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Neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) are webs of extracellular nuclear DNA extruded by dying neutrophils infiltrating tissue. NETs constitute a defence mechanism to entrap and kill fungi and bacteria. Tumours induce the formation of NETs to the advantage of the malignancy via a variety of mechanisms shown in mouse models. Here, we investigated the presence of NETs in a variety of human solid tumours and their association with IL-8 (CXCL8) protein expression and CD8+ T-cell density in the tumour microenvironment. Multiplex immunofluorescence panels were developed to identify NETs in human cancer tissues by co-staining with the granulocyte marker CD15, the neutrophil marker myeloperoxidase and citrullinated histone H3 (H3Cit), as well as IL-8 protein and CD8+ T cells. Three ELISA methods to detect and quantify circulating NETs in serum were optimised and utilised. Whole tumour sections and tissue microarrays from patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC; n = 14), bladder cancer (n = 14), melanoma (n = 11), breast cancer (n = 31), colorectal cancer (n = 20) and mesothelioma (n = 61) were studied. Also, serum samples collected retrospectively from patients with metastatic melanoma (n = 12) and NSCLC (n = 34) were ELISA assayed to quantify circulating NETs and IL-8. NETs were detected in six different human cancer types with wide individual variation in terms of tissue density and distribution. At least in NSCLC, bladder cancer and metastatic melanoma, NET density positively correlated with IL-8 protein expression and inversely correlated with CD8+ T-cell densities. In a series of serum samples from melanoma and NSCLC patients, a positive correlation between circulating NETs and IL-8 was found. In conclusion, NETs are detectable in formalin-fixed human biopsy samples from solid tumours and in the circulation of cancer patients with a considerable degree of individual variation. NETs show a positive association with IL-8 and a trend towards a negative association with CD8+ tumour-infiltrating lymphocytes.

To study the impact of a newly introduced dressing on efficiency and quality of care in routine clinical practice in a Spanish community setting.

The EC Directive 2013/51/EURATOM of 22 October 2013 represents the first time that a radon limit for drinking water has been proposed. Transposition of this Directive into Spanish legislation was by means of the recent RD 314/2016 which sets a limit value of 500 Bq l?1 for radon (222Rn) in water for human consumption while that in Romanian legislation the Law 301/2015 provides a limit value of 100 Bq l-1 for 222Rn concentration in water for human consumption as well as a total effective dose of 0.1 mSv y-1 from all radionuclides present in water (same dose value established by Spanish law). For several years, both in Romania and in Spain, there have been campaigns to measure the concentration of 222Rn in waters of different origins in order to determine the possible exposure of the population through this irradiation path, and also to use the presence of radon dissolved in water as a source of indoor radon in thermal spa facilities, and also as a tracer of dynamic processes (C. Sainy et al., Sci. Tot. Envir. 543, 460 (2016); 1). In this article, an assessment of the results from measurement campaigns in both countries will be presented and compared. In addition, the different measurement techniques used will be described, and the description of an intercomparison exercise on radon measurement in water organized by the Environmental Radioactivity Laboratory of the University of Cantabria (LaRUC) will be presented, in order to evaluate the quality of the performance of the techniques used. This work was partially supported by the project ID P_37_229, Contract No. 22/01.09.2016, with the title Smart Systems for Public Safety through Control and Mitigation of Residential Radon linked with Energy Efficiency Optimization of Buildings in Romanian Major Urban Agglomerations SMART-RAD-EN of the POC Programme.

Nowadays, a global trend towards increasing the performance of a building is the reduction in energy consumption. In this respect, for existing residential buildings the most common techniques are the application of a thermal insulation layer to the exterior wall of the building and / or window replacements. Unfortunately, their application without proper education of those involved may have a negative effect on the indoor air quality. The use of a continuous monitoring device can give the owner the ability to understand the impact of his behaviour on indoor air quality and, as such, to adjust his routine in order to maintain the indoor air quality at the desired level. This paper introduces a prototype, called ICA system, for continuous, real-time indoor air quality monitoring. The ICA system presents sensors for monitoring the concentration of radon, CO2, CO, VOCs, as well as meteorological parameters, such as temperature, pressure, and relative humidity. Experiments were performed both in laboratory and in situ conditions for testing and validating the proposed system. This work was supported by the project ID P_37_229, Contract No. 22/01.09.2016, with the title “Smart Systems for Public Safety through Control and Mitigation of Residential Radon linked with Energy Efficiency Optimization of Buildings in Romanian Major Urban Agglomerations SMART-RAD-EN” of the POC Programme.

