-based cancer registries is prone to bias due to the methodological differences regarding the inclusion of carcinomas in situ, indeterminate, and multiple tumors. A good cancer registry could provide better surveillance strategies for BC patients. The bladder cancer registry is complex due to the peculiarities of urothelial tumors. The heterogeneity in the rules to define carcinomas in situ, indeterminate and multiple tumors interfere with the comparability of incidence of bladder cancer

Microbial Diversity and Its Relationship to Physicochemical Characteristics of the Water in Two Extreme Acidic Pit Lakes from the Iberian Pyrite Belt (SW Spain)

The Iberian Pyrite Belt (IPB) hosts one of the world's largest accumulations of acidic mine wastes and pit lakes. The mineralogical and textural characteristics of the IPB ores have favored the oxidation and dissolution of metallic sulfides, mainly pyrite, and the subsequent formation of acidic mining drainages. This work reports the physical properties, hydrogeochemical characteristics, and microbial diversity of two pit lakes located in the IPB. Both pit lakes are acidic and showed high concentrations of sulfate and dissolved metals. Concentrations of sulfate and heavy metals were higher in the Nuestra Señora del Carmen lake (NSC) by one order of magnitude than in the Concepción (CN) lake. The hydrochemical characteristics of NSC were typical of acid mine waters and can be compared with other acidic environments. When compared to other IPB acidic pit lakes, the superficial water of CN is more diluted than that of any of the others due, probably, to the strong influence of runoff water. Both pit lakes showed chemical and thermal stratification with well defined chemoclines. One particular characteristic of NSC is that it has developed a chemocline very close to the surface (2 m depth). Microbial community composition of the water column was analyzed by 16S and 18S rRNA gene cloning and sequencing. The microorganisms detected in NSC were characteristic of acid mine drainage (AMD), including iron oxidizing bacteria (Leptospirillum, Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans) and facultative iron reducing bacteria and archaea (Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans, Acidiphilium, Actinobacteria, Acidimicrobiales, Ferroplasma) detected in the bottom layer. Diversity in CN was higher than in NSC. Microorganisms known from AMD systems (Acidiphilium, Acidobacteria and Ferrovum) and microorganisms never reported from AMD systems were identified. Taking into consideration the hydrochemical characteristics of these pit lakes and the spatial distribution of the identified microorganisms, a model explaining their geomicrobiology is advanced.This work has been supported by grants from the MINECO-Spain (www.mineco.gob.es) (CGL2011-22540 and CGL2009-11059), IGME 478 Grant (www.igme.es) and an ERC project ( erc.europa.eu) (250-350-IPBSL).Peer Reviewe

VIP and CRF reduce ADAMTS expression and function in osteoarthritis synovial fibroblasts

ADAMTS (a disintegrin and metalloproteinase with thrombospondin motifs) family is known to play an important role in the pathogenesis of osteoarthritis (OA), working on aggrecan degradation or altering the integrity of extracellular matrix (ECM). Thus, the main purpose of our study was to define the role of vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) and corticotrophin-releasing factor (CRF), as immunoregulatory neuropeptides, on ADAMTS production in synovial fibroblasts (SF) from OA patients and healthy donors (HD). OA- and HD-SF were stimulated with pro-inflammatory mediators and treated with VIP or CRF. Both neuropeptides decreased ADAMTS-4, -5, -7 and -12 expressions, aggrecanase activity,glycosaminoglycans (GAG), and cartilage oligomeric matrix protein (COMP) degradation after stimulation with fibronectin fragments (Fn-fs) in OA-SF. After stimulation with interleukin-1b, VIP reduced ADAMTS-4 and -5, and both neuropeptides decreased ADAMTS-7 production and COMP degradation. Moreover, VIP and CRF reduced Runx2 and b-catenin activation in OA-SF. Our data suggest that the role of VIP and CRF on ADAMTS expression and cartilage degradation could be related to the OA pathology since scarce effects were produced in HD-SF. In addition,their effects might be greater when a degradation loop has been established, given that they were higher after stimulation with Fn-fs. Our results point to novel OA therapies based on the use of neuropeptides, since VIP and CRF are able to stop the first critical step, the loss of cartilageaggrecan and the ECM destabilization during joint degradatio

Efecto del condroitín sulfato en la sinovitis de pacientes con artrosis de rodilla

