Search

Background: The association between short-term exposure to air pollution and cognitive and mental health has not been thoroughly investigated so far. Objectives: We conducted a panel study co-designed with citizens to assess whether air pollution can affect attention, perceived stress, mood and sleep quality. Methods: From September 2020 to March 2021, we followed 288 adults (mean age = 37.9 years; standard deviation = 12.1 years) for 14 days in Barcelona, Spain. Two tasks were self-administered daily through a mobile application: the Stroop color-word test to assess attention performance and a set of 0-to-10 rating scale questions to evaluate perceived stress, well-being, energy and sleep quality. From the Stroop test, three outcomes related to selective attention were calculated and z-score-transformed: response time, cognitive throughput and inhibitory control. Air pollution was assessed using the mean nitrogen dioxide (NO2) concentrations (mean of all Barcelona monitoring stations or using location data) 12 and 24 h before the tasks were completed. We applied linear regression with random effects by participant to estimate intra-individual associations, controlling for day of the week and time-varying factors such as alcohol consumption and physical activity. Results: Based on 2,457 repeated attention test performances, an increase of 30 μg/m3 exposure to NO2 12 h was associated with lower cognitive throughput (beta = -0.08, 95% CI: -0.15, -0.01) and higher response time (beta = 0.07, 95% CI: 0.01, 0.14) (increase inattentiveness). Moreover, an increase of 30 μg/m3 exposure to NO2 12 h was associated with higher self-perceived stress (beta = 0.44, 95% CI: 0.13, 0.77). We did not find statistically significant associations with inhibitory control and subjective well-being. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that short-term exposure to air pollution could have adverse effects on attention performance and perceived stress in adults. This research study takes part of a 3-year project called CitieS-Health and this project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 824484. This output reflects only the author's view. The European Commission is not responsible for any use that may be made of the information it contains.

The association between short-term exposure to air pollution and cognitive and mental health has not been thoroughly investigated so far.We conducted a panel study co-designed with citizens to assess whether air pollution can affect attention, perceived stress, mood and sleep quality.From September 2020 to March 2021, we followed 288 adults (mean age = 37.9 years; standard deviation = 12.1 years) for 14 days in Barcelona, Spain. Two tasks were self-administered daily through a mobile application: the Stroop color-word test to assess attention performance and a set of 0-to-10 rating scale questions to evaluate perceived stress, well-being, energy and sleep quality. From the Stroop test, three outcomes related to selective attention were calculated and z-score-transformed: response time, cognitive throughput and inhibitory control. Air pollution was assessed using the mean nitrogen dioxide (NOBased on 2,457 repeated attention test performances, an increase of 30 μg/mOur findings suggest that short-term exposure to air pollution could have adverse effects on attention performance and perceived stress in adults.

Aphanizomenon flos-Aquae (AFA) cyanobacteria from Klamath Lake (Oregon) are considered a "superfood" due to their broad nutritional profile that has proved to have health-enhancing properties. The AFA metabolome is quite complex. Here, we present a study that, combining multinuclear 1H, 31P, and 13C Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectroscopy and high-resolution mass spectrometry, led to the detection of uncommon phosphorylated metabolites in AFA. We focused our attention on 31P NMR signals at 20 ppm, a chemical shift that usually points to the presence of phosphonates. The molecules contributing to 20 ppm 31P NMR signals revealed, instead, to be nucleoside 2′,3′-cyclic monophosphates. These metabolites were fully characterized by multinuclear 1H, 31P, and 13C NMR spectroscopy and high-resolution mass spectrometry.

We used 1H, 13C HRMAS and genomic analysis to investigate regionally the transition from oxidative to glycolytic phenotype and its relationship with altered gene expression in adjacent biopsies through the brain of rats bearing C6 gliomas. Tumor-bearing animals were anesthetized and infused with a solution of [1-13C]-glucose, and small adjacent biopsies were obtained spanning transversally from the contralateral hemisphere (regions I and II), the right and left peritumoral areas (regions III and V, respectively), and the tumor core (region IV). These biopsies were analyzed by 1H, 13C HRMAS and by quantitative gene expression techniques. Glycolytic metabolism, as reflected by the [3-13C]-lactate content, increased clearly from regions I to IV, recovering partially to physiological levels in region V. In contrast, oxidative metabolism, as reflected by the [4-13C]-glutamate labeling, decreased in regions I-IV, recovering partially in region V. This metabolic shift from normal to malignant metabolic phenotype paralleled changes in the expression of HIF1α, HIF2α, HIF3α genes, downstream transporters, and regulatory glycolytic, oxidative, and anaplerotic genes in the same regions. Together, our results indicate that genetic and metabolic alterations occurring in the brain of rats bearing C6 gliomas colocalize in situ and the profile of genetic alterations in every region can be inferred from the metabolomic profiles observed in situ by multinuclear HRMAS., The present work was supported by grants SAF2014-53739-R, SAF2017-83043-R, and B2017/BMD-3688 from the Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness and from the Community of Madrid to PL-L and SC, Acciones Integradas IH-HI2006-0101 from the Ministry of Science and Technology to L.S. and S.C. The authors are indebted to Mr. Javier Pérez CSIC for careful drafting of the illustrations and to Mrs. Teresa Navarro CSIC for granting access to the Biomedical NMR Services of the Institute of Biomedical Research “Alberto Sols” CSIC.

