news 2022

The cellular prion protein (PrPC), a protein in the surface of the neuronal cells, is imbalanced in human patients with neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's or Parkinson's disease. However, the knowledge on the participation of PrPC in these pathologies contrasts with many reported data on its natural and health-promoting role.

Scientists from the Research Chair of the Universidad Carlos III de Madrid (UC3M), the Centre for Energy, Environmental and Technological Research (CIEMAT, in its Spanish acronym) and the Jiménez Díaz Foundation Health Research Institute (IIS-FJD, in its Spanish acronym) have, for the first time, designed and generated a type of aptamer (single-stranded DNA molecules) capable of recognising and activating a key receptor in skin repair.

A new study led by members of the Faculty of Earth Sciences of the UB and the Institute of Marine Sciences ( ICM-CSI C) revealed that plastic debris in the sea could contribute to the introduction and transport of non-native marine species that attach to these particles of anthropogenic origins. As part of the study, published in the journal Marine Pollution Bulletin , the scientific team identified several species attached to a series of plastic debris —both floating and present in beaches and seafloors— in the Catalan coast.

The project SMOOTH gathers 11 European universities that will study whether -educational commons- can act as catalysts to reverse social inequalities among young people and children. UPF is to undertake the performance of two case studies in Barcelona on which work will be carried out with the entities AEI Raval and ElParlante.

Juvenile fibromyalgia is a syndrome characterized by a chronic pain affecting the whole body. It also causes fatigue as well as sleep and mood disorders. It affects children and adolescents —mainly girls— worldwide and it appears during a critical period of the brain development. Analysing the brain changes that occur in the first stages of juvenile fibromyalgia could help to better understand the pathophysiology of this syndrome, which had not been approached from this perspective to date.

The study finds a greater presence of these viruses in people who eat dairy products in their regular diet. New research associates the presence of Caudovirales in gut microbiota to an improvement in cognitive functions and memory in humans, mice and flies.

Researchers of the University of Barcelona and the August Pi i Sunyer Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBAPS) have shown in a study with lung cancer cell lines that the same molecular signals that control the embryonic development can also control the harmfulness of cancer cells. The results of the study, published in the Journal of Experimental & Clinical Cancer Research , can have implications in the development of new therapeutic strategies to fight lung cancer, which is currently the first cause of death worldwide.

Global environmental changes such as those caused by climate warming can have a deep impact on the ecosystems. In this context, it is vital to gather biological and ecological information of the main species to predict and mitigate the potential effects of these changes in the distribution, abundance and interaction of these species.

Researchers at the Universidad Carlos III de Madrid (UC3M) have developed a system based on computer vision techniques that allows automatic analysis of biomedical videos captured by microscopy in order to characterise and describe the behaviour of the cells that appear in the images. These new techniques developed by the UC3M engineering team have been used for measurements on living tissues, in research carried out with scientists from the National Centre for Cardiovascular Research (CNIC in its Spanish acronym).

Studies have found a very small and uncertain reduction in symptoms of depression after taking omega-3 fatty acid supplements. Also, the studies have not found enough quality evidence regarding their side effects Els suplements i complements dietètics d'àcids grassos omega 3, com els d'oli de peix i de fetge de bacallà, s'estan estudiant com a tractament alternatiu per als símptomes de la depressió, una malaltia molt debilitant i difícil de tractar.

Obesity or diabetes, among other metabolic disorders, can produce cognitive impairment. Molecular bases and brain areas involved in this relation are not studied enough, but now, a study published in the journal Cell Metabolism reveals the involvement of a molecule and a brain region in this process of cognitive skill loss.

A study published in the journal Nature Plants reveals that the oldest trees are living beings that offer more than a majestic presence and a series of ecosystem services to the forest. These ancient and monumental trees of long-term survival —they can be centennial or millennial trees— are vital to preserve the adaptive capacity of the forests on the long run, in a constantly changing environment.

Research carried out by the Universidad Carlos III de Madrid (UC3M) may help us better understand oscillations in blood flow that occur in the cerebrovascular network, thanks to a theoretical model that allows the flow and accumulation of fluid (in this case, blood) to be taken into account. Flow networks are made up of a set of connections that carry fluid.

Research carried out by the Universidad Carlos III de Madrid (UC3M) may help us better understand oscillations in blood flow that occur in the cerebrovascular network, thanks to a theoretical model that allows the flow and accumulation of fluid (in this case, blood) to be taken into account. Flow networks are made up of a set of connections that carry fluid.

An International team of astronomers led by researcher Toni Santana-Ros, from the University of Alicante and the Institute of Cosmos Sciences of the University of Barcelona (ICCUB), has confirmed the existence of the second Earth Trojan asteroid known to date, the 2020 XL5, after a decade of search.

Researchers at UPF and the UdG find that as we grow older we use more non-referential gestures in our narratives, gestures that do not visually represent what we are saying, and this indicates a greater ability to structure discourse. Gesturing when speaking is something we all do, whether consciously or unconsciously, and is part of human communication.

The increasing salinity in freshwater habitats —rivers, lakes, wetlands, etc.— is a global threat to the conservation of biodiversity and the natural habitats of the world. Human activities such as mining and intensive agriculture, as well as the rise of the sea level caused by the climate change, are placing the concentration of salt in continental waters up to the highest levels to date.

The gene of the brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) is associated with several processes related to memory and brain plasticity. Now, a paper reveals that it is easier to alter the cognitive activity through transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) in people with the genetic variant Val/Val for the BDNF gene.

Men and women who have not taken sick leave or have done due to other diagnoses were at least 9% more likely to continue in employment compared to employees who had taken sick leave due to cancer, according to this study carried out in Catalonia, published in 'Scientific Reports'.

A new UPF study analyses computer games as if they were an interface, studying all the actors in the game and their interactions. The authors affirm that this methodology can be applied to transform the relationships and processes of many activities and structures of the human being. As part of an international project, a team from UPF analysed adolescents- experience of online games as if they were an interface, with the aim of discovering the use that young people make of the media and how they learn from them.