In vitro characterization of immune-related properties of human fetal bone cells for potential tissue engineering applications.

We describe herein some immunological properties of human fetal bone cells recently tested for bone tissue-engineering applications. Adult mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) and osteoblasts were included in the study for comparison. Surface markers involved in bone metabolism and immune recognition were analyzed using flow cytometry before and after differentiation or treatment with cytokines. Immunomodulatory properties were studied on activated peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). The immuno-profile of fetal bone cells was further investigated at the gene expression level. Fetal bone cells and adult MSCs were positive for Stro-1, alkaline phosphatase, CD10, CD44, CD54, and beta2-microglobulin, but human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-I and CD80 were less present than on adult osteoblasts. All cells were negative for HLA-II. Treatment with recombinant human interferon gamma increased the presence of HLA-I in adult cells much more than in fetal cells. In the presence of activated PBMCs, fetal cells had antiproliferative effects, although with patterns not always comparable with those of adult MSCs and osteoblasts. Because of the immunological profile, and with their more-differentiated phenotype than of stem cells, fetal bone cells present an interesting potential for allogeneic cell source in tissue-engineering applications.

Mouse fetal trisomy 13 and hypotrophy of the spinal cord: effect on calbindin-D28k and calretinin expressed by neurons of the spinal cord and dorsal root ganglia.

Trisomy 13 was detected in 10% of mouse embryos obtained from pregnant females which were doubly heterozygous for Robertsonian chromosomes involving chromosome 13. The developing dorsal root ganglia and spinal cords were examined in trisomy 13 and littermate control mice between days 12 and 18 of gestation (E12-18). The overall size of the dorsal root ganglia and number of ganglion cells within a given ganglion were not altered, but the number of neurons immunoreactive for calbindin and calretinin was reduced. The trisomic spinal cord was reduced in size with neurons lying in a tightly compact distribution in the gray matter. In trisomic fetuses, the extent of the neuropil of the spinal cord was reduced, and may represent a diminished field of interneuronal connectivity, due to reduced arborization of dendritic processes of the neurons present, particularly of calbindin-immunostained neurons. Furthermore, the subpopulation of calretinin-immunoreactive neurons and axons was also reduced in developing trisomic gray and white matter, respectively. Thus, overexpression of genes on mouse chromosome 13 exerts a deleterious effect on the development of neuropil, affecting both dendritic and axonal arborization in the trisomy 13 mouse. The defect of calbindin or calretinin expression by subsets of dorsal root ganglion or spinal cord neurons may result from deficient cell-to-cell interactions with targets which are hypoplastic.

El perfil del candidato

Somos un grupo de 4 chicas que estudiamos el Grado de Ciencias Empresariales - Management, por lo tanto nuestras inquietudes laborales en el futuro son más o menos parecidas. Pensamos que este Trabajo de Fin de Grado es una herramienta que nos ayudará a poner en práctica todos los conocimientos adquiridos durante estos tres años y una buena referencia que podemos tener en cuenta cuando entremos de lleno en el mundo laboral recién graduadas. Este año, finalizamos la carrera universitaria, y aunque la mayoría de nosotras continúe con sus estudios posteriores, tendremos que comenzar a acceder al mundo laboral. Tal y como está la situación laboral actualmente creemos necesario estudiar en profundidad y en consecuencia los procesos de selección por los que tendremos pasar en un futuro próximo. Actualmente, y cada vez más, las empresas piden ciertos requisitos técnicos a los candidatos para poder acceder finalmente, al puesto de trabajo. Esta circunstancia se ha visto aumentada con la recesión que estamos viviendo durante estos últimos años. Es por este motivo, que con este trabajo, queremos observar si existe una fórmula exacta para pasar los procesos de selección con éxito, o por lo contrario, estos procesos, varían en consonancia con la empresa a la que se desea acceder. Hemos considerado conveniente, elegir este tema, ya que cada vez, es más difícil poder acceder a un puesto de trabajo. No obstante, antes de haber profundizado en el estudio del trabajo, creemos que, la mejor manera de conseguirlo, es ir bien preparado a la entrevista de trabajo. Esta preparación puede aumentar en cierta medida la autoconfianza y tranquilidad. De esta manera, se contribuirá a una mejor actuación y consecuentemente, un mejor resultado en cualquier entrevista de trabajo. Una vez hayamos profundizado en el estudio de la selección de personal, podremos contrastar nuestra hipótesis inicial.

