Differential effects of coverslip-induced hypoxia and cobalt chloride mimetic hypoxia on cellular stress, metabolism, and nuclear structure.

Hypoxia has profound effects on cell physiology, both in normal or pathological settings like cancer. In this study, we asked whether a variant of coverslip-induced hypoxia that recapitulates the conditions found in the tumor microenvironment would elicit similar cellular responses compared to the well established model of cobalt chloride-induced hypoxia. Comparable levels of nuclear HIF-1α were observed after 24 h of coverslip-induced hypoxia or cobalt chloride treatment in CAL-27 oral squamous carcinoma cells. However, cellular stress levels assessed by reactive oxygen species production and lipid droplet accumulation were markedly increased in coverslip-induced hypoxia compared to cobalt chloride treatment. Conversely, mitochondrial ATP production sharply decreased after coverslip-induced hypoxia but was preserved in the presence of cobalt chloride. Coverslip-induced hypoxia also had profound effects in nuclear organization, assessed by changes in nuclear dry mass distribution, whereas these effects were much less marked after cobalt chloride treatment. Taken together, our results show that coverslip-induced hypoxia effects on cell physiology and structure are more pronounced than mimetic hypoxia induced by cobalt chloride treatment. Considering also the simplicity of coverslip-induced hypoxia, our results therefore underscore the usefulness of this method to recapitulate in vitro the effects of hypoxic microenvironments encountered by cells in vivo.

Real-time phase retrieval in division of aperture microscopy with the transport of intensity equation.

The transport of intensity equation (TIE) allows to recover the phase of a microscopy sample from differently focused intensity measures along the axial direction of its optical field. In the present work, we propose a cost-effective technique for snapshot phase retrieval with TIE. The optics of a commercially available camera is replaced with a doublet system consisting of a microscope objective and a lenslet array with an extra lens mask attached to it. The system allows to obtain, in real-time and with no mechanical shift of either the sample or the sensor, the in-focus as well as a defocused image of the sample. From these two sub-aperture images, the intensity derivative term in TIE can then be approximated after image rectification. Phase is then retrieved for static as well as dynamic samples over the common view area. Validation experiments are presented.

Spatial perception in stereoscopic augmented reality based on multifocus sensing.

In many areas ranging from medical imaging to visual entertainment, 3D information acquisition and display is a key task. In this regard, in multifocus computational imaging, stacks of images of a certain 3D scene are acquired under different focus configurations and are later combined by means of post-capture algorithms based on image formation model in order to synthesize images with novel viewpoints of the scene. Stereoscopic augmented reality devices, through which is possible to simultaneously visualize the three dimensional real world along with overlaid digital stereoscopic image pair, could benefit from the binocular content allowed by multifocus computational imaging. Spatial perception of the displayed stereo pairs can be controlled by synthesizing the desired point of view of each image of the stereo-pair along with their parallax setting. The proposed method has the potential to alleviate the accommodation-convergence conflict and make augmented reality stereoscopic devices less vulnerable to visual fatigue.

Sensory Schwann cells set perceptual thresholds for touch and selectively regulate mechanical nociception.

Previous work identified nociceptive Schwann cells that can initiate pain. Consistent with the existence of inherently mechanosensitive sensory Schwann cells, we found that in mice, the mechanosensory function of almost all nociceptors, including those signaling fast pain, were dependent on sensory Schwann cells. In polymodal nociceptors, sensory Schwann cells signal mechanical, but not cold or heat pain. Terminal Schwann cells also surround mechanoreceptor nerve-endings within the Meissner's corpuscle and in hair follicle lanceolate endings that both signal vibrotactile touch. Within Meissner´s corpuscles, two molecularly and functionally distinct sensory Schwann cells positive for Sox10 and Sox2 differentially modulate rapidly adapting mechanoreceptor function. Using optogenetics we show that Meissner's corpuscle Schwann cells are necessary for the perception of low threshold vibrotactile stimuli. These results show that sensory Schwann cells within diverse glio-neural mechanosensory end-organs are sensors for mechanical pain as well as necessary for touch perception.