Primary Sjogren Syndrome (pSS) is a multisystem autoimmune disease which mainly involves exocrine glands, such as salivary and lacrimal. [...]

Interferon (IFN)-α2 is an extensively therapeutically used pro-inflammatory cytokine. Though its efficacy in controlling viral replication and tumor cells proliferation, administration of IFN-α2 is often associated with the development of central side effects. Magnetic resonance spectroscopy studies have demonstrated that IFN-α2 administration affects brain metabolism, however the exact nature of this effect is not completely known. We hypothesized that IFN-α2 can affect metabolic activity of human neuron-like SH-SY5Y cells which possess many characteristics of neurons and represent one of the most used models for studying mechanisms involved in neurotoxicity or neuroprotection. To test our hypothesis we have characterized the metabolic signature of live SH-SY5Y, and their conditioned media, after 24 and 72 h of exposure to vehicle or IFN-α2 (100 ng/ml) by using High Resolution-Magic Angle Spinning (HR-MAS) Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. Our results revealed that 1) the use of HR-MAS NMR is ideally suitable for the characterization of the metabolic profile of live cells and their conditioned media without extraction procedures; and 2) a 72 h exposure to IFN-α2 increases the level of metabolites involved in maintaining energetic (including creatine and lactate) and osmotic (such as myo-inositol, scyllo-inositol, taurine and glycerophosphorylcholine) balances in neuron-like cells and of metabolic waste products (namely lactate, ethanol and acetate), glycine and glutamine in their growth media. These results may contribute to gain more knowledge about the IFN-α2 induced effect on the brain and support the interpretation of magnetic resonance spectroscopy studies performed in humans.

Prompted by the authors’ reflection of their own Human-Computer Interaction research on games and older people, and analysis of previous and related works, this chapter presents a critical literature review of contemporary research on digital games with older people. This chapter argues that much of the research conducted in this field has been performed in a descriptive fashion, without strong integration of important theories of ageing, such as Socioemotional Selective Theory, Selective Optimization with Compensation Theory, Life-Span Theory of Control, Continuity and Disengagement theories, despite their relevance and potential for developing systematic and cross-disciplinary knowledge. This chapter shows the relationship between these theories and key elements of research on games with older people, such as emotions and motivations. This chapter also shows that older people are often portrayed as either actual or potential players of digital games, which are widely regarded as being a solution to solve or fix most of their problems. This chapter calls for a re-examining of the way in which older people and digital games are constructed by drawing upon the conceptual tools provided by theories of ageing, in an attempt to co-construct games wherein diversity, agency, life experiences, and identity receive further attention.

High Resolution Magic Angle Spinning (HR-MAS) is an NMR technique that can be applied to semi-solid samples. Flavedo, albedo, pulp, seeds, and oil gland content of lemon and citron were studied through HR-MAS NMR spectroscopy, which was used directly on intact tissue specimens without any physicochemical manipulation. HR-MAS NMR proved to be a very suitable technique for detecting terpenes, sugars, organic acids, aminoacids and osmolites. It is valuable in observing changes in sugars, principal organic acids (mainly citric and malic) and ethanol contents of pulp specimens and this strongly point to its use to follow fruit ripening, or commercial assessment of fruit maturity. HR-MAS NMR was also used to derive the molar percentage of fatty acid components of lipids in seeds, which can change depending on the Citrus species and varieties. Finally, this technique was employed to elucidate the metabolic profile of mold flavedo.

Citizen science is challenging professional researchers and their organizations to rethink the way they do science and connect with society. In any citizen science project, professional researchers are “making a promise” to the public about the level of participation and power in decision making that they are willing to provide to citizen scientists. Researchers should set expectations explicitly to ensure informed participation, trust, and motivation. Also, the design of tools for informed consent, information sharing, recognition, and privacy has to be adapted to the new power relations and distributed knowledge production. Based on fieldwork experiences and literature review about environmental and biomedical citizen science, this article examines the challenges and proposes solutions for: 1) setting expectations for informed participation; 2) addressing privacy concerns and adapting informed consent to evolving interests and networked environments; and 3) promoting citizen governance of research data. Citizen science has the potential to both increase scientific literacy and counteract mistrust and skepticism about scientific evidence of global problems (such as climate change) that need to be addressed. However, there are still many challenges to fulfilling the promise of citizen science – for example, empowering people and gaining trust. A few inspiring initiatives help us reflect on a facilitation model for engagement and informed participation; privacy by design; and new governance models for research data provided by citizen scientists.