Isolation of cardiovascular precursor cells from the human fetal heart.

Weakening of cardiac function in patients with heart failure results from a loss of cardiomyocytes in the damaged heart. Cell replacement therapies as a way to induce myocardial regeneration in humans could represent attractive alternatives to classical drug-based approaches. However, a suitable source of precursor cells, which could produce a functional myocardium after transplantation, remains to be identified. In the present study, we isolated cardiovascular precursor cells from ventricles of human fetal hearts at 12 weeks of gestation. These cells expressed Nkx2.5 but not late cardiac markers such as α-actinin and troponin I. In addition, proliferating cells expressed the mesenchymal stem cell markers CD73, CD90, and CD105. Evidence for functional cardiogenic differentiation in vitro was demonstrated by the upregulation of cardiac gene expression as well as the appearance of cells with organized sarcomeric structures. Importantly, differentiated cells presented spontaneous and triggered calcium signals. Differentiation into smooth muscle cells was also detected. In contrast, precursor cells did not produce endothelial cells. The engraftment and differentiation capacity of green fluorescent protein (GFP)-labeled cardiac precursor cells were then tested in vivo after transfer into the heart of immunodeficient severe combined immunodeficient mice. Engrafted human cells were readily detected in the mouse myocardium. These cells retained their cardiac commitment and differentiated into α-actinin-positive cardiomyocytes. Expression of connexin-43 at the interface between GFP-labeled and endogenous cardiomyocytes indicated that precursor-derived cells connected to the mouse myocardium. Together, these results suggest that human ventricular nonmyocyte cells isolated from fetal hearts represent a suitable source of precursors for cell replacement therapies.

Phenotip - a web-based instrument to help diagnosing fetal syndromes antenatally.

Prenatal ultrasound can often reliably distinguish fetal anatomic anomalies, particularly in the hands of an experienced ultrasonographer. Given the large number of existing syndromes and the significant overlap in prenatal findings, antenatal differentiation for syndrome diagnosis is difficult. We constructed a hierarchic tree of 1140 sonographic markers and submarkers, organized per organ system. Subsequently, a database of prenatally diagnosable syndromes was built. An internet-based search engine was then designed to search the syndrome database based on a single or multiple sonographic markers. Future developments will include a database with magnetic resonance imaging findings as well as further refinements in the search engine to allow prioritization based on incidence of syndromes and markers.

Quines característiques hauria de tenir el perfil professional d'un/a professor/a d'educació física en la secundària?

L’objectiu que pretén aquest treball final de Grau en Ciències de l’Activitat Física i l’Esport, és fer una aproximació inicial a la caracterització dels professors d’Educació Física en la secundària i la identitat docent que se’n deriva per les característiques de l’alumnat d’aquesta etapa i d’organització de les matèries. Alhora pretén reflexionar sobre la importància dels elements relacionals i soci - emocionals que ha de conrear tot docent que treballa en les etapes de l’adolescència. Per aconseguir aquest objectiu he enquestat a diferents professors/es i, a una desena d’alumnes de cada professor/a per tal d’analitzar les diferents característiques de cadascú i identificar les més recurrents i/o més eficaces que defineixen a un/a bon/a professor/a de secundària. Després d’aquest anàlisi de contingut de les respostes dels alumnes i les enquestes i entrevistes dels propis professors/es, podem concloure que hi ha quatre variables importants a tenir en compte; el perfil personal, la metodologia que utilitza cada professor/a en les seves classes, la convivència amb el grup – classe i la societat i, la formació del professorat.