Class size as a determinant factor in dietary changes in nursing students / El tamaño de la clase como factor determinante en los cambios dietéticos en estudiantes de enfermería

Introduction: While nursing students receive foundational education in biochemistry and nutrition during their first year of studies, the influence of nutrition education at the university level on their dietary behavior, particularly considering class size, remains unclear.Aim: The aim of this study is to assess the impact of a nutrition course on dietary changes among undergraduate nursing students, taking into account the size of the class group.Methodology: A pre-post quasi-experimental study with a within-subject design was conducted, measuring the baseline period (T0-T1) and intervention period (T1-T2). The educational intervention focused on providing basic nutritional knowledge about nutrients, balanced diets and the Mediterranean Diet within a Faculty of Medicine and Nursing. Participants included first-year undergraduate nursing students, divided into three groups based on class size: large group (n = 101), medium group (n = 70) and small group (n = 22). The frequency of recommended food group consumption for main, daily, weekly and occasional meals, as well as adherence to the Mediterranean Diet was analyzed.Findings: Only the small class group demonstrated a significant improvement in dietary quality following the educational intervention (p < 0.05), with increased consumption of fruits (p < 0.05), nuts (p < 0.001), and oily fish (p < 0.05).Discussion: Choosing the best teaching strategy can be crucial in getting nursing students to put healthy dietary knowledge into practice to improve their eating habits.Conclusions: The findings suggest that enhancing students’ personal dietary habits can contribute to the improvement of their nutrition counseling skills.(AU)

Contributions of viral oncogenes of HPV-18 and hypoxia to oxidative stress and genetic damage in human keratinocytes.

Infection with high-risk human papillomaviruses like HPV-16 and HPV-18 is highly associated with the development of cervical and other cancers. Malignant transformation requires viral oncoproteins E5, E6 and E7, which promote cell proliferation and increase DNA damage. Oxidative stress and hypoxia are also key factors in cervical malignant transformation. Increased levels of reactive species of oxygen (ROS) and nitrogen (RNS) are found in the hypoxic tumor microenvironment, promoting genetic instability and invasiveness. In this work, we studied the combined effect of E5, E6 and E7 and hypoxia in increasing oxidative stress and promoting DNA damage and nuclear architecture alterations. HaCaT cells containing HPV-18 viral oncogenes (HaCaT E5/E6/E7-18) showed higher ROS levels in normoxia and higher levels of RNS in hypoxia compared to HaCaT parental cells, as well as higher genetic damage in hypoxia as measured by γH2AX and comet assays. In hypoxia, HaCaT E5/E6/E7-18 increased its nuclear dry mass and both cell types displayed marked heterogeneity in nuclear dry mass distribution and increased nuclear foci. Our results show contributions of both viral oncogenes and hypoxia to oxidative stress, DNA damage and altered nuclear architecture, exemplifying how an altered microenvironment combines with oncogenic transformation to promote tumor progression.

Percepción de enfermedad y calidad de vida en pacientes con inyecciones ilícitas de biopolímeros cosméticos: estudio transversal / Disease perception and quality of life in patients with illicit cosmetic biopolymers injections: a cross-sectional study

Introducción y objetivo: La enfermedad inducida por adyuvantes (EIA) secundaria a inyección de biopolímeros es reciente pero compleja, con un alto impacto en la mortalidad, la salud de los pacientes y en su calidad de vida. La percepción de enfermedad se considera un factor influyente para que los pacientes busquen ayuda y prevengan la evolución de la misma. El objetivo del presente estudio es evaluar cómo los pacientes con EIA por inyección ilícita de biopolímeros perciben su enfermedad y cómo el proceso de la enfermedad afecta a su calidad de vida. Material y método: Estudio descriptivo transversal utilizando el Cuestionario Brief IPQ que incluyó pacientes mayores de 18 años con inyecciones ilícitas de biopolímeros; fueron excluidos los pacientes con resección completa del biomaterial. Resultados: Un total de 441 mujeres con una edad media de 35 años respondieron a la encuesta. Observamos una asociación significativa entre mala percepción de la enfermedad y deterioro de la calidad de vida con la inyección ilícita de biopolímeros. Conclusiones: Nuestro estudio sugiere que la EIA por inyección ilícita de biopolímeros tiene un alto impacto en la calidad de vida de los pacientes. El uso ilegal de estos materiales es una práctica que no solo tiene repercusiones en la calidad de vida, sino que puede tener riesgos y consecuencias letales. (AU)

