Automated analysis of images for molecular quantification in immunohistochemistry

The quantification of the expression of different molecules is a key question in both basic and applied sciences. While protein quantification through molecular techniques leads to the loss of spatial information and resolution, immunohistochemistry is usually associated with time-consuming image analysis and human bias. In addition, the scarce automatic software analysis is often proprietary and expensive and relies on a fixed threshold binarization. Here we describe and share a set of macros ready for automated fluorescence analysis of large batches of fixed tissue samples using FIJI/ImageJ. The quantification of the molecules of interest are based on an automatic threshold analysis of immunofluorescence images to automatically identify the top brightest structures of each image. These macros measure several parameters commonly quantified in basic neuroscience research, such as neuropil density and fluorescence intensity of synaptic puncta, perisomatic innervation and col-localization of different molecules and analysis of the neurochemical phenotype of neuronal subpopulations. In addition, these same macro functions can be easily modified to improve similar analysis of fluorescent probes in human biopsies for diagnostic purposes based on the expression patterns of several molecules.Peer reviewe

Evidence for competition for target innervation in the medial prefrontal cortex

Peer reviewe

Gene Expression Patterns Underlying the Reinstatement of Plasticity in the Adult Visual System

Peer reviewe

Chronic fluoxetine treatment in middle-aged rats induces changes in the expression of plasticity-related molecules and in neurogenesis

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Antidepressants promote neuronal structural plasticity in young-adult rodents, but little is known of their effects on older animals. The polysialylated form of the neural cell adhesion molecule (PSA-NCAM) may mediate these structural changes through its anti-adhesive properties. PSA-NCAM is expressed in immature neurons and in a subpopulation of mature interneurons and its expression is modulated by antidepressants in the telencephalon of young-adult rodents.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>We have analyzed the effects of 14 days of fluoxetine treatment on the density of puncta expressing PSA-NCAM and different presynaptic markers in the medial prefrontal cortex, hippocampus and amygdala of middle-aged (8 months old) rats. The density of puncta expressing PSA-NCAM increased in the dorsal cingulate cortex, as well as in different hippocampal and amygdaloid regions. In these later regions there were also increases in the density of puncta expressing glutamic acid decarboxylase 65/67 (GAD6), synaptophysin (SYN), PSA-NCAM/SYN and PSA-NCAM/GAD6, but a decrease of those expressing vesicular glutamate transporter 1 (VGluT1). Since there is controversy on the effects of antidepressants on neurogenesis during aging, we analyzed the number of proliferating cells expressing Ki67 and that of immature neurons expressing doublecortin or PSA-NCAM. No significant changes were found in the subgranular zone, but the number of proliferating cells decreased in the subventricular zone.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>These results indicate that the effects of fluoxetine in middle-aged rats are different to those previously described in young-adult animals, being more restricted in the mPFC and even following an opposite direction in the amygdala or the subventricular zone.</p

Chronic fluoxetine treatment alters the structure, connectivity and plasticity of cortical interneurons

Peer reviewe

Detecting moisture transport pathways to the subtropical North Atlantic free troposphere using paired H2O-δD in situ measurements

We present two years of in situ measurements of water vapour (H$_{2}$O) and its isotopologue ratio (δD, the standardized ratio between H$_{2}$$^{16}$O and HD$^{16}$O), made at two remote mountain sites on Tenerife in the subtropical North Atlantic. We show that the data – if measured during night-time – are well representative for the lower/middle free troposphere. We use the measured H$_{2}$O-δD pairs, together with dust measurements and back trajectory modelling for analysing the moisture pathways to this region. We can identify four principally different transport pathways. The air mass transport from high altitudes and high latitudes shows two different scenarios. The first scenario brings dry air masses to the stations, as the result of condensation events occurring at low temperatures. The second scenario brings humid air masses to the stations, due to cross-isentropic mixing with lower-level and more humid air during transport since last condensation (LC). The third pathway is transportation from lower latitudes and lower altitudes, whereby we can identify rain re-evaporation as an occasional source of moisture. The fourth pathway is linked to the African continent, where during summer, dry convection processes over the Sahara very effectively inject humidity from the boundary layer to higher altitudes. This so-called Saharan Air Layer (SAL) is then advected westward over the Atlantic and contributes to moisten the free troposphere. We demonstrate that the different pathways leave distinct fingerprints on the measured H$_{2}$O-δD pairs

Multiplexed neural sensor array of graphene solution-gated field-effect transistors

Altres ajuts: this work has made use of the Spanish ICTS Network MICRONANOFABS partially supported by MICINN and the ICTS 'NANBIOSIS', more specifically by the Micro-NanoTechnology Unit of the CIBER in Bioengineering, Biomaterials and Nanomedicine (CIBERBBN) at the IMB-CNM.Electrocorticography (ECoG) is a well-established technique to monitor electrophysiological activity from the surface of the brain and has proved crucial for the current generation of neural prostheses and brain-computer interfaces. However, existing ECoG technologies still fail to provide the resolution necessary to accurately map highly localized activity across large brain areas, due to the rapidly increasing size of connector footprint with sensor count. This work demonstrates the use of a flexible array of graphene solution-gated field-effect transistors (gSGFET), exploring the concept of multiplexed readout using an external switching matrix. This approach does not only allow for an increased sensor count, but due to the use of active sensing devices (i.e. transistors) over microelectrodes it makes additional buffer transistors redundant, which drastically eases the complexity of device fabrication on flexible substrates. The presented results pave the way for upscaling the gSGFET technology towards large-scale, high-density μECoG-arrays, eventually capable of resolving neural activity down to a single neuron level, while simultaneously mapping large brain regions