El periodista polivalente. Transformaciones en el perfil del periodista a partir de la digitalización de los medios audiovisuales catalanes

Este trabajo analiza las transformaciones que ha experimentado la figura del periodista en el actual panorama audiovisual catalán, especialmente en lo referido a la asunción de nuevas tareas y funciones. Tras una introducción en la que se expone el marco teórico y la metodología de trabajo, se describen las transformaciones en los perfiles profesionales y se presentan las principales tendencias observadas en las empresas de radio y televisión, agencias de noticias y medios en línea de Cataluña. El artículo concluye con una serie de reflexiones sobre la polivalencia del periodista.

Prenatal diagnosis of a fetal abdominal eventration: a rare congenital abdominal wall defect.

We report a case of abdominal eventration associated with cystic fibrosis, diagnosed by mid-trimester ultrasonography. The defect concerned the abdominal muscles and their aponevrotic sheath, but respected the skin. There was no associated malformation. The outcome was favorable after surgery, and the infant is well at the age of 6 months.

Perfil sociosanitario sexual y contraceptivo de las mujeres visitadas por primera vez en el Programa Joven del Bages

Objetivos. Conocer las características, el perfil sanitario, sexual y contraceptivo, y los factores de riesgo en las mujeres jóvenes (menores de 24 años) que han acudido por primera vez al Programa Joven del PSAD-ASSIR del Bages. Método. Estudio transversal, descriptivo y observacional, realizado mediante el vaciado de 790 historias clínicas de jóvenes, pertenecientes a la comarca del Bages (Barcelona), que acudieron por primera vez al Programa Joven durante el año 2002. Resultados. La media de edad de las mujeres estudiadas es de 20 años (DE= 3), la mayoría nacidas en España (84%), con estudios secundarios (43%) y que viven la gran mayoría con familiares de primer grado (71%). Factores sexuales de riesgo: la edad media de inicio de relaciones sexuales con penetración es de 18 años (DE= 2,41); un 16% no emplea ningún método anticonceptivo o métodos poco fiables; un 14% tiene más de dos parejas sexuales. El porcentaje de mujeres que manifestaron haber estado embarazadas es del 18%, y habían tenido una interrupción voluntaria del embarazo (IVE) el 7%. Las principales sustancias tóxicas consumidas son tabaco (46%), alcohol (26%) y cannabis (7,2%). La petición de la anticoncepción de emergencia es el principal motivo de consulta (20%). Conclusión. En el momento de plantear políticas preventivas para la población juvenil, debería contemplarse desde una perspectiva global y no individualizada, ya que los factores de riesgo son múltiples y se hallan estrechamente relacionados.

Human fetal bone cells in delivery systems for bone engineering.

The aim of this study was to culture human fetal bone cells (dedicated cell banks of fetal bone derived from 14 week gestation femurs) within both hyaluronic acid gel and collagen foam, to compare the biocompatibility of both matrices as potential delivery systems for bone engineering and particularly for oral application. Fetal bone cell banks were prepared from one organ donation and cells were cultured for up to 4 weeks within hyaluronic acid (Mesolis(®)) and collagen foams (TissueFleece(®)). Cell survival and differentiation were assessed by cell proliferation assays and histology of frozen sections stained with Giemsa, von Kossa and ALP at 1, 2 and 4 weeks of culture. Within both materials, fetal bone cells could proliferate in three-dimensional structure at ∼70% capacity compared to monolayer culture. In addition, these cells were positive for ALP and von Kossa staining, indicating cellular differentiation and matrix production. Collagen foam provides a better structure for fetal bone cell delivery if cavity filling is necessary and hydrogels would permit an injectable technique for difficult to treat areas. In all, there was high biocompatibility, cellular differentiation and matrix deposition seen in both matrices by fetal bone cells, allowing for easy cell delivery for bone stimulation in vivo. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Wound-healing gene family expression differences between fetal and foreskin cells used for bioengineered skin substitutes.

