Investigation of two different aspects of stem cell biology : The role of Stat3 signaling and innate immunity in human pluripotent stem cells

Human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) hold great promises as a model for development as well as a source for cells in regenerative medicine. Although hPSC research came into focus in the last decade, many aspects of the biology of hPSCs still remain unclear. Maintenance of pluripotency in murine pluripotent stem cells (mPSCs) depend on LIF-activated Stat3 signaling, whereas human PSCs appear not to require activation of this signaling pathway. In order to investigate the potential role of Stat3 signaling in hPSCs, cells were treated with a chimeric fusion protein (“IL- 6/sIL-6R”). The chimeric fusion protein is supposed to be a potent LIF agonist and thus Stat3 signaling activator. While it was reported before that hPSCs can be maintained pluripotent in suspension cultures in the presence of the chimeric protein, here IL-6/sIL-6R failed to maintain pluripotency in adherent cultures. Activation of Stat3 signaling could be observed neither at protein nor at mRNA level. To further analyze the role of Stat3 in hPSCs, a targeted gene inactivation should be established. Classical DNA transfection methods did not lead to an efficient editing. Previously, synthetic mRNA could be transfected into hPSCs with an efficiency up to 78%. Therefore, synthetic Transcription Activator-like Effector Nuclease (TALEN) mRNAs targeting the Stat3 locus were generated. Synthetic TALEN mRNAs edited the hPSC genome with an efficiency of 5%. In order to improve efficiencies, transfection with several types of synthetic mRNAs should be investigated. Synthetic mRNAs usually contain modified nucleotides in order to prevent innate immunity activation. In order to investigate if innate immunity plays a role in hPSCs, it was tested whether synthetic mRNAs without modified nucleotides (“unmodified mRNA”) can be used. As a proof of principle, hPSCs and their derivatives lt-NES cells (multipotent neural precursors) were transfected with unmodified GFP mRNA. Surprisingly, the average efficiency (51.57% for hPSCs; 43.63% for lt-NESCs) was even higher than for transfection with modified GFP mRNA (41.83% for hPSCs; 28.87% for lt-NESCs). Furthermore, the fluorescence of the translated protein appeared to be stronger. Human fibroblasts, representing somatic cells, could be transfected more efficiently (59.57%) with GFP mRNA synthesized with modified nucleotides. Unmodified GFP mRNA transfection resulted in low efficiency (42.08%) and weak fluorescence intensity, most likely due to innate immunity responses. In order to test whether attenuated immune response is the reason for accessibility for unmodified mRNAs, the innate immunity associated Interferon signaling was blocked using the inhibitor B18R. Inhibition of Interferon signaling in human fibroblasts resulted in an increase of efficiency from 32.5% up to 59.35% when unmodified mRNA was transfected. Moreover, fibroblasts expressed higher levels of IFNβ upon transfection with unmodified mRNA compared to hPSCs and lt-NES cells. Together, this let suggest that the IFNβ mediated immune response is attenuated in multi- and pluripotent cells. These findings may be of interest for further applications of synthetic mRNAs in hPSCs. For example, generation of unmodified synthetic TALEN mRNAs should lead to improved genetic engineering

'We can Only Teach from Our Own Experience': From Emotional Learning in Childhood and Adolescence to Emotional Training in Teachers

The ability to understand and process emotional information is an important part of human functioning as it facilitates an adequate adjustment to the environment [1]. The development of emotional abilities, including the capacity to perceive, use, understand and manage emotions underlies social competence and performance [2]. For instance, accurate perception of another person's emotional state enhances the estimation and understanding of their intention and subsequent behavior, making it easier to respond accordingly [3]. Emotions can facilitate thought processes reinforces learning, concentration, and execution [4]. Understanding the meaning of emotions in a social context guides decision-making, problem solving and reasoning [5]. Managing emotions effectively is the key to interpersonal relationships of good quality, due to the ability to express and behave in socially acceptable manners [2]. Furthermore, these emotional skills have been associated with physical and mental health, psychological well-being, as well as academic and work success [6

Personalidad, relaciones familiares y satisfacción con la vida en parejas casadas

Las características de la personalidad pueden modular la cohesión y la adaptabilidad familiar en las relaciones románticas, así como garantizar mayor satisfacción y bienestar. Este estudio se centró en analizar las variables personales y familiares, así como su influencia en la satisfacción con la vida de los cónyuges. Los participantes fueron 182 parejas heterosexuales casadas, con edades entre 27 y 54 años. Se aplicó la versión española del Big Five Inventory, la Family Adaptability and Cohesion Evaluation Scale y la Satisfaction with Life Scale. Los resultados indicaron mayores niveles de neuroticismo y cohesión familiar en las mujeres. Se observaron relaciones entre las características de la personalidad y la satisfacción con la vida, lo cual indicó efectos tanto a nivel intrapersonal (actor efects) como interpersonal (partner efects). Además, las variables personales y familiares de ambos cónyuges predijeron la satisfacción con la vida de las mujeres pero no de los hombres. Estos resultados apoyan el enfoque de interdependencia en las parejas casadas

