Intranasal Delivery of Galanin 2 and Neuropeptide Y1 Agonists Enhanced Spatial Memory Performance and antidepressant e!ects through Neuronal Precursor Cells Proliferation in the hippocampus

Neuropeptide Y(NPY) Y1 receptor (Y1R) and galanin (GAL) receptor 2 (GALR2) interact in brain regions responsible for learning and memory processes, emphasizing the hippocampus. The current study assesses the sustained memory performance and antidepressive-like e!ects induced by GALR2 and NPYY1R agonists intranasal coadministration and their neurochemical hippocampal correlates. Object-in-place task and forced swimming test were conducted together with in situ proximity ligation assay (PLA) to manifest the formation of GALR2/Y1R heteroreceptor complexes. We evaluated cell proliferation through a 5-Bromo-2’-deoxyuridine (BrdU) expression study within the hippocampus. The GalR2 agonist M1145 was demonstrated to act with the Y1R agonist to improve memory retrieval and antidepressive-like actions at 24 hours in both tasks, enhancing the cell proliferation in the DG of the hippocampus through BrdU expression and the GALR2/Y1R heteroreceptor complexes upon agonist coactivation. Our results may provide the basis for developing heterobivalent agonist pharmacophores targeting GALR2- Y1R heterocomplexes. It involves especially the neuronal precursor cells of the dentate gyrus in the hippocampus for the novel treatment of Alzheimer’s disease or depression. The work was supported by the UMA18-FEDERJA-100 and Proyecto Jovenes Investigadores (B1-2019_04) and Proyecto Puente (B4-2021) UMA , Spain to MN. Special mention to Grupo Vithas.The work was supported by the UMA18-FEDERJA-100 and Proyecto Jovenes Investigadores (B1-2019_04) and Proyecto Puente (B4-2021) UMA , Spain to MN. Special mention to Grupo Vithas. Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech

Service-learning educational approach for undergraduate students: development of an outreach workshop for high school students

In the last decade, research institutes and universities have strengthened the development of outreach activities in the biomedical field, involving researchers and professors as well as graduate students, but with little or no implication of undergraduate students. However, the development of this type of activities, using the Service-Learning educational approach, could be a valuable tool that would manage the acquisition of learning competencies by undergraduate students of Health Science Degrees and would put science at the service of society. In this project, we present the development of the workshop entitled “Exploring the human body”, in which 205 students in their first and second year of a Degree in Nursing or Medicine (University of Málaga, Spain) acted as mentors of 753 high school students (15 to 16 years old) in several school years (since 2016-2017, excluding 2019-2020 and 2020-2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic). The workshop consisted of five work stations. Each station featured a set of different experiments and activities that were designed to teach the multiple levels by which the human body, and particularly the nervous system, can be studied: biomolecules, cells, tissues, organs and systems. Both high school and undergraduate students gave an evaluation of the workshop via questionnaires (Likert scale-based and short-answer questions) and a debriefing with the university professors. Data showed an overall score of 4.6 out of 5 points for the workshop by both high school and undergraduate students. In addition, undergraduate students pointed out that their participation had a positive impact on their academic background (4.8 out of 5 points), mainly due to the improvement of their oral communication skills (78 students) and self-confidence (58 students).Universidad de Málaga. Servicio de Publicaciones y Divulgación Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech

Galanin and neuropeptide Y interactions linked to neuronal precursor cells of the dentate gyrus in the hippocampus. Role in depression and cognitive impairment.

Galanin (GAL) interacts with Neuropeptide Y Y1 receptors (NPYY1R) in several regions of the central nervous system associated with mood and motivation, through GAL receptor 2 and NPYY1 receptor 1 (GALR2/NPYY1R) heterodimers. The current work is to evaluate GALR2 and NPYY1R interactions concerning newborn cell proliferation in the ventral and dorsal hippocampal Dentate Gyrus. Rats (n = 6-8 per group) were randomly assigned to the groups. Each group received i.c.v. injections of artificial Cerebro Spinal Fluid (aCSF), GAL or NPYY1R agonist [Leu31,Pro34]NPY alone or in combination and 24 h later rats were subjected to a 5-min swimming session (test). A different set of rats received ip injections of BrdU 50mg/Kg at 2 and 4 hours after icv injections. 24 hours later brains collected for immunostaining to evaluate cell proliferation. We observed that the icv injection of GAL and NPYY1R agonist significantly enhanced the decrease in the immobility and the increase in the swimming behavior compared with the NPYY1R agonist alone. Furthermore, GALR2 is involved in this GALR/NPYY1R interaction, since the presence of the GALR2 antagonist M871 counteracted all the parameters. In parallel, coadministration of GAL and NPYY1R agonist increased BrdU-labeled cells located in the SGZ compared with aCSF, GAL and the NPYY1R group. Similar results were observed in dorsal hippocampus. Our results may provide the basis for the development of heterobivalent agonist pharmacophores, targeting GALR2/NPYY1R heteromers, especially in the neuronal precursor cells of the dentate gyrus in the hippocampus for the novel treatment of depression or cognitive impairments. Study supported by Proyecto UMA18- FEDERJA-100, Proyecto Puente-Universidad de Málaga, proyecto jóvenes investigadores UMA to MNP.Study supported by Proyecto UMA18- FEDERJA-100, Proyecto Puente-Universidad de Málaga, proyecto jóvenes investigadores UMA to MNP.Universidad de Málaga. Campus de Excelencia Internacional Andalucía Tech