For tissue engineering, several cell types and tissues have been proposed as starting material. Allogenic skin products available for therapeutic usage are mostly developed with cell culture and with foreskin tissue of young individuals. Fetal skin cells offer a valuable solution for effective and safe tissue engineering for wounds due to their rapid growth and simple cell culture. By selecting families of genes that have been reported to be implicated in wound repair and particularly for scarless fetal wound healing including transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta) superfamily, extracellular matrix, and nerve/angiogenesis growth factors, we have analyzed differences in their expression between fetal skin and foreskin cells, and the same passages. Of the five TGF-beta superfamily genes analyzed by real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction, three were found to be significantly different with sixfold up-regulated for TGF-beta2, and 3.8-fold for BMP-6 in fetal cells, whereas GDF-10 was 11.8-fold down-regulated. For nerve growth factors, midkine was 36-fold down-regulated in fetal cells, and pleiotrophin was 4.76-fold up-regulated. We propose that fetal cells present technical and therapeutic advantages compared to foreskin cells for effective cell-based therapy for wound management, and overall differences in gene expression could contribute to the degree of efficiency seen in clinical use with these cells.

Covalent cell surface functionalization of human fetal osteoblasts for tissue engineering.

The chemical functionalization of cell-surface proteins of human primary fetal bone cells with hydrophilic bioorthogonal intermediates was investigated. Toward this goal, chemical pathways were developed for click reaction-mediated coupling of alkyne derivatives with cellular azido-expressing proteins. The incorporation via a tetraethylene glycol linker of a dipeptide and a reporter biotin allowed the proof of concept for the introduction of cell-specific peptide ligands and to follow the reaction in living cells. Tuning the conditions of the click reaction resulted in chemical functionalization of living human fetal osteoblasts with excellent cell survival.

Disseny d'un programa educatiu per prevenir les complicacions associades a l'alteració del perfil lipídic durant la gestació

L’embaràs és una situació especial en la vida de la dona que condiciona canvis en la seva fisiologia i en el desenvolupament d’un nou ésser. Entre aquests canvis fisiològics trobem l’augment dels nivells de colesterol i triglicèrids degut, majoritàriament, a l’augment de les hormones sexuals esteroidees i al metabolisme hepàtic i adipós alterat. Ara bé, cal mantenir aquests nivells dins d’uns límits per tal que no esdevinguin factor de risc de malalties futures, tant en la dona gestant com en el futur nadó.

Perfil de ácidos graxos e estabilidade oxidativa do leite de vacas holandesas alimentadas com soja extrusada e selênio orgânico

O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar o efeito de dieta com alto teor de soja extrusada e selênio orgânico sobre o perfil de ácidos graxos e a estabilidade oxidativa do leite de vacas da raça Holandesa. Vinte e quatro vacas foram divididas em três blocos e distribuídas ao acaso em três tratamentos: dieta controle; dieta com 21% de soja extrusada e dieta com 21% de soja extrusada + 5 mg de selênio orgânico. O experimento teve duração de seis semanas. As vacas alimentadas com soja extrusada produziram leite com menor concentração de ácidos graxos de cadeias curta e média, maior concentração de ácidos graxos de cadeia longa, menor concentração de ácidos graxos saturados e maior concentração de ácidos graxos poliinsaturados e de ácido linoléico conjugado. A suplementação com selênio aumentou a sua concentração no leite e retardou o processo oxidativo do leite. A dieta com 21% de soja extrusada alterou o perfil de ácidos graxos do leite, aumentando sua susceptibilidade à oxidação; o enriquecimento com selênio minimizou esse efeito e influenciou positivamente a estabilidade do leite.