Practical Characterization of Cell-Electrode Electrical Models in Bio-Impedance Assays

This paper presents the fitting process followed to adjust the parameters of the electrical model associated to a cell-electrode system in Electrical Cell-substrate Impedance Spectroscopy (ECIS) technique, to the experimental results from cell-culture assays. A new parameter matching procedure is proposed, under the basis of both, mismatching between electrodes and time-evolution observed in the system response, as consequence of electrode fabrication processes and electrochemical performance of electrode-solution interface, respectively. The obtained results agree with experimental performance, and enable the evaluation of the cell number in a culture, by using the electrical measurements observed at the oscillation parameters in the test circuits employed.Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad TEC2013-46242-C3-1-

Sensing Cell-Culture Assays with Low-Cost Circuitry

An alternative approach for cell-culture end-point protocols is proposed herein. This new technique is suitable for real-time remote sensing. It is based on Electrical Cell-substrate Impedance Spectroscopy (ECIS) and employs the Oscillation-Based Test (OBT) method. Simple and straightforward circuit blocks form the basis of the proposed measurement system. Oscillation parameters – frequency and amplitude – constitute the outcome, directly correlated with the culture status. A user can remotely track the evolution of cell cultures in real time over the complete experiment through a web tool continuously displaying the acquired data. Experiments carried out with commercial electrodes and a well-established cell line (AA8) are described, obtaining the cell number in real time from growth assays. The electrodes have been electrically characterized along the design flow in order to predict the system performance and the sensitivity curves. Curves for 1-week cell growth are reported. The obtained experimental results validate the proposed OBT for cell-culture characterization. Furthermore, the proposed electrode model provides a good approximation for the cell number and the time evolution of the studied cultures.España, Feder TEC2013-46242-C3-1-

Indoor characterization at production sccale: 200 kWp of CPV solar simulator measurements

In order to complement ISFOC’s characterization capabilities, a Helios 3198 CPV Solar Simulator was installed in summer 2010. This Solar Simulator, based on a parabolic mirror and a high-intensity, small area Xenon flash lamp was developed by the Instituto de Energía Solar in Madrid [1] and is manufactured and distributed by Soldaduras Avanzadas [2]. This simulator is used not only for R&D purposes, but as a quality control tool for incoming modules that are to be installed in ISFOC’s CPV plants. In this paper we will discuss the results of recent measurements of close to 5000 modules, the entire production of modules corresponding to a small CPV power plant (200 kWp). We scrutinize the resultant data for signs of drift in the measurements, and analyze the light quality before and after, to check for changes in spectrum or spatial uniformity.

An Empirical-Mathematical Approach for Calibration and Fitting Cell-Electrode Electrical Models in Bioimpedance Tests

This paper proposes a new yet efficient method allowing a significant improvement in the on-line analysis of biological cell growing and evolution. The procedure is based on an empirical-mathematical approach for calibration and fitting of any cell-electrode electrical model. It is valid and can be extrapolated for any type of cellular line used in electrical cell-substrate impedance spectroscopy (ECIS) tests. Parameters of the bioimpedance model, acquired from ECIS experiments, vary for each cell line, which makes obtaining results difficult and—to some extent-renders them inaccurate. We propose a fitting method based on the cell line initial characterization,and carry out subsequent experiments with the same line to approach the percentage of well filling and the cell density (or cell number in the well). To perform our calibration technique, the so-called oscillation-based test (OBT) approach is employed for each cell density. Calibration results are validated by performing other experiments with different concentrations on the same cell line with the same measurement technique. Accordingly, a bioimpedance electrical model of each cell line is determined, which is valid for any further experiment and leading to a more precise electrical model of the electrode-cell system. Furthermore, the model parameters calculated can be also used by any other measurement techniques. Promising experimental outcomes for three different cell-lines have been achieved, supporting the usefulness of this technique

Remote Cell Growth Sensing Using Self-Sustained Bio-Oscillations

A smart sensor system for cell culture real-time supervision is proposed, allowing for a significant reduction in human effort applied to this type of assay. The approach converts the cell culture under test into a suitable “biological” oscillator. The system enables the remote acquisition and management of the “biological” oscillation signals through a secure web interface. The indirectly observed biological properties are cell growth and cell number, which are straightforwardly related to the measured bio-oscillation signal parameters, i.e., frequency and amplitude. The sensor extracts the information without complex circuitry for acquisition and measurement, taking advantage of the microcontroller features. A discrete prototype for sensing and remote monitoring is presented along with the experimental results obtained from the performed measurements, achieving the expected performance and outcomes

Effects of electrical fields on neuroblastoma (N2A) cell differentiation: preliminary results

