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Physical exercise-induced health benefits: the potential role of exerkine secretion and epigenetic modifications
No full textENG- The thesis findings indicate a more favorable cardio-metabolic profile in children who are more physically active, as compared to less physically active ones (Study 1). Interestingly, the current findings suggest that PA may modulate cardio-metabolic health in children in a volume-dependent manner. In this thesis, we also showed for the first time that the recently identified cardiac-enriched FHL2 interacting protein (CEFIP) can be conveniently quantified in saliva of healthy children (Study 2). Moreover, salivary CEFIP was related to more sedentary time, as well as higher diastolic-to-systolic blood pressure ratio in these children.
With regard to exerkine secretion, we found a higher increase in salivary high-molecular-weight adiponectin (HMW-adiponectin) and salivary brain derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in children who performed a 3-month integrated neuromuscular training (INT), as compared to children that followed the traditional physical education classes (Study 3 and Study 4, respectively). Also, the 3-month INT induced greater improvements in cardiorespiratory fitness, muscle strength and the mastery of fundamental motor skills in these children as compared to the traditional physical education classes. These findings highlight the positive impact of the school-based intervention for pediatric population.
Furthermore, different types of training interventions induced differential methylation changes in skeletal muscle, adipose tissue, blood and sperm of healthy adults (Study 5), whereas a 3-month INT induced DNA methylation changes in saliva of healthy children (Study 6). It is worthwhile noting that the training interventions in both, adults and children, induced epigenetic modifications in genes considered to have high relevance and essential importance within the human genome, i.e., the so called core genes. More precisely, 19 core genes were differentially methylated in skeletal muscle of adults following an aerobic training intervention, whereas 17 core genes were differentially methylated in saliva of children following a 3-month INT. Finally, taken together, the present thesis provides novel insights into the potential role of exerkine secretion and exercise-induced epigenetic modifications as underlying mechanisms that seem to offer plausible explanations for the exercise-induced health benefitsCAT- Els resultats de la tesi indiquen un perfil cardiometabòlic més favorable en infants físicament més actius en comparació amb aquells menys actius (Estudi 1). Aquests resultats també suggereixen que l’AF pot modular la salut cardiometabòlica dels infants de manera dependent al volum de l'exercici físic. En aquesta tesi també es mostra, per primera vegada, que la proteïna recentment identificada i coneguda com proteïna cardíaca interactora de FHL2 (CEFIP) pot ser quantificada en saliva d’infants sans (Estudi 2). A més, s’ha trobat que la CEFIP salivar es relaciona amb el sedentarisme i amb una major relació entre la pressió arterial diastòlica i sistòlica (ràtio D/S) en aquests infants.
Pel que fa a la secreció d’exerquines, s’ha observat un augment més pronunciat d’adiponectina d’alt pes molecular (HMW-adiponectina) i del factor neurotròfic derivat del cervell (BDNF) en saliva d’infants que van realitzar un entrenament neuromuscular integrat (ENI) de 3 mesos, en comparació amb aquells que van seguir les classes tradicionals d’educació física (Estudis 3 i 4, respectivament). A més, l’ENI de 3 mesos va induir millores superiors en la capacitat cardiorespiratòria, la força muscular i el domini de les habilitats motrius bàsiques en aquests infants, en comparació amb les classes tradicionals d’educació física. Aquests resultats posen de manifest l’impacte positiu d’aquesta intervenció escolar en la població pediàtrica.
A més, diferents tipus d’intervencions d’entrenament van induir canvis en la metilació de l’ADN en múscul esquelètic, teixit adipós, sang i esperma d’adults sans (Estudi 5), mentre que un ENI de 3 mesos va produir canvis en la metilació de l’ADN en saliva d’infants sans (Estudi 6). Cal destacar que les intervencions d’exercici físic tant en adults com en infants van induir modificacions epigenètiques en gens considerats de gran rellevància i importància en el genoma humà, és a dir, els anomenats “core genes”. Més concretament, 19 “core genes” van mostrar metilació diferencial en múscul esquelètic d’adults després d’un entrenament aeròbic, mentre que 17 “core genes” van ser diferencialment metilats en saliva d’infants després d’un ENI de 3 mesos.