Objetivo: Evaluar mediante ecografía el efecto del condroitín sulfato (CS) en la sinovitis de pacientes conartrosis (OA) de rodilla, y colaborar en el conocimiento de los mecanismos bioquímicos involucrados enla inflamación sinovial.Métodos: Estudio controlado, aleatorizado, ciego simple de 70 pacientes con OA de rodilla tratadosdurante 6 meses con CS o paracetamol (PCT). Los pacientes fueron visitados a tiempo basal, a las 6semanas, y a los 3 y 6 meses para valorar el estado de su OA según los siguientes parámetros: sinovi-tis evaluada mediante ecografía (según definición de expertos OMERACT); dolor y función, mediante laescala visual analógica y el índice de Lequesne; y concentración de mediadores inflamatorios en suero ylíquido sinovial, mediante ELISA.Resultados: El tratamiento con CS redujo en un 50% el número de individuos que presentaban sinovitis;sin embargo, se observó un incremento de un 123% en el grupo tratado con PCT. En los pacientes sinsinovitis inicial, se observó el establecimiento de esta en un 85,71 y 25% de los casos tratados con PCT yCS, respectivamente. Ambas terapias mejoraron la función articular, pero únicamente el tratamiento conCS produjo una mejora significativa del dolor al final del tratamiento. Se observó una asociación entre eltratamiento con CS y los cambios en la concentración de RANTES y UCN en el líquido sinovial.Conclusiones: El tratamiento con CS tiene un efecto mantenido beneficioso, previniendo la aparición desinovitis o disminuyendo su presencia, así como reduciendo los síntomas de la artrosis. El PCT tambiénmejora los síntomas clínicos, pero no tiene ningún efecto sobre la inflamación. Las variaciones observadasen la concentración de RANTES y UCN podrían estar relacionadas con el efecto antiinflamatorio asociadoal tratamiento con CS

Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide maintains the non-pathogenic profile of human Th17-polarized cells

The cytokine microenvironment modulates CD4 T cell differentiation causing the shift of naïve CD4 T cells into different cell subsets. This process is also regulated by modulators such as VIP, a neuropeptide with known immunomodulatory properties on CD4 T cells that exert this action through specific receptors, VPAC1 and VPAC2. Our results show that the pattern of VIP receptors expression ratio is modified during Th17 differentiation. In this report, we evaluate the capacity of VIP to modulate naïve human cells into Th17 cells in vitro by analyzing their functional phenotype. The presence of VIP maintains the non-pathogenic profile of Th17-polarized cells, increases the proliferation rate and decreases their Th1 potential. VIP induces the up-regulation of the STAT3 gene interaction with the VPAC1 receptor during the onset of Th17 differentiation. Moreover, RORC, RORA and IL-17A genes are up-regulated in the presence of VIP through interaction with VPAC1 and VPAC2 receptors. Interestingly, VIP induces the expression of the IL-23R gene through interaction with the VPAC2 receptor during the expansion phase. This is the first report that describes the differentiation of naïve human T cells to Th17-polarized cells in the presence of VIP and demonstrates how this differentiation regulates the expression of the VIP receptors

Seguiment i recuperació d’espècies afectades per la pesca en ecosistemes marins d’aigües profundes: un esforç conjunt entre biologia i tecnologia