Background and objective: Adjuvant human disease (AHD) by injection of modeling substances is a relatively recent yet complex disease with a high impact on mortality, health of patients and their quality of life. Disease perception is considered an influential factor for patients to seek help and prevent disease evolution to detrimental outcomes. The objective of this study is to assess how patients with AHD by injection of illicit cosmetic biopolymers perceive their illness and how the disease process impacts their quality of life. Methods: Descriptive cross-sectional study using the Brief IPQ Questionnaire which included female patients with biopolymer injection. Inclusion criteria were patients older than 18 years with illicit cosmetic biopolymer injections; patients with complete surgical resection of the biomaterial were excluded. Results: A total of 441 females with a mean age of 35 years responded to the survey. A significant association between poor illness perception, quality of life deterioration, and illicit cosmetic biopolymer injection was observed. Conclusions: Our study suggests that AHD by injection of illicit cosmetic biopolymers has a high impact on the patient's quality of life. The illegal use of these materials is a practice that carries not only repercussions on quality of life but is considered to have life-threatening risks and lethal consequences. (AU)

Generalized Hough transform for 3D object recognition and visualization in integral imaging.

Object recognition is an automated image processing application of great interest in areas ranging from defect inspection to robot vision. In this regard, the generalized Hough transform is a well-established technique for the recognition of geometrical features even when they are partially occluded or corrupted by noise. To extend the original algorithm-aimed at detecting 2D geometrical features out of single images-we propose the robust integral generalized Hough transform, which corresponds to transformation under the generalized Hough transform of an elemental image array obtained from a 3D scene under integral imaging capture. The proposed algorithm constitutes a robust approach to pattern recognition in 3D scenes that takes into account information obtained not only from the individual processing of each image of the array but also from the spatial restrictions arising from perspective shifts between images. The problem of global detection of a 3D object of given size, position, and orientation is then exchanged under the robust integral generalized Hough transform for a more easily solved maximum detection in an accumulation (Hough) space dual to the elemental image array of the scene. Detected objects can then be visualized following refocusing schemes of integral imaging. Validation experiments for the detection and visualization of partially occluded 3D objects are presented. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first implementation of the generalized Hough transform for 3D object detection in integral imaging.

[Factors related to sleep quality in Emergency Medical Technicians and their sleep habits during COVID-19 pandemic.] / Factores relacionados con la calidad de sueño de los técnicos en emergencias sanitarias y sus hábitos de sueño durante la pandemia de COVID-19.

OBJECTIVE: Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs) show a high prevalence of sleep problems. Adding to these problems, another factor appeared two years ago: the COVID-19 pandemic. The objectives of this study were to describe the sleep quality and habits in a sample of EMTs in Spain during COVID-19 pandemic considering the factors related to them. METHODS: A national cross-sectional study was carried out in Spain between October 2020 and February 2021. EMTs who worked in basic and advanced life support ambulances were invited to participate in an online survey. Several sociodemographic variables were analyzed, as well as sleep quality, stress symptoms, pain, food consumption and physical activity. Logistic regression models were used to examine the associations between these variables and sleep quality. RESULTS: 340 EMTs participated in the study. Of them, 59.4% had poor sleep quality and the habits of 32.2% got worse during the pandemic. The EMTs with a poor sleep quality presented in higher proportion stress symptoms (OR: 4.19; 95% CI: 2.16-8.11; p<0.001), pain (OR: 3.19; 95% CI: 1.7-6.01; p<0.001) and a weekly consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages greater than two glasses (OR: 3.6; 95% CI: 1.86-6.98; p<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: EMTs show a high prevalence of poor sleep quality, which got worse during the pandemic. The factors related to them are stress, pain and consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages. This study provides important information so that the emergency services can develop health promotion programs focused on these professionals.