Background: Proper risk stratification of patients for early mortality after cancer-associated thrombosis may lead to personalized anticoagulation protocols. Therefore, we aimed to derive and validate a scoring system to predict early mortality in this population. To this end, we selected patients with active cancer and thrombosis from the Computerized Registry of Patients with Venous Thromboembolism database. Methods: The main outcome was all cause mortality within the month following a thrombotic event. We used a simple random selection to split arc data in a derivation and a validation cohort. In the derivation cohort, we used recursive partitioning and binary logistic regression to identify groups at risk and to determine the likelihood of the primary outcome. The risk score was developed based on odds ratios from the final multivariate model, and then tested in the validation cohort. Results: In 10,025 eligible patients, we identified 6 predictors of 30-day mortality: leukocytosis >= 11.5x109/L; platelet count = 7). The AUC for the overall score was 0.74, and using a cutoff >= 7 points, the model had a negative predictive value of 94.4%, a positive predictive value of 23.1%, a sensitivity of 73.3%, and a specificity of 64.6% in the validation cohort. Conclusions: Our validated risk model may assist physicians in the selection of patients for outpatient management, and perhaps anticoagulant, considering expanding anticoagulation options.

Finding novel targets in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is highly needed and identification of synthetic lethality between two genes is a new approach to target NSCLC. We previously found that TMPRSS4 promotes NSCLC growth and constitutes a prognostic biomarker. Here, through large-scale analyses across 5 public databases we identified consistent co-expression between TMPRSS4 and DDR1. Similar to TMPRSS4, DDR1 promoter was hypomethylated in NSCLC in 3 independent cohorts and hypomethylation was an independent prognostic factor of disease-free survival. Treatment with 5-azacitidine increased DDR1 levels in cell lines, suggesting an epigenetic regulation. Cells lacking TMPRSS4 were highly sensitive to the cytotoxic effect of the DDR1 inhibitor dasatinib. TMPRSS4/DDR1 double knock-down (KD) cells, but not single KD cells suffered a G0/G1 cell cycle arrest with loss of E2F1 and cyclins A and B, increased p21 levels and a larger number of cells in apoptosis. Moreover, double KD cells were highly sensitized to cisplatin, which caused massive apoptosis (~40%). In vivo studies demonstrated tumor regression in double KD-injected mice. In conclusion, we have identified a novel vulnerability in NSCLC resulting from a synthetic lethal interaction between DDR1 and TMPRSS4.

ICERI2015 Proceedings, Seville, Spain. 18-20 November, 2015.

Este estudio se enmarca dentro de las medidas llevadas a cabo por el Gobierno de Navarra para alcanzar los objetivos dictados por la Directiva Marco de Agua, DMA. Para la consecución de la evaluación del estado ecológico de los ríos, previamente se deben realizar los estudios de caracterización física y de sus cuencas vertientes obteniendo una tipología de los segmentos fluviales (DMA, artículo 3, anexo II). Hasta el momento se carecía de trabajos de síntesis que ofreciesen una visión de conjunto sobre la vegetación de las riberas en Navarra. Este tipo de trabajos resulta de gran utilidad para la identificación de tramos de ríos con elevado valor ecológico y posibilita la selección adecuada de especies vegetales para la recuperación de ríos degradados, utilizando las plantas más adecuadas, desde el punto de vista territorial y ambientalmente, para cada situación. En este estudio se aporta más información a cada uno de los tipos fluviales presentes en Navarra y se evalúa su interrelación teniendo en cuenta aspectos morfológicos y de ribera. Para ello, se ha realizado una caracterización de las diferentes formaciones riparias, atendiendo a las condiciones de cuenca vertiente y características morfológicas de los tramos en los que se ubican cada una de ellas. Con el objetivo de realizar un mejor enfoque en las medidas de restauración que se establezcan para cada tipo fluvial, se ha evaluado también la calidad ecológica de las riberas según la cuantificación establecida por dos índices distintos: QBR y RQI, determinando en qué aspectos éstas se encuentran más degradadas para cada uno de los tipos fluviales. Para completar los resultados se ha llevado a cabo un análisis de las relaciones entre los diferentes parámetros utilizados, evaluando cómo funcionan los índices QBR y RQI. Este análisis proporciona las bases para la determinación de las condiciones de referencia para cada uno de los tipos fluviales, necesarias para establecer una clasificación de calidades.

ECOHIDRÁULICA realiza actualmente el estudio hidrobiológico de la cuenca alta del río Cabriel, para la Junta de Castilla-La Mancha. En el marco de este proyecto se ha estudiado la freza de la trucha común (Salmo trutta L.). El trabajo de campo ha sido realizado, durante el invierno 2007-2008, por Agentes de la Junta, que han tomado datos de los frezaderos detectados en cada tramo muestreado. Se ha registrado: ubicación del tramo, fecha del muestreo, tipo de hábitat, número de frezaderos en el tramo, solapamiento, ubicación dentro del tramo y dimensiones de los frezaderos, problemática y, en caso de ser observada, características de la acción de freza.