Storm water treatment in a multi-step system compared to a single-step system

Urban areas are expanding at an increasing pace around the world as well as surfaces with impervious layers, such as streets and rooftops. Precipitation, melt water and water from human activities, which temporarily flow on these surfaces are defined as storm water. As a result of replacing natural land with hard surfaces, a barrier for natural water infiltration is created and amplitude and volume of water runoff are increased. In addition, dissolved and particulate substances are transported with the water during the runoff on hard surfaces, with risk of contaminating the areas in its path. With concentrated and increased runoff, more particles are released and transported with the water. However, proper and sustainable management of storm water reduces the risk of flooding and contamination of water in urban and rural areas. The choice of storm water system, together with maintenance and monitoring, are of great importance for achieving the desired treatment and handling of storm water. In Sweden, dams are one of the most widely used storm water facility in storm water system. Dams function both as water reservoirs and as treatment facilities for removal of particles. In this study, a storm water system located in an expanding industrial area in Rosersberg was examined. The storm water system has the purpose to treat and delay storm water draining to the nearby valuable stream Verkaån. It is a multi-step system, consisting of a series of dams, which is commonly used in Sweden. However, studies on treatment in multi-step systems are scarce. Therefore, the aim of this study was to examine treatment of pollutants in a multi-step system compared to treatment in a single-step system. Monitoring data of pollutant loads from the multiple-dam storm water system in Rosersberg was compared with pollutant loads as generated from modelling of the system in the storm water software, StormTac. Monitored pollutant loads after treatment in multiple dams in the storm water system were lower than the modelled treatment of multiple dams for eleven out of thirteen substances, and lower than the modelled treatment of a single dam for twelve out of thirteen substances. Treatment effect of pollutants in the storm water system in Rosersberg was higher in multiple dams, than in a single dam, for all modelled pollutant loads except for nitrogen. It could therefore be concluded that a multi-step system treats storm water to a larger extent than a single-step system

From social and emotional learning in adolescence to emotional-skill training in teachers = Desde la educación socio-emocional en adolescencia al entrenamiento en habilidades emocionales en profesores

The idea of introducing social and emotional learning in educational settings is based on the assumption that emotions are an essential element of school life. Emotional competencies are conducive to student learning and well-being, in addition to conveying emotional resources for teachers and educators. The development of such abilities is a prerequisite for students and teachers to engage in productive and enjoyable classroom dynamics. Indeed, well-developed emotional competence enhances students’ psychological adjustment, self-esteem, adaptive coping with stress at school and academic success. However, engaging in disruptive behaviors and school violence (bullying) may be attributed to a deficit in students’ social and emotional development. Similarly, being emotional intelligent is also a crucial skill for teachers, as educational work includes expressing empathy and support and displaying appropriate emotions during teaching, which enhances students’ learning. Research has stressed the protective role of teachers’ emotional competencies regarding mental health problems, such as depression, anxiety and work-related stress (burnout). The objective of the present research was to examine the impact of emotional competence on psychological adjustment, subjective well-being and mental health, in both student and teacher populations in a school context. Given the characteristics of a multi-paper thesis, six studies have been included that provide the scaffolding for this research. The studies 1-4 focused on the development of emotional competence in relation to psychological adjustment and subjective well-being in adolescent students. The studies 5-6 addressed the study of emotional intelligence in teachers in relation to mental health issues, specifically burnout. In view of the results obtained by the six studies, the ESCQ-21 has been found to be a reliable and valid tool for measuring emotional competence in Spanish adolescents. Furthermore, students as well as teachers benefit from well-developed emotional competencies. While emotional competence in adolescents was associated with social-emotional adjustment and subjective well-being, in teachers emotional intelligence predicted mental health outcomes. A couple of mediators, such as self-esteem, perceived stress and affectivity have been suggested that might explain the psychological mechanisms that underlie the link between emotional development, mental health and well-being. Finally, socio-emotional intervention programs have been shown their effectiveness for a wide range of positive outcomes in students and teachers. For instance, they may be considered valuable tools for preventing bullying among peers and alleviating teacher burnout. Drawing from these findings, the dissertation makes a relevant contribution to the existing literature that stresses the benefits of developing emotional competence for psychological adjustment, mental health and well-being among students and teachers

How effective are psychological treatments for internet gaming disorder? An umbrella review

