108 research outputs found
Analysis of the evolution and collaboration networks of citizen science scientific publications
The term citizen science refers to a broad set of practices developed in a growing number of areas of knowledge and characterized by the active citizen participation in some or several stages of the research process. Definitions, classifications and terminology remain open, reflecting that citizen science is an evolving phenomenon, a spectrum of practices whose classification may be useful but never unique or definitive. The aim of this article is to study citizen science publications in journals indexed by WoS, in particular how they have evolved in the last 20 years and the collaboration networks which have been created among the researchers in that time. In principle, the evolution can be analyzed, in a quantitative way, by the usual tools, such as the number of publications, authors, and impact factor of the papers, as well as the set of different research areas including citizen science as an object of study. But as citizen science is a transversal concept which appears in almost all scientific disciplines, this study becomes a multifaceted problem which is only partially modelled with the usual bibliometric magnitudes. It is necessary to consider new tools to parametrize a set of complementary properties. Thus, we address the study of the citizen science expansion and evolution in terms of the properties of the graphs which encode relations between scientists by studying co-authorship and the consequent networks of collaboration. This approach - not used until now in research on citizen science, as far as we know- allows us to analyze the properties of these networks through graph theory, and complement the existing quantitative research. The results obtained lead mainly to: (a) a better understanding of the current state of citizen science in the international academic system-by countries, by areas of knowledge, by interdisciplinary communities-as an increasingly legitimate expanding methodology, and (b) a greater knowledge of collaborative networks and their evolution, within and between research communities, which allows a certain margin of predictability as well as the definition of better cooperation strategies
An imbalance in Akt/mTOR is involved in the apoptotic and acantholytic processes in a mouse model of pemphigus vulgaris
Pemphigus vulgaris (PV) is an autoimmune blistering disease characterized by the presence of IgG autoantibodies against Dsg3. Our aim was to investigate the molecular events implicated in the development and localization of apoptosis and acantholysis in PV. We used a passive transfer mouse model together with immunohistochemical (IHC) techniques and the TUNEL assay, with quantification analysis in the basal layer of the epidermis. The activated signalling molecules analysed and apoptotic cells detected showed an identical localization. Herein, we found for the first time in vivo an increased expression of activated HER receptor isoforms in the basal layer in PV lesions. Besides, we observed the almost total lack of activated Akt compared with a higher level of activated mTOR within the basal cells of the epidermis. Our observations strongly support that the restriction of acantholysis to the basal layer may be due, at least in part, to the selective and increased presence of activated HER receptor isoforms in these cells. After phosphorylation of HER receptor isoforms, intracellular signalling pathways are activated in the basal layer. In addition, the imbalance in Akt/mTOR that takes place in the basal cells may provide intracellular signals necessary for the development of apoptosis and acantholysi
Finding What You Need: A Guide to Citizen Science Guidelines
In line with the growth in citizen science projects and participants, there are an increasing number of guidelines on different aspects of citizen science (e.g. specific concepts and methodologies; data management; and project implementation) pitched at different levels of experience and expertise. However, it is not always easy for practitioners to know which is the most suitable guideline for their needs. This chapter presents a general classification of guidelines, illustrating and analysing examples of each type. Drawing on the EU-Citizen.Science project, we outline criteria for categorising guidelines to enable users to find the right one and to ensure that guidelines reach their intended audience. We discuss challenges and weaknesses around the use and creation of guidelines and, as a practical conclusion, provide a set of recommendations to consider when creating guidelines
Plasticity and cardiovascular applications of multipotent adult progenitor cells
Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death worldwide, which
has encouraged the search for new therapies that enable the treatment of
patients in palliative and curative ways. In the past decade, the potential
benefit of transplantation of cells that are able to substitute for the injured
tissue has been studied with several cell populations, such as stem cells.
Some of these cell populations, such as myoblasts and bone marrow cells,
are already being used in clinical trials. The laboratory of CM Verfaillie has
studied primitive progenitors, termed multipotent adult progenitor cells,
which can be isolated from adult bone marrow. These cells can differentiate
in vitro at the single-cell level into functional cells that belong to the three
germ layers and contribute to most, if not all, somatic cell types after
blastocyst injection. This remarkably broad differentiation potential makes
this particular cell population a candidate for transplantation in tissues
in need of regeneration. Here, we focus on the regenerative capacity of
multipotent adult progenitor cells in several ischemic mouse models, such
as acute and chronic myocardial infarction and limb ischemia
A Multimodal Scaffold for SDF1 Delivery Improves Cardiac Function in a Rat Subacute Myocardial Infarct Model
Ischemic heart disease is one of the leading causes of death worldwide. The efficient delivery of therapeutic growth factors could counteract the adverse prognosis of post-myocardial infarction (post-MI). In this study, a collagen hydrogel that is able to load and appropriately deliver pro-angiogenic stromal cell-derived factor 1 (SDF1) was physically coupled with a compact collagen membrane in order to provide the suture strength required for surgical implantation. This bilayer collagen-on-collagen scaffold (bCS) showed the suitable physicochemical properties that are needed for efficient implantation, and the scaffold was able to deliver therapeutic growth factors after MI. In vitro collagen matrix biodegradation led to a sustained SDF1 release and a lack of cytotoxicity in the relevant cell cultures. In vivo intervention in a rat subacute MI model resulted in the full integration of the scaffold into the heart after implantation and biocompatibility with the tissue, with a prevalence of anti-inflammatory and pro-angiogenic macrophages, as well as evidence of revascularization and improved cardiac function after 60 days. Moreover, the beneficial effect of the released SDF1 on heart remodeling was confirmed by a significant reduction in cardiac tissue stiffness. Our findings demonstrate that this multimodal scaffold is a desirable matrix that can be used as a drug delivery system and a scaffolding material to promote functional recovery after MI
Characterization of the paracrine effects of human skeletal myoblasts transplanted in infarcted myocardium
The discrepancy between the functional improvements yielded experimentally by skeletal myoblasts (SM) transplanted in
infarcted myocardium and the paucity of their long-term engraftment has raised the hypothesis of cell-mediated paracrine mechanisms.