OBJETIVO: Los Técnicos en Emergencias Sanitarias (TES) presentan una alta prevalencia de problemas de sueño. A estos problemas se sumó otro factor hace dos años: la pandemia de la COVID-19. Los objetivos de este estudio fueron describir la calidad y hábitos de sueño en una muestra de TES en España durante la pandemia, teniendo en cuenta sus factores relacionados. METODOS: Se realizó un estudio transversal de carácter nacional, que fue desarrollado en España entre octubre de 2020 y febrero de 2021. Los TES que trabajaban en ambulancias de Soporte Vital Básico o Avanzado fueron invitados a participar en un cuestionario online. Se analizaron varias variables sociodemográficas, la calidad del sueño, los síntomas de estrés, el dolor, el consumo alimentario y la actividad física. Se utilizaron modelos de regresión logística para examinar las asociaciones entre estas variables y la calidad de sueño. RESULTADOS: Participaron 340 TES en el estudio. La calidad de sueño del 59,4% era mala y los hábitos de sueño del 32,2% empeoraron durante la pandemia. Aquellos con un sueño de mala calidad presentaban en mayor proporción síntomas de estrés (OR: 4,19; IC 95%: 2,16-8,11; p<0,001), dolor (OR: 3,19; IC 95%: 1,7-6,01; p<0,001) y un consumo semanal de bebidas azucaradas superior a dos vasos semanales (OR: 3,6; IC 95%: 1,86-6,98; p<0,001). CONCLUSIONES: Los TES presentan una alta prevalencia de mala calidad de sueño, habiendo empeorado además durante la pandemia. Entre sus factores relacionados se encuentran el estrés, el dolor y el consumo de bebidas azucaradas. Este estudio aporta información importante para que los servicios de emergencias puedan desarrollar programas de promoción de la salud centrados en estos profesionales.

Factores relacionados con la calidad de sueño de los técnicos en emergencias sanitarias y sus hábitos de sueño durante la pandemia de COVID-19 / Factors related to sleep quality in Emergency Medical Technicians and their sleep habits during COVID-19 pandemic

Fundamentos: Los Técnicos en Emergencias Sanitarias (TES) presentan una alta prevalencia de problemas de sueño. A estosproblemas se sumó otro factor hace dos años: la pandemia de la COVID-19. Los objetivos de este estudio fueron describir la calidad yhábitos de sueño en una muestra de TES en España durante la pandemia, teniendo en cuenta sus factores relacionados.Métodos: Se realizó un estudio transversal de carácter nacional, que fue desarrollado en España entre octubre de 2020 y febrerode 2021. Los TES que trabajaban en ambulancias de Soporte Vital Básico o Avanzado fueron invitados a participar en un cuestionarioonline. Se analizaron varias variables sociodemográficas, la calidad del sueño, los síntomas de estrés, el dolor, el consumo alimentario yla actividad física. Se utilizaron modelos de regresión logística para examinar las asociaciones entre estas variables y la calidad de sueño.Resultados: Participaron 340 TES en el estudio. La calidad de sueño del 59,4% era mala y los hábitos de sueño del 32,2%empeoraron durante la pandemia. Aquellos con un sueño de mala calidad presentaban en mayor proporción síntomas de estrés (OR:4,19; IC 95%: 2,16-8,11; p<0,001), dolor (OR: 3,19; IC 95%: 1,7-6,01; p<0,001) y un consumo semanal de bebidas azucaradas superior a dosvasos semanales (OR: 3,6; IC 95%: 1,86-6,98; p<0,001).Conclusiones: Los TES presentan una alta prevalencia de mala calidad de sueño, habiendo empeorado además durante lapandemia. Entre sus factores relacionados se encuentran el estrés, el dolor y el consumo de bebidas azucaradas. Este estudio aportainformación importante para que los servicios de emergencias puedan desarrollar programas de promoción de la salud centradosen estos profesionales.(AU)