En conclusió, aquesta tesi aporta noves evidències sobre el possible paper de la secreció d’exerquines i les modificacions epigenètiques induïdes per l’exercici físic com a possibles mecanismes subjacents que poden explicar els beneficis per a la salut associats a la pràctica d’AFPrograma de Doctorat en Biologia Molecular, Biomedicina i Salu
Function and structure of microbial biofilms in saline shallow lakes: limits and adaptations to environmental extremes
No full textENG- Hypersaline lakes are extreme ecosystems with high salt concentrations, often shallow and subject to natural drying periods. Despite their high ecological value, they are threatened by climate change, which puts them at risk of experiencing even higher salinity levels, longer droughts, and rising temperatures. Microorganisms play a key role in these ecosystems, as they regulate biogeochemical cycles, especially those of organic matter and carbon. This thesis investigates the biofilms, which are assemblages of microorganisms, that inhabit the sediments of shallow hypersaline lakes. The main objective is to understand how these biofilms adapt to changes in water availability and temperature variations. The results of this thesis show that, although the biofilms in hypersaline lakes are resilient to temperature fluctuations, they do respond to water scarcity. This suggests that such environments are particularly vulnerable to impacts like drought, which could disrupt the organic matter cycle and, consequently, alter the carbon cycle as wellCAT- Els llacs hipersalins són ecosistemes extrems amb alta concentració de sal, sovint poc profunds i amb períodes d’assecament natural. Tot i el seu gran valor ecològic, estan amenaçats pel canvi climàtic, fet que posa els llacs hipersalins en risc de patir nivells de salinitat encara més alts, sequeres més llargues i un augment de les temperatures. Els microorganismes tenen un paper clau en aquests ecosistemes, ja que regulen els cicles biogeoquímics, especialment els de la matèria orgànica i el carboni. Aquesta tesi estudia els biofilms, un conjunt de microorganismes, que viuen als sediments dels llacs hipersalins poc profunds. L’objectiu principal és entendre les adaptacions d’aquests biofilms davant canvis en la disponibilitat d’aigua i variacions de temperatura. Els resultats d’aquesta tesi indiquen que, tot i que els biofilms dels llacs hipersalins són resistents a les fluctuacions de temperatura, sí que responen davant condicions d’escassetat d’aigua. Això suggereix que aquests ambients són particularment vulnerables a impactes com la sequera, que podria afectar el cicle de la matèria orgànica, i per tant també modificar el cicle del carboniPrograma de Doctorat en Ciència i Tecnologia de l'Aigu
Connection over creation: hydrological connectivity drives post-restoration community assembly in coastal ponds
No full textEvaluations of wetland restoration have often focussed on the role that dispersal, environmental filters and/or spatial features play in new habitats. Success has generally been measured by comparing new habitats with reference sites. However, in coastal ponds, hydrological connectivity can determine environmental constraints as it can influence salinity, nutrient concentration, and connectivity strength. Based on these premises, we expect that hydrological connectivity should be a stronger determinant of community assembly following restoration. To test this hypothesis, we took advantage of a restoration project carried out in La Pletera salt marsh (NE Iberian Peninsula) and compared the effects of hydrological connectivity and pond age on community composition and functioning after restoration. Macroinvertebrate communities of 13 ponds (10 new and 3 old) were surveyed in 2016, 2017 and 2022. We analysed community changes over time by comparing nestedness, modularity, diversity, and similarity indices between pond categories and based on taxonomic and biological trait data. Our results showed that hydrological connectivity shaped two distinct communities. These findings underscore the central role of hydrology in community dynamics and highlight the importance of integrating hydrological connectivity into restoration strategies for coastal pondsThe authors are grateful to the Life+ Program of the European Commission (Life Pletera; LIFE13NAT/ES/ 001001) that inspired this study. This work is supported by a grant PID2020-114440GB-I00 funded by MICIU/AEI/ https://doi.org/10.13039/501100011033 and by a PhD grant PRE2021-100990. Part of this research has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 869296 – The PONDERFUL Project. DCM received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie grant agreement Nº 101062388.
