On the monitoring of surface displacement in connection with volcano reactivation in Tenerife, Canary Islands, using space techniques

Geodetic volcano monitoring in Tenerife has mainly focused on the Las Cañadas Caldera, where a geodetic micronetwork and a levelling profile are located. A sensitivity test of this geodetic network showed that it should be extended to cover the whole island for volcano monitoring purposes. Furthermore, InSAR allowed detecting two unexpected movements that were beyond the scope of the traditional geodetic network. These two facts prompted us to design and observe a GPS network covering the whole of Tenerife that was monitored in August 2000. The results obtained were accurate to one centimetre, and confirm one of the deformations, although they were not definitive enough to confirm the second one. Furthermore, new cases of possible subsidence have been detected in areas where InSAR could not be used to measure deformation due to low coherence. A first modelling attempt has been made using a very simple model and its results seem to indicate that the deformation observed and the groundwater level variation in the island may be related. Future observations will be necessary for further validation and to study the time evolution of the displacements, carry out interpretation work using different types of data (gravity, gases, etc) and develop models that represent the island more closely. The results obtained are important because they might affect the geodetic volcano monitoring on the island, which will only be really useful if it is capable of distinguishing between displacements that might be linked to volcanic activity and those produced by other causes. One important result in this work is that a new geodetic monitoring system based on two complementary techniques, InSAR and GPS, has been set up on Tenerife island. This the first time that the whole surface of any of the volcanic Canary Islands has been covered with a single network for this purpose. This research has displayed the need for further similar studies in the Canary Islands, at least on the islands which pose a greater risk of volcanic reactivation, such as Lanzarote and La Palma, where InSAR techniques have been used already

Maintenance of immune tolerance by Foxp3+ regulatory T cells requires CD69 expression

Although FoxP3+ regulatory T cells are key players in the maintenance of immune tolerance and autoimmunity, the lack of specific markers constitute an obstacle to their use for immunotherapy protocols. In this study, we have investigated the role of the C-type lectin receptor CD69 in the suppressor function of Tregs and maintenance of immune tolerance towards harmless inhaled antigens. We identified a novel FoxP3+CD69+ Treg subset capable to maintain immune tolerance and protect to developing inflammation. Although CD69+ and CD69-FoxP3+ Tregs exist in homeostasis, only CD69-expressing Tregs express high levels of CTLA-4, ICOS, CD38 and GITR suppression-associated markers, secrete high amounts of TGFβand have potent suppressor activity. This activity is regulated by STAT5 and ERK signaling pathways and is impaired by antibody-mediated down-regulation of CD69 expression. Moreover, immunotherapy with FoxP3+CD69+ Tregs restores the homeostasis in Cd69-/- mice, that fail to induce tolerance, and is also highly proficient in the prevention of inflammation. The identification of the FoxP3+CD69+ Treg subset paves the way toward the development of new therapeutic strategies to control immune homeostasis and autoimmunity.This work was supported by funding from the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness: SAF2011-27330 to P.M., SAF2010-15106 to M.L.T and SAF2011-25834 to F.S-M.; grant INDISNET (S2010/BMD-2332) from Comunidad de Madrid and RETICS Enfermedades Cardiovasculares (RD12/0042/0056) from Instituto de Salud Carlos III to P.M and F. S-M; and ERC-2011-AdG294340-GENTRIS to F.S-M. J.R.C. was supported by a CNIC post-doctoral fellowship, R. S-D is funded with a pre-doctoral fellowship from Comunidad de Madrid and E.R.B. and A.M-M. were supported by a FPI pre-doctoral fellowship from the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness. The CNIC is supported by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness and the Pro CNIC Foundation.Peer Reviewe

Maintenance of immune tolerance by Foxp3+ regulatory T cells requires CD69 expression

Although FoxP3+ regulatory T cells are key players in the maintenance of immune tolerance and autoimmunity, the lack of specific markers constitute an obstacle to their use for immunotherapy protocols. In this study, we have investigated the role of the C-type lectin receptor CD69 in the suppressor function of Tregs and maintenance of immune tolerance towards harmless inhaled antigens. We identified a novel FoxP3+CD69+ Treg subset capable to maintain immune tolerance and protect to developing inflammation. Although CD69+ and CD69−FoxP3+ Tregs exist in homeostasis, only CD69-expressing Tregs express high levels of CTLA-4, ICOS, CD38 and GITR suppression-associated markers, secrete high amounts of TGFβ and have potent suppressor activity. This activity is regulated by STAT5 and ERK signaling pathways and is impaired by antibody-mediated down-regulation of CD69 expression. Moreover, immunotherapy with FoxP3+CD69+ Tregs restores the homeostasis in Cd69−/− mice, that fail to induce tolerance, and is also highly proficient in the prevention of inflammation. The identification of the FoxP3+CD69+ Treg subset paves the way toward the development of new therapeutic strategies to control immune homeostasis and autoimmunityThis work was supported by funding from the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness: SAF2011-27330 to P.M., SAF2010-15106 to M.L.T and SAF2011-25834 to F.S-M.; grant INDISNET (S2010/BMD-2332) from Comunidad de Madrid and RETICS Enfermedades Cardiovasculares (RD12/0042/0056) from Instituto de Salud Carlos III to P.M and F. S-M; and ERC-2011-AdG294340-GENTRIS to F.S-M. J.R.C. was supported by a CNIC post-doctoral fellowship, R. S-D is funded with a pre-doctoral fellowship from Comunidad de Madrid and E.R.B. and A.M-M. were supported by a FPI pre-doctoral fellowship from the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness. The CNIC is supported by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness and the Pro CNIC Foundatio