Methods and results: We analyzed gene expression and growth factors released by undifferentiated human SM (CD56+), myotubes (SM
cultured until confluence) and fibroblasts-like cells (CD56−). Gene expression revealed up-regulation of pro-angiogenic (PGF), antiapoptotics
(BAG-1, BCL-2), heart development (TNNT2, TNNC1) and extracellular matrix remodelling (MMP-2, MMP-7) genes in SM. In
line with the gene expression profile, the analysis of culture supernatants of SM by ELISA identified the release of growth factors involved in
angiogenesis (VEGF, PIGF, angiogenin, angiopoietin, HGF and PDGF-BB) as well as proteases involved in matrix remodelling (MMP2,
MMP9 and MMP10) and their inhibitors (TIMPs). Culture of smooth muscle cells (SMC), cardiomyocytes (HL-1) and human umbilical vein
endothelial cells (HUVECs) with SM-released conditioned media demonstrated an increased proliferation of HUVEC, SMC and
cardiomyocytes (pb0.05) and a decrease in apoptosis of cardiomyocytes (pb0.05). Analysis of nude rats transplanted with human SM
demonstrated expression of human-specific MMP-2, TNNI3, CNN3, PGF, TNNT2, PAX7, TGF-β, and IGF-1 1 month after transplant.
Conclusions: Our data support the paracrine hypothesis whereby myoblast-secreted factors may contribute to the beneficial effects of
myogenic cell transplantation in infarcted myocardium.
© 2008 European Society of Cardiology. Published by Elsevie
Transplantation of mesenchymal stem cells exerts a greater long-term effect than bone marrow mononuclear cells in a chronic myocardial infarction model in rat
The aim of this study is to assess the long-term effect of mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) transplantation in
a rat model of chronic myocardial infarction (MI) in comparison with the effect of bone marrow mononuclear
cells (BM-MNC) transplant. Five weeks after induction of MI, rats were allocated to receive intramyocardial
injection of 106 GFP-expressing cells (BM-MNC or MSC) or medium as control. Heart function
(echocardiography and 18F-FDG-microPET) and histological studies were performed 3 months after transplantation
and cell fate was analyzed along the experiment (1 and 2 weeks and 1 and 3 months). The main
findings of this study were that both BM-derived populations, BM-MNC and MSC, induced a long-lasting
(3 months) improvement in LVEF (BM-MNC: 26.61 ± 2.01% to 46.61 ± 3.7%, p < 0.05; MSC: 27.5 ±
1.28% to 38.8 ± 3.2%, p < 0.05) but remarkably, only MSC improved tissue metabolism quantified by 18FFDG
uptake (71.15 ± 1.27 to 76.31 ± 1.11, p < 0.01), which was thereby associated with a smaller infarct size
and scar collagen content and also with a higher revascularization degree. Altogether, results show that MSC
provides a long-term superior benefit than whole BM-MNC transplantation in a rat model of chronic MI
Hematopoietic reconstitution by multipotent adult progenitor cells: precursors to long-term hematopoietic stem cells
For decades, in vitro expansion of transplantable hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) has been an elusive goal. Here, we demonstrate that multipotent adult progenitor cells (MAPCs), isolated from green fluorescent protein (GFP)-transgenic mice and expanded in vitro for >40–80 population doublings, are capable of multilineage hematopoietic engraftment of immunodeficient mice. Among MAPC-derived GFP+CD45.2+ cells in the bone marrow of engrafted mice, HSCs were present that could radioprotect and reconstitute multilineage hematopoiesis in secondary and tertiary recipients, as well as myeloid and lymphoid hematopoietic progenitor subsets and functional GFP+ MAPC-derived lymphocytes that were functional. Although hematopoietic contribution by MAPCs was comparable to control KTLS HSCs, approximately 103-fold more MAPCs were required for efficient engraftment. Because GFP+ host-derived CD45.1+ cells were not observed, fusion is not likely to account for the generation of HSCs by MAPCs
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