Spatial analysis of the Halpha emission in the local star-forming UCM galaxies

We present a photometric study of the Halpha emission in the Universidad Complutense de Madrid (UCM) Survey galaxies. This work complements our previously-published spectroscopic data. We study the location of the star-forming knots, their intensity, concentration, and the relationship of these properties with those of the host galaxy. We also estimate that the amount of Halpha emission that arises from the diffuse ionized gas is about 15-30% of the total Halpha flux for a typical UCM galaxy. This percentage seems to be independent of the Hubble type. Conversely, we found that an `average' UCM galaxy harbours a star formation event with 30% of its Halpha luminosity arising from a nuclear component. The implications of these results for higher-redshift studies are discussed, including the effects of galaxy size and the depth of the observations. A correlation between the SFR and the Balmer decrement is observed, but such correlation breaks down for large values of the extinction. Finally, we recalculate the Halpha luminosity function and star formation rate density of the local Universe using the new imaging data. Our results point out that, on average, spectroscopic observations detected about one third of the total emission-line flux of a typical UCM galaxy. The new values obtained for the Halpha luminosity density and the star formation rate density of the local Universe are 10^(39.3+/-0.2) erg s-1 Mpc-3, and rho_SFR=0.016^(+0.007)_(-0.004) Mass_sun yr-1 Mpc-3 (H_0=50 km s-1 Mpc-1, Omega_M=1.0, Lambda=0). The corresponding values for the `concordance cosmology' (H_0=70 km s-1 Mpc-1, Omega_M=0.3, Lambda=0.7) are 10^(39.5+/-0.2) erg s-1 Mpc-3 rho_SFR=0.029^(+0.008)_(-0.005) Mass_sun yr-1 Mpc-3.Comment: 48 pages, 11 PostScript figures, 2 tables, accepted for publication in ApJ. Halpha images available at http://www.ucm.es/info/Astrof/UCM_Survey/UCM/ha_images.htm

Country-level gender inequality is associated with structural differences in the brains of women and men

男女間の不平等と脳の性差 --男女間の不平等は脳構造の性差と関連する--. 京都大学プレスリリース. 2023-05-10.Gender inequality across the world has been associated with a higher risk to mental health problems and lower academic achievement in women compared to men. We also know that the brain is shaped by nurturing and adverse socio-environmental experiences. Therefore, unequal exposure to harsher conditions for women compared to men in gender-unequal countries might be reflected in differences in their brain structure, and this could be the neural mechanism partly explaining women’s worse outcomes in gender-unequal countries. We examined this through a random-effects meta-analysis on cortical thickness and surface area differences between adult healthy men and women, including a meta-regression in which country-level gender inequality acted as an explanatory variable for the observed differences. A total of 139 samples from 29 different countries, totaling 7, 876 MRI scans, were included. Thickness of the right hemisphere, and particularly the right caudal anterior cingulate, right medial orbitofrontal, and left lateral occipital cortex, presented no differences or even thicker regional cortices in women compared to men in gender-equal countries, reversing to thinner cortices in countries with greater gender inequality. These results point to the potentially hazardous effect of gender inequality on women’s brains and provide initial evidence for neuroscience-informed policies for gender equality

Country-level gender inequality is associated with structural differences in the brains of women and men

Gender inequality across the world has been associated with a higher risk to mental health problems and lower academic achievement in women compared to men. We also know that the brain is shaped by nurturing and adverse socio-environmental experiences. Therefore, unequal exposure to harsher conditions for women compared to men in gender-unequal countries might be reflected in differences in their brain structure, and this could be the neural mechanism partly explaining women's worse outcomes in gender-unequal countries. We examined this through a random-effects meta-analysis on cortical thickness and surface area differences between adult healthy men and women, including a meta-regression in which country-level gender inequality acted as an explanatory variable for the observed differences. A total of 139 samples from 29 different countries, totaling 7,876 MRI scans, were included. Thickness of the right hemisphere, and particularly the right caudal anterior cingulate, right medial orbitofrontal, and left lateral occipital cortex, presented no differences or even thicker regional cortices in women compared to men in gender-equal countries, reversing to thinner cortices in countries with greater gender inequality. These results point to the potentially hazardous effect of gender inequality on women's brains and provide initial evidence for neuroscience-informed policies for gender equality

The Changing Landscape for Stroke\ua0Prevention in AF: Findings From the GLORIA-AF Registry Phase 2