The impact of donor policies in Europe: a steady increase, but not everywhere

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Transplantable organs are scarce everywhere. Therefore, countries have developed policies to support the efficient use of potential donors. Nevertheless, the shortage of organs remains. Were these policies in vain? The aim of this study is to assess the impact of donor policies on donor procurement in 10 Western European countries from 1995 to 2005.</p> <p>Method</p> <p>To assess the impact of the donor policies we studied the conversion of potential donors into effectuated donors. 80% of the donors died from CVAs or a (traffic) accident. We considered these mortality rates to be a good proxy for potential donors. Here we call the conversion of potential donors into actual donors 'the donor efficiency rate by proxy'.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The mortality rates for CVA and (traffic) accidents have decreased in the countries under study. At the same time, in most countries the donor efficiency rates have steadily increased. The variance in donor efficiency rates between countries has also increased from 1995 to 2005. Four countries introduced a new consent system or changed their existing system, without (visible) long-term effects.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The overall increase in donor efficiency means that the efforts to improve donor policies have paid off. However, substantial differences between countries were found. The success of donor policies in terms of the number of absolute donors is blurred by the success of policies on traffic safety and CVA treatment. It remains unclear which specific policy measures are responsible for the increase in donor efficiency rates. This increase is not related to having a presumed consent system. Furthermore, an analysis of countries that introduced a new consent system or changed their system showed no effect on donor efficiency.</p

Uncontrolled Donation after Circulatory Death: European practices and recommendations for the development and optimization of an effective programme.

Shortage of organs has made a global interest for donation after circulatory death (DCD) to re-emerge. While controlled DCD (cDCD) has been progressively increasing, uncontrolled DCD (uDCD) has only been developed in a few settings.1 This activity is quantitatively important in France and Spain, although it has also been reported in other European countries, as Austria, Belgium, Italy, the Netherlands, and recently in Russia.2,3 uDCD protocols have allowed the transplantation of a significant number of kidneys, livers and lungs at these countries.3 Excellent graft survival has been reported in kidney transplantation from uDCD, in spite of an increased incidence of delayed graft function (DGF).4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13,14,1516 Albeit promising, results with liver transplants obtained in uDCD protocols do not consistently provide similar outcomes compared with livers from donors after brain death (DBD), mainly due to a higher incidence of primary graft dysfunction and non-function and biliary complications.17,18,19,20,21,22 Lung transplantation is still facing limited experience, but preliminary results are encouraging.pre-print938 K

Eukaryotic elongation factor 2 controls TNF-alpha translation in LPS-induced hepatitis

Bacterial LPS (endotoxin) has been implicated in the pathogenesis of acute liver disease through its induction of the proinflammatory cytokine TNF-alpha. TNF-alpha is a key determinant of the outcome in a well-established mouse model of acute liver failure during septic shock. One possible mechanism for regulating TNF-alpha expression is through the control of protein elongation during translation, which would allow rapid cell adaptation to physiological changes. However, the regulation of translational elongation is poorly understood. We found that expression of p38gamma/delta MAPK proteins is required for the elongation of nascent TNF-alpha protein in macrophages. The MKK3/6-p38gamma/delta pathway mediated an inhibitory phosphorylation of eukaryotic elongation factor 2 (eEF2) kinase, which in turn promoted eEF2 activation (dephosphorylation) and subsequent TNF-alpha elongation. These results identify a new signaling pathway that regulates TNF-alpha production in LPS-induced liver damage and suggest potential cell-specific therapeutic targets for liver diseases in which TNF-alpha production is involved

Attitudes and beliefs regarding organ donation among South Asian people in the UK

There is an acute shortage of organ donors in the UK, specifically among South Asian communities. This article reports the findings from the largest ever study undertaken among South Asian people in the UK that seeks to explore attitudes and beliefs towards organ donation. This article highlights that seemingly intractable factors, such as religion and culture, are often tied to more complex issues, such as distrust in the medical system and lack of awareness, that contribute to the shortage of organ donors among South Asian communities in the U

Immunosuppression-independent role of regulatory T cells against hypertension-driven renal dysfunctions

Hypertension-associated cardiorenal diseases represent one of the heaviest burdens for current health systems. In addition to hemodynamic damage, recent results have revealed that hematopoietic cells contribute to the development of these diseases by generating proinflammatory and profibrotic environments in the heart and kidney. However, the cell subtypes involved remain poorly characterized. Here we report that CD39+ regulatory T (TREG) cells utilize an immunosuppression-independent mechanism to counteract renal and possibly cardiac damage during angiotensin II (AngII)-dependent hypertension. This mechanism relies on the direct apoptosis of tissue-resident neutrophils by the ecto-ATP diphosphohydrolase activity of CD39. In agreement with this, experimental and genetic alterations in TREG/TH cell ratios have a direct impact on tissue-resident neutrophil numbers, cardiomyocyte hypertrophy, cardiorenal fibrosis, and, to a lesser extent, arterial pressure elevation during AngII-driven hypertension. These results indicate that TREG cells constitute a first protective barrier against hypertension-driven tissue fibrosis and, in addition, suggest new therapeutic avenues to prevent hypertension-linked cardiorenal diseases.This work has been supported by grants from the Castilla-León Autonomous Government (CSI101U13), the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (SAF2012-31371, RD12/0036/0002), Worldwide Cancer Research, the Solórzano Foundation, and the Ramón Areces Foundation to X.R.B. P.M. is funded by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (SAF2011-27330). S.F., M.M.-M., J.R.-V., and A.M.-M. were supported by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness through BES-2010-031386, CSIC JAE-Doc, Juan de la Cierva, and BES-2009-016103 contracts, respectively. Spanish government-sponsored funding to X.R.B. is partially supported by the European Regional Development Fund.Peer Reviewe