Green fluorescent protein (GFP) is a widely utilized molecular reporter of gene expression. However, its use in in vivo imaging has been restricted to transparent tissue mainly due to the tissue penetrance limitation of optical imaging. Magnetization transfer contrast (MTC) is a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) methodology currently utilized to detect macromolecule changes such as decrease in myelin and increase in collagen content. MTC MRI imaging was performed to detect GFP in both in vitro cells and in an in vivo mouse model to determine if MTC imaging could be used to detect infection from Pseudomonas aeruginosa in murine tissues. It was demonstrated that the approach produces values that are protein specific and concentration dependent. This method provides a valuable, non‑invasive imaging tool to study the impact of novel antibacterial therapeutics on bacterial proliferation and perhaps viability within the host system, and could potentially suggest the modulation of bacterial gene expression within the host when exposed to such compounds.

HR-MAS NMR spectroscopy was employed to monitor the metabolic profiles of Modena BioBank breast samples over 1 year of freezing at -80 A degrees C. The study includes 22 adult female patients living in Modena and its hinterland, who underwent total mastectomy or quadrantectomy in 2011-2012. Variations occur, especially affecting phosphocholine (PC) and choline. This is not a trivial finding, since many studies base the distinction between neoplastic and healthy tissues or the assessment of tumor grade on the analysis of choline metabolites. Despite the changes observed, we established that the diagnostic power of the HR-MAS NMR spectra of frozen samples is preserved, at least as far as the distinction between neoplastic and healthy samples is concerned. Lactate (Lac), PC, phosphoethanolamine (PE), taurine (Tau), myo-inositol (Myo) and glucose (Glc) are biomarkers that can be used to distinguish healthy from neoplastic tissues, whereas some metabolite ratios, such as Lac + PE + Tau/Glc + Myo, seem to have even higher discrimination potential.

Pseudomonas aeruginosa (PA) is a pathogenic gram-negative bacterium that is widespread in nature, inhabiting soil, water, plants and animals. PA is a prevalent cause of deleterious human infections, particularly in patients whose host defense mechanisms have been compromised. Metabolomics is an important tool used to study host-pathogen interactions and to identify novel therapeutic targets and corresponding compounds. The aim of the present study was to report the metabolic profile of live PA bacteria using in vivo high-resolution magic angle spinning (HRMAS) nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR), in combination with 1- and 2-dimensional HRMAS NMR. This methodology provides a new and powerful technique to rapidly interrogate the metabolome of intact bacterial cells and has several advantages over traditional techniques that identify metabolome components from disrupted cells. Furthermore, application of multidimensional HRMAS NMR, in combination with the novel technique total through-Bond correlation Spectroscopy (TOBSY), is a promising approach that may be used to obtain in vivo metabolomics information from intact live bacterial cells and can mediate such analyses in a short period of time. Moreover, HRMAS 1H NMR enables the investigation of the associations between metabolites and cell processes. In the present study, we detected and quantified several informative metabolic molecules in live PA cells, including N-acetyl, betaine, citrulline, alanine and glycine, which are important in peptidoglycan synthesis. The results provided a complete metabolic profile of PA for future studies of PA clinical isolates and mutants. In addition, this in vivo NMR biomedical approach might have clinical utility and should prove useful in gene function validation, the study of pathogenetic mechanisms, the classification of microbial strains into functional/clinical groups, the testing of anti-bacterial agents and the determination of metabolic profiles of bacterial mutants.

Burn injury causes a major systemic catabolic response that is associated with mitochondrial dysfunction in skeletal muscle. We investigated the effects of the mitochondria-targeted peptide antioxidant Szeto-Schiller 31 (SS-31) on skeletal muscle in a mouse burn model using in vivo phosphorus-31 nuclear magnetic resonance (31P NMR) spectroscopy to noninvasively measure high-energy phosphate levels; mitochondrial aconitase activity measurements that directly correlate with TCA cycle flux, as measured by gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC-MS); and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) to assess oxidative stress. At 6 h postburn, the oxidative ATP synthesis rate was increased 5-fold in burned mice given a single dose of SS-31 relative to untreated burned mice (P=0.002). Furthermore, SS-31 administration in burned animals decreased mitochondrial aconitase activity back to control levels. EPR revealed a recovery in redox status of the SS-31-treated burn group compared to the untreated burn group (P

The origin of life is still a mystery with many unsolved puzzles. How were molecules created? How did they assemble into large structures? Among the many mysteries, the “chirality” phenomenon upon which amino acids and sugars form is particularly exciting. Single chiral molecules in any chemical system play a very particular role, and these are the only systems where one can be sure that they display 100% enantiomer excess. If this kind of system is a sub-sytem of reaction mixtures where highly sensitive autocatalytic reactions may develop, as for example in the case of the Soai reaction, the presence of this initial chiral molecule can decisively influence the subsequent stereochemical developments. In the work presented here we try to understand how the phenomenon of chirality is related to single molecules, and how this starting situation could influence the outcome of reactions where the product(s) is(are) of high molecular weight, such as synthetic or biological polymers.