Background GLORIA-AF (Global Registry on Long-Term Oral Antithrombotic Treatment in Patients with Atrial Fibrillation) is a prospective, global registry program describing antithrombotic treatment patterns in patients with newly diagnosed nonvalvular atrial fibrillation at risk of stroke. Phase 2 began when dabigatran, the first non\u2013vitamin K antagonist oral anticoagulant (NOAC), became available. Objectives This study sought to describe phase 2 baseline data and compare these with the pre-NOAC era collected during phase 1. Methods During phase 2, 15,641 consenting patients were enrolled (November 2011 to December 2014); 15,092 were eligible. This pre-specified cross-sectional analysis describes eligible patients\u2019 baseline characteristics. Atrial fibrillation disease characteristics, medical outcomes, and concomitant diseases and medications were collected. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics. Results Of the total patients, 45.5% were female; median age was 71 (interquartile range: 64, 78) years. Patients were from Europe (47.1%), North America (22.5%), Asia (20.3%), Latin America (6.0%), and the Middle East/Africa (4.0%). Most had high stroke risk (CHA2DS2-VASc [Congestive heart failure, Hypertension, Age  6575 years, Diabetes mellitus, previous Stroke, Vascular disease, Age 65 to 74 years, Sex category] score  652; 86.1%); 13.9% had moderate risk (CHA2DS2-VASc = 1). Overall, 79.9% received oral anticoagulants, of whom 47.6% received NOAC and 32.3% vitamin K antagonists (VKA); 12.1% received antiplatelet agents; 7.8% received no antithrombotic treatment. For comparison, the proportion of phase 1 patients (of N = 1,063 all eligible) prescribed VKA was 32.8%, acetylsalicylic acid 41.7%, and no therapy 20.2%. In Europe in phase 2, treatment with NOAC was more common than VKA (52.3% and 37.8%, respectively); 6.0% of patients received antiplatelet treatment; and 3.8% received no antithrombotic treatment. In North America, 52.1%, 26.2%, and 14.0% of patients received NOAC, VKA, and antiplatelet drugs, respectively; 7.5% received no antithrombotic treatment. NOAC use was less common in Asia (27.7%), where 27.5% of patients received VKA, 25.0% antiplatelet drugs, and 19.8% no antithrombotic treatment. Conclusions The baseline data from GLORIA-AF phase 2 demonstrate that in newly diagnosed nonvalvular atrial fibrillation patients, NOAC have been highly adopted into practice, becoming more frequently prescribed than VKA in Europe and North America. Worldwide, however, a large proportion of patients remain undertreated, particularly in Asia and North America. (Global Registry on Long-Term Oral Antithrombotic Treatment in Patients With Atrial Fibrillation [GLORIA-AF]; NCT01468701

Prevalence, associated factors and outcomes of pressure injuries in adult intensive care unit patients: the DecubICUs study

Funder: European Society of Intensive Care Medicine; doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.13039/501100013347Funder: Flemish Society for Critical Care NursesAbstract: Purpose: Intensive care unit (ICU) patients are particularly susceptible to developing pressure injuries. Epidemiologic data is however unavailable. We aimed to provide an international picture of the extent of pressure injuries and factors associated with ICU-acquired pressure injuries in adult ICU patients. Methods: International 1-day point-prevalence study; follow-up for outcome assessment until hospital discharge (maximum 12 weeks). Factors associated with ICU-acquired pressure injury and hospital mortality were assessed by generalised linear mixed-effects regression analysis. Results: Data from 13,254 patients in 1117 ICUs (90 countries) revealed 6747 pressure injuries; 3997 (59.2%) were ICU-acquired. Overall prevalence was 26.6% (95% confidence interval [CI] 25.9–27.3). ICU-acquired prevalence was 16.2% (95% CI 15.6–16.8). Sacrum (37%) and heels (19.5%) were most affected. Factors independently associated with ICU-acquired pressure injuries were older age, male sex, being underweight, emergency surgery, higher Simplified Acute Physiology Score II, Braden score 3 days, comorbidities (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, immunodeficiency), organ support (renal replacement, mechanical ventilation on ICU admission), and being in a low or lower-middle income-economy. Gradually increasing associations with mortality were identified for increasing severity of pressure injury: stage I (odds ratio [OR] 1.5; 95% CI 1.2–1.8), stage II (OR 1.6; 95% CI 1.4–1.9), and stage III or worse (OR 2.8; 95% CI 2.3–3.3). Conclusion: Pressure injuries are common in adult ICU patients. ICU-acquired pressure injuries are associated with mainly intrinsic factors and mortality. Optimal care standards, increased awareness, appropriate resource allocation, and further research into optimal prevention are pivotal to tackle this important patient safety threat

Correction to: Prevalence, associated factors and outcomes of pressure injuries in adult intensive care unit patients: the DecubICUs study

The original version of this article unfortunately contained a mistake