Behavioural addictions such as Internet addiction (IA) and, more specifically, Internet gaming disorder (IGD) or video game addiction, have increased their prevalence in recent years in the child and adolescent population. The aim of the present study was to review and synthesise the existing evidence on the effectiveness of psychological treatments for addressing this addiction, as well as to compare them with other types of treatment. To this end, an in-depth search for systematic reviews and meta-analyses was carried out across different databases (WOS, Scopus, PubmMed, Cochrane), inclusion and exclusion criteria were set, and guidelines for the search strategy were defined, as well as the study selection method. A total of 14 reviews and meta-analyses were reviewed. The results showed that cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) was the most studied psychological treatment, consistently showing effectiveness in reducing the symptoms and severity of IA/IGD. Furthermore, CBT appeared to be more effective when combined with other types of treatment such as pharmacological treatment. It is concluded that there is a need to investigate the effectiveness of psychological treatments for IA/IGD separately in order to provide appropriate interventions to reduce the severity of addiction and improve the quality of life and well-being of children and adolescents¿Qué eficacia tienen los tratamientos psicológicos para el trastorno de juego por internet? Una revisión de revisiones. Las adicciones conductuales como la adicción a internet (IA) y, concretamente, el trastorno de juego por internet (IGD) o adicción a videojuegos, han aumentado su prevalencia en los últimos años en población infanto-juvenil. El objetivo del presente estudio fue realizar una revisión de revisiones para agrupar y sintetizar la evidencia existente acerca de la efectividad de los tratamientos psicológicos para abordar este tipo de adición, así como compararlos con otros tipos de tratamiento. Para ello, se realizó una búsqueda exhaustiva de revisiones sistemáticas y/o meta-análisis en diferentes bases de datos (WOS, Scopus, PubmMed, Cochrane), se establecieron los criterios de inclusión y exclusión, y se definió la estrategia de búsqueda, así como el método de selección de los estudios. En total se revisaron 14 revisiones y meta-análisis. Los resultaron evidenciaron que la terapia cognitivo-conductual (TCC) fue el tratamiento psicológico más estudiado, mostrando consistentemente efectividad para reducir los síntomas y la severidad de IA/IGD. Además, la TCC parece ser más efectiva cuando se combinaba con otros tipos de tratamiento como el farmacológico. Se concluye la necesidad de investigar la efectividad de los tratamientos psicológicos para IA/IGD de manera diferenciada con el objetivo de establecer intervenciones adecuadas que permitan reducir la gravedad de la adicción y mejorar el bienestar y la calidad de vida de los niños y adolescente

Risk factors for being a victim of online grooming in adolescents

The risk of child grooming has spread exponentially with the massive access of adolescents to social networks and the internet. The aim of the study was to examine the personal factors (body self-esteem and disinhibition) and erotic-sexual factors (sexual initiation strategies and erotic-pornographic sexting) that predict grooming. METHOD: The sample was comprised of 1,200 adolescents aged between 12 and 16 years (M = 14.54, SD = 1.17; 50.83% girls). A cross-sectional design with self-report data was used and structural equation modeling (SEM) with mediation analysis was performed. RESULTS: The results indicated two paths explaining child grooming: 1) physical attractiveness and disinhibition are indirectly associated with grooming through erotic sexting and direct sexual initiation strategies; both of which partially mediate this relationship; 2) disinhibited behavior has an indirect impact on grooming; pornographic sexting and coercive strategies acting as mediators. The semi-partial mediation model explains 54% of the variance of grooming. CONCLUSIONS: These findings highlight the urgent need to implement prevention programs considering these attitudes and behaviors that function as precursors of victimization and the risk of falling into pedophile networks

Alquimia escritural das rasuras em paradigma: manuscritos de Gustave Flaubert e Machado de Assis

Apresentação de fólios dos autógrafos dos romances Bouvard et Pécuchet, de Gustave Flaubert, e Esaú e Jacob, de Machado de Assis

The Impact of Adolescent Internet Addiction on Sexual Online Victimization: The Mediating Effects of Sexting and Body Self-Esteem

Adolescents’ problematic use of the internet and the risk of sexual online victimization are an increasing concern among families, researchers, professionals and society. This study aimed to analyze the interplay between adolescents’ addiction to social networks and internet, body self-esteem and sexual–erotic risk behavior online: sexting, sextortion and grooming. While sexting refers to the voluntary engagement in texting sexual–erotic messages, sextortion and grooming are means of sexual–erotic victimization through the use of the internet. Participants were 1763 adolescents (51% girls), aged 12 to 16 years (M = 14.56; SD = 1.16), from public (n = 1068; 60.60%) and private (n = 695; 39.40%) high schools in the Basque Country (Spain). We carried out structural equation modeling (SEM) using Mplus to assess the mediating effects of body self-esteem in the relationship between addiction to social media and internet and sexual–erotic risk behavior. The results showed that internet addiction predicts online sexual victimization; specifically, the best predictors of sexting, sextortion and grooming victimization were symptoms of internet addiction and geek behavior. Body self-esteem and sexting mediated the relationship between internet addiction and sexual online victimization in adolescents. These results highlight the importance of attending to adolescents’ mental health regarding their online behavior, considering the risk and protective factors involved, due to its close association with online sexual victimization.This research was supported by grants from the Department of Education, Universities and Research of the Basque Government (BFI-2012-40)