Locative narratives can implement different modes of coupling of the physical space and the narrative content, impacting how the user experiences and understands the story. Narrative causal relations are difficult to maintain when the user can freely explore the physical environment. In this paper we focus on multiple interlaced narratives, and the relation among narrative design, physical space and interaction, and its influence on the players'' exploration mode, story comprehension, and immersion. We conducted an in-situ user study with YoWay, a locative narrative app that presents three intertwined historical fictions in the Glòries area of Barcelona. Results show how users were able to combine linear navigation with simultaneous exploration of spatially close contents from interrelated storylines, achieving a good understanding of the story and engaging with the experience.

This study describes for the first time the use of high-resolution nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) on Klamath (Aphanizomenon flos-aquae, AFA) blue-green algae directly on powder suspension. These algae are considered to be a “superfood”, due to their complete nutritional profile that has proved to have important therapeutic effects. The main advantage of NMR spectroscopy is that it permits the detection of a number of metabolites all at once. The Klamath alga metabolome was revealed to be quite complex, and the most peculiar phytochemicals that can be detected directly on algae by NMR are mycosporine-like amino acids (porphyra-334, P334; shinorine, Shi) and low molecular weight glycosides (glyceryl β-d-galactopyranoside, GalpG; glyceryl 6-amino-6-deoxy-α-d-glucopyranoside, ADG), all compounds with a high nutraceutical value. The presence of cis-3,4-DhLys was revealed for the first time. This molecule could be involved in the anticancer properties ascribed to AFA.

A pilot clinical trial based on nutritional modulation was designed to assess the efficacy of a one-year low-protein diet in activating autophagy in skeletal muscle of patients affected by COL6/collagen VI-related myopathies. Ullrich congenital muscular dystrophy and Bethlem myopathy are rare inherited muscle disorders caused by mutations of COL6 genes and for which no cure is yet available. Studies in col6 null mice revealed that myofiber degeneration involves autophagy defects and that forced activation of autophagy results in the amelioration of muscle pathology. Seven adult patients affected by COL6 myopathies underwent a controlled low-protein diet for 12 mo and we evaluated the presence of autophagosomes and the mRNA and protein levels for BECN1/Beclin 1 and MAP1LC3B/LC3B in muscle biopsies and blood leukocytes. Safety measures were assessed, including muscle strength, motor and respiratory function, and metabolic parameters. After one y of low-protein diet, autophagic markers were increased in skeletal muscle and blood leukocytes of patients. The treatment was safe as shown by preservation of lean:fat percentage of body composition, muscle strength and function. Moreover, the decreased incidence of myofiber apoptosis indicated benefits in muscle homeostasis, and the metabolic changes pointed at improved mitochondrial function. These data provide evidence that a low-protein diet is able to activate autophagy and is safe and tolerable in patients with COL6 myopathies, pointing at autophagy activation as a potential target for therapeutic applications. In addition, our findings indicate that blood leukocytes are a promising noninvasive tool for monitoring autophagy activation in patients.

Mobile devices are increasingly being used in lifelong learning. However, while older learners are active members of the lifelong learning system, little research has been aimed at understanding how m-learning can provide them with successful learning experiences. In this paper we address the question if m-learning can foster the acceptance and uptake of mobile technologies among a group of older people unfamiliar with ICT. Following a participatory design approach, 20 participants who were enrolled in a literature course created routes of geolocated questions about a fiction book they were reading and answered them in the real location using the QuesTInSitu application. Results indicate that their m-learning acceptance improved as their anxiety around use of technologies diminished. These findings question previous research in which use of mobile technologies tended to increase older users' anxiety and reduced their acceptance of technology. Participants described the experience as playful, enjoyable and useful.

Older people run the risk of being socially excluded due to the numerous barriers they need to overcome when interacting with Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) to perform an ever-increasing number of daily activities. This paper presents preliminary findings of a rapid ethnographical study, conducted with around 90 older people during 1 month, which aimed to explore the potential of geo-located ICT services to foster social inclusion and support independent living. This paper discusses potential scenarios of use for technologies that have largely been overlooked in HCI research with older people, such as Google Maps; key aspects of how they (want to) use these technologies and relevant interaction barriers that limit their interactions with them.