3 pages, 2 figures[EN] The oceans provide important ecosystem services, and protein provisioning is one of the main benefits for humanity. The millenarian Mediterranean fishing activity today accounts for almost half of all the fisheries in the EU, and the use of high-impact fishing methods has made this human activity one of the main drivers of ecosystem degradation, especially in demersal and benthic environments (Puig et al. 2012). Bottom otter gear (hereafter trawling) causes the removal of sediments and endangers demersal living resources and their ecosystems, with fragile epi-faunal species being replaced by mobile scavengers or predators and long-lived species being replaced by short-lived species. In the Mediterranean Sea, many commercial demersal populations are being overexploited, reducing the economic benefits of fisheries and the ecosystem services associated with cultural aspects of iconic species. […][ES] Los océanos proporcionan importantes servicios ecosistémicos, siendo el suministro de proteínas uno de los principales beneficios para la humanidad. La actividad pesquera del Mediterráneo constituye hoy en día casi la mitad de todas las pesquerías de la UE y el uso de métodos de pesca de alto impacto ha convertido a esta actividad en una de las principales impulsoras de la degradación de los ecosistemas de aguas profundas (Puig et al. 2012). El arte de pesca de arrastre provoca la eliminación de sedimentos y pone en peligro los recursos vivos demersales y sus ecosistemas, y las especies de epi-fauna frágiles son reemplazadas por especies carroñeras o depredadoras y las especies longevas son reemplazadas por especies de vida corta. En el mar Mediterráneo, muchas poblaciones de especies comerciales que habitan hábitats demersales están siendo sobreexplotadas, lo que reduce los beneficios económicos de la pesca y los servicios ecosistémicos asociados a los aspectos culturales de algunas especies consideradas icónicas. […][CAT] Els oceans proporcionen importants serveis ecosistèmics, i és el subministrament de proteïnes un dels principals beneficis per a la humanitat. L’activitat pesquera mil·lenària del Mediterrani constitueix avui en dia gairebé la meitat de totes les pesqueres de la UE i la utilització de mètodes de pesca d’alt impacte ha convertit aquesta activitat humana en un dels principals impulsors de la degradació dels ecosistemes, especialment en entorns bentònics (Puig et al. 2012). L’art de pesca d’arrossegament provoca l’eliminació de sediments i posa en perill els recursos vius demersals i els seus ecosistemes, i les espècies d’epi-fauna fràgils són substituïdes per carronyaires o depredadors mòbils i les espècies de llarga vida són substituïdes per espècies de vida curta. A la mar Mediterrània, moltes poblacions demersals comercials estan essent sobreexplotades, el que redueix per a les espècies icòniques, els beneficis econòmics de la pesca i els serveis ecosistèmics associats amb els aspectes culturals. […]Peer reviewe

El uso del Arte en la formación y en la intervención del Trabajo Social: estudio comparado entre España y Portugal

Depto. de Trabajo Social y Servicios SocialesFac. de Trabajo SocialFALSEsubmitte

Digitalización de la histoteca de las prácticas de Organografía Microscópica

Histoteca digital para que los alumnos puedan consultar un material gráfico actualizado y concreto, similar a lo que observan en el microscopio cuando realizan sus prácticas de Organografía de la asignatura de “Organografía microscópica” del Grado en Biología

Prevalence and genetic characteristics of Staphylococcus aureus CC398 isolates from invasive infections in spanish hospitals, focusing on the livestock-independent CC398-MSSA clade

Background: Livestock-associated (LA)-CC398-MRSA is closely related to pigs, being unfrequently detected in human invasive infections. CC398-MSSA is emerging in human invasive infections in some countries, but genetic and epidemiological characteristics are still scarcely reported. Objectives: To determine the prevalence of Staphylococcus aureus (SA) CC398, both MRSA and MSSA, among blood cultures SA isolates recovered in Spanish hospitals located in regions with different pig-farming densities (PD) and characterize the recovered isolates. Methods: One thousand twenty-two SA isolates (761 MSSA, 261 MRSA) recovered from blood cultures during 6–12 months in 17 Spanish hospitals (2018–2019) were studied. CC398 lineage identification, detection of spa-types, and antibiotic resistance, virulence and human immune evasion cluster (IEC) genes were analyzed by PCR/sequencing. Results: Forty-four CC398-MSSA isolates (4.3% of SA; 5.8% of MSSA) and 10 CC398-MRSA isolates (1% of SA; 3.8% of MRSA) were detected. Eleven spa-types were found among the CC398-MSSA isolates with t571 and t1451 the most frequent spa-types detected (75%). Most of CC398-MSSA isolates were Immune-Evasion-Cluster (IEC)-positive (88.6%), tetracycline-susceptible (95.5%) and erythromycin/clindamycin–inducible-resistant/erm(T)-positive (75%). No statistical significance was detected when the CC398-MSSA/MSSA rate was correlated to PD (pigs/km2) (p = 0.108). On the contrary, CC398-MRSA isolates were all IEC-negative, predominately spa-t011 (70%), and the CC398-MRSA/MRSA rate was significantly associated to PD (p < 0.005). Conclusion: CC398-MSSA is an emerging clade in invasive infections in Spanish hospitals. CC398-MRSA (mostly t011) and CC398-MSSA (mostly t571 and t1451) show important differences, possibly suggesting divergent steps in host-adaptation evolutionary processes. While CC398-MRSA is livestock-associated (lacking IEC-system), CC398-MSSA seems to be mostly livestock-independent, carrying human-adaptation markers.

El podcast como herramienta docente desde una perspectiva participativa

Depto. de Trabajo Social y Servicios SocialesFac. de Trabajo SocialFALSEsubmitte