Índex de Qualitat de la Prescripció Farmacèutica (IQF). Versió 2014

Índice de Calidad de la Prescripción Farmacéutica; IQSPrescription Quality Index; PQIÍndex de Qualitat de la Prescripció Farmacèutica; IQSL’Índex de Qualitat de Prescripció Farmacèutica (IQF) és una eina de la qual es dota al Catsalut per mesurar la dimensió científic-tècnica de la qualitat de la prescripció farmacèutica. L’objectiu final de l’IQF és fomentar l’ús dels fàrmacs més cost-efectius i reduir la variabilitat entre els professionals d’atenció primària i especialitzada de Catalunya. L’IQF és una eina de gestió que permet avaluar de manera quantitativa i qualitativa la prescripció farmacològica efectuada pels metges d’una organització. D’aquesta manera, permet identificar les millors pràctiques i establir el gold standard o patró d’or de la prescripció, així com realitzar comparacions (benchmarking). Proporciona informació per a la presa de decisions, permet fixar els objectius de millora i és una eina d’implantació de polítiques sanitàries mitjançant la seva introducció en els contractes de gestió.El Índice de Calidad de Prescripción Farmacéutica (IQF) es una herramienta de la que se dota al CatSalut para medir la dimensión científico-técnica de la calidad de la prescripción farmacéutica. El objetivo final del IQF es fomentar el uso de los fármacos mas coste-efectivos y reducir la variabilidad entre los profesionales de atención primaria y especializada de Cataluña. El IQF es una herramienta de gestión que permite evaluar de manera cuantitativa y cualitativa la prescripción farmacológica efectuada por los médicos de una organización. De esta forma, permite identificar las mejores prácticas y establecer el gold standard o patrón de oro de la prescripción, así como realizar comparacones (benchmarking). Proporciona información para la toma de decisiones, permite fijar los objetivos de mejora y es una herramienta de implantación de políticas sanitarias mediante su introducción en los contratos de gestión

Índex de Qualitat de la Prescripció Farmacèutica (IQF). Versió 2013

Índice de Calidad de la Prescripción Farmacéutica; IQSPrescription Quality Index; PQIÍndex de Qualitat de la Prescripció Farmacèutica; IQSL’Índex de Qualitat de Prescripció Farmacèutica (IQF) és una eina de la qual es dota al Catsalut per mesurar la dimensió científic-tècnica de la qualitat de la prescripció farmacèutica. L’objectiu final de l’IQF és fomentar l’ús dels fàrmacs més cost-efectius i reduir la variabilitat entre els professionals d’atenció primària i especialitzada de Catalunya. L’IQF és una eina de gestió que permet avaluar de manera quantitativa i qualitativa la prescripció farmacològica efectuada pels metges d’una organització. D’aquesta manera, permet identificar les millors pràctiques i establir el gold standard o patró d’or de la prescripció, així com realitzar comparacions (benchmarking). Proporciona informació per a la presa de decisions, permet fixar els objectius de millora i és una eina d’implantació de polítiques sanitàries mitjançant la seva introducció en els contractes de gestió.El Índice de Calidad de Prescripción Farmacéutica (IQF) es una herramienta de la que se dota al CatSalut para medir la dimensión científico-técnica de la calidad de la prescripción farmacéutica. El objetivo final del IQF es fomentar el uso de los fármacos mas coste-efectivos y reducir la variabilidad entre los profesionales de atención primaria y especializada de Cataluña. El IQF es una herramienta de gestión que permite evaluar de manera cuantitativa y cualitativa la prescripción farmacológica efectuada por los médicos de una organización. De esta forma, permite identificar las mejores prácticas y establecer el gold standard o patrón de oro de la prescripción, así como realizar comparacones (benchmarking). Proporciona información para la toma de decisiones, permite fijar los objetivos de mejora y es una herramienta de implantación de políticas sanitarias mediante su introducción en los contratos de gestión

Isoflurane produces antidepressant effects and induces TrkB signaling in rodents

A brief burst-suppressing isoflurane anesthesia has been shown to rapidly alleviate symptoms of depression in a subset of patients, but the neurobiological basis of these observations remains obscure. We show that a single isoflurane anesthesia produces antidepressant-like behavioural effects in the learned helplessness paradigm and regulates molecular events implicated in the mechanism of action of rapid-acting antidepressant ketamine: activation of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) receptor TrkB, facilitation of mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling pathway and inhibition of glycogen synthase kinase 3 beta (GSK3 beta). Moreover, isoflurane affected neuronal plasticity by facilitating long-term potentiation in the hippocampus. We also found that isoflurane increased activity of the parvalbumin interneurons, and facilitated GABAergic transmission in wild type mice but not in transgenic mice with reduced TrkB expression in parvalbumin interneurons. Our findings strengthen the role of TrkB signaling in the antidepressant responses and encourage further evaluation of isoflurane as a rapid-acting antidepressant devoid of the psychotomimetic effects and abuse potential of ketamine.Peer reviewe