Bacjkground: Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs) show a high prevalence of sleep problems. Adding to these problems,another factor appeared two years ago: the COVID-19 pandemic. The objectives of this study were to describe the sleep quality andhabits in a sample of EMTs in Spain during COVID-19 pandemic considering the factors related to them.Methods: A national cross-sectional study was carried out in Spain between October 2020 and February 2021. EMTs who workedin basic and advanced life support ambulances were invited to participate in an online survey. Several sociodemographic variableswere analyzed, as well as sleep quality, stress symptoms, pain, food consumption and physical activity. Logistic regression modelswere used to examine the associations between these variables and sleep quality.Results: 340 EMTs participated in the study. Of them, 59.4% had poor sleep quality and the habits of 32.2% got worse during thepandemic. The EMTs with a poor sleep quality presented in higher proportion stress symptoms (OR: 4.19; 95% CI: 2.16-8.11; p<0.001),pain (OR: 3.19; 95% CI: 1.7-6.01; p<0.001) and a weekly consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages greater than two glasses (OR: 3.6;95% CI: 1.86-6.98; p<0.001).Conclusions: EMTs show a high prevalence of poor sleep quality, which got worse during the pandemic. The factors relatedto them are stress, pain and consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages. This study provides important information so that theemergency services can develop health promotion programs focused on these professionals.(AU)

Elecciones y creencias alimentarias: interrelación con la adherencia a la dieta mediterránea, preferencias alimentarias y consumo de alimentos en estudiantes de enfermería / Dietary choices and beliefs: interrelationship with mediterranean dietadherence, food preferences and food consumption in nursing students

Introducción: Las creencias sobre alimentación y la elección de los alimentos condicionan la dieta del alumnado universitario. El objetivo de este estudio es analizar los cambios de las preferencias alimentarias, la dieta y la Adherencia a la Dieta Mediterránea en relación a las creencias irracionales y la elección de alimentos del alumnado del Grado en Enfermería al inicio de la carrera universitaria.Material y Métodos: Estudio pre-post cuasiexperimental con diseño intrasujeto, donde estudiantes de enfermería, de forma anónima, rellenaron cuestionarios de frecuencia de consumo, creencias alimentarias, elección y preferencias de alimentos al inicio de la carrera universitaria y 15 semanas más tarde, tras cursar la asignatura de nutrición.Resultados: 196 estudiantes, en su mayoría mujeres, completaron los cuestionarios. Tras cursar el primer cuatrimestre, disminuyeron sus creencias irracionales (p<0,001) y mejoró el consumo de alimentos, disminuyendo la preferencia por carne (p<0,001), repostería (p<0,05) y aperitivos (p<0,05). Además, el alumnado con mayores creencias irracionales presenta mayor consumo de cereales (p<0,05), repostería (p<0,001) y refrescos (p<0,001) y tiene la repostería entre sus favoritos (p<0,05). Por último, el estudiantado con mayores buenas elecciones de alimentos presenta una mejor Adherencia a la Dieta Mediterránea (p<0,001).Conclusiones: El inicio de la carrera universitaria implica cambios en las creencias sobre alimentación y en el consumo y las preferencias alimentarias entre el alumnado de Enfermería. Además, el consumo de alimentos y la calidad dietética están relacionados con menores creencias irracionales y mejores elecciones de alimentos. Cursar la asignatura de nutrición puede disminuir las creencias irracionales que influirían en la dieta.(AU)

Introduction: Irrational beliefs about food and foodchoices condition the diet of university students. The aim ofthis study is to analyze the changes in food preferences, dietand adherence to the Mediterranean Diet in relation to irra-tional beliefs and food choices of students of the Degree inNursing at the beginning of their university career.Material and Methods: Pre-post quasi-experimentalstudy with an intrasubject design, where nursing students,anonymously, filled out questionnaires on consumption frequency, food beliefs, food choices and preferences at the be-ginning of their university studies and 15 weeks later, aftertaking the nutrition course.Results: 196 students, mostly women, completed thequestionnaires. After the first term, their irrational beliefs de-creased (p<0.001) and food consumption improved, decreas-ing the preference for meat (p<0.001), pastries (p<0.05) andsnacks (p<0.05). In addition, students with higher irrationalbeliefs presented higher consumption of cereals (p<0.05),pastries (p<0.001) and soft drinks (p<0.001) and had pas-tries among their favorites (p<0.05). Finally, the studentswith better food choices had a better adherence to theMediterranean Diet (p<0.001).Conclusions: The beginning of the university career im-plies changes in food beliefs and food consumption andpreferences among nursing students. In addition, food con-sumption and dietary quality are related to a lower level ofirrational beliefs and better food choices. Taking the nutri-tion course may decrease irrational beliefs that would influ-ence diet.(AU)

Lack of evidence for participation of TMEM150C in sensory mechanotransduction.

The membrane protein TMEM150C has been proposed to form a mechanosensitive ion channel that is required for normal proprioceptor function. Here, we examined whether expression of TMEM150C in neuroblastoma cells lacking Piezo1 is associated with the appearance of mechanosensitive currents. Using three different modes of mechanical stimuli, indentation, membrane stretch, and substrate deflection, we could not evoke mechanosensitive currents in cells expressing TMEM150C. We next asked if TMEM150C is necessary for the normal mechanosensitivity of cutaneous sensory neurons. We used an available mouse model in which the Tmem150c locus was disrupted through the insertion of a LacZ cassette with a splice acceptor that should lead to transcript truncation. Analysis of these mice indicated that ablation of the Tmem150c gene was not complete in sensory neurons of the dorsal root ganglia (DRG). Using a CRISPR/Cas9 strategy, we made a second mouse model in which a large part of the Tmem150c gene was deleted and established that these Tmem150c-/- mice completely lack TMEM150C protein in the DRGs. We used an ex vivo skin nerve preparation to characterize the mechanosenstivity of mechanoreceptors and nociceptors in the glabrous skin of the Tmem150c-/- mice. We found no quantitative alterations in the physiological properties of any type of cutaneous sensory fiber in Tmem150c-/- mice. Since it has been claimed that TMEM150C is required for normal proprioceptor function, we made a quantitative analysis of locomotion in Tmem150c-/- mice. Here again, we found no indication that there was altered gait in Tmem150c-/- mice compared to wild-type controls. In summary, we conclude that existing mouse models that have been used to investigate TMEM150C function in vivo are problematic. Furthermore, we could find no evidence that TMEM150C forms a mechanosensitive channel or that it is necessary for the normal mechanosensitivity of cutaneous sensory neurons.

In vitro longitudinal lumbar spinal cord preparations to study sensory and recurrent motor microcircuits of juvenile mice.

In vitro spinal cord preparations have been extensively used to study microcircuits involved in the control of movement. By allowing precise control of experimental conditions coupled with state-of-the-art genetics, imaging, and electrophysiological techniques, isolated spinal cords from mice have been an essential tool in detailing the identity, connectivity, and function of spinal networks. The majority of the research has arisen from in vitro spinal cords of neonatal mice, which are still undergoing important postnatal maturation. Studies from adults have been attempted in transverse slices, however, these have been quite challenging due to the poor motoneuron accessibility and viability, as well as the extensive damage to the motoneuron dendritic trees. In this work, we describe two types of coronal spinal cord preparations with either the ventral or the dorsal horn ablated, obtained from mice of different postnatal ages, spanning from preweaned to 1 mo old. These semi-intact preparations allow recordings of sensory-afferent and motor-efferent responses from lumbar motoneurons using whole cell patch-clamp electrophysiology. We provide details of the slicing procedure and discuss the feasibility of whole cell recordings. The in vitro dorsal and ventral horn-ablated spinal cord preparations described here are a useful tool to study spinal motor circuits in young mice that have reached the adult stages of locomotor development.NEW & NOTEWORTHY In the past 20 years, most of the research into the mammalian spinal circuitry has been limited to in vitro preparations from embryonic and neonatal mice. We describe two in vitro longitudinal lumbar spinal cord preparations from juvenile mice that allow the study of motoneuron properties and respective afferent or efferent spinal circuits through whole cell patch clamp. These preparations will be useful to those interested in the study of microcircuits at mature stages of motor development.

Análisis de la dieta y la adherencia a la dieta mediterránea de los Técnicos en Emergencias Sanitarias y su evolucióndurante la pandemia COVID-19 en relación con factores sociodemográficos y de salud / Analysis of Emergency Medical Technicians’ diet and adherence to the Mediterranean diet, and their evolution during the COVID-19pandemic in relation to sociodemographic and health factors

Introducción: Los Técnicos en Emergencias Sanitarias presentan una alta prevalencia de sobrepeso y obesidad, lo que se ha relacionado con una menor adherencia a la dieta mediterránea y varios problemas de salud.Objetivos: Describir la dieta y la adherencia a la dieta mediterránea en una muestra de Técnicos en Emergencias Sanitarias en España y su evolución durante la pandemia COVID-19 teniendo en cuenta los factores sociodemográficos y de salud relacionados.Material y Métodos: Los participantes cumplimentaron un cuestionario online en el que se recogían: datos sociodemográficos y antropométricos, frecuencia de consumo alimentario, elección de platos saludables, autoeficacia para consumir frutas y verduras, cambios en la alimentación durante la pandemia, calidad de sueño y síntomas de estrés. Se calculó la adherencia a la dieta mediterránea y la relación entre estas variables.Resultados: Participaron 340 profesionales. Menos de un 25% cumplía las recomendaciones de consumo de verdura, fruta y cereales, y menos de un 35%, las de dulces, carne roja y frutos secos. Los técnicos con baja adherencia a la dieta mediterránea elegían menos platos saludables (p<0,001) y tenían un menor nivel de autoeficacia (p<0,001). Asimismo, los técnicos cuya alimentación empeoró durante la pandemia presentaban un sueño de peor calidad (p=0,025) y más síntomas de estrés (p<0,001).Discusión: Los Técnicos en Emergencias Sanitarias presentan una baja adherencia a la dieta mediterránea, la cual se asoció con una menor autoeficacia y una peor elección alimentaria.Conclusiones: Las intervenciones dirigidas a mejorar la alimentación de los Técnicos en Emergencias Sanitarias deben centrarse en mejorar su autoeficacia, su elección de platos saludables, su calidad de sueño y su nivel de estrés.(AU)

Introduction: Emergency Medical Technicians show ahigh prevalence of overweight and obesity, which have beenrelated to a low adherence to the Mediterranean diet and several health problems.Objetives: Describe the diet and the adherence to the Mediterranean diet in a sample of Emergency Medical Technicians in Spain and their evolution during the COVID-19pandemic considering the sociodemographic and health fac-tors related to them.Material and Methods: The participants completed anonline survey which collected: sociodemographic variables,food consumption, food choice, self-efficacy consumption offruits and vegetables, changes in diet during the pandemic, sleep quality and stress symptoms. Adherence to theMediterranean diet and the relationship between these variables were calculated. Results: 340 professionals participated. Less than 25%met the recommended intake of vegetables, fruits and ce-reals, and less than 35%, the intake of confectionery, redmeat and nuts. Technicians with a low adherence to the Mediterranean diet chose less healthy dishes (p<0.001)and had lower self-efficacy (p<0.001). Besides, technicianswhose diet quality got worse during the pandemic pre-sented poorer sleep quality (p=0.025) and more stresssymptoms (p<0.001).Discussion: Emergency Medical Technicians show a lowadherence to the Mediterranean diet, which was associatedwith a low self-efficacy and poor food choices. Conclusions: Interventions to improve Emergency MedicalTechnicians’ diet quality should focus on improving their self-efficacy, food choice, sleep quality and stress levels.(AU)

Computational multifocus fluorescence microscopy for three-dimensional visualization of multicellular tumor spheroids.

SIGNIFICANCE: Three-dimensional (3D) visualization of multicellular tumor spheroids (MCTS) in fluorescence microscopy can rapidly provide qualitative morphological information about the architecture of these cellular aggregates, which can recapitulate key aspects of their in vivo counterpart. AIM: The present work is aimed at overcoming the shallow depth-of-field (DoF) limitation in fluorescence microscopy while achieving 3D visualization of thick biological samples under study. APPROACH: A custom-built fluorescence microscope with an electrically focus-tunable lens was developed to optically sweep in-depth the structure of MCTS. Acquired multifocus stacks were combined by means of postprocessing algorithms performed in the Fourier domain. RESULTS: Images with relevant characteristics as extended DoF, stereoscopic pairs as well as reconstructed viewpoints of MCTS were obtained without segmentation of the focused regions or estimation of the depth map. The reconstructed images allowed us to observe the 3D morphology of cell aggregates. CONCLUSIONS: Computational multifocus fluorescence microscopy can provide 3D visualization in MCTS. This tool is a promising development in assessing the morphological structure of different cellular aggregates while preserving a robust yet simple optical setup.

USH2A is a Meissner's corpuscle protein necessary for normal vibration sensing in mice and humans.

Fingertip mechanoreceptors comprise sensory neuron endings together with specialized skin cells that form the end-organ. Exquisitely sensitive, vibration-sensing neurons are associated with Meissner's corpuscles in the skin. In the present study, we found that USH2A, a transmembrane protein with a very large extracellular domain, was found in terminal Schwann cells within Meissner's corpuscles. Pathogenic USH2A mutations cause Usher's syndrome, associated with hearing loss and visual impairment. We show that patients with biallelic pathogenic USH2A mutations also have clear and specific impairments in vibrotactile touch perception, as do mutant mice lacking USH2A. Forepaw rapidly adapting mechanoreceptors innervating Meissner's corpuscles, recorded from Ush2a-/- mice, showed large reductions in vibration sensitivity. However, the USH2A protein was not found in sensory neurons. Thus, loss of USH2A in corpuscular end-organs reduced mechanoreceptor sensitivity as well as vibration perception. Thus, a tether-like protein is required to facilitate detection of small-amplitude vibrations essential for the perception of fine-grained tactile surfaces.

Cdk5-Dependent Phosphorylation of CaV3.2 T-Type Channels: Possible Role in Nerve Ligation-Induced Neuropathic Allodynia and the Compound Action Potential in Primary Afferent C Fibers.

Voltage-gated T-type Ca2+ (CaV3) channels regulate diverse physiological events, including neuronal excitability, and have been linked to several pathological conditions such as absence epilepsy, cardiovascular diseases, and neuropathic pain. It is also acknowledged that calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II and protein kinases A and C regulate the activity of T-type channels. Interestingly, peripheral nerve injury induces tactile allodynia and upregulates CaV3.2 channels and cyclin-dependent kinase 5 (Cdk5) in dorsal root ganglia (DRG) and spinal dorsal horn. Here, we report that recombinant CaV3.2 channels expressed in HEK293 cells are regulatory targets of Cdk5. Site-directed mutagenesis showed that the relevant sites for this regulation are residues S561 and S1987. We also found that Cdk5 may regulate CaV3.2 channel functional expression in rats with mechanical allodynia induced by spinal nerve ligation (SNL). Consequently, the Cdk5 inhibitor olomoucine affected the compound action potential recorded in the spinal nerves, as well as the paw withdrawal threshold. Likewise, Cdk5 expression was upregulated after SNL in the DRG. These findings unveil a novel mechanism for how phosphorylation may regulate CaV3.2 channels and suggest that increased channel activity by Cdk5-mediated phosphorylation after SNL contributes nerve injury-induced tactile allodynia.SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Neuropathic pain is a current public health challenge. It can develop as a result of injury or nerve illness. It is acknowledged that the expression of various ion channels can be altered in neuropathic pain, including T-type Ca2+ channels that are expressed in sensory neurons, where they play a role in the regulation of cellular excitability. The present work shows that the exacerbated expression of Cdk5 in a preclinical model of neuropathic pain increases the functional expression of CaV3.2 channels. This finding is relevant for the understanding of the molecular pathophysiology of the disease. Additionally, this work may have a substantial translational impact, since it describes a novel molecular pathway that could represent an interesting therapeutic alternative for neuropathic pain.

Fully invariant generalized Hough transform by out-of-focus multiview sensing with pupil array.

Recognition of geometrical shapes in real-time and fully invariant (i.e., invariant under changes in position, scale, and orientation) is a demanding task in automated image analysis. In particular, the generalized Hough transform (GHT) is a well-known algorithm for the recognition of complex patterns out of edge binary images even with disconnected boundaries or corrupted by noise. In this work we present a space multiplexed optical implementation of the GHT which, by exploiting the redundancy derived from multiview sensing of a two-dimensional image and its out- of-focus capture with an adequate pupil array, allows us to obtain in a single shot the GHT of this image invariant to target shift, scale, and orientation. Experimental validation of the working principle is presented, along with an assessment of the robustness of the system against noise in the input.