A Fibrin Coating Method of Polypropylene Meshes Enables the Adhesion of Menstrual Blood-Derived Mesenchymal Stromal Cells: A New Delivery Strategy for Stem Cell-Based Therapies.

Polypropylene (PP) mesh is well-known as a gold standard of all prosthetic materials of choice for the reinforcement of soft tissues in case of hernia, organ prolapse, and urinary incontinence. The adverse effects that follow surgical mesh implantation remain an unmet medical challenge. Herein, it is outlined a new approach to allow viability and adhesion of human menstrual blood-derived mesenchymal stromal cells (MenSCs) on PP surgical meshes. A multilayered fibrin coating, based on fibrinogen and thrombin from a commercial fibrin sealant, was optimized to guarantee a homogeneous and stratified film on PP mesh. MenSCs were seeded on the optimized fibrin-coated meshes and their adhesion, viability, phenotype, gene expression, and immunomodulatory capacity were fully evaluated. This coating guaranteed MenSC viability, adhesion and did not trigger any change in their stemness and inflammatory profile. Additionally, MenSCs seeded on fibrin-coated meshes significantly decreased CD4+ and CD8+ T cell proliferation, compared to in vitro stimulated lymphocytes (p < 0.0001). Hence, the proposed fibrin coating for PP surgical meshes may allow the local administration of stromal cells and the reduction of the exacerbated inflammatory response following mesh implantation surgery. Reproducible and easy to adapt to other cell types, this method undoubtedly requires a multidisciplinary and translational approach to be improved for future clinical uses.

Improving Cell Viability and Velocity in µ-Extrusion Bioprinting with a Novel Pre-Incubator Bioprinter and a Standard FDM 3D Printing Nozzle.

Bioprinting is a promising emerging technology. It has been widely studied by the scientific community for the possibility to create transplantable artificial tissues, with minimal risk to the patient. Although the biomaterials and cells to be used are being carefully studied, there is still a long way to go before a bioprinter can easily and quickly produce printings without harmful effects on the cells. In this sense, we have developed a new µ-extrusion bioprinter formed by an Atom Proton 3D printer, an atmospheric enclosure and a new extrusion-head capable to increment usual printing velocity. Hence, this work has two main objectives. First, to experimentally study the accuracy and precision. Secondly, to study the influence of flow rates on cellular viability using this novel µ-extrusion bioprinter in combination with a standard FDM 3D printing nozzle. Our results show an X, Y and Z axis movement accuracy under 17 µm with a precision around 12 µm while the extruder values are under 5 and 7 µm, respectively. Additionally, the cell viability obtained from different volumetric flow tests varies from 70 to 90%. So, the proposed bioprinter and nozzle can control the atmospheric conditions and increase the volumetric flow speeding up the bioprinting process without compromising the cell viability.

Genetic and demographic recovery of an isolated population of brown bear Ursus arctos L., 1758.

The brown bear Ursus arctos L., 1758 population of the Cantabrian Mountains (northwestern Spain) became isolated from other bear populations in Europe about 500 years ago and has declined due to hunting and habitat degradation. At the beginning of the 20th century, the Cantabrian population split into eastern and western subpopulations, and genetic exchange between them ceased. In the early 1990s, total population size was estimated to be < 100 bears. Subsequently, reduction in human-caused mortality has brought about an increase in numbers, mainly in the western subpopulation, likely promoting male-mediated migration and gene flow from the western nucleus to the eastern. To evaluate the possible genetic recovery of the small and genetically depauperate eastern subpopulation, in 2013 and 2014 we genotyped hair and faeces samples (116 from the eastern subpopulation and 36 from the western) for 18 microsatellite markers. Data from the annual count of females with cubs of the year (COY) during the past twenty-six years was used to analyze demographic changes. The number of females with COY fell to a minimum of seven in the western and three in eastern subpopulations in the biennium 1993-1994 and reached a respective maximum of 54 and 10 individuals in 2013-2014. We also observed increased bear dispersal and gene flow, mainly from the western to the eastern subpopulation. Of the 26 unique genotypes detected in the eastern subpopulation, 14 (54%) presented an admixture composition, and seven (27%) were determined to be migrants from the western subpopulation. Hence, the two separated and clearly structured subpopulations identified in the past currently show some degree of genetic admixture. This research shows the partial demographic recovery and a change in genetic composition due to migration process in a population of bears that has been isolated for several centuries.