Open Access funding provided thanks to the CRUE-CSIC agreement with Springer Natur
Network-based assessment of multi-scale resilience in the water-energy-land-food nexus: a case study in the Colombian Caribbean
No full textGlobal change threatens socio-ecological systems, particularly in regions with rapid land use changes and competing demands for water, energy, and food. However, the impact of land use changes on the resilience of interconnected systems remains largely unexplored. To address this gap, this study advances the Water-Energy-Food (WEF) nexus approach by integrating land as a central element, forming the Water-Energy-Land-Food (WELF) nexus. It introduces an analytical framework to quantify the effects of land use changes on nexus composition and resilience across spatial scales, from regional to local. The framework characterizes resilience as a macroscale property of the nexus using geospatial land use and land cover data and decomposes it into microscale components through a network approach, identifying how nexus elements and land use transfers among them influence resilience. The framework is applied to the Maria La Baja sub-watershed (2002–2018) in the Colombian Caribbean, during significant structural transformation. Results reveal scale-dependent variations in WELF nexus composition and resilience, with the Food element consistently enhancing resilience, while the contributions of Water and Energy vary by scale. Scenario analysis shows that a reduction in land use transfers consistently decreases resilience across scales. In contrast to literature, this study finds that increasing land use transfers does not always enhance resilience. While resilience theory can support balancing competing land demands and adapting socio-ecological systems to global change, this study emphasizes the need for careful characterization of nexus elements, interactions, and feedback loops, identifying a necessary condition for land use transfers interventions to enhance resilience effectivelyOpen Access funding provided thanks to the CRUE-CSIC agreement with Elsevier1
Using search algorithm statistics for assessing maze and puzzle difficulty
No full textA video game’s difficulty has a large impact on player engagement. For instance, it is crucial in some genres to give the players a challenge difficult enough without frustrating them. We propose a simple method for assessing game-level difficulty as a precursor to adapting it to a specific player. In particular, we propose using simple performance metrics of algorithms such as A* and Breadth-First Search (BFS) as a proxy for the difficulty of puzzles. We performed user studies using a 2D maze simulator and a Sokoban game implementation; both built into the Unity game engine. We show that, for 2D mazes generated by Binary Space Partitioning, the number of nodes expanded by BFS highly correlates with the number of steps a human player takes to reach the goal. For Sokoban puzzles, the closed list length of an A* search is highly correlated to perceived difficulty and the number of movements a human player takes to solve the puzzle. These results show that simple metrics are probably good enough to assess a given level’s difficulty, which is a first step towards being able to personalize the difficulty of a maze or a puzzle to a particular playerThis research was partially funded by the National Agency for Research and Development (Agencia Nacional de Investigación y Desarrollo, ANID Chile), ANID-Subdirección del Capital Humano/Doctorado Nacional/2023-21230824 and FONDECYT Iniciación grant 11220438. This work was also partially funded by project PID2021-122136OB-C22 from Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación, Spain.
Open Access funding provided thanks to the CRUE-CSIC agreement with Elsevie
El vídeo elaborat per a infants com a eina d’avaluació a I3: avaluació dels coneixements dels infants a través d’un projecte de cinema
No full textAquest estudi, té com a finalitat analitzar l’ús d’un vídeo creat pels alumnes com a eina d’avaluació al segon cicle d'infantil. Per aconseguir-ho, es treballa sota el paradigma d’un estudi mixte, combinant enfocaments qualitatius i quantitatius, fent recerca de referents teòrics i posant en pràctica una Situació d'Aprenentatge (SA) relacionada amb el cinema, desenvolupada a dues aules de I3 de l’escola Honorable Josep Tarradelles, d’El Prat del Llobregat. Els resultats obtinguts estableixen que el vídeo és un bon recurs per a utilitzar dins l’aula, i que per al seu ús com a eina d’avaluació ofereix dos mètodes diferents possibles.This study aims to analyze the use of a video created by students as an assessment tool in the second cycle of kindergarten. To achieve this, we work under the paradigm of a mixed study, combining qualitative and quantitative approaches, researching theoretical references and putting into practice a Situació d’Aprenentatge (SA) related to cinema, developed in two I3 classrooms of Escola Honorable Josep Tarradelles, in El Prat del Llobregat. The results obtained establish that the video is a good resource to use in the classroom, and that for its use as an assessment tool it offers two different possible methods
Aprendre música jugant: anàlisi de l’eficàcia de l’Aprenentatge Basat en el Joc en l’educació musical
No full textEl present estudi analitza l’eficàcia de la metodologia Aprenentatge Basat en el Joc (ABJ) aplicada en l’educació musical per augmentar la motivació dels alumnes, i consolidar els sabers de l’àrea. Mitjançant un model investigació-acció, s’ha dissenyat i aplicat una situació d’aprenentatge, “Aprenem música jugant”, amb 25 alumnes de 4t de primària. Els resultats mostren que l’ABJ és una metodologia útil per captar l’atenció dels estudiants, reforçar la seva implicació i facilitar la comprensió dels continguts. S’han utilitzat diferents formes de recollida de dades per acabar d’analitzar i concretar l’eficàcia de la metodologia.The present study analyzes the effectiveness of the Game Based Learning (GBL) methodology applied in music education to increase the motivation of students, and consolidate the knowledge of the area. Through an action-research model, a learning situation has been designed and applied, “Learn music playing”, with 25 students in 4th grade of primary school. The results show that the GBL is a useful methodology to capture the attention of students, strengthen their involvement and facilitate the understanding of the contents. Different forms of data collection have been used to finish analyzing and specifying the effectiveness of the methodology
Longitudinal Analysis of Placental IRS1 DNA Methylation and Childhood Obesity
No full textAccumulating evidence suggests that the predisposition to metabolic diseases is established in utero through epigenomic modifications. However, it remains unclear whether childhood obesity results from preexisting epigenomic alterations or whether obesity itself induces changes in the epigenome. This study aimed to identify DNA methylation marks in the placenta associated with obesity-related outcomes in children at age 6 and to assess these marks in blood samples at age 6 and whether they correlate with obesity-related outcomes at that time. Using an epigenome-wide DNA methylation microarray on 24 placental samples, we identified differentially methylated CpGs (DMCs) associated with offspring BMI-SDS at 6 years. Individual DMCs were validated in 147 additional placental and leukocyte samples from children at 6 years of age. The methylation and/or gene expression of IRS1 in both placenta and offspring leukocytes were significantly associated with various metabolic risk parameters at age 6 (all p ≤ 0.05). Logistic regression models (LRM) and machine learning (ML) models indicated that IRS1 methylation in the placenta could strongly predict offspring obesity. Our results suggest that IRS1 may serve as a potential biomarker for the prediction of obesity and metabolic risk in childrenThis work was supported by grants from the Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación, Instituto de Salud Carlos III (ISCIII), Madrid, Spain (PI20/00399 and PI23/00545 to J.B.), a project co-funded by FEDER (Fondo Europeo de Desarrollo Regional
New approach of autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation: implementation and evaluation of home treatment in Girona
No full textBackground and objectives: home-based autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (auto-HSCT) has been used as an alternative to conventional hospital treatment in several hospitals outside Girona, demonstrating improvements in quality of life, a reduction in complications and cost savings.
The aim of the study is to develop and implement a protocol for auto-HSCT at home in Girona, evaluating its safety and impact on social, clinical and economical outcomes compared to hospital treatment, as it is considered necessary to create a program specifically adapted to the local context and the resources available at Josep Trueta Hospital.
Design: this is a unicentric quasi-experimental study that compares the outcomes of patients undergoing the home-based auto-HSCT protocol with those previously achieved by patients who received auto-HSCT while hospitalized at the Josep Trueta Hospital. The statistician will be blind to patient’s group and independent of intervention.
Participants: patients at ICO Girona who are indicated for autologous HSCT with domicile in the regions of Gironès or Pla de l'Estany and available caregiver throughout the day, that meet the inclusion criteria. Patients will be excluded if they have comorbidities or inadequate cultural level or language barrier.
Methods: 63 patients will undergo the home-based auto-HSCT protocol developed for Josep Trueta Hospital and will be matched 1:1 according to age, sex, and disease with 63 patients who have undergone auto-HSCT at the hospital.
The main outcome of the study is the quality of life of patients undergoing an auto-HSCT, which will be measured using the EQ-5D-5L questionnaire from EuroQuol Group. The incidence and severity of complications such as febrile neutropenia or mucositis, as well as economic costs of hospital procedures are secondary outcomes of the study
Elevated CGRP levels in chronic migraine: investigating the risk of developing major depressive disorder. A prospective observational cohort study
No full textBACKGROUND: Chronic migraine (CM) is a common and disabling neurologic condition
that affects all areas of the patient's life. Major depressive disorder (MDD) is one of the
most frequent psychiatric disorders and is recognized to be the second most disabling
condi:on worldwide. Recent studies have shown a bidirec:onal relationship between
CM and MDD, where patients with CM are at higher risk of developing MDD, and vice
versa, leading to increased disability and reduced quality of life. It has been suggested
that both conditions may share different aspects in terms of genetics,
pathophysiological mechanisms, clinical features and treatment. Among common
pathways, evidence indicates that CGRP, a neuropeptide well known for its role in
migraine pathophysiology, has also emerged as a possible mediator of mood regulation.
This suggests that CGRP could explain the high comorbidity of migraine and depression,
however, further research is needed to fully comprehend its dual role.
OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study is to explore the relationship between CM and MDD
by evaluating the role of CGRP in identifying individuals at heightened risk of
comorbidity. Secondary objectives include assessing the likelihood of MDD relapse, the
severity of depressive symptoms and the impact on quality of life.
DESIGN: The study is designed as a prospective, observational, cohort study that will be
carried out in the Xarxa de Salut Mental i Addiccions (XSMiA) of the Girona province.
The follow-up period will be 2 years.
PARTICIPANTS AND METHODS: A total of 528 patients diagnosed with CM will we
recruited using a non-probabilistic convenience method, and those who fulfil the criteria
and sign the informed consent will be included. Data collection will include blood
samples to determine CGRP levels using the ELISA assay, alongside psychological
assessments using validated scales. The results will be analyzed through a descriptive,
bivariate and multivariate analysis by a professional statistician