This work describes Electrical Stimulations (ES) assays on stem cells. The neuroblastoma (N2A) cell linage was submitted to several electrical fields to enable and enhance its differentiation toward neurons. Both Direct Current (DC) and Alternated Current (AC) time dependent electric field protocols were applied to N2A cell culture under differentiation conditions, obtaining different responses. Control and electrically excited samples’ number of differentiated cells and neurite lengths were measure after differentiation. Results showed that DC fields have a strong influence on N2A differentiation since the percentage of differentiated cells and the neurites lengths were the highest. In addition, a significant alignment of neurites measured with the applied electrical field has been detected, which demonstrates the high sensitivity of differentiation processes to electrical field polarity.Junta de Andalucía P18-FR-2308Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades RTI2018-093512-B-C2

Pharmacological blockade of either cannabinoid CB1 or CB2 receptors prevents both cocaine-induced conditioned locomotion and cocaine-induced reduction of cell proliferation in the hippocampus of adult male rats

Addiction to major drugs of abuse, such as cocaine, has recently been linked to alterations in adult neurogenesis in the hippocampus. The endogenous cannabinoid system modulates this proliferative response as demonstrated by the finding that pharmacological activation/blockade of cannabinoid CB1 and CB2 receptors not only modulates neurogenesis but also modulates cell death in the brain. In the present study, we evaluated whether the endogenous cannabinoid system affects cocaine-induced alterations in cell proliferation. To this end, we examined whether pharmacological blockade of either CB1 (Rimonabant, 3 mg/kg) or CB2 receptors (AM630, 3 mg/kg) would affect cell proliferation (the cells were labeled with BrdU) in the subventricular zone (SVZ) of the lateral ventricle and the dentate subgranular zone (SGZ). Additionally, we measured cell apoptosis (as monitored by the expression of cleaved caspase-3) and glial activation (by analyzing the expression of GFAP and Iba-1) in the striatum and hippocampus during acute and repeated (4 days) cocaine administration (20 mg/kg). The results showed that acute cocaine exposure decreased the number of BrdU-immunoreactive (ir) cells in the SVZ and SGZ. In contrast, repeated cocaine exposure reduced the number of BrdU-ir cells only in the SVZ. Both acute and repeated cocaine exposure increased the number of cleaved caspase-3-, GFAP- and Iba1-ir cells in the hippocampus, and this effect was counteracted by AM630 or rimonabant, which increased the number of BrdU-, GFAP- and Iba1-ir cells in the hippocampus. These results indicate that the changes in neurogenic, apoptotic and gliotic processes that were produced by repeated cocaine administration were normalized by pharmacological blockade of CB1 and CB2. The restorative effects of cannabinoid receptor blockade on hippocampal cell proliferation were associated with the prevention of the induction of conditioned locomotion but not with the prevention of cocaine-induced sensitization.Fil: Blanco Calvo, Eduardo. Universitat de Lleida; EspañaFil: Rivera, Patricia. Universidad de Malaga; EspañaFil: Arrabal, Sergio. Universidad de Malaga; EspañaFil: Vargas, Antonio. Universidad de Malaga; EspañaFil: Pavon, Francisco Javier. Universidad de Malaga; EspañaFil: Serrano, Antonia. Universidad de Malaga; EspañaFil: Castilla Ortega, Estela. Universidad de Malaga; EspañaFil: Galeano, Pablo. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Instituto de Investigaciones Cardiológicas (i); ArgentinaFil: Rubio, Leticia. Universidad de Malaga; EspañaFil: Suaréz, Juan. Universidad de Malaga; EspañaFil: Rodríguez de Fonseca, Fernando. Universidad de Malaga; Españ

TransformEHRs: a flexible methodology for building transparent ETL processes for EHR reuse

Background: During the COVID-19 pandemic, several methodologies were designed for obtaining electronic health record (EHR)-derived datasets for research. These processes are often based on black boxes, on which clinical researchers are unaware of how the data were recorded, extracted, and transformed. In order to solve this, it is essential that extract, transform, and load (ETL) processes are based on transparent, homogeneous, and formal methodologies, making them understandable, reproducible, and auditable. Objectives: This study aims to design and implement a methodology, according with FAIR Principles, for building ETL processes (focused on data extraction, selection, and transformation) for EHR reuse in a transparent and flexible manner, applicable to any clinical condition and health care organization. Methods: The proposed methodology comprises four stages: (1) analysis of secondary use models and identification of data operations, based on internationally used clinical repositories, case report forms, and aggregated datasets; (2) modeling and formalization of data operations, through the paradigm of the Detailed Clinical Models; (3) agnostic development of data operations, selecting SQL and R as programming languages; and (4) automation of the ETL instantiation, building a formal configuration file with XML. Results: First, four international projects were analyzed to identify 17 operations, necessary to obtain datasets according to the specifications of these projects from the EHR. With this, each of the data operations was formalized, using the ISO 13606 reference model, specifying the valid data types as arguments, inputs and outputs, and their cardinality. Then, an agnostic catalog of data was developed through data-oriented programming languages previously selected. Finally, an automated ETL instantiation process was built from an ETL configuration file formally defined. Conclusions: This study has provided a transparent and flexible solution to the difficulty of making the processes for obtaining EHR-derived data for secondary use understandable, auditable, and reproducible. Moreover, the abstraction carried out in this study means that any previous EHR reuse methodology can incorporate these results into them.Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad Instituto de Salud Carlos III PI18/00981, PI18/01047, PI18CIII/00019.S

