A New Methodology to Assess Territorial Competence for Sustainable Local Development: The READI® (Resources-Actors-Dynamics) Matrix

The ability of a territory to manage certain sustainable development processes increasingly depends on its capacity to apply previous diagnostic processes to its current situation. For this reason, methodologies that facilitate the detection of needs and/or potentialities of the territory are key to meeting its anticipated sustainable development goals. We present the most notable results of the research methodology carried out in the province of Valencia (Spain) that has enabled the construction of a matrix of indicators that allow these previous diagnostic processes to be put into practice at a local level, based on the participation of the territory's socioeconomic actors

Recent developments in genetics and medically assisted reproduction : from research to clinical applications

Two leading European professional societies, the European Society of Human Genetics and the European Society for Human Reproduction and Embryology, have worked together since 2004 to evaluate the impact of fast research advances at the interface of assisted reproduction and genetics, including their application into clinical practice. In September 2016, the expert panel met for the third time. The topics discussed highlighted important issues covering the impacts of expanded carrier screening, direct-to-consumer genetic testing, voiding of the presumed anonymity of gamete donors by advanced genetic testing, advances in the research of genetic causes underlying male and female infertility, utilisation of massively parallel sequencing in preimplantation genetic testing and non-invasive prenatal screening, mitochondrial replacement in human oocytes, and additionally, issues related to cross-generational epigenetic inheritance following IVF and germline genome editing. The resulting paper represents a consensus of both professional societies involved.Peer reviewe

Glycosylation changes in inflammatory diseases

International audienc

Convergent pathways in Parkinson’s disease

Preferential degeneration of dopamine neurons (DAn) in the midbrain represents the principal hallmark of Parkinson's disease (PD). It has been hypothesized that major contributors to DAn vulnerability lie in their unique cellular physiology and architecture, which make them particularly susceptible to stress factors. Here, we report a concise overview of some of the cell mechanisms that may exacerbate DAn sensitivity and loss in PD. In particular, we highlight how defective protein sorting and clearance, endoplasmic reticulum stress, calcium dyshomeostasis and intracellular trafficking converge to contribute synergistically to neuronal dysfunction in PD pathogenesis