Resultados de la atención a gestantes con preeclampsia grave en Villa Clara (2009-2010) / Results of expectant women´s care with severe preeclampsy in Villa Clara (2009-2010)

Introducción: La preeclampsia representa un riesgo para la madre y el producto de la concepción. Objetivos: Describir los resultados de la atención a la gestante con preeclampsia grave en Villa Clara durante los años 2009 y 2010. Métodos: Estudio descriptivo de corte transversal en 238 gestantes que ingresaron en la sala de Cuidados Especiales Perinatales del Hospital Universitario Ginecoobstétrico Mariana Grajales con diagnóstico de preeclampsia grave en el período de enero del 2009 a diciembre del 2010. Resultados: Entre los 20 y 35 años, se diagnosticaron con preeclampsia grave 109 mujeres (71,0 por ciento). La media de edad fue de 27,3 años y predominó la nuliparidad (60,51 por ciento). El 47,90 por ciento de las gestantes tuvieron su parto antes de las 37 semanas de embarazo, y el 43,27 por ciento tuvieron recién nacidos con peso inferior a los 2 500 g; de ellos, 15 pesaron menos de 1 000 gramos (6,30 por ciento). Predominó la ausencia de complicaciones maternas y perinatales. Las principales complicaciones maternas resultaron la hipertensión persistente en el puerperio (13,02 por ciento) y el hematoma retroplacentario (9,24 por ciento); entre las complicaciones neonatales, se describen el bajo peso al nacer en el 43,27 por ciento, las hipocalcemias en el 17,64 por ciento y la sepsis en el 8,40 por ciento. En el período de estudio, no se informaron muertes maternas en la provincia. Conclusiones: La atención a la preeclampsia grave resultó en un mínimo de complicaciones maternas y perinatales y fue un factor decisivo para preservar la vida de las madres con este padecimiento(AU)

Caracterización clínico-epidemiológica de pacientes egresados con insuficiencia cardíaca / Clinical and epidemiological characterization of patients discharged with heart failure

Se estudiaron 112 pacientes con diagnóstico de insuficiencia cardíaca crónica -según los criterios de Framingham modificados- egresados del Hospital Provincial Universitario Arnaldo Milián Castro de Santa Clara, Villa Clara, en el período de enero a diciembre de 2010 con el objetivo de caracterizar, clínica y epidemiológicamente, el comportamiento intrahospitalario de ese síndrome. Predominó el sexo femenino (57.14 por ciento), la causa principal de la insuficiencia cardíaca fue la cardiopatía isquémica, la primera causa de descompensación fue la sepsis respiratoria, el número de fallecidos fue mayor entre los pacientes con dos o más comorbilidades -los que tenían disfunción sistólica y los tratados de manera inadecuada antes de ingresar- y las causas de muerte más frecuentes fueron la neumonía y el tromboembolismo pulmonar. Se concluyó que no se pudo demostrar una asociación entre los factores estudiados y la mortalidad y que aún el tratamiento previo al ingreso es inadecuado(AU)

Eritema polimorfo secundario al uso de la carbamazepina durante el embarazo: presentación de una paciente / Erythema multiforme secondary to the use of carbamazepine during pregnancy: report of a patient

Las farmacodermias generan en la piel cuadros clínicos muy diversos que, en ocasiones, imitan enfermedades dermatológicas muy bien definidas y que provocan confusión con ellas; la eliminación inmediata de la droga es esencial para el manejo de estos pacientes. Se presenta un caso de farmacodermia secundaria al uso de carbamazepina en una embarazada de 29,3 semanas que asistió a la Consulta de Medicina Interna por un rash máculopapuloso que se generalizó hasta abarcar el 90 por ciento de la superficie cutánea. La paciente evolucionó de forma satisfactoria al suspender el tratamiento anticonvulsivante; los síntomas dermatológicos desaparecieron(AU)