It is well recognized that a high dietary intake of long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LC-PUFA) has profound benefits on health and prevention of chronic diseases. In particular, in recent years there has been a dramatic surge of interest in the health effects of n-3 LC-PUFA derived from fish, eicosapentaenoic (EPA) and docosahexaenoic (DHA) acids. Notwithstanding, the metabolic fate and the effects of these fatty acids once inside the cell has seldom been comprehensively investigated. Using cultured neonatal rat cardiomyocytes as model system we have investigated for the first time, by means of high-resolution magic-angle spinning nuclear magnetic resonance (HR-MAS NMR) spectroscopy in combination with gas chromatography (GC), the modification occurring in the cell lipid environment after EPA and DHA supplementation. The most important difference between control and n-3 LC-PUFA-supplemented cardiomyocytes highlighted by HR-MAS NMR spectroscopy is the increase of signals from mobile lipids, identified as triacylglycerols (TAG). The observed increase of mobile TAG is a metabolic response to n-3 LC-PUFA supplementation, which leads to an increased lipid storage. The sequestration of mobile lipids in lipid bodies provides a deposit of stored energy that can be accessed in a regulated fashion according to metabolic need. Interestingly, while n-3 LC-PUFA supplementation to neonatal rat cardiomyocytes causes a huge variation in the cell lipid environment, it does not induce detectable modifications in water-soluble metabolites, suggesting negligible interference with normal metabolic processes.

In this paper, we present a new application framework aimed to support distributed synchronous collaboration using multitouch interaction. The framework supports 2D and 3D virtual workspaces that enable two or more users to collaboratively or cooperatively manipulate shared objects with multitouch interfaces. We present two applications developed with the aim to explore 2D/3D immersive collaborative environments with multitouch interaction. We also present our experience and preliminary results in designing, developing and integrating these applications on educational settings.

High-Resolution Magic Angle Spinning (HRMAS) proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy ((1)H-MRS) is a novel non-destructive technique that improves spectral line-widths and allows high-resolution spectra to be obtained from extracts, intact cells, cell cultures, and more importantly intact tissue to investigate relationships between metabolites and cellular processes. In vivo HRMAS (1)H-MRS studies have yet to be reported in the live fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster. Drosophila, as a simpler genetic organism, allows the multiple biological functions and various evolutionarily conserved signaling pathways to be examined at the whole organism level and it is a useful model for investigating genetics and physiology. To this end, we developed and implemented an in vivo HRMAS (1)H-MRS method to investigate live Drosophila at 14.1 T. Here, we outline an HRMAS (1)H-MRS protocol for the molecular characterization of Drosophila with a conventional MR spectrometer equipped with an HRMAS probe. This technique is a novel, in vivo, non-destructive Drosophila metabolite measurement approach, which enables the identification of disease biomarkers and thus may contribute to novel therapeutic development.

We present a Remote Multi-touch Collaborative Environment that integrates videoconferencing in an immersive shared space. The proposed solution supports synchronous remote and co-located interactions of two or more users sharing the same virtual workspace. Two applications, that incorporate 2D and 3D shared space, have been developed.

The non-essential amino acid neurotransmitter glycine (Gly) may serve as a biomarker for brain tumors. Using 36 biopsies from patients with brain tumors [12 glioblastoma multiforme (GBM); 10 low-grade (LG), including 7 schwannoma and 3 pylocytic astrocytoma; 7 meningioma (MN); 7 brain metastases (MT), including 3 adenocarcinoma and 4 breast cancer] and 9 control biopsies from patients undergoing surgery for epilepsy, we tested the hypothesis that the presence of glycine may distinguish among these brain tumor types. Using high-resolution magic angle spinning (HRMAS) 1H magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS), we determined a theoretically optimum echo time (TE) of 50 ms for distinguishing Gly signals from overlapping myo-inositol (Myo) signals and tested our methodology in phantom and biopsy specimens. Quantitative analysis revealed higher levels of Gly in tumor biopsies (all combined) relative to controls; Gly levels were significantly elevated in LG, MT and GBM biopsies (P≤0.05). Residual Myo levels were elevated in LG and MT and reduced in MN and GBM (P

Carbon-13 (13C) high-resolution magic angle spinning (HR-MAS) spectroscopy was used to investigate the neuroglial coupling mechanisms underlying appetite regulation in the brain of C57BL/6J mice metabolizing [1-13C]glucose. Control fed or overnight fasted mice received [1-13C]glucose (20 μmol/g intraperitoneally [i.p.]), 15 min prior to brain fixation by focused microwaves. The hypothalamic region was dissected from the rest of the brain and 13C HR-MAS spectra were obtained from both biopsies. Fasting resulted in a significant increase in hypothalamic [3-13C]lactate and [2-13C]γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) relative to the remaining brain. Administration of the orexigenic peptide ghrelin (0.3 nmol/g i.p.) did not increase hypothalamic [3-13C] lactate or [2-13C]GABA, suggesting that ghrelin signaling is not sufficient to elicit all the metabolic consequences of hypothalamic activation by fasting. Our results indicate that the hypothalamic regulation of appetite involves, in addition to the well-known neuropeptide signaling, increased neuroglial lactate shuttling and augmented GABA concentrations. © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc., Funded by: Spanish Ministry of Education and Science. Grant Numbers: SAF 2008-01327, SAF 2004-03197, NAN 2004-09125-C07-03; Community of Madrid. Grant Number: S-BIO/0179/2006; Medical Research Council (MRC) UK; Numico Research (Germany) and Fellowships from the Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia, Portugal. Grant Numbers: SFRH/BD/41348/2007, SFRH/BPD/26881/2006.