Pharmacological blockade of either cannabinoid CB1 or CB2 receptors prevents both cocaine-induced conditioned locomotion and cocaine-induced reduction of cell proliferation in the hippocampus of adult male rats

Addiction to major drugs of abuse, such as cocaine, has recently been linked to alterations in adult neurogenesis in the hippocampus. The endogenous cannabinoid system modulates this proliferative response as demonstrated by the finding that pharmacological activation/blockade of cannabinoid CB1 and CB2 receptors not only modulates neurogenesis but also modulates cell death in the brain. In the present study, we evaluated whether the endogenous cannabinoid system affects cocaine-induced alterations in cell proliferation. To this end, we examined whether pharmacological blockade of either CB1 (Rimonabant, 3 mg/kg) or CB2 receptors (AM630, 3 mg/kg) would affect cell proliferation (the cells were labeled with BrdU) in the subventricular zone (SVZ) of the lateral ventricle and the dentate subgranular zone (SGZ). Additionally, we measured cell apoptosis (as monitored by the expression of cleaved caspase-3) and glial activation (by analyzing the expression of GFAP and Iba-1) in the striatum and hippocampus during acute and repeated (4 days) cocaine administration (20 mg/kg). The results showed that acute cocaine exposure decreased the number of BrdU-immunoreactive (ir) cells in the SVZ and SGZ. In contrast, repeated cocaine exposure reduced the number of BrdU-ir cells only in the SVZ. Both acute and repeated cocaine exposure increased the number of cleaved caspase-3-, GFAP- and Iba1-ir cells in the hippocampus, and this effect was counteracted by AM630 or rimonabant, which increased the number of BrdU-, GFAP- and Iba1-ir cells in the hippocampus. These results indicate that the changes in neurogenic, apoptotic and gliotic processes that were produced by repeated cocaine administration were normalized by pharmacological blockade of CB1 and CB2. The restorative effects of cannabinoid receptor blockade on hippocampal cell proliferation were associated with the prevention of the induction of conditioned locomotion but not with the prevention of cocaine-induced sensitization.Fil: Blanco Calvo, Eduardo. Universitat de Lleida; EspañaFil: Rivera, Patricia. Universidad de Malaga; EspañaFil: Arrabal, Sergio. Universidad de Malaga; EspañaFil: Vargas, Antonio. Universidad de Malaga; EspañaFil: Pavon, Francisco Javier. Universidad de Malaga; EspañaFil: Serrano, Antonia. Universidad de Malaga; EspañaFil: Castilla Ortega, Estela. Universidad de Malaga; EspañaFil: Galeano, Pablo. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Oficina de Coordinación Administrativa Houssay. Instituto de Investigaciones Cardiológicas (i); ArgentinaFil: Rubio, Leticia. Universidad de Malaga; EspañaFil: Suaréz, Juan. Universidad de Malaga; EspañaFil: Rodríguez de Fonseca, Fernando. Universidad de Malaga; Españ

DISEÑO DE UN DISPOSITIVO PARA MONITOREO DE TEMPERATURA Y CONTROL DE HUMEDAD DE PLANTAS

En este artículo se presenta el diseño e implementación de un dispositivo llamado “Unidad de Procesamiento de Temperatura y Control de Humedad” (UPTeCH) para monitorear la temperatura del ambiente y la humedad del sub-suelo. El procesamiento de la información se realiza por medio de un protocolo de comunicación entre UPTeCH y un dispositivo móvil. UPTeCH fue diseñado para mantener el porcentaje de humedad conveniente para que una planta se mantenga en óptimas condiciones sin la supervisión del usuario. UPTeCH usa un microcontrolador de la marca Arduino por su facilidad de programación y por su compatibilidad con componentes electrónicos comúnmente usados en el mercado. El módulo ESP8266 permite agregar conexión inalámbrica  al microcontrolador ofreciendo el protocolo TCP para  el paso de información entre UPTeCH y un dispositivo móvil. La aplicación del dispositivo móvil está desarrollada en Android lo que hace posible la visualización gráfica de la temperatura para su monitoreo. El dispositivo ha sido implementado en oficinas y casas habitación para el cuidado de una planta. Un modelo de red neuronal tipo perceptrón es empleado para aproximar la función de control de humedad del dispositivo.