Motivación escolar y rendimiento: impacto de metas académicas, de estrategias de aprendizaje y autoeficacia / School motivation and achievement: the impact of academic goals, learning strategies and self-efficiency

El objetivo de este trabajo es analizar el impacto de variables personales relacionadas con las metas académicas y las estrategias de aprendizaje del alumnado de educación secundaria en su rendimiento académico. La relevancia del trabajo reside en la importancia que las variables motivacionales poseen sobre el rendimiento en contextos escolares. El estudio emplea una muestra de alumnos de Norte de Portugal y de Galicia. Se han utilizado las subescalas de Metas Académicas y de Estrategias de Aprendizaje y Autoeficacia a partir de la Escala Refema-57. Los resultados sugieren que las metas académicas de aprendizaje y las estrategias de autoeficacia se pueden asumir como factores determinantes positivos del rendimiento académico, existiendo también un impacto, pero en sentido negativo, de las metas de valoración social y las estrategias superficiales de aprendizaje (de ansiedad ante los exámenes). A su vez, este conjunto de variables personales del alumnado explican un 30% de la varianza del rendimiento académico global de los alumnos en Norte de Portugal, quedando ese valor en apenas un 15% cuando nos referimos al alumnado de Galicia. En estas muestras de alumnado, otras variables de la familia, de la escuela, del currículo o del profesor tendrán también importancia. La conclusión relevante obtenida apunta hacia las metas académicas y las estrategias de aprendizaje y autoeficacia como indicadores y determinantes decisivos del rendimiento académico (AU)

This paper aims to analyse the impact of personal variables related to the academic goals and learning strategies of secondary school pupils on their academic achievement. This paper is relevant because of the importance which motivational variables have for achievement in school contexts. The study uses a sample of pupils from the north of Portugal and Galicia in north-western Spain. Subscales from Academic Goals and Learning Strategies and Self-Efficiency have been used based on the Refema-57 Scale. The results suggest that the academic learning goals and the auto-efficiency strategies may be viewed as decisive positive factors of academic achievement. The social valuation and shallow learning strategies also have an impact, but it is a negative one (pre-exam anxiety). This set of variables of the pupils’ personal variables, in its turn, accounts for about 30% of the variance of the global academic achievement of pupils in the north of Portugal. This percentage lands at roughly 15% where Galician pupils are concerned. In these pupil samples, other variables than the family, the school, the curriculum or the teacher will also prove o be significant. The relevant conclusion reached here point to the academic goals and the learning strategies as well as self-efficiency as being indicators of and decisive factors for academic achievement (AU)

Genetic evidence for multiple events of hybridization between wolves and domestic dogs in the Iberian Peninsula.

Hybridization between wild species and their domestic counterparts may represent a major threat to natural populations. However, high genetic similarity between the hybridizing taxa makes the detection of hybrids a difficult task and may hinder attempts to assess the impact of hybridization in conservation biology. In this work, we used a combination of 42 autosomal microsatellites together with Y-chromosome microsatellite-defined haplotypes and mtDNA sequences to investigate the occurrence and dynamics of wolf-dog hybridization in the Iberian Peninsula. To do this, we applied a variety of Bayesian analyses and a parallel set of simulation studies to evaluate (i) the differences between Iberian wolves and dogs, (ii) the frequency and geographical distribution of hybridization and (iii) the directionality of hybridization. First, we show that Iberian wolves and dogs form two well-differentiated genetic entities, suggesting that introgressive hybridization is not a widespread phenomenon shaping both gene pools. Second, we found evidence for the existence of hybridization that is apparently restricted to more peripheral and recently expanded wolf populations. Third, we describe compelling evidence suggesting that the dynamics of hybridization in wolf populations is mediated by crosses between male dogs and female wolves. More importantly, the observation of a population showing the occurrence of a continuum of hybrid classes forming mixed packs may indicate that we have underestimated hybridization. If future studies confirm this pattern, then an intriguing avenue of research is to investigate how introgression from free-ranging domestic dogs is enabling wolf populations to adapt to the highly humanized habitats of southern Europe while still maintaining their genetic differentiation.