This is the first study on structural and ultrastructural changes taking place in Actinidia deliciosa kiwifruits affected by "elephantiasis syndrome", by means of DRIFT, FT-Raman, NMR, and SEM techniques. The fruits arising from elephantiasis-affected plants assume a round and smaller shape, limiting their marketing. Despite etiological studies on this disease, so far no information is available on the structural and ultrastructural characteristics of the fruits. The SEM and spectroscopic data showed significant modifications regarding the polysaccharide fraction in kiwifruits from diseased plants. The pectins seem to be the polysaccharide fraction more involved in the structural variations of the fruits. These structural and ultrastructural variations are related to the elephantiasis syndrome, and they could be adopted as markers for early diagnosis of the disease.

We report on the magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) characterisation of different human meningiomas. Three histological subtypes of meningiomas (meningothelial, fibrous and oncocytic) were analysed both through in vivo and ex vivo MRS experiments. The ex vivo high-resolution magic angle spinning (HR-MAS) investigations, permitting an accurate description of the metabolic profile, are very helpful for the assignment of the resonances in vivo of human meningiomas and for the validation of the quantification procedure of in vivo MR spectra. By using one- and two-dimensional experiments, we were able to identify several metabolites in different histological subtypes of meningiomas. Our spectroscopic data confirmed the presence of the typical metabolites of these benign neoplasms and, at the same time, that meningomas with different morphological characteristics have different metabolic profiles, particularly regarding macromolecules and lipids. The ex vivo spectra allowed a better understanding and interpretation of the in vivo MR spectra, showing that the HR-MAS MRS technique could be a complementary method to strongly support the in vivo MR spectroscopy and increase its clinical potentiality.

The present case report was aimed at identifying the molecular profile characteristic of a primitive neuro-ectodermal tumor (PNET) in a 3-year-old child affected by a lesion localized in the cerebellar region. The histological diagnosis was medulloblastoma. In vivo single voxel 1H magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) shows high specificity in detecting the main metabolic alterations in the primitive cerebellar lesion; a very high amount of the choline-containing compounds and very low level of creatine derivatives and N-acetylaspartate. Ex vivo high resolution magic angle spinning (HR-MAS) 1H magnetic resonance spectroscopy, performed at 9.4 Tesla on the neoplastic specimen collected during surgery, allows for the unambiguous identification of several metabolites giving a more in-depth evaluation of the metabolic pattern of the lesion. The ex vivo HR-MAS MR spectra show that the spectral detail is much higher than that obtained in vivo and that, for example, myo-inositol, taurine and phosphorylethanolamine contribute to the in vivo signal at 3.2 ppm, usually attributed to choline-containing compounds. In addition, the spectroscopic data appear to correlate with some morphological features of the medulloblastoma. Consequently, the present study shows that ex vivo HR-MAS 1H MRS is able to strongly improve the clinical possibility of in vivo MRS and can be used in conjunction with in vivo spectroscopy for clinical purposes.

This paper addresses a number of challenges HCI designers and researchers deal with when designing digital technologies for older people. We conducted a 5-year research-through-design study, which combined ethnography, participatory design and real-life evaluation, to explore the design and use of technologies aimed to enhance the social life of older people. The paper explores widespread assumptions about the social category of older people and the meaning of technologies for them. This paper argues that assuming that (i) older people have unique needs and interests that set them apart from other user groups and (ii) the meaning of technologies remains unaltered on completion of co-design activities are both problematic, because they do not consider carefully enough the sociocultural contexts in which older people interact and engage in their daily lives. The paper posits that the meaning of technologies for older people and their own identities as individuals of a certain age are shaped within situated communities. Thus, technologies designed ‘for older people’ should be designed to meet situated and dynamic needs/interests of the communities (and not only of care) to which they belong. We draw upon our findings and other situated epistemological discourses in HCI to introduce a different perspective, a turn to community, in the design of technologies for an ever-increasing ageing population. This research has been partially funded by the Spanish Ministry of Economy and Competitiveness (RESET TIN2014-53199-C3-3-R), the EU through Life2.0 (CIP ICT PSP-2009-4-270965), and Fundación General CSIC and Obra Social ‘‘la Caixa’’ through the WorthPlay project.

This paper presents a customizable system used to develop a collaborative multi-user problem solving game. It addresses the increasing demand for appealing informal learning experiences in museum-like settings. The system facilitates remote collaboration by allowing groups of learners to/ncommunicate through a videoconferencing system and by allowing them to simultaneously interact through a shared multi-touch interactive surface. A user study with 20 user groups indicates that the game facilitates collaboration between local and remote groups of learners. The videoconference and multitouch surface acted as communication channels, attracted students’ interest, facilitated engagement, and promoted inter- and intra-group collaboration—/nfavoring intra-group collaboration. Our findings suggest that augmenting/nvideoconferencing systems with a shared multitouch space offers new/npossibilities and scenarios for remote collaborative environments and collaborative learning.

There is strong interest in MR imaging methods for in vivo MR imaging of gene transcription. Such imaging would enable MR detection of mRNA alterations in disease. A range of MRI methods bave been proposed for in-vivo molecular imaging of cells based on the use of ultra-small super-paramagnetic iron oxide (USPIO) nanoparticles and related susceptibility weighted imaging methods.Although a gene assay technique is established to differentiate the induction profiles fosB and fosB mRNA in vivo, a superior contrast agent that will be administered using systemic as opposed to local administration and assess whether it will target and accumulate at the burn site is not available. To visualize in live tissue the differential fosB gene expression profile after burn trauma, we developed MR probes that link T2* contrast agent [superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPION)] with a oligodeoxynucleotide (ODN) sequence complementary to fosB or fosB mRNA to visualize endogenous mRNA targets via in vivo hybridization. The presence of this SPION-sODN probe in cells results in localized signal reduction in T2*-weighted MR images, in which the rate of signal reduction (R2*) reflects the regional iron concentration at different stages of amphetamine (AMPH) exposure in live mouse tissue. Following the successful transfection of the animals the mRNA expression is imaged and quantified in vivo. Specifically, we developed and delivered pegylated lipid coated MR probe with ultra-small super-paramagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (USPION, a T2 susceptibility agent) coated with polymer modified fusogenic lipids and covalently linked to a phosphorothioate-modified oligodeoxynucleotide (sODN) complementary to c-fos mRNA (SPION-cfos) and imaged mice subjected leg burn. Our study demonstrates the feasibility to monitor burn injury using MR imaging of c-fosB? transcription in vivo, in a clinically relevant mouse model of burn trauma for the first time.

Electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) is a magnetic resonance-based technique that detects species with unpaired electrons such as free radicals (organic or inorganic) and transition metal ions. The development of low frequency (1200 MHz and below) EPR spectrometers has led to the in vivo application of the technique in a variety of animal models. Often, EPR may also be complementary to nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). For assessing oxidative damage after burn trauma, in vivo EPR using nitroxides is complementary to NMR since NMR cannot measure redox status and reactive oxygen species (ROS), while EPR can. Here, for the first time, we report tissue partial pressure of oxygen (pO2), redox status and ROS measurement by in vivo EPR in intact proximal skeletal muscle tissue following burn trauma in mice. The potential significance of our findings includes the in vivo non-invasive nature of the EPR measurements, which can serve to follow tissue pathology and to monitor the effectiveness of antioxidant agents in order to alleviate the symptoms of severe burn trauma. The development and application of in vivo EPR oximetry in the clinical management of burn injury alongside NMR might also prove to be very useful.

Glycine is a major inhibitory neurotransmitter in the mammalian central nervous system. High levels of glycine have been detected in the brain of patients with hyperglycinemia and in brain tumors in particular glioblastoma multiforme (GBM). Given its significance, an accurate measure of brain glycine is desirable; this is hindered by the fact that its resonance overlaps with the resonances of myo-inositol. Because of myo-inositol’s short TE, glycine can be detected in long TE and when editing, TE-averaged point resolved spectroscopy (PRESS) or 2D J-PRESS are used. Here we employed HRMAS 1H MRS to quantify glycine (Gly) in brain tumor biopsies using the Carr-Purcell-Meiboom-Gill (CPMG) pulse sequence. We show that reliable detection of Gly in brain tumor biopsies is feasible using HRMAS 1H MRS at TE of 50 ms with CPMG. With respect to the choice of TE, this is a TE at which the amplitude of the Myo resonance is sufficiently reduced to allow for Gly detection. The Gly resonance, being a singlet at 3.55 ppm that is overlapped by the more intense Myo resonances, cannot be directly edited, but requires approaches that minimize the signal contribution from Myo. Our results show that we can differentiate brain tumor types based on the amount of Gly they contain and are in agreement with prior observations. Especially the distinction between high-grade tumors (i.e., GBM) and metastasis is of clinical significance because it is a distinction not made adequately at present. Here, it is the reduced Myo and high glycine that distinguish GBM from MT, which exhibit both Myo and Gly resonances. We propose Gly as a useful biomarker in brain tumors.

Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) methodologies offer a comprehensive characterization of foodstuff owing to the possibility to study a sample from different points of view including structural, compositional, functional, morphological etc. aspects. High resolution NMR spectroscopy applied to semi-solid food samples or to extracts in solution is used to determine the foodstuff composition. Here, some features of high resolution NMR methodologies related to food analysis such as quantitative analysis, chemometrics, and use of databases are included. Other NMR methodologies such as relaxometry and imaging described in this chapter give precious information regarding the morphology and texture of intact food samples.

The results of our studies on healthy stomach and colon mucosa, and on gastric and colon adenocarinomas are reported. As far as the stomach tumors are concerned, the biochemical picture captured by HR-MAS is strongly different from that characteristic of the healthy mucosa, whereas intermediate situations are found for gastritis samples. When colon samples are analyzed, HR-MAS highlights a marked metabolic heterogeneity within the class of the healthy specimen, as well as within that of the neoplastic ones. A statistical approach, based on the analysis of the conventional pre-saturated 1D 'H spectra, was thus undertaken in order to distinguish among the two classes of healthy and neoplastic colon tissues. Interestingly, the samples taken at not less than 1 5 cm from the lesion, and classified as macroscopically normal by histology, are more similar to the neoplastic than to the healthy ones.

L’Actinidia è soggetta a varie malattie a carico del legno e fra queste l’elefantiasi, il cui sintomo caratterizzante è un’ipertrofia del tronco. I frutti prodotti da queste piante hanno forma rotondeggiante e taglia ridotta, parametri che possono limitarne la commercializzazione. Fino ad ora gli studi su questa malattia sono stati rivolti alla individuazione degli agenti causali, mentre le caratteristiche dei frutti sono state scarsamente indagate. In questo lavoro, le modificazioni strutturali e ultrastrutturali nei frutti, da piante con elefantiasi, sono state ricercate mediante le tecniche DRIFT, FT-Raman, NMR e SEM. Le principali variazioni riguardano la componente polisaccaridica.

In the last decades, advances in interactive information technologies have facilitated collaborative fiction writing, which has become widespread and large-scale. This paper proposes a framework to analyze collaborative storytelling systems, made of a set of parameters divided into six conceptual areas. Four of them relate to the systems and two (process and output) to the results of the collaboration. Through this framework we can study more precisely these different factors of the systems, their interplay, and how they impact the creators’ performance. We also present a controlled extended-duration field study on collaborative storytelling, and we use this framework to comparatively analyze these observations and other relevant experiences in the field of co-creation of shared narrative spaces. As a result, we propose a human-information interaction model for collaborative narrative systems, intended to better support co-creation and address the barriers of this kind of systems turning them into new opportunities for collaboration.

In vivo 1H MRS has been widely used to identify the different metabolites present in brain tumors. However, due to the poor resolution of the in vivo spectra, it only allows the detection and the accurate quantification of very few. The HR-MAS (High Resolution Magie Angle Spinning) Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy has proved to be a useful tool to overcome this problem. The purpose of this work is the study of the relative contributions of the main choline containing compounds (Cho, PC and GPC) to the total choline (tCho) signal and the evaluation of the potential role of these data in the discrimination betwecn low and high grade glioma. Human biopsies of grade II (low grade) and grades III and IV (high grade) astrocytomas were obtained from the neurosurgery department at "La Paz" Hospital. The HR-MAS spectra of the rumor biopsies were acquired on a 500 MHz Bruker AVANCE Spectrometer, at 4°C and 4 kHz spinning rate. Data were acquired with a classical CPMG with an effective echo time of 144 ms. Metabolite assignments were confirmed by 2D-COSY. The relative contributions of Cho, GPC and PC to the tCho were calculated by fitting lorentzian peaks to the corresponding resonances. The statistical analysis was performed using SPSS (SPSS Inc., Chicago, Illinois). The HR-MAS spectra showed a very high resolution, allowing for the individuai analysis of Cho, PC and GPC. The PC/tCho and the GPC/tCho ratios were significantly different between low grade and high grade gliomas, but did not help to discriminate between grade IH and grade IV (Fig. Ib). Also, the scatter plot of all the data showed that no overlapping at all exists for these two ratios between low and high grade, which implies that no false positives would occur when using this variables as markers for diagnosis. We also calculated the tCho/Cr ratio, which is conventionally used in the in vivo spectra analysis since Cho, PC and GPC cannot be distinguished under these conditions. No statistically significant differences were found for the tCho/Cr ratio between low and high grade gliomas, indicating that the individual contributions of PC and GPC to the tCho, rather than the tCho itself, are the specific